John Staughton, Senior Reviewer | Self-Publishing Review

The Spirit of Achievement by Jacqueline Miller Bachar

A collection of essays and writing from a social historian and keen-eyed community observer, The Spirit of Achievement: Articles, Essays, Speeches by Jacqueline Miller Bachar is a neatly curated portfolio from a prolific time in the author’s career.

Beginning with insightful profiles on outstanding female achievers from Palos Verdes, California, and the surrounding area, these articles highlight stars in the fields of education, politics, religion, the arts, charity, community beautification, and more. Bachar has a delicate and intimate style to her storytelling, while the writing is also professional and journalistic, bringing these local figures and their achievements to tangible life.[…]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-05-28T15:31:02+02:00May 28th, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Essay Book Reviews|

Life on the Ohio Frontier by Jacqueline Miller Bachar

A first-person account of faith, resilience, and solitude, Life on the Ohio Frontier: A Collection of Letters from Mary Lott to Deacon John Phillips 1826-1846 by Jacqueline Miller Bachar is an eye-opening historical account, and personal labor of love.

Through twenty years of heartfelt and meticulously penned letters from sister to brother, readers are offered a visceral glimpse into the challenges of survival in 19th-century America. Prefaced with a brief family history and an explanation of the project by the author, who is a direct descendant of Mary and John, this epistolic story details Mary’s everyday struggles and discoveries on […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-05-28T15:26:47+02:00May 28th, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: History Book Reviews|

Review: Zephyr’s Flight by Ray Strong

An enchanting tale of epic ambition and destinies that change the world, Zephyr’s Flight: The Dragons’ War by Ray Strong is a female-driven YA adventure and a compelling first chapter in a promising saga.

Astria, a young girl with an uncanny affinity for dragons, dreams to ride them someday and become one of the legendary protectors of her people, just like her missing father. Since he disappeared in service as a Dragon Rider, the chance to train and prove herself has been nearly impossible, but sometimes the wandering dragons of the realm can choose their own partner.

When Astria encounters […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-07-09T16:26:48+02:00May 27th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, YA Fantasy Book Reviews|

A Cup of Zen by Kai Tsukimi

A thought-provoking collection of short stories that also act as enlightening self-help, A Cup of Zen: 21 Short Stories to Calm the Mind, Stop Overthinking, and Find Inner Peace by Kai Tsukimi offers up gleaming pearls of self-knowledge and powerful parables in the Zen tradition. From silent monks and pathless wanderers to unfinished artists and clarity hunters, these simple yet penetrating tales express the essence of Zen – acceptance, contentment, stillness, and the unavoidable paradox of seeking. Tsukimi’s profound drafts of wisdom work best when read slowly, allowing their meaning to be integrated into one’s mindset and movements through the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-05-27T15:09:23+02:00May 27th, 2025|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Review: The Weight of Loyalty by Mike H. Mizrahi

Transportive historical fiction that offers clear and timely wisdom about the present, The Weight of Loyalty by Mike H. Mizrahi is an epic World War II tale of survival, trust, and the resilience of humanity in the face of destruction.

Oliver Graham is a hard-drinking and troubled sailor aboard a British submarine that strikes a mine and sinks to the bottom of the Ionian Sea, leaving him as the sole survivor. Defying death time and time again, Oliver is rescued by a dolphin and brought to the shores of Kefalonia, a Greek island currently under the control of Mussolini and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-07-02T14:47:35+02:00May 27th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews, World War II Book Reviews|

I’ll Fly Away by Marc Sapir

A compassionate combination of end-of-life storytelling and medical reporting, I’ll Fly Away: Stories About Amazing Disabled Elders by Marc Sapir is an affirming collection of stories and essays centered on the myriad experiences of disabled seniors.

The author’s firsthand relationship with these patients as a Medical Director at the Center for Elders’ Independence in Oakland, California provides an uncut glimpse into the responsibilities, challenges, and rewards of caring for the elderly and infirm, as he simultaneously participated in and gathered these touching reflections from a unique population too often overlooked or hidden away. From hard-fought victories over illness and the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-05-23T15:21:49+02:00May 23rd, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Health Book Reviews, Memoir Book Reviews|

The Memory of a Name by Federico Angel

Detailing his family’s vibrant history and exploring the power of legacy in shaping our lives, The Memory of a Name by Federico Angel is a touching and unflinchingly honest memoir of a family. From his father’s early days in the Coffee Triangle and becoming a paper baron during WWII to seeking a new life in New York to escape persecution and his complex homecoming to Colombia, this dual biography/autobiography highlights the moments of luck, uncertainty, sadness, and joy that define the roots of every family tree, demonstrating how we are all guided by similar experiences. Embracing the tragic and triumphal […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-05-22T15:33:54+02:00May 22nd, 2025|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Crossing the Sea of Shattered Glass by R.B. Bunn

Poignant and painful in its clarity, Crossing the Sea of Shattered Glass: A Voyage Through Grief by R.B. Bunn is a powerful collection of poetry that explores the universal experience of regret and loss.

Writing specifically about his uncle’s death and long struggle with addiction, Bunn’s poems range from deeply personal memories and anecdotal reflections to lyrical abstractions with dense metaphors about emotional processing. Pieces such as “Double-Edged Pill” and “The Price of a Bottle” are unflinching examinations of addiction and self-destruction, while “The Fishing Rod” and “Smoke” tenderly peel back the poet’s life and memory, as though longing for […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-05-22T15:12:22+02:00May 22nd, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Poetry Book Reviews|