Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: The Purple World by Joseph Q. Jarvis MD, MSPH

The healthcare system in the United States has been in a state of change and narrowly averted collapse for some years now, and The Purple World: Healing the Harm in American Health Care by Joseph Q. Jarvis MD, MSPH provides both a professional and personal perspective on this critical issue.

Attempting to parse the ever-changing landscape of American healthcare is challenging, and forming a clear, comprehensive picture of the options, loopholes, tax ramifications and benefits is nearly impossible. Jarvis begins by establishing the crisis facing America, making his political stance known in the opening of this book, but fortunately, this […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-08-14T10:38:01+02:00July 2nd, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Health, Medical, Social Science|

Review: The Kurdish Episode by Joseph E. Fleckenstein

The Kurdish Episode by Joseph E. Fleckenstein is a sparkling example of the “everyman with a shadowy past” who proves his mettle. What begins as a simple, yet mysterious task for an everyman quickly swells into an emotional rollercoaster of love, loyalty, and the determination to survive.

Running a small gun shop in the backcountry of Pennsylvania is exactly the type of slowed-down life Sean McDougal is looking for after his recent tour in the Army. At least, that’s how he feels at first, but as the weeks run into months, his old hunger for action and adrenaline creeps to […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-08-13T10:37:43+02:00July 1st, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: International Thriller, Joseph E. Fleckenstein, Thriller|

Review: Candle on the Water by M.A. Myers

Love manifests itself in many different ways in Candle on the Water, a haunting and evocative LGBT romance by M.A. Myers, written for new adult readers.

High school senior, Stephanie Turner, has a bright future ahead of her. Having scored a swimming scholarship to Purdue, Stephanie has her sights set on becoming a doctor in the navy, but after meeting Sara Austin, Stephanie’s life quickly becomes an emotional roller coaster. Stephanie experiences a profound connection to Sara, and believes that Sara feels the same way, yet she doesn’t understand why Sara treats her so badly. As both go their […]

Marta Cheng2019-08-12T12:23:29+02:00June 27th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: LGBTQI, New Adult, Romance|

Review: 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, Literary Fiction, Patrick Finegan|

Review: All the Big Ones Are Dead by Christopher A. Gray and Howard E. Carson

If we have learned one thing as a species, it is that evil can come in many forms, but the higher up the chain of criminality you go, the more things become interconnected in a murky, sinister web of corruption, greed, violence, and lies. In All the Big Ones Are Dead by the talented writing team of Christopher A. Gray and Howard E. Carson, the seedy underworld linked to the illegal animal trade is exposed in brilliant and disturbing detail.

When it comes to the illegal trade of ivory from elephant tusks and rhino horns, the first sin is the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-06-24T10:06:56+02:00June 23rd, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Howard E. Carson, International Thriller, Thriller|

Review: Silent Spring: Deadly Autumn of the Vietnam War by Patrick Hogan

There are those non-fiction books and memoirs that transport readers back in time, and then there are books like Silent Spring Deadly Autumn of the Vietnam War, which change one’s view of both the past and present in one fell swoop. Detailing the personal experience of the author, Patrick Hogan, a Staff Sergeant who served in Vietnam for three years, and the decades of his life that followed, this book is a shocking and eye-opening account of American military tactics and blatant disregard for human rights.

Most readers may already be aware of the stories of napalm and Agent […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-02-21T06:17:33+02:00June 19th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: History, Memoir, Military|

Review: The Capsule by Olga Loukianova

As our world continues to be increasingly reliant on technology, the fear of losing one’s individuality is similarly growing. Author Olga Loukianova presses hard on that slow-burning wound with her dystopian novel, The Capsule, a chilling take on the fate our species.

During the so-called “Age of Perfection,” life has been simplified and streamlined. People exist within perfect capsules, where all their physiological needs are met and managed by Systema, the technological savior of humanity. Interaction with reality outside the capsules is discouraged, and in most cases, unnecessary, as you can instead exist in Net City, which offers all […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-07-19T05:11:28+02:00June 19th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Dystopian Fiction, Science Fiction|

Review: Dolph the Unicorn Killer and Other Stories by Martin Lastrapes

For anyone tired of vampires that glitter and werewolves who are really just confused about their identity, Dolph the Unicorn Killer and Other Stories by Martin Lastrapes is right up your alley. This award-winning author has stepped away from his hit novels and into the realm of raucous short stories, and this is a collection of high-fantasy weirdos with a healthy dose of drugs, sex and rock ‘n’ roll tossed in for good measure.

Set in modern-day Las Vegas, this madcap stream of stories has everything that a horror fan would love, but certainly doesn’t miss a beat for fans […]