Memoir Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Hair on Fire by Larada Horner-Miller

A charming collection of poems, stories, and memories about Christmastime, Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir by Larada Horner-Miller is a spirited and inspiring take on the holiday season.

Starting from Joseph and Mary, Horner-Miller has put together a lovely compendium of personal, religious, and cultural anecdotes around Christmas that serve as a gentle way to transition to that wonderfully busy time of year, nudging our own memories forward, and refreshing our knowledge about this festive occasion. Both personal and informative about the holiday season, the book asks questions like when do people put up their Christmas […]

Marina Dora Martino2023-10-30T16:05:01+02:00October 30th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews, Religion Book Reviews|

Review: From Bonham to Buddha and Back Again by Clementine Moss

The rare kind of memoir that makes one forget it’s not a novel, From Bonham to Buddha and Back Again: The Slow Enlightenment of the Hard Rock Drummer by Clementine Moss is an exhilarating and enlightening read.

Slowly revealing the autobiographical puzzle of her own music-infused life, from wild leaps to NYC, meditative mountain retreats, and early romance over drum kits to cross-country tours, sleepless benders, and bittersweet final shows, this book is laced with reckless adventure. Taking readers backstage in every sense of the word, the prose lays everything on the table – beliefs, passions, secrets, dreams, and the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-12-22T19:20:07+02:00October 18th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews, Music Book Reviews, Spirituality Book Reviews|

Review: Resilient by Liz Grace

Offering living proof that there is light in the darkness, even if the tunnel never ends, author Liz Grace has penned an inspiring and unforgettable autobiography in Resilient: Surviving My Mental Illness.

In her teenage years, Grace struggled with the sudden loss of her mother, a fractured home where communication was scarce, and the isolation led to suicidal ideation and desperation. The book moves through various events and challenges of her young adulthood, creating a comprehensive picture of her family dynamics, social outlets, and pain points, buttressed by actual transcriptions of her journal entries from all those years ago.[…]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-12-11T15:02:31+02:00October 16th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews, Psychology Book Reviews|

Through the Test of Time II by D. Angel

An unfiltered look into the author’s long road to recovery and stability following his prison sentence, Through the Test of Time II: As Time Went On… by D. Angel is a revelatory confession and a visceral memoir.

As Angel tries to piece together the shattered parts of his personal relationships, parental arrangements, and financial foundations, the hits keep on coming, offering a rare and intimate glimpse into the slippery slopes of post-incarceration life. Though many of his problems seem driven by struggles with self-control, this narrative also examines common triggers of PTSD, steps of recovery after a variety of trauma, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-08-17T11:16:54+02:00August 16th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews, Prison Book Reviews|

AlieNation by Jayma Anne Montgomery

AlieNation: The Imitated Life by Jayma Anne Montgomery is a surprising autobiographical work reflecting on family, culture, and identity, particularly in the context of immigration and mental health.

Until the age of five, Jayma lived with her aunt and uncle in Jamaica, and she never realized her family was poor. Only when her mother brought her to the United States did she discover that a different life was possible, though she finds that poverty isn’t the only obstacle to one’s safety and well-being. Dealing with trauma, anxiety, depression, and the difficulty 0f assimilating into a frequently hostile culture, Jayma must […]

Marina Dora Martino2023-07-21T12:08:18+02:00July 21st, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews|

Review: Across the Divide by Elizabeth Bernays

A charming memoir by entomologist and writer Elizabeth Bernays, Across the Divide: The Strangest Love Affair explores new forms of love later in life. Joyful, but also profound and reflective, the book is an enchanting and memorable read that mixes levity with deep emotion.

With eloquent and engaging prose, Bernays tells of her complex and beautiful relationship with a married woman in her 50s. Linda and Elizabeth fell in love despite their differences, after both had been married to men. Both of them led successful careers and had experienced loving marriages, but they couldn’t be more different as people, and […]

Marina Dora Martino2023-08-24T13:31:57+02:00June 29th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: LGBTQI+ Book Reviews, Memoir Book Reviews|

Review: Thank Goliath by Domenic Aversa

A memoir spanning the author’s childhood to his later years, Thank Goliath by Domenic Aversa is both fun and tragic, emotional and entertaining. With cutting intelligence and the wisdom acquired with age, Aversa sews his memories together and offers readers the portrait of a bright, sensitive, and resilient man.

Adversity has repeatedly shown itself in Aversa’s life like a giant, which made him feel as little and unprepared as a child, but he has learned through these trials to face hardship. As in the story of David and Goliath, he has dealt with issues that seemed much larger than himself, […]

Marina Dora Martino2023-08-02T07:56:30+02:00May 11th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews|

Foot Soldier in the Fourth Industrial Revolution by Jeffrey Cooper

Looking at the history of computing, cultural transformation, and the rise of internet technology through his own life and work, Jeffrey Cooper delivers a stirring and timely memoir with Foot Soldier in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Over the course of nearly fifty years, Jeffrey Cooper reliably sought and found himself on the cutting edge of technological advances that have shaped our 21st-century world. The fact that Cooper’s career at GE started four years after the first microprocessor was released, and has stretched well into the modern age of VR, AI, and quantum supercomputers demonstrates the breadth of the author’s […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-04-21T12:21:09+02:00April 19th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews|