Memoir Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Fixed by Doug Piotter

★★★★ Fixed by Doug Piotter

Doug Piotter’s memoir, Fixed: dope sacks, dye packs and the long welcome back, is an eye-opening account of the author’s dysfunctional and seemingly hopeless existence as a young man. Fueled by almost every illegal substance known to man, he stumbles through bank robberies, drug rehab, and has many encounters with a whole host of crazy characters. When he starts his “long welcome back,” his tale turns into a positive one and he embarks on the beginning of a life of hope and productivity.

With no conventional parental guidance to speak of, Piotter quickly slides down a very slippery […]

Review: Happy Chasing Happy by Jerome Jay Isip

★★★★½ Happy Chasing Happy by Jerome Jay Isip

A vicious piece of prose – unique and powerful.

At the outset of this brutal and honestly painful story, the name of this book may seem misleading, to say the least. But the further along into the novel you dig, the title begins to make more sense. From the darkest depths of drug addiction, self-loathing, and listless living to the incredible heights of physical perfection, mental clarity, and self-fulfillment, this book is a true knockout, written with the patience and precision one would expect from a veteran novelist.

The intricacies of the professional MMA world may be a mystery […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2016-03-10T09:59:40+02:00February 25th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews, Non-Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Accidental Dad by Joshua McDowell

★★★★½ Accidental Dad by Joshua McDowell

A deeply personal and thorough perspective on life as a single father.

Every established system has its persistent flaws, regardless of how often or eagerly they’re pointed out. In Accidental Dad, Joshua McDowell presents his case against the treatment of single fathers in a tangled system seemingly designed to make them fail. McDowell takes readers through his story from start to finish, where he successfully joined the small percentage (6-11%) of single fathers who fought for custody and actually won. He offers this unique perspective in an unadulterated form, revealing his intimate details of teenage fatherhood, the pain of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2016-03-10T09:59:20+02:00February 25th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews, Non-Fiction Book Reviews, Parenting Book Reviews|

Review: A Walk Through Minden by Lillian Frazer

A Walk Through Minden: In the Lives of the Crone and Vegh Families, by Lillian (Sissy Crone) Frazer, is a treasure trove of facts for historians and those interested in Minden and West Virginian coal mining families.

Frazer traces her immigrant ancestors from their earliest beginnings in the United States and their travels to Minden, a small mining camp situated in the mountains of West Virginia. The family endures hardships as mining, the company, and the camp change over the decades. Throughout it all, the family and neighbors maintain strong relationships. Life in Minden is never easy, but the […]

T B Markinson2019-02-11T09:32:50+02:00February 12th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: History Book Reviews, Memoir Book Reviews|

Review: Stripping Down to the Bones by Merry Clark ★★★★

Stripping Down to the Bones by Merry Clark

Either you get a job, get married, and have kids, or you go to Hollywood. Or you join a cult. It appears there really aren’t that many options in life after all.

Stripping Down to the Bones: A Memoir by Merry Clark is an honest, engaging, funny, and heartfelt read.

This memoir is about a woman who grows up in the Midwest. She’s attractive, educated, funny, and caring, but she can’t seem to find her place in life. Her story takes place at the University of Michigan, Colorado, Los Angeles, and the backwoods in Michigan. During the course of the […]

T B Markinson2016-02-10T10:34:44+02:00February 3rd, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews|

Choosing Differently: A Memoir of a Software Entrepreneur’s Wife by J.S. Joseph

Choosing Differently: A Memoir of a Software Entrepreneur’s Wife by J.S. Joseph Choosing Differently: A Memoir of a Software Entrepreneur’s Wife is the candid story of a divorce. It’s also a story of an internet startup, which ultimately failed, so the story is about heartache and poor decisions on two fronts. Choosing Differently is at once sober and heartfelt, as Joseph tackles the problems in her life with a deepening sense of self-respect and adventure, while giving an interesting front-row seat to the competitive, and oft-times disappointing, world of software development.

What could have been a memoir of airing dirty laundry, it never succumbs to this, as Joseph is equally candid about […]

Lysa Grant2016-02-02T06:16:45+02:00February 2nd, 2016|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews, Non-Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The High Price I Had To Pay by Jamila Davis

★★★★★ The High Price I Had To Pay

If you are not already privy to the race/class imbalance of the USA, this amazing story will make your eyes pop out of your head in disbelief – if you are, like most of us, this tale is just about the seal on the deal. A 25-year-old woman without a college degree at the time, gets accused of bringing down Lehman Bank for millions of dollars. Yes, actually breaking a huge investment bank. Her male, white bosses get paltry sentences while she gets 12.5 years in jail.

Jamila Davis, an African American from New York, was seen all over […]

Naka Jackson2016-03-04T02:40:51+02:00January 29th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews, Non-Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Pardon Me While I Close The Door by Marjan Sierhuis ★★★★

Pardon Me While I Close the Door, by Marjan Sierhuis, is a frank memoir about loss and a toxic relationship.

The author goes for a walk to clear her head and to contemplate the deaths of her father and mother, her relationships, including the memory of a toxic relationship, and the ups and downs in her life. The journey to overcome grief can take time, but it is possible for one to move on.

Opening up one’s heart and soul and pouring words on pages for all to read takes courage. Even more so when an author is penning […]

T B Markinson2016-02-05T06:43:41+02:00January 22nd, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews|