Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Jacob’s Ghetto by Travis Peagler

Jacob's Ghetto by Travis Peagler

Rising above adversity is the powerful theme in Jacob’s Ghetto, the emotionally-charged story written by Travis Peagler for middle-grade and young adult readers.

Ten-year-old Jacob Kingsman was born with the cards of life definitely stacked against him. Living in the notoriously tough south side ghetto of Chicago, Jacob’s mother is a junkie who does nothing to provide the daily necessities for him, forcing Jacob to ask the owner of the corner market for a banana every day so that he has something to eat at night.

He and his best friend, Kenny, are harassed by Ja’heve, second in command […]

Review: Simon’s Mansion by William Poe

Simon's Mansion by William Poe

Running from your present and confronting your past speak to the heart in Simon’s Mansion, a moving work of LGBT literary fiction by William Poe.

Not long out of rehab, Simon Powell returns to his hometown of Sibley, Arkansas, eager to leave behind his destructive life in Hollywood. Given his relatively young life, Simon is a man with many ex’s to his name – ex-husband of Masako, a Japanese woman he had briefly married, ex-cult member and former follower of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon, and ex-junkie, with cocaine and crack his drugs of choice.

He’s also a former […]

Marta Cheng2019-10-14T11:42:43+02:00October 13th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, LGBTQI+ Book Reviews, Literary Fiction Book Reviews|

Call Numbers by Syntell Smith

Keeping things quiet in a library is understood, but in Call Numbers by author Syntell Smith, the swirling secrets and constant drama are impossible to shoo away with a whisper, for a drama-filled romp through the stacks.

When Robin Walker arrives at the 58^th Street Branch of the New York Public Library, he has no idea what kind of storm he’s strolling towards. Between power struggles at the top and a white noise of gossip to cabal-toppling coups and sassy clerks ready to throw the first punch, this is a much wilder story than a loyal library-goer may expect.[…]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-02-08T04:56:27+02:00October 3rd, 2019|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The Best of Intentions by Gilbert Van Hoeydonck

The Best of Intentions by Gilbert Van Hoeydonck

A moving work of literary fiction, The Best of Intentions by Gilbert Van Hoeydonck illustrates the stark message of its title: the best of intentions are too often not enough.

Transplanted Melbourne social worker, Kurt Edelman, is hardly a typical Buddhist. With a penchant for cheap wine, leather jackets, and violent video games, he’s disillusioned and frustrated by the social system for which he works – a system that is for the most part understaffed, underfunded, and forces a high case load on its workers.

However, when young Kylee Watson, one of his former charges, jumps from the roof of […]

Marta Cheng2019-09-30T09:12:25+02:00August 20th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Literary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Littlethumb Sneezed by Truant D. Memphis

Littlethumb Sneezed by Truant D. Memphis

When 10-year old Littlethumb Brooks emerged from the “Occurrence,” the world around him had not changed, but he had. Always sensitive, but now a precocious artist, he possesses a wiseness beyond his years. In front of him stands an amazing series of events involving his parents, a kind yet eager teacher, an evil rock-star, a devastating fire and a beautiful nanny. Littlethumb Sneezed by the creatively named Truant D. Memphis captivates and careens through mystery, love, and a head-spinning jaunt through the enigmatic art world.

The story begins on Coney Island where a caricature artist meets a nanny and the […]

Greg Rideout2019-09-27T09:29:48+02:00August 17th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Literary Fiction Book Reviews, Visionary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Ramona’s Man by D.L. Yoder

Ramona's Man by D.L. Yoder

Flipping the script on the classic tale of Pygmalion, author D.L. Yoder presents a quirky and unpredictable novel with Ramona’s Man. Tackling issues of parental control, societal expectations, and the half-blind nature of love, this book is an intriguing dive into family psychology and has plenty of squirm-worthy moments to which younger readers will relate.

There is always some pressure when you bring a person home to meet your family for the first time – this pressure is much greater when that person is a homeless man named Harley you picked up less than an hour earlier as a stand-in […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-01-14T07:34:04+02:00August 17th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Unverified by Kristin Giese

Unverified by Kristin Giese

Kristin Giese’s Unverified is a delightful romantic comedy that is both immensely funny and heartwarming.

Success has always been in the cards for Margo Valentine Melon, but after a failed stint with the holy grail of fashion magazines four years ago in New York, Margo returned to her parent’s house in L.A. with her tail between her legs. Ironically, her younger sister, Kirby, a dropout who’d started a resale fashion gig called Blush & Bashful, is now driving a Mercedes, with her gig landing her on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list. Kirby tells Margo that to find her own […]

Marta Cheng2019-08-02T07:17:11+02:00August 1st, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Romance Book Reviews|

Review: Cooperative Lives by Patrick Finegan

Cooperative Lives by Patrick Finegan

A swirl of characters centers around a dying young girl in New York City, each with their own burdens as they try to get through another day living in their ever-changing worlds. Cooperative Lives by Patrick Finegan underscores how lives intersect, crash into each other, and then reveal the secrets that people carry, and sometimes expose.

Jack and Susan seem to be living a broken yet plausible existence in their quintessential New York building, an aging co-op with doormen and supercilious board members. Jack’s an out-of-work securities lawyer and his wife, Susan, a former flight attendant and barely a survivor […]

Greg Rideout2019-07-19T08:50:06+02:00June 25th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Literary Fiction Book Reviews|