John Staughton, Senior Reviewer | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Torn by Richard Snodgrass

A novel about the challenges of homecoming and the hopeful pursuit of second chances, Torn by Richard Snodgrass is a visceral story of love, loss, and legacy.

John Lincoln Lyle returns to his hometown of Furnass after twenty years in the Army, but his time away was transformative and unforgiving. After years of experimental surgeries on his face following a devastating accident, he conceals the ghastly wounds with a mask, but his family name won’t let him hide for long. Navigating the perils of public life for the first time in two decades, investigating the tangled state of his family’s […]

A Home Without a Home by Cizar Thamaru

A post-apocalyptic journey to find meaning and community in a blasted world, A Home Without a Home: Home is Never Far from the Heart! by Cizar Thamaru is a blunt portrait of existence in a terribly grim future.

In the 31^st century, a young man left behind by most of humanity embarks on a quest to the eastern world to find the potential remnants of civilization. Gathering a crew of eccentric friends and allies along the way, he winds through desolate lands and encounters desperate souls, eventually attempting to drive across the empty ocean in search of salvation. Overcoming […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-07-17T11:18:12+02:00July 17th, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Post-Apocalyptic Book Reviews|

Charlie’s Bubble by Beka Flynn

A twisting exploration of memory, mathematics, and the complicated nature of emotional connection, Charlie’s Bubble by Beka Flynn is an imaginative sci-fi story, focused on eternal love, cosmic luck, and the secrets of space-time.

An underwater rift in reality transports Charlie from a Cuban scuba-diving escape to a historical benchmark in Beijing, where he briefly meets Yinyi, a captivating young woman he never wants to forget, particularly when he returns to his lackluster life in Louisiana. His fascination with timeline curves, magnetic fields, and the quantum realm becomes an obsession, pushing him towards another leap through the rose-hued bubble, so […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-07-14T11:49:36+02:00July 14th, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Romance Book Reviews, Time Travel Book Reviews|

Review: Cheap Talk, Big Gains in Education by Dr. Matthew Weinberg

Boldly reimagining education in a comprehensive, compassionate, and inclusive way, Cheap Talk, Big Gains in Education by Dr. Matthew Weinberg presents an innovative approach that is desperately needed in our modern paradigm of knowledge distribution and retention. Promoting principles of collective effort and collaboration, rather than the hyper-individualization of Western culture, this meticulously organized book offers an ambitious and potentially controversial vision for the future, one that will require commitment and participation on an international scale.

Driven by the neurological disorder and subsequent struggles of his own daughter, the author spent years researching, exploring, testing, and adapting a more representative […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-07-14T16:35:16+02:00July 14th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Education Book Reviews|

Review: USA: Where Dogs Have More Rights Than You Do by Robert Okine

With a playful philosophy and unabashed reporting on the state of the union, USA: Where Dogs Have More Rights Than You Do by Robert Okine is an observant romp through America, with amusing evidence provided through the lives and luxuries of man’s best friend.

An alphabetical journey like no other, this whimsical travelogue takes readers from the glorified sled dogs of Alaska and the penthouse pups of New York City to dog-friendly real estate in Delaware and two-stepping hounds from Tennessee. With a keen eye for easily overlooked facets of the country, Okine gives an entertaining and frequently tongue-in-cheek overview […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-08-13T11:49:58+02:00July 14th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Pets Book Reviews, Travel Book Reviews|

Hindsight by W.D. County

A timeline-twisting thrill with a sinister splash of the occult, Hindsight by W.D. County is a supernatural mystery driven by an enigmatic pair of investigators.

Nathan Ember may occasionally feel cursed by his ability to see one day into the past, but it makes him a great PI and the begrudging asset to a suspicious police force. Galena Torres is a psychic who can communicate with restless spirits, and while she is convinced that Nathan is actually a ghost, they cautiously join forces to unravel the truth behind a heinous crime. As they search for an embezzling reverend, hunt a […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-07-11T20:19:06+02:00July 11th, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Paranormal Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: The Phoenix by Eric Van Allen

A tangled tale of second chances, risky deals, and the curious kindness of strangers, The Phoenix by Eric Van Allen is a fiendishly clever YA novel that crackles with Gothic energy.

A protective young guardian and provider for her siblings, Callie skeptically accepts an offer from an eccentric neighbor that seems nearly too good to be true. Working and living in a macabre funeral home will mean hanging out on death’s doorstep, but it beats getting harassed by predatory neighbors or having social services split up their already fractured family.

In this new home of corpses, forbidden doors, and secrets […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-08-11T12:05:33+02:00July 9th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: YA Fantasy Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

Camping Canine by Alice Kanaka

Two best friends and their clue-sniffing sidekick are caught in the wilderness and an enticing mystery in Camping Canine: Cozy Mysteries With a Dash of Dachshund by Alice Kanaka. At a tucked-away Texas campground, Lizzy and Holly are taking time away from recent trauma and prying eyes, but a lurking presence is dying to make his big break, threatening to derail their undercover escape. Finding themselves at the heart of another investigation, this charming trio of sleuths winds their way towards the truth in a narrative whirl of humor, suspense, and the antics of one incorrigible dog. The Mavis and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-07-09T14:36:26+02:00July 9th, 2025|Categories: Editorial Reviews|