Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Ramona’s Man by D.L. Yoder

Flipping the script on the classic tale of Pygmalion, author D.L. Yoder presents a quirky and unpredictable novel with Ramona’s Man. Tackling issues of parental control, societal expectations, and the half-blind nature of love, this book is an intriguing dive into family psychology and has plenty of squirm-worthy moments to which younger readers will relate.

There is always some pressure when you bring a person home to meet your family for the first time – this pressure is much greater when that person is a homeless man named Harley you picked up less than an hour earlier as a stand-in […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-01-14T07:34:04+02:00August 17th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Contemporary Fiction, D.L. Yoder|

Review: Hot Solar (Cold Solar Book 2) by Anthony Robinson

In the not so-distant future, the remains of Earth and the Martian colonists are locked in a bloody battle for control of resources, the destiny of their planets and the ultimate fate of mankind itself. This is the sci-fi premise of Hot Solar, the entertaining second installment of the Cold Solar series from Anthony Robinson. Balancing well between suspense and action, the author draws readers into a number of mysteries in his twisted future vision.

While the first book set up this dystopian world and the major players within it, this sophomore of the saga allows for more intense […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-09-26T07:59:19+02:00August 16th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Anthony Robinson, Science Fiction|

Review: 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a foundation for the future, but there are also those who believe our educational philosophy in the 21st century is outdated and limiting, if not downright harmful to coming generations.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 […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-08-27T04:03:00+02:00August 14th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Chandana Watagodakumbura, Education|

Review: 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 […]

Cate Baum2019-09-16T08:54:26+02:00August 13th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Joseph E. Fleckenstein, Literary Fiction, Short Stories|

Review: 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 […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-08-14T10:42:11+02:00August 12th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: LGBTQI, Paranormal Romance|

Review: 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 […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-05-20T05:17:13+02:00August 12th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction, Thriller, W.D. County|

Audiobook Review: 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 […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-09-27T04:54:54+02:00August 9th, 2019|Categories: Audiobook Reviews, Book Reviews|Tags: George Robert Minkoff, Historical Fiction|

Review: 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 […]