SPR’s book reviews of new self-published books
Five Years Later by Sarah Kraft
A woman is forced to reexamine an old heartbreak she thought she understood in Five Years Later by Sarah Kraft, a uniquely crafted, emotional thriller.
Elle Fox is a relatable and charming protagonist whose past and troubled present are slowly revealed through dual storylines set five years apart. Recounting a painful loss on one side and an unexpected reunion on the other, the execution is excellent, when it could be muddled or lose momentum. Bouncing between timelines is an ambitious choice, but it gives this story a great sense of dimension and emotional impact.
Kraft is also unafraid of dark […]


A delightful collection of stories that push past the boundaries of imagination, Twilight Tales by Atticus Ryder is aptly described in its subtitle as “Magic meets Science.” There is no end to the creativity on display in these charming, and occasionally challenging stories, with important underlying themes that can be critical in the formative years – loyalty, friendship, self-esteem, confidence, and honesty, among many others.
With the heart of an activist and the mind of a scholar, author Barbara Miller delivers a powerful message in Secrets and Lies: The Shocking Truth of Recent Australian Aboriginal History, A Memoir.
Author Julie Iribarren depicts a wonderful story about friendship, overcoming hardship, and seeking a home in Levi Journey: An Unlikely Therapy Dog.
Author Grace Venters speaks her difficult and powerful truth in The Phantom Killer and Her Autistic Son: A Mother’s Journey to Love and Acceptance, a tender, humble, and educational memoir.
Author Michelle Felix pours out a lifetime of powerful confessions in her moving memoir Whole Heart: One Woman’s Incredible and Heartbreaking Journey from Africa to America.
Written by a father for his son, Reflections of an Anxious African American Dad by Eric L. Heard stands out as a contemporary gem. Having grown up in a time and place when segregation still reigned, the perspective of Heard is striking, particularly when overlaid with how race relations are playing out in the streets today, and how current events can still be triggering, for a moving and timely memoir.