Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Audiobook Review: The Eyes of Penn by Richard Carlton London

The Eyes of Penn by Richard Carlton London

Surprising in its sensitivity, creativity, and heart, The Johnsons: The Eyes of Penn by Richard Carlton London is an entertaining and innovative literary experience about a resilient group of passionate musicians navigating the tricky landscape of success, happiness, and morality. Beyond the engaging plot, this audiobook is specifically tailored for those with listening and cognitive challenges, giving it an added level of appeal.

A local rock bank in Philadelphia, The Johnsons have four very unique members – Charts the bass player, JJ on guitar, Frankie on lead vocals, and Hoss the drummer. With a huge payoff on the table from […]

The Fred Parker Show by Vincent Glen

The Fred Parker Show by Vincent Glen Following the adventures of a group of talking animals trying to make it in show business, The Fred Parker Show by Vincent Glen is a wildly inventive and original novel with a theatrical structure.

On the stage of the Magic Rainbow Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, the Fred Parker Show is about to commence – the audience cheers the entry of Fred, a St. Bernard dog who is not only able to talk but is also a talented comedian. With a series of raunchy jokes, Fred introduces the main act of the show, a two-act play that tells the […]

Marina Dora Martino2023-10-06T12:40:08+02:00October 6th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Humor|

Review: Wonders in the Waves by Jennifer Collins

Wonders in the Waves by Jennifer Collins

Heartwrenching, honestly written, and challenging, Wonders in the Waves by Jennifer Collins is a novel about family, love, grief, and courage, and a compelling sequel to Comfort in the Wings. Striking a delicate balance between the intimacy of first-person narration, and the excitement of a rich plot full of relatable characters and twists, this multilayered book is at once intimate and page-turning.

Larissa is a 51-year-old mother that is at risk of getting lost in grief. Her sweet daughter Emma, 21, passed away less than a year prior, leaving a gaping hole in her life, and that of Emma’s […]

Marina Dora Martino2023-08-16T13:07:24+02:00August 15th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The Four Year Hitch by Don Cox

The Four Year Hitch by Don Cox

A heartwarming novel that plays with narrative stereotypes about love and happy endings, The Four Year Hitch by Don Cox is an affecting work of romantic contemporary fiction. Although the main characters are clearly destined to be together, circumstances and individual mistakes keep them apart for a long time, making this tender piece of fiction feel as romantic as rooted in reality.

Joshua and Julie have been best friends since they were seven years old. They know everything about each other, all the little quirks, dreams, and secrets, starting from their big life aspirations all the way down to […]

Marina Dora Martino2023-09-14T16:14:46+02:00August 1st, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Where Martyrs Rise Snowflakes Don’t Fall by Albert M. Jabara

Where Martyrs Rise Snowflakes Don’t Fall by Albert Jabara

A fictional manifesto plumbing the lyrical depths of spirituality, the horrors of history, and the contradictions of human existence, Where Martyrs Rise Snowflakes Don’t Fall by Albert M. Jabara is a confident and belief-challenging read, offering an eye-opening blend of religious theory, philosophical narrative, poetic exploration, and historical analysis.

Yunus Nef’i is the main protagonist of this novel – a philosopher, scholar, poet, journalist, and author – who has spent his life fighting for the oppressed and overlooked, examining the faults of the world with his caustic and fearless pen. Some chapters read as a memoir, digging into Yunus’ experiences […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-09-06T16:05:17+02:00July 30th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Religious Book Reviews, Social Science Book Reviews|

Murphy’s Luck 4: Jinx vs. Fate by Benjamin Laskin

Murphy's Luck 4: Jinx vs. Fate by Benjamin Laskin A laugh-out-loud punchline of a read, Murphy’s Luck 4: Jinx vs. Fate by Benjamin Laskin continues the tongue-in-cheek tradition of this brilliantly strange series.

Murphy’s accursed reputation has spread far and wide, drawing the curious and the conspiratorial, as well as the Fed-Uppers, who would rather his jinx be kicked out of their lives forever. However, a secret society suspects that he might be their prophesied Impossible Man, and Murphy will have to use his universe of hobbies and merit badge skills to keep himself alive and find out their true intentions at Camp Orpheus. His exceptional daughter, Phaedra, is […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-07-27T14:42:34+02:00July 27th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Humor|

Memoirs of Forgotten Yesterday by Aaron Grahame

Memoirs of Forgotten Yesterday by Aaron Grahame Author Aaron Grahame captures the struggle of chronic illness and the transient nature of memory in Memoirs of Forgotten Yesterday, an emotive long-form reflection on one man’s complicated life.

Bailey is a devoted son and daily visitor to his increasingly forgetful father, Harry, who is often lost in the past, and regularly confused by the present. As his condition worsens, the narrative weaves more sporadically through Harry’s fractured mind, revealing painful and defining moments of the Hargraves family. As Harry cycles through recollections of relationships, difficult betrayals, joyous arrivals, addictions, and disappointments, readers gradually reassemble the pieces of his […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-07-26T17:01:34+02:00July 26th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

A Snowball in Summer by George Sanchez

A Snowball in Summer by George Sanchez is a remarkable piece of diaristic fiction telling the story of a hard-won love. Genuine and compelling, Sanchez’s style has the immediacy of real-world speech, the brilliance of well-crafted storytelling, and unforgettable characters in a vibrantly described New Orleans.

Bryna and Jeff might not be seen as an ordinary couple – their story is peppered with affairs, despair, ghosts from the past, but also unrelenting love. After many years together, and three children, they still desire each other passionately and even more profoundly than their early days.

When Jeff is away in the […]

Marina Dora Martino2023-06-16T13:54:46+02:00June 15th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|