Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: The Journal by R.D. Stevens

Looking up to your siblings is something to which many people can relate, but in The Journal by R.D. Stevens, that sibling connection is particularly powerful and rare. On the cusp of adulthood, Ethan Willis is compelled to discover what happened to his sister, Charlotte, a wild adventurer who was last heard from in the depths of Southeast Asia. Despite his lack of worldliness, Ethan sets out to follow in her footsteps – or at least get on the right continent to begin his search.

In classic Bildungsroman style, Ethan embarks on a journey without a clear goal in sight, […]

Review: Keiko by Bernie Donnelly

When life slips into a deep, spiraling rut, pulling yourself out can be difficult, but it always helps when an exotic and unexpected stranger falls into your path. In Keiko by Bernie Donnelly, two people from opposite sides of the world find one another and find a fresh spark of possibility for happiness.

Bruce Stevens is an exhausted CPA with a marriage careening off the rails, while Keiko is a mysterious Japanese woman who needs some tax matters handled in the lonely town of Sarasota. This unlikely meeting intoxicates Bruce, who sees Keiko as a chance to start the next […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-05-28T10:12:17+02:00January 29th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Romance Book Reviews|

Mr. Wonderful by Daniel Blake Smith

Mr. Wonderful by Daniel Blake Smith delves into the life of an academic, juggling family and his teaching career. Concerned about his aging father who is dealing with medical issues, Brian is faced with an adopted adult son who just can’t seem to find his way in life and inevitably ends up returning home while on the run from a dangerous situation. The sudden arrival of his son adds to the upheaval and adds further strain to what seems like an already threadbare marriage.

Between the phone calls from his younger brother about their father, the wishes of his father’s […]

SPR2019-01-11T14:51:54+02:00January 10th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Literary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The Chief and His Marine by B.A. Sherman

★★★★

Few can understand the horrors of war if they have never put their lives on the line for their country, but the family members of soldiers have an intimate knowledge of that stress and pain. In The Chief and His Marine, author B.A. Sherman brings some of the challenges and tragedies of war into stark detail, shedding light on a subject that is pushed under the rug, or tacitly avoided, far too often.

This novel wastes no time in getting into the action, introducing readers to the titular Chief Platte character, who appears to still be reeling from […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-02-21T06:18:46+02:00January 10th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Military Book Reviews|

Budland by Tom Kranz

While there is typically nothing funny about murder, author Tom Kranz manages to draw out more than a few smiles in his new novel Budland. The protagonist and a professional smart aleck, Bud Remmick, finds himself in jail after killing his intolerable boss, and he doesn’t seem to regret the choice in the least. The novel skips back and forth between life behind bars and the life Bud left behind, giving readers a better picture of why a seemingly smart and driven man would throw his freedom away for a single act of reckoning.

Bud is a fascinating character […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2018-12-07T10:12:54+02:00January 2nd, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

The Piketty Problem by Garth Hallberg

The Piketty Problem by Garth Hallberg is an engaging novel of social protest, which acts as both a warning and call to action about the state of the economy and mechanization. Suzanne Dealy is at odds with her husband, who aims to mechanize chains of McDonald’s with “McRobots.” She meets kindred spirit Steve Harris, who’s an equal devotee of the economist Thomas Piketty. Together they join together to thwart her husband’s misguided plans and put an end to income inequality.

The Piketty Problem (subtitle The Robots Are Coming, The Robots Are Coming) is an astute and well-written exploration of […]

James Grimsby2017-12-08T09:48:25+02:00December 8th, 2017|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Esperanza by Tommy Tutalo

★★★★

Understanding our identity, or at least tapping into our origins, is something that everyone can understand and relate to on some level. In Esperanza, an unforgettable novel by Tommy Tutalo, readers are welcomed into a strange and dangerous world – one of illegal immigrants, dangerous border crossings, FBI conspiracies, and a sinister criminal underworld that threatens to tear one young family apart.

Sarita is a young woman with a bizarre history, and a childhood that stretched her heart in different directions, imbuing her memories with fear, confusion, and loneliness. The three journals that she is given, however, will […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-07-22T07:30:07+02:00December 4th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: FAKE NEWS by David Hutter

★★★

FAKE NEWS: Strange Historical Facts Reimagined in the World of Donald Trump is a brilliant piece of satire by David Hutter, a young author with a sharp tongue and a unique perspective on the world at large.

The book makes clear that politics has always made for a strange spectacle, and much of it seems downright unbelievable, even in comparison with today’s political circus. Rather than rehashing the madness of the present political situation, Hutter attempts to inject anecdotes from history into the paradigm of today, offering a unique perspective on history and the present day.

What results is […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-07-30T15:36:38+02:00November 27th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Political Thriller Book Reviews, Satire Book Reviews|