Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: I, Dwayne Kleber by James Connor

For an eighth grader Dwayne Kleber has a lot of stuff going on. His teacher is one of only three at his school who are white and a few of his classmates are trying to run her off. Nonetheless, Dwayne approaches her with an important question: he wants to write a book, but can’t decide what to write about.

That evening at home, Dwayne finds out his Mom, who is pregnant, is leaving her job. Dwayne and his brother are told by their Dad that, since they are fourteen now, they have seven days to find a job and come […]

Lela Michael2017-03-24T09:31:50+02:00June 1st, 2012|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Young Adult Book Reviews|

Review: Promised Valley War by Ron Fritsch

Blood has been shed in wars for many reasons. Sometimes it’s pride, quarrels over land, jealousy, revenge, disagreements or misunderstandings. Sometimes it’s over love or hate or ignorance.

In Promised Valley War, the stakes increase from the stage that was set in Promised Valley Rebellion with the upstart young Blue Sky, son of the great warrior Green Field, a close friend of the valley king, Tall Oak. It is Blue Sky’s love for another man that is the foundation of the problems, not because of the illicitness of a man loving a man, but because of a valley man loving […]

wanda carruthers2014-05-09T22:11:40+02:00May 30th, 2012|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Men's Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Hillwalking by Katy Ridnouer

Ten years after moving to Ireland with her husband, Heather loves her family but realizes she’s at an impasse. As the novel opens we find her in a reflective housework session. While pining for the hills of her native North Carolina, Heather hits upon the idea of organizing a hillwalking group of just three members and her journey is under way.

The two women who answer Heather’s ad are also Americans. Jamie, married with two children, is from Texas and Christy, married with no children yet, is from Virginia. Gradually the three women learn to trust and care for one […]

Lela Michael2014-05-19T21:49:03+02:00May 25th, 2012|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Literary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Sometimes Ya Gotta Laugh by Timothe Davis

A key ingredient to a successful movie is a fabulous soundtrack. Not many people want to sit in a theater and listen to horrible songs no matter how great the actors. But are soundtracks exclusive to movies? Timothe Davis’ novel Sometimes Ya Gotta Laugh challenges this question. His story about three best friends is set to music.

Jordan Spencer is the heart of the trio. Jordan, who was orphaned at a young age, has difficulties forming lasting relationships. None of his relationships have made it past six months. However, he is close with his two friends Gabby and Chris. They […]

T B Markinson2014-05-19T21:29:09+02:00May 21st, 2012|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Music Book Reviews|

Review: A Searcher Summoned by Perrin Pring

“The universe, as we know it, was created as a result of an exercise of thought. In another dimension, far away from here…”

Do you feel like escaping into a new world? Perrin Pring’s world in A Searcher Summoned (The Ryo Myths) is filled with lossals, ringers, zombies, dream searchers, Eoans, Afortiori, and the Chozen.

Before the universe was created, the Eoans and the Afortiori were one. They were not human, but clouds of raw elements. They constructed the universe as a challenge. The introduction of free will drastically changed the fate of the universe. Some of the Eoans developed […]

T B Markinson2019-01-23T13:04:19+02:00May 18th, 2012|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The Shadows Touch by R. Scott VanKirk

The Shadows Touch, by R. Scott VanKirk, is the sequel to the fantasy novel, The Dryad’s Kiss. The opening pages of The Shadows Touch picks up right where the first novel left off.

I had the privilege of reviewing the first novel and I enjoyed it immensely so with great anticipation I opened to the first page of the sequel. Ian Finn Mortgenstern’s, the hero in the first novel, life has not improved much since we last saw him in The Dryad’s Kiss. His father is residing in the mental institution, Shady Oaks, and so is his best friend’s […]

T B Markinson2012-05-15T12:57:57+02:00May 15th, 2012|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: The Dryad’s Kiss by R. Scott VanKirk

They built the mound layer by layer, with each layer accepting more of the bones of the fallen. Finally, on top, facing the south and east, they interred the remains of Wahkoceethee the Eagle and Sheshepukwa the Cougar. They buried the fallen warriors with ceremonies of respect and thanks along with their totems. When Anakthepeuke the Rattlesnake died, he would be buried facing the west and the strongest of them all, Mactequeta Bear, in turn would be buried facing the terrible north. They would take their totems with them so their spirits could tap the power of their totems in

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T B Markinson2012-05-10T12:56:12+02:00May 10th, 2012|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Eyes Behind Belligerence by K.P. Kollenborn

Eyes Behind Belligerence by K.P. Kollenborn is an ambitious book about complex subjects. The Yoshimura and Hamaguchi families of Bainbridge Island, off the coast of Washington, endure the bigotry of the 1940s and are forced into the Manzanar Internment Camp, but their stories transcend any location.

Eyes Behind Belligerence is essentially a story of families and how they come to terms with loss — whether of people, life as they knew it, or the ability to make their own choices. Americans whose ancestry is not Japanese may look at Japanese-American families and see homogeneity. The book shows that the cultures […]

Elaine L. Orr2014-05-19T21:35:33+02:00May 3rd, 2012|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: International Fiction Book Reviews|