SPR’s book reviews of new self-published books
Send Flowers (Shotgun John and Scorpion Book 1) by Mike Crowley
Send Flowers (Shotgun John and Scorpion Book 1) by Mike Crowley is a pulse-pounding thriller about an ordinary man on the run from the CIA for a crime he did not commit. John Griffin finds his workplace, a pharmaceutical lab, in flames, which puts him on the terror watch list and hounded by government officials. The lab has been working on the cure for a disease, and a corporate executive thinks it’s more profitable if the lab never discovers the cure. John must find the cure and band together with a group of citizens to fight the highest trenches of […]
F*ck This Sh*t by Zed Dee is a novella-length memoir about a man in Singapore approaching thirty who’s still a virgin and struggling with autism, diagnosed late in his life. He finally ends up going to a selection of prostitutes and sex therapists, who cannot seem to help him, as his sexual dysfunction goes beyond his virginity. Dee cannot enjoy sex fully, and given his autism, he sometimes recoils at the human touch. Dee then goes on a quest to understand his past and present and find a new degree of contentment.
Seven Great Freethinking Philosophers by John C. Wilhelmsson is a compendium covering the biographies and the major tenets of philosophers such as Zeno, Augustine, Descartes, Spinoza, and others. Referencing the work of Charles Bradlaugh, a 19th century English politician and author, Wilhelmsson expands on Bradlaugh’s work to adapt them for a post-secular modern age. Including work by Bradlaugh, collaborations with Bradlaugh, as well as Wilhelmsson’s own work, it is a vigorous guide to freethinking philosophy.
Come Flutter Your Wings by Audrey Thompson is a passionate declaration of faith in the form of devotional poems, scripture, and stories from her life, in which she’s gone down a dark road and come out the other side with intense optimism and hope. It’s brimming with earnestness and sincerity, and should be a comfort for other religious devotees who have had to triumph over adversity.
Overcoming the Lie of “Race”: A Personal, Philosophical and Political Perspective, by John L. Hodge, is a treatise from every angle on the supposition that race doesn’t exist. It’s a thorough, well-researched look into this oft-times controversial topic, injected with Hodge’s evocative personal tales in his own life being defined by race, as well as his family. Because of Hodge’s sincerity and passion for the subject, the book is well-argued and persuasive.
Liberty and Means by Kristin Dow is about Shannon, who’s being stalked, or so she thinks, and finds instead that she’s come into a financial windfall from a sweepstakes company. Once her monetary needs are met, will this free her up to fully discover herself, or shine a brighter light on her problems? The answer is a little of both. And how will other people react to her good fortune? The novel is a thoughtful and engaging character study with the pace of a thriller, including a number of surprising plot twists along the way.
The Perihelion by D.M. Wozniak is literary, character-driven science fiction at its best. Set in 2069, The Perihelion comprises a world where there are hybrid humans with 1% animal or insect DNA, called 99ers. The novel follows the lives of six different characters in an approaching apocalypse, the Perihelion: “The point in the path of a celestial body that is nearest to the sun,” in which the world is melting down both physically and mentally. This is an epic, uniquely inventive novel about big ideas that should hopefully get a lot of attention.
Jurisdiction Terminated by Jack Gold & Marc Debbaudtis a legal thriller front the point of view of a foul-mouthed judge in the juvenile court system. When the judge investigates the death of a Los Angeles County official, it brings him face to face with a North Korean drug cartel who are plotting to bring drugs into the juvenile detention system, which uncovers corruption high up in the justice system. A thought-provoking read that provides a glimpse into two arenas not often portrayed in fiction: the inner mind of a judge and the juvenile court system.