Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: The 21st Century Voter Guide to Candidate Assessment by Howard J. Gunn

Timely and insightful, author Howard Gunn explicates America’s political, financial, and ideological climate in The 21^st Century Voter Guide to Candidate Assessment. Rough around the edges but supported with passion, data, and public records, this is a dense and damning read in opposition to the current political and economic system.

Over the past 50 years, the author explains, the American system has become one of manipulation and self-service to the wealthy, protected by the entrenched forces of political clout and influence. Pushing against the ideological trends of the Baby Boomers and Generation X, this book seeks to pull […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-05-29T05:54:15+02:00April 8th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Politics|

Review: Tales from Bombast’s Bookshelf by Steve Michael Reedy

From the creative depths of author Steve Michael Reedy comes Tales from Bombast’s Bookshelf, an insightful collection of fantastical children’s stories. These six tales are overflowing with moral lessons and immersive symbolism, not only providing wonderful narratives, but also a foundation of common sense, wisdom, and compassion.

Fairy tales have long been a part of children’s literature, and these refreshing stories are a wonderful new addition to that tradition. With amusing fictional characters, magical woodland realms, and memorable turning points, Reedy imbues every page with a sense of innocent wonder, but also a fair amount of realistic struggle. Like […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-05-22T03:17:52+02:00April 5th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Children's Books, Steve Michael Reedy|

Review: Hard-Easy by Arthur F. Coombs III

Author Arthur F. Coombs III explicates his lifelong philosophy of behavior and personal choice in Hard-Easy: A Get-Real Guide for Getting the Life You Want, a helpfully straightforward manual for self-improvement.

The title of the book is also its philosophical structure: the idea that there are two modes of behavior – Hard-Easy and Easy-Hard. The former basically means doing the hard work first, and easily reaping the rewards later, while the latter means making the easy choice, and leaving the hard part for later. While this may seem like a rather simple premise for an entire book, Coombs has […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-04-03T07:40:14+02:00April 3rd, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Arthur F. Coombs III, Self-Help|

Review: The Jealousy of Jalice by Jesse Nolan Bailey

Childhood friendship, tribal loyalty, and the bonds of magic are tested in The Jealousy of Jalice, a riveting and brilliantly penned novel from author Jesse Nolan Bailey. This female-led fantasy adventure features visceral descriptive language, an endlessly creative new world, uniquely relatable characters, and a fine balance of emotional intrigue and enrapturing action.

Annilasia, Delilee, and Jalice were once childhood friends, but the years have taken them in very different directions. Annilasia has become a tillishu, a skilled assassin with a shadowy past, Jalice is the revered wife of the Sachem, the chief of all tribes, and Delilee is […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-02-28T05:43:25+02:00April 2nd, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy, Jesse Nolan Bailey|

Review: Silent Muse Poetry by Ariele Tee

The timeless theme of love gained, appreciated, and lost is explored in Silent Muse Poetry: A Tale of Heartbreak and Becoming, the eclectic debut collection by poet Ariele Tee.

Tee’s book is divided in five parts. An introductory piece in Volume 1, “The Buildup,” states the issue clearly: “This love ran through my veins, ignited flames and drove me crazy.” Here, the poet focuses on the blindness of the early stages of love. She refuses to see the lover’s flaws, enumerating the virtues and vowing her eternal devotion. She wants to be the one and only (“9-5 and weekend”), […]

SPR2020-04-03T04:50:16+02:00April 2nd, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Ariele Tee, Poetry|

Review: Terribilita by Ben Wyckoff Shore

The powerful ties of blood and an ardent desire for vengeance fuels Terribilita, a strong new work of historical fiction by author Ben Wyckoff Shore.

Enzo Ferrando has lived in the shadow of his legendary father for three decades, but has managed to carve out his own place in the sun as an instigator and freedom fighter. Unfortunately, his rebellious behavior brings swift retribution, catapulting he and his son Lucca into new journeys taking them far from home – and the possibility for revenge.

Lucca is temporarily safe as a deckhand on a merchant ship under Captain Bartolo, set […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-04-02T10:49:49+02:00March 31st, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Historical Fiction|

Review: A True Map of the City by J Guenther

Horus Blassingame travels from Albion to Deresthia for a business conference that will change his identity forever in A True Map of the City by J Guenther. The fictional setting of this twisted novel creates tangible discomfort on every page, and the tragic spiral of Horus from suspicious stranger to local legend makes for a quick and bizarre read.

As Horus attempts to navigate his surroundings in a foreign land, he encounters a colorful stream of characters, but it is difficult to determine help from harm in such a backwards place. Only a handful of people speak Anglic (English), and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-05-20T05:04:56+02:00March 30th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Dystopian Fiction, J Guenther, Literary Fiction|

Review: The Rez: An American Love Story by G. Michael Madison

Author G. Michael Madison offers an authentically deep plunge into reservation life in the 1960s and 1970s with his powerful novel The Rez: An American Love Story. The first in a trilogy of books, this is a profound examination of an oft-overlooked culture during a historically tumultuous time.

The most notable thing about this novel is the patience and care that has gone into its construction. It sets an immediate tone of intimacy in the storytelling, followed by a gradual introduction to the fraternal pair at the heart of this story: Jonny and Caj. The former – younger, introverted, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-04-29T06:16:21+02:00March 25th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction|