Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: A Life Full of Quarks by C.W. Johnson

Demonstrating the beauty and awe of growing up within the kaleidoscope of science, A Life Full of Quarks by C.W. Johnson is a mind-expanding novel following the life and misadventures of John Chant, a perennial explorer of the unknown.

Given his parents’ legacy as scientific minds at the top of their fields, it comes as no surprise that John grows up immersed in the endless questions and head-scratching mysteries of the natural world. Like a whiteboard scribbled with the equations of his existence, this fictional memoir is densely packed with anecdotal stories and snapshots of growing up amongst mad geniuses […]

Fury in Her Eyes by Phillip Vega

An intensely personal drama, Fury in Her Eyes by Phillip Vega is a thrilling and unpredictable portrait of connection, resentment, and romance that refuses to die.

Ollie Morales is living out his high-stakes dream as a professional photojournalist when a mob of Trump supporters nearly beats him to death on January 6^th, 2021, sending his life into chaos. While he assumes that the explosion of violence was random, it gradually becomes clear that what happened to him was no accident.

Thirty years earlier, Ollie had been a normal high school senior, a photographer on the school paper, and […]

SPR2024-10-14T08:31:30+02:00October 14th, 2024|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Where’s Our Purple Heart by Logan Fret

Peeling back the complex layers of grief, family, trauma, and secrets, Where’s Our Purple Heart by Logan Fret is a raw examination of the feelings we fear and the memories we bury.

After his gun-loving, hard-drinking, war hero father dies unexpectedly, Todd must navigate a surge of emotions, especially the feelings of relief and a distinct lack of sadness. He struggles to mourn an abusive father who had leveled a murderous threat against him, which forced Todd to hide his queer identity for years and prevented any resolution or authenticity in their relationship. Now, with the main obstacle to his […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-08-16T19:46:48+02:00August 16th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, LGBTQI+ Book Reviews|

Review: Debauchery by Andy Bramley

Creative, clever, and chock full of dark comedy, Debauchery: Part 1 by Andy Bramley is a witty and wise read from an unconventional storyteller.

A bizarre series of events brings together a disparate group of seven acquaintances, fans, friends, and strangers with big personalities and a hefty handful of bad habits. As their unlikely worlds spiral closer and casually collide, it becomes clear that their chance encounters are anything but coincidence.

Embodying the seven deadly sins – pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth – these seven souls have unknowingly become the target of The Community, a radically conservative […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-07-30T13:48:52+02:00June 25th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Satire Book Reviews|

Review: Rem’s Chance by Dave J. Andrae

Capturing the quiet struggle of a resilient generation with scathing wit and emotional depth, Rem’s Chance by Dave J. Andrae is a sardonic portrait of a generation.

A washed-up musician plagued by worst-case-scenario thinking rediscovers an almost forgotten passion when he embarks on a quest to uncover the past. After serendipitously running into an old bandmate in the midst of a tragedy, Remy Bruxvoort is catapulted back into the memories of his rock ‘n’ roll youth with Gene and Dusty, the other members of The Bubbling Samovars.

Setting aside his daunting ambition of writing a novel, and the painful stress […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-07-05T17:58:36+02:00May 30th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Music Book Reviews|

Review: Two by Nathan Nicolau

A pair of young strangers embark on an unconventional odyssey through Charlotte, North Carolina in Two, a quietly wise novel by Nathan Nicolau.

When Howl observes Ella reciting a passionate soliloquy to a statue in the park, he breaks out of his comfort zone to get some answers. As their day intertwines, small talk turns into big conversation, and an unlikely wander blossoms into something far more precious – an adventurous reinvention for them both. From art, philosophy, and aesthetics to books, people-watching, mental health, and overbearing mothers, the narrative weaves through myriad themes in the pair’s joint quest […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-05-28T12:15:35+02:00April 29th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

Diary of the Broken by Malachi Lambert

In the dark and lonely spiral of grief following the death of his beloved wife, Aaron returns to old comforting demons, even as his friends and children try to pull him back from the brink of crushing sorrow in Diary of the Broken by Malachi Lambert, a raw and relentless tale of loss.

From the bottom of the bottle to the tops of hiking trails, Aaron gradually finds a new lease on happiness with a community who cares, but the journey to get there is marked by tears, blood, self-reflection, and more than a few hangovers. Through Aaron’s dark internal […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-04-10T15:40:05+02:00April 10th, 2024|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Finding Isobel by Mary Behan

An absorbing and poignant novel about a woman’s search for identity and path in life, Finding Isobel by Mary Behan examines the complex and painful choices that can rip families apart, as well as the kind, loving choices that can bring families together.

Isobel has always had nagging questions about her roots, as her adoptive parents were reluctant to disclose anything about where she came from. In a quest to uncover her past, Isobel travels from Canada to New Zealand in an inspiring and emotionally charged journey, reflecting on the human need to have a sense of belonging with one’s […]

Marina Dora Martino2024-04-30T19:00:16+02:00March 19th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, International Fiction Book Reviews|