SPR’s book reviews of new self-published books
The Dark Side of Dreams by Marjorie Kaye Noble
A techno-fantasy thriller with a cautionary dystopian core, The Dark Side of Dreams by Marjorie Kaye Noble is a highly inventive work of science fiction that gives a potential peek at the future of virtual reality.
When Mira Patel discovers the digital copy of her infamous grandfather’s mind, she uploads him into an after-death program, Shemathra’s Realm, where the deceased transition into a virtual-reality eternity. However, all is not well in the afterlife: entire cities are disappearing, residents are being edged out of paradise, and the suffocating grip of post-life capitalism is being challenged by the ominous rise of a […]
A vulnerably told story of three soulmates making their way in a world far from home, How to Break a Girl: Whatever doesn’t break you makes you write a novel about it by Amanda Sung is a striking and original novel about the balance between assimilation and identity.
High-school drama and real-world consequences collide in Mortal Vengeance by Alejandro Torres De la Rocha, a fast-paced thriller with a supernatural twist.
Reimagining the boundaries and guardians of life and death, The Book of Rain by Anthony Weirich is a striking collection of short stories that offers new perspectives on the mystery of mortality.
A methodical, eye-opening exploration of art, therapy, and its connection to identity and wellness, An Exploration of Boundaries: Art Therapy, Art Education, Psychotherapy by Jacqueline Bachar is indispensable reading for teachers, creators, and healers.
A dramatic work of contemporary fiction set against the seductive and sinister streets of Las Vegas, A Girl Like You by John T. Lucas follows two old friends, James and Erik, as they attempt to escape for a weekend, but instead find themselves adrift in a sea of dangerous decisions.
An urban crime thriller that pulls back the curtain on a perennial battlefield in Chicago, Lords of Sixty-Third Street by Edward Izzi is a riveting hunt for justice in a city where organized crime reaches every level of power.
A raw account of the author’s long journey to find a place to truly be himself, Exile of the Heart: A Memoir Across Three Continents by Rasheed Abou-Elsamh is a vulnerably written and engrossing memoir.