Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Amballore Thoma by Jose Thekkumthala

Thoma and his wife Ann have a hard life, and many, many children, in a world that is also fantastically surreal. In Amballore Thoma by Jose Thekkumthala, fabulism twines with magic realism and surrealism as the poverty-stricken family meets werewolves, Chicken Little, Old Man Monsoon, an eight-armed woman, and more.

Throughout it all, the family’s talking fortune-telling parrot serves as the family conscience and clown. People come back from the dead in disguise, children eat each other, and each event moves as seamlessly as a description of Thoma’s spitting habits or the shape of the family’s apartment. Each chapter in […]

Mindy Hood2019-02-11T08:49:54+02:00October 12th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: International Fiction|

Review: Srepska by Lucas Sterling

★★★★

In a world ravaged by international turmoil and uncertainty for the future, author Lucas Sterling presents Srepska, an intense and politically charged novel that is both timely and terrifying.

Fredric is a German intelligence agent that becomes embroiled in the search for Srepska, a mysterious organization that is a cross between organized crime and a global cabal. Somehow this group is instigating chaos around the world, and taking advantage of the turmoil they create. Their name alone strikes fear in the hearts of those in power, but Fredric isn’t one to be cowed away from his duty. However, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2017-11-16T04:50:14+02:00October 11th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Thriller|

Review: CBT Worksheets for Anxiety (2nd Edition) by Dr. James Manning & Dr. Nicola Ridgeway

Dr. James Manning and Dr. Nicola Ridgeway once again provide their expertise on mental health in an update to one of their first books, CBT Worksheets for Anxiety. A revised manual, this book is an all-purpose guide to “CBT,” short for “Cognitive behavioral therapy.” This is a type of psychological therapy designed to alleviate anxiety, as well as other psychological issues.

CBT employs goal-setting and incremental, step-by-step rebuilding of unhealthy thought processes and problematic thought patterns, and is currently considered one of the most effective approaches to psychotherapy. This volume focuses on what benefits this approach can have for […]

James Grimsby2019-02-11T09:39:12+02:00October 2nd, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Psychology|

Review: Yeshua’s Loom: A Tapestry of Cats (Yeshua’s Cats Book 5) by C.L. Francisco

The life of Biblical figures is told by a trio of observant cats in the intriguing and inventive Yeshua’s Loom: A Tapestry of Cats, the fifth volume in the Yeshua’s Cat series by author C.L. Francisco.

This entrancing saga begins when Aeliana who finds a protector and potential spouse in the Roman businessman Chariton. They make their way to the home of Chariton’s parents, where they will have to prove that Aeliana has become a Roman citizen before the marriage can be approved. Until that happens, Chariton cannot access the great family wealth to which he is heir.

The humans […]

Barbara Scott2019-02-11T09:15:40+02:00September 28th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Christian Fiction, Fantasy, Religious Fiction|

Review: More Tales for Your Monkey’s Mind by Steve Michael Reedy, Illustrated by Tom Fee

The mind is a powerful tool and nowhere is it more evident than in More Tales for Your Monkey’s Mind, a highly-imaginative series of stories for young children by Steve Michael Reedy, with illustrations by Tom Fee.

With irresistible titles such as “Chef Tubblygras and Her Amazing Purple Hippos,” “James and the Clock of Torsion Springs” and “The Nuts in Nuttersville,” each story in Reedy’s book is chock full of entertaining characters, thanks to Reedy’s quirky characterization and unique name choices. Children will love names like Chef Tubblygras, Tilly Triller, and Cropper Roo, artful tongue-twisters in their own right, […]

Marta Cheng2020-04-03T04:20:07+02:00September 27th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Children's Books, Steve Michael Reedy|

Review: Pursuit of the Guardian (Children of the Republic Book 2) by Jason T. Hutt

★★★★½

Great space adventures aren’t easy to find, but in Pursuit of the Guardian, the second installment of the Children of the Republic series, author Jason Hutt hits all the right buttons for sci-fi fans. Combining the broad creativity of “Star Wars” and the rough-around-the-edges universe of “Firefly,” this novel is an action-packed and immensely satisfying read.

Reading the first novel is crucial to appreciating the various characters populating these pages, particularly the dynamic of Senator Maria Cahill, who is blinded by grief and the desire to crush Max Cabot, the restless hero of this tale. Max Cabot may […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2017-10-23T10:43:18+02:00September 25th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction|

Review: It Feels Good to Feel Good by Cheryl Meyer

In It Feels Good to Feel Good: Learn to Eliminate Toxins, Reduce Inflammation and Feel Great Again, author and health coach Cheryl Meyer has lived through her own process of eliminating toxins to address her autoimmune system’s issues, and she has now set out a clear pathway for others to follow.

The US now faces its biggest health challenge ever. Many are obese, allergic, or diabetic (or a combination), with a 300% increase in these toxic conditions in recent times. Chronic pain and inflammation often leaves many without good options except prescription drugs, with terrible repercussions. But what if […]

Cate Baum2019-02-11T09:29:14+02:00September 25th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Health|

Review: The Little Green Wagon by M. D. Carter

Homelessness is often the result of a long series of mishaps and misfortunes; M. D. Carter, author of The Little Green Wagon: A Book of Journeys, chose homelessness as a way of encountering the verities of life.

Struggling with addiction in his early twenties, alienated and alone, Carter thought of suicide as his only solution. In an intoxicated state he attempted to end his life by carbon monoxide poisoning; when that proved slow and unpleasant, he slashed his wrists and drove his car into a guardrail. He woke up, he recalls, wracked with pain, frustration and regret.

After problems […]

Barbara Scott2019-02-11T09:36:22+02:00September 24th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir, Non-Fiction|