SPR’s book reviews of new self-published books
Golden Gloves: rap-novel by G. Petrov & M. Salita
Golden Gloves: rap-novel is one of the most unique reading experiences you’ll have. Written in rhyming verse, it tells the story of a Jewish immigrant from Odessa who wins a Golden Gloves boxing tournament. The book covers heady issues such as anti-Semitism, immigration, poverty, and the cut-throat world of amateur boxing.
A novel in verse could potentially get tedious, but Golden Gloves flows evenly. Another potential problem is that it could seem childlike, as rhyming verse is most commonly associated with children’s books. Because of the themes present, and the cadence of the prose, neither of these issues is an […]
Brighton Make-Believe by Michael Salita is a charming children’s book about using your imagination. Really, there cannot be enough books stressing kids to use make believe. In the neighborhood of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, three six-year-old boys are sick of playing sports all the time and want something else to do. They start making up stories about different animals in the neighborhood – dogs that run along rooftops and birds that live underground – and they travel around the neighborhood making up more and more outlandish stories about the neighborhood animals.
Thirty Days to Thirty is a fun and emotionally-charged novel about a woman who’s just approaching thirty who loses everything: In the space of a few hours she gets fired from her job and then finds her boyfriend of six years has been cheating on her. Just when she thought her whole life was coming together and she was on the right track, everything falls apart, and instead finds herself living again with her parents. And so she gets innovative: she finds an old list of things she hoped to accomplish before she turned thirty, and with a few friends […]
Warning’s Wane by Jaclyn Little is an inventive and moving literary novel about a strange world where touching someone makes both people disappear. Paul Danniers and his wife, Colleen, move to the town of Praxia Island, off the coast of Maine, and finds the residents terrified of disappearing, and fearing each other. Warning’s Wane is a meditation on intimacy and alienation that’s at once shocking and cerebral.
Donald Trump: Zombie Hunter is the raucous and topical satire of the man of the moment, Donald Trump, as he wins the presidency, fixes everything overnight, and then is attacked by a hoard of zombies, all of which come in the form of his current opponents: Chris Christie and Rand Paul, among others. The story is filled with amusing references to moments from the campaign trail – such as Trump taking on John McCain’s heroism. If you’re a fan of the horror crossover genre, it’s a unique take that’s at once funny and revolting.
The Country of Innocence by Eric Fisher Stone is the surreal, literary novel about a strange place named Mexas, where the Southwest has become one giant state, and animals and humans can converse with each other. After moving to Mazatlán on the Pacific coast, the Montoya are taunted by demonic iguanas, and Mateo Montoya must travel the long distance to Mazatlán to reach his family, an epic journey that becomes increasingly strange and perilous.
Burn Zones: Playing Life’s Bad Hands is Jorge P. Newbery’s autobiography about going from rags to riches to rags again, and still staying strong along the way. Becoming a real estate mogul at a young age owning over 4000 apartment buildings and a net worth of tens of millions, it all came crashing down with a botched investment in Ohio. Newbury was arrested and ended up $26 million in debt. That’s not a typo.
Pipeline to Plenty by Paul Clifton is an exciting corporate thriller about building a pipeline in central Australia, which turns out to be a lot more complicated and dangerous than anticipated. James Clayton – newly marriage with a new child and new house in a wealthy section of Melbourne – is tasked with the monumental duty of building the pipeline, on the urging of the giant construction firm Robco. Things are not as easy as they seem as Clayton and his brother have to battle the rough Australian terrain, ambitious politicians, thieves, terrorists, and more, who all threaten to sabotage […]