New Releases | Self-Publishing Review

A Child is a Piece of Paper by Lance Crossley

Raw… gritty…no single adjective can sufficiently describe the intensity of A Child is a Piece of Paper, Lance Crossley’s stark novel.

The year is 1960. Six-year-old Wanisin Blackwill and his older sister, Mitena, are forced to leave their Indian reserve outside of Fort Hope to attend a Catholic-run live-in school for Native American children. Once at the school, Wanisin and Mitena become Wally and Mabel, their former lives beaten out of them due to the relentless ministrations of their headmaster, Father Paxton. Childhood innocence is quickly replaced by humiliation, constant fear, and something much worse until the only recourse […]

Marta Cheng2018-11-02T10:09:18+02:00November 1st, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Literary Fiction Book Reviews|

A Bullied Reunion by Chris Ponici

In A Bullied Reunion by Chris Ponici, readers are brought into the tragic narrative of Cristiano Leuca, a young boy who was mercilessly teased throughout the entirety of his high school years. Ponici tells the story of Cristiano in graphic, awkward detail, making it impossible not to sympathize as the character stumbles through cliques, lost love, embarrassment, abuse and self-doubt.

For people whose high school memories are distant and fading, this book is a striking reminder of the cruelty that some children still experience at the hands of their peers, and the mental fortitude required to simply survive the school […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-02-21T05:54:17+02:00October 19th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|

Summer Girl by Linda Watkins

Summer Girl by Linda Watkins is a poignant coming of age novel that asks whether it’s possible to forget one’s first love.

It’s the summer of sixty-five and sixteen-year-old islander Jake Chambers meets the ferry bringing the newest crop of summer people to Cutter Island. Fifteen-year-old Andrea (Andi) Martin is unlike the other summer girls and immediately captures Jake’s attention. Over the Fourth of July lobster bake, they become fast friends and soon their friendship blossoms into first love. It seems like they’re destined to be together – until one fateful night, a lapse in better judgment leads to tragic […]

Marta Cheng2019-01-22T04:35:51+02:00October 16th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Young Adult Book Reviews|

Searching for My Heart: Essays About Love by Dawn Downey

Searching for My Heart: Essays About Love by Dawn Downey is filled with beautiful and personal stories of the different types of love one can encounter in the world, as well as the fight with one’s self to find that place we can call “home.” Following the author on her journey from adolescence to adulthood feels in a way like reading her diary, an intensely personal and honest examination of one person’s journey through life.

Downey’s focus is not necessarily on romantic love, but on the larger concept of love for all things, especially oneself. This is not a book […]

SPR2019-01-11T14:50:22+02:00October 14th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Essay Book Reviews, Self-Help Book Reviews|

Farewell to Follies by Xingu Fawcett

Farewell to Follies establishes Xingu Fawcett as a formidable short story writer with a firm finger on the pulse of human nature, as well as the natural world.

These stories vary wildly in their subject matter, but the underlying themes are universal – wrestling with death, balancing nature and the city, exploring unknown places, and the long-term impact of trauma. With an artful, yet sensitive approach to these issues, the stories are both harrowing and heart-warming. Fawcett understands the dynamic nature of life, and seamlessly presents complex characters from different times, social backgrounds, and life paths.

Whether writing about Parisian […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2018-10-15T06:38:57+02:00October 8th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Short Stories Book Reviews|

A Monk’s Tail by Kyle Spencer

If you’re looking for a wondrous escape into a whimsical new world, A Monk’s Tail by Kyle Spencer should sit firmly at the top of your reading list. The world-building alone in this action-packed novel makes it worthy of a read, while the unique characters will leave you hungry for a sequel.

Bow is far your typical hero, but beneath his gruff exterior is a noble and loyal protagonist with recognizable character traits, despite being a firefox. The fact that all the characters are animals makes this novel initially seem childlike, but the themes being explored by Spencer – oppression, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2018-10-02T10:29:41+02:00October 1st, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Wisdom from the Dojo and Other Tales by Soke Larry Barr

Wisdom from the Dojo and Other Tales by Soke Larry Barr 10 Dan is an inspirational work of self-help using martial arts as a basis.

Filled with stories from the author’s experiences and lessons learned from Karate, it gives the reader something to reflect on in every chapter. From the story about the arrogant young karate student who learned that it’s the focus that matters and not necessarily his perception of his skills, to the one about our God-Given Potential, there is a new lesson to be learned on each page.

While the book is inspiring and contains many nuggets […]

SPR2019-01-11T14:50:31+02:00September 24th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Self-Help Book Reviews|

How to Be: A Guide to Spiritual Development by Tõnn Sarv

How to Be: A Guide to Spiritual Development by Tõnn Sarv is a contemplative exploration of life’s truths and how to use them, by someone who has given the matter much intensive thought.

Author Tõnn Sarv outlines how people are caught in a vicious circle: you try to do good, but the consequences may be negative, so gradually you may stop trying. How can you find a workable middle ground? Here are some of Sarv’s suggestions: admit your flaws, learn to live with less, recognize that the “gap” or quiet space may be where things really happen, take things as […]

SPR2018-09-18T08:47:36+02:00September 17th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Self-Help Book Reviews, Spirituality Book Reviews|