SPR’s book reviews of new self-published books
North by Amanda Linehan
Jayne is on the run – from the law, from her past, from herself. Unlikely events conspire to face Jayne with everything she’s tried to put behind her, for better or for worse. Making unlikely friends with a former victim of her crimes, Jayne only has one compass to lead her forward: her heart. She drives north, perhaps to face the family to which she once belonged, or to another life entirely…
North is a stirring read that starts much like an updated retelling of Hitchcock’s “Psycho,” if taken in a completely different direction – if the sad story of […]
Sean Goes To Barcelona by Tanya Preminger is a book aimed at middle-grade readers about a mom and son’s visit to Barcelona to see the Barca soccer team play, explore the city, and maybe meet the boy’s hero, Messi. Expertly illustrated by Elettra Cudignotto, it’s a spirited adventure through a foreign city, and an ode to the world’s most popular sport.
Murder rocks the sleepy town of Pleasant, Arizona, and ex-reporter Eli Quinn is on the case. Fresh off his uncertain vacation from his job with the Arizona Republic to track down his wife’s killer, he returns with the perp behind bars, yet he can’t bring himself to slip back into his old life behind a desk. With the encouragement of his close companions, he moves into the seedy world of private investigation, and a shocking murder hits home at the right time for Eli to test his mettle.
I Remember: A Story of Self-Healing by Cassandra Whitfield is a story of love and self-love; the story of a healer learning to heal herself. Cassandra Whitfield didn’t have the easiest life – from a tumultuous childhood, a rollercoaster love life, and a colorful career working with the criminally insane. Her inner strength begins to fade, and she doesn’t know why. This is the story of a woman under the weight of the world, who must put aside all those she holds above herself in order to dig into her own soul and become whole once again.
This high-drama saga follows Amy throughout her life with all the events that her relationships bring. Difficult to pinpoint as one genre in particular, Blood Will Tell can be described as a New Adult drama that spirals into a thriller with some medical elements and horror thrown in to thrill readers who enjoy stories with a hint of romance and crime, as Amy shifts through many changes as she adjusts to each event.
Finding Amelia by Lynsey Howell is a charming story for young children about Sara and her dog Zulu who excitedly visit an air show. Given the opportunity to fly in a bi-plane, Sara takes control of the plane and straight into a time portal cloud, where she’s soon joined by Amelia Earhart in the cockpit. There we learn about Amelia Earhart’s achievements, inspiring a love of flying for boys and girls alike.
In 2014, a ten-year-old girl asked her father if he could assist her in writing a book. That book was Emperor Norton’s Treasure Hunt, a “real life adventure” based in 1950s San Francisco – a local paper devises a treasure hunt with clues in their publication in order to boost sales and win the war for newspaper supremacy in the city. 
Kleptomaniac is an insightful and well-constructed argument on tithing and offerings at church, not only defending the author’s decision not to give money blindly, but also defending his right to seek the truth in Bible Scripture.