Lead Story

Lead stories from SPR’s ever-growing independent book portal

Review: Maddie & Sayara by Sanjyot P. Dunung

Maddie & Sayara by Sanjyot P. Dunung

Maddie and Sayara meet the way many new friends do – enjoying their vacations. After their time together on the water slides and in the swimming pools, however, they return to vastly different worlds.

Maddie lives in an open society where the government does not enforce severe dress and behavioral restrictions. Sayara’s home, the Kingdom, denies women the right to choose their own clothing or drive a vehicle. Everywhere Sayara goes, she must be accompanied by a man. Sayara’s vacation is, in fact, cut short after her cousin is arrested for daring to drive. Maddie struggles to understand the differences […]

2019-02-11T08:51:02+02:00September 13th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: , |

Review: Stalker, My Love by Zack Scott

★★★★½ Stalker, My Love by Zack Scott

Small towns often provide the best settings for thrillers, as they are rife with secrets, suspicions, old grudges and hidden motivations. The process of watching detectives and suspects roil around in the same intimate space makes for high drama and excellent character development, as is the case in the excellent Stalker, My Love by Zack Scott.

In this cozy mystery, we see a town turn on some of its own, desperate for answers, in the search for a missing girl: Rosalyn Ray. Readers are first introduced to Rhett and Rosalyn in a strange way – during a confrontation where […]

2017-09-15T12:55:31+02:00September 13th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: |

Review: Jake & the Dragons of Asheville by Brian Kacica

★★★½ Jake and the Dragons of Asheville

Writing a unique YA novel in this saturated genre can be a challenge, as dozens of new authors seemingly pop up every week. The key to finding a niche in the ever-crowded YA genre is a clever take on a popular theme, combined with interesting characters and an engaging plot. In Jake & the Dragons of Asheville, author Brian Kacica delivers a fun and memorable novel that both young readers and adults will enjoy.

As with many YA adventure stories, there is an unprepared hero, Jake Winston, who is living a relatively normal early teenage life in North […]

2017-09-15T12:53:24+02:00August 16th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: , |

Review: If Nobody Listens by Rikard Sommer

If Nobody Listens

Scandinavian writers have recently captivated the attention of the literary world, beginning with Stieg Larsson’s breakout trilogy, and Rikard Sommer’s debut novel certainly follows in those illustrious footsteps. If Nobody Listens is a novel that defies classification to a certain degree – one part social commentary, one part an emotional tale of personal growth, and a final dash of thrills and danger for good measure. The subject of medical research and the struggles of global pharma companies may not sound like compelling reading, but in this case, you would be mistaken.

With a patient, methodical approach to exposition and storytelling, […]

2019-02-11T08:53:04+02:00August 8th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: , |

Review: The Curse Ends by Jeff Attinella, Illustrated by Mike Pascale

The Curse Ends by Jeff Attinella

The Curse Ends: The Story of the 2016 Chicago Cubs, written by Jeff Attinella, is a great bedtime read that will be a source of inspiration for future Little Leaguers, as well as inspire a love of the great American pastime.

In rhyming prose, this charming children’s books tells the story of the Chicago Cubs “curse” and how they beat the curse in 2016. The year is 1945 and it’s game four of the World Series. A man wants to buy a seat for his Billy goat but the crowd protests and they’re kicked out of the stadium, leading […]

2019-02-11T08:35:08+02:00August 7th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: , |

Review: Brainwalker by Robyn Mundell & Stephan Lacast

★★★★ Brainwalker

“Getting inside someone’s head” tends to be a figurative idea, or turn of phrase, but in Brainwalker, the boundlessly creative new novel from Robyn Mundell and Stephan Lacast, the concept is taken quite literally. This fast-paced novel takes readers deep into the actual human brain – and beyond.

Bernard is a typical YA literature protagonist – an unusual teen with some personality quirks who is suddenly thrown into an extraordinary situation. For Bernard, that situation arises when his curiosity gets the best of him in his father’s lab, who happens to be a particle physicist. After fiddling like […]

2017-08-08T04:25:50+02:00August 6th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: , |

Review: Embellished: A Vadarc Novel (Chronicles of Orian Book 1) by Karen Glista

Embellished: A Vardac Novel (Chronicles of Orian Book 1) by Karen Glista

When eighteen-year-old Travis Kurth lures his sister Bekka in to his online game, nobody expects the game to get so real.

As both Travis and Bekka and the rest of their online party are sucked into the fantastical world of Orian, mystery after mystery reveal themselves. Where, exactly, are they? How did they get there? Why is Bekka’s debilitating illness suddenly in complete remission?

With confusion in their minds, their hopes of a quick rescue are dashed as war clashes in their midst, claiming their party and tearing its members apart. A royal entourage sweeps in, only to lose Bekka […]

2020-02-21T07:14:42+02:00August 5th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: |

Review: Cleveland Wins a Championship by Jeff Attinella, Illustrated by Steve Madden

Cleveland Wins a Championship by Jeff Attinella

Jeff Attinella’s children’s book, Cleveland Wins a Championship: The Story of the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers, gives its readers a great sports story with drawings that jump off the page, thanks to the considerable talents of illustrator Steve Madden.

Attinella tells the story not only of the Cavaliers, but down-on-their-luck Cleveland sports fans, who never seem to catch a break. In spirited rhyming prose, it tells the story of hometown hero LeBron James, from his early years with the Cavs, his heartbreaking departure, and his triumphant return. As he’s the most popular player in basketball, this is a book that […]

2019-02-11T08:34:55+02:00August 5th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: , |
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