Book Reviews

The latest indie book reviews from Self-Publishing Review

Review: Education from a Deeper and Multidisciplinary Perspective by Chandana Watagodakumbura

Education from a Deeper and Multidisciplinary Perspective by Chandana Watagodakumbura

Most people believe that a strong education provides a foundation for the future, but there are also those who believe our educational philosophy in the 21st century is outdated and limiting, if not downright harmful to coming generations. In Education from a Deeper and Multidisciplinary Perspective, author Chandana Watagodakumbura presents a bold new vision for the future of education, an individualized and customized approach that could alter communities, populations, entrenched infrastructures, and global society as a whole.

Rather than arguing over the merits of the current educational system, or presenting small adjustments to improve standardized test scores, this book […]

2020-08-27T04:03:00+02:00August 14th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Review: A Family Affair and Other Stories by Joseph E. Fleckenstein

A Family Affair and Other Stories by Joseph E. Fleckenstein

A Family Affair and Other Stories by Joseph Fleckenstein is an engaging collection of fictional and non-fictional stories that span the globe.

Many of these stories have been previously published in literary journals, which speaks to the quality of the writing throughout, which includes those that have not been published before. Written in bite-sized portions, with some stories only two pages long, this is a collection that you can breeze through quickly, in part because of the eclectic variety of Fleckenstein’s storytelling. The stories travel to Egypt, India, Germany, and more, acting as a kind of travel diary, as well […]

2019-09-16T08:54:26+02:00August 13th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Review: Jack of Thorns (Inheritance Book 1) by A.K. Faulkner

Jack of Thorns (Inheritance Book 1) by A.K. Faulkner

Jack of Thorns by author A.K. Faulkner is a surprisingly complex and powerful novel that blends the bizarre with the brutally honest.

While many authors compromise plot integrity, character depth or meaningful social commentary in exchange for steamy scenes and snappy dialogue, this book steps away from that basic design. Still working as a fast and furious summer read, Faulkner also delivers a serious bit of writing that tackles subjects with real emotional weight.

After a lifetime of feeling like an outsider, Laurence Riley has slipped into a pattern of addiction, succumbing to temptation rather than facing the psychological turmoil […]

Review: Chromatophobia by W.D. County

Chromatophobia by W.D. County It feels like a struggle these days to find sci-fi or horror novels that don’t regurgitate old plot lines and rely on classic tropes to snag a bit of attention, but Chromatophobia, the new novel by author W.D. County, will cause fans of these genres to sit up and take notice. After a childhood living on the edges, isolated by his grey vision of the world, Miles Reardon has found his sweet spot in the military, where he turns tragedy into triumph as a precise and renowned sniper. From the very first scene, readers are given an intense dive[…]

Audiobook Review: The Weight of Smoke by George Robert Minkoff

The Weight of Smoke by George Robert Minkoff

Historical fiction is a genre founded on making the past come alive, and few authors in recent memory have done that with the skill of George Robert Minkoff, the masterful author of The Weight of Smoke. This is the first book in a trilogy that dives into the legend of Captain John Smith and the fascinating mythos surrounding the British Empire and its beginnings, and this audiobook brings alive the past in riveting detail. Blurring the lines between historical fiction and historical fact through linguistic acrobatics alone, it is impossible not to be drawn into this gripping slice of […]

Review: Unverified by Kristin Giese

Unverified by Kristin Giese

Kristin Giese’s Unverified is a delightful romantic comedy that is both immensely funny and heartwarming.

Success has always been in the cards for Margo Valentine Melon, but after a failed stint with the holy grail of fashion magazines four years ago in New York, Margo returned to her parent’s house in L.A. with her tail between her legs. Ironically, her younger sister, Kirby, a dropout who’d started a resale fashion gig called Blush & Bashful, is now driving a Mercedes, with her gig landing her on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list. Kirby tells Margo that to find her own […]

2019-08-02T07:17:11+02:00August 1st, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: , |

Review: Sky Parlor by Stephen C. Perkins

Sky Parlor by Stephen C. Perkins

A mind-bending thrill of a novel, Sky Parlor by author Stephen C. Perkins has set an impressive new bar in the historical science fiction niche. Tracing the age-old battle between Artemis and Apollonia, and its different manifestations throughout human history (and future), the novel delivers an action-packed escape pod from reality, while also challenging readers to examine some new philosophical ideas about what it means to be human.

Like pawns in an infinitely complex board game of the gods, this wildly creative novel suggests that human beings return to this world in future lives, playing out new roles in an […]

Review: When We Were Brave by Karla M. Jay

When We Were Brave by Karla M. Jay

The stories of World War II often focus on battlefield heroics and the history-shaping decisions made by famous leaders. However, scaling this global conflict down to a more intimate level can also be immensely valuable, which is precisely what author Karla M. Jay has done in her new work of historical fiction, When We Were Brave.

Three very different storylines grow and artfully wind together in this sometimes harrowing read: a recently emigrated family sent back to Germany, an SS officer wrestling with a crippling crisis of faith, and a young Jewish boy just beginning to understand the cruelty […]

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