New Releases | Self-Publishing Review

The Real Matrix by Michael Evans

The Real Matrix by Michael Evans is not about a technological Matrix, in which we’re caught in a computer simulation. However, we’re caught in a simulation all the same: one that’s built by upbringing, societal pressure, the media, and more that not only inform how we think, but lock us into a particular mindset. The Real Matrix lays out all the ways we’re conditioned and aims to break those bonds.

The book is at its best when its talking about big picture issues – such as the impact of religion or law on personal outlook. For example, the issue of […]

Henry Baum2018-05-09T10:22:02+02:00January 22nd, 2016|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Non-Fiction Book Reviews, Self-Help Book Reviews|

The Widows Guild by Anna Castle

The Widows Guild by Anna Castle is an engrossing historical mystery with an intriguing and dynamic protagonist: the one and only Francis Bacon – philosopher, scientist, statesman, and possible author of Shakespeare’s plays.

Part 3 of the Francis Bacon Mysteries is set in London in 1588: under threat by a Spanish Armada, a killer is using the unrest as cover to murder Catholics. Unscrupulous Lady Alice Trumpington has designs on killing her husband, but he ends up dead by another person’s hand, yet is locked away in the prison tower. Bacon is tasked to free her from her bondage, and […]

Henry Baum2016-01-20T03:05:37+02:00January 20th, 2016|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Mystery Book Reviews|

The Professional Security Manual Class 1, Urban Security by Charles White

The Professional Security Manual Class 1, Urban Security by Charles White The Professional Security Manual Class 1, Urban Security by Charles White might not sound like it, but it’s an inventive and hilarious take on a training manual, and one security guard’s over-the-top take on just what it takes to become a rent-a-cop. Covering important topics such as dealing with ghosts and how to use a stapler as a ninja weapon, this book will have you covered and then some. Mixed in with Charles White’s instructions are footnotes from a mysterious ghostwriter who finds himself imprisoned by Charles White, and ridiculing him the whole way through.

After the first footnote, it’s […]

SPR2018-10-29T12:19:16+02:00January 14th, 2016|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Humor, Satire Book Reviews|

Hope by Taryn Feldmann

Hope by Taryn Feldmann is a novel about abuse and recovery. Emily and Sarah have had a horrible upbringing due to their abusive father. Emily moves to New York with dreams of being an actor, while Sarah succumbs to drug addiction. When Emily learns of the healing power of a horse named Hope, she brings her sister to Wyoming to help put her on the right course. However, Emily falls ill to Leukemia and finds she needs the healing power of Hope as much as her sister. An emotional novel about overcoming pain and a troubled past.

While the novel […]

Lysa Grant2016-01-05T06:15:28+02:00January 5th, 2016|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

Rise from Darkness: Paths Out of Depression Toward Happiness by Kristian Hall

Rise from Darkness by Kristian Hall Rise from Darkness: How to Overcome Depression through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Positive Psychology: Paths Out of Depression Toward Happiness is Kristian Hall’s comprehensive guide to overcoming depression. Combining personal history, a guide for both sufferers and friends/family members, and step by step instructions about how to lift yourself or others from the scourge of depression, the book covers depression from every conceivable angle with great erudition and empathy.

The book’s main weakness is one of organization. Someone who is in the deep throes of depression may not have the patience to read the fundamentals of brain chemistry, for example. […]

Henry Baum2018-05-09T10:22:20+02:00January 4th, 2016|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Non-Fiction Book Reviews, Self-Help Book Reviews|

The Web Across the Water by M.J. Heywood

The Web Across the Water by M.J. Heywood is a thriller about an internet relationship gone awry. Lily Moore meets Bradley Jefferies in a chat room. She’s not seeking love, she’s seeking to swindle wealthy people out of their money. She’s got a system for finding heirs to fortunes. Brad, a wealthy American, might just be the one to stop her chain of thievery, as she considers love for the first time. Only Brad has sinister plans of his own. Unbeknownst to each other, they’re both laying a trap for the other. An entertaining and prescient thriller that combines elements […]

Henry Baum2016-01-04T08:35:27+02:00January 4th, 2016|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Thriller Book Reviews|

Imperia by Jason Hatcher

Imperia by Jason Hatcher is an epic fantasy about Fei Sei, the Red Empress, the ruler of an empire split in two. She has many enemies – Bamboo, a murderous concubine, as well as the Emperor, who are colluding with each other – and she’s been trapped behind enemy lines for decades. A revolution is brewing in the Empire of Heaven, and the Empress must make a chilling decision that will affect the future of the Empire. A fascinating fantasy novel that incorporates historical fantasy, horror, and some erotica into a highly-charged and captivating read.

Though not Japanese himself, Hatcher […]

Henry Baum2016-01-05T08:21:45+02:00December 30th, 2015|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

I Am Not Dumb and I Am Not a Stinky Butt! by Joyce Knock

I Am Not Dumb and I Am Not a Stinky Butt! by Joyce Knock is a spirited children’s story about one boy who’s taken a bit too much from a particular bully. A boy is teased by the class bully, Freddy, when he answers a question wrong in class (Freddy calls him “stupid”) and then when he falls down on the playground (he’s called “crybaby”), and then he’s called the name in the title. Finally having enough, he confronts Freddy in class and all the other kids offer their support, silencing the bully. It’s a sweet and important story, in […]