Memoir Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Awkward Stumbles and Fuzzy Memories by Kathy Ivchenko

A detailed recollection of the author’s formative journey in the Peace Corps, Awkward Stumbles and Fuzzy Memories: Memoir of a Peace Corps Volunteer by Kathy Ivchenko is a heartfelt and vividly told memoir of self-discovery.

Beginning with her uncertain arrival in Ukraine and months of training on the other side of the world, this intense exploration of cultural immersion will be eye-opening to readers who have never upended their lives for an international adventure. Her work as a teacher trainer is fascinating and complex, including the challenge of having students only a few years younger than herself. Between language gaps, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-04-25T06:26:59+02:00April 24th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews|

Review: The Satisfied Introvert by Benjamin Plumb

Author Benjamin Plumb presents his own remarkable life as a case study in finding happiness and purpose in The Satisfied Introvert: A Life-Changing Story About Finding Safety in an Extroverted World.

Recognizing his introversion from a young age, and actively choosing a strategy to manage it, this book is a wildly honest and detailed recounting of the author’s lifelong journey towards self-acceptance and ultimate success. By looking back at his own experiences through a keenly analytical lens, Plumb examines common themes of friendship, family, morality, and relationships, as well as more nuanced dissections of power dynamics, educational systems, geopolitics, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-04-22T07:38:07+02:00March 25th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews, Self-Help Book Reviews|

Bohunk’s Redemption by Bohunk

Part memoir, part medical documentary, Bohunk’s Redemption: From Blacking Out to Showing Up by Bohunk is a wholly unique and compelling memoir about a medical professional who struggled with a variety of addictions and rose above each to become a crusader for change in both the medical and legal world.

The anonymously-named Bohunk was at the lowest stage of his life, viewing suicide as the only option. Using his knowledge of medicine he gathered while being a resident physician, he took a concoction of pills one night to end his own life. A fortunate intervention by his wife saved him […]

SPR2022-03-10T04:05:48+02:00March 8th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Addiction Book Reviews, Memoir Book Reviews|

Review: The Frog Hunter by TB Stamper

Author TB Stamper launches a searing blast of wartime memory in The Frog Hunter: A Story About the Vietnam War, an Inkblot Test and a Girl, a relentless memoir of Vietnam and the aftermath it wreaked for those soldiers who managed to come home.

From the author’s very first steps into the unknown, the story is engrossing and immersive, plunging readers into the swampy murk of Vietnam, along with all its unknown horrors, both physical and psychological. This memoir is also revelatory on a personal level, revealing Stamper in his pre-war state of mind – a clever rascal and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-03-29T02:07:57+02:00March 7th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews, Military Book Reviews|

Review: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Elections by Lois Ann Nicolai

Lois Ann Nicolai dives into another fascinating chapter of her own life in Ordinary People, Extraordinary Elections: A Memoir of International Democracy Builders, an insightful and passionately penned memoir.

Reflecting on political subjects and personal experiences that are both timely and timeless, readers are given a behind-the-scenes view into the nuances of contentious elections and culture in a myriad of countries, across Bosnia, Croatia, Sarajevo, Macedonia, Georgia, Kosovo, and more. This may not sound like a suspense-filled premise for a memoir, but given the particular locations and high-stakes geopolitical contexts of the author’s travels, many of the anecdotes are […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-03-25T10:23:22+02:00March 3rd, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews, Politics Book Reviews|

Review: Black, White, and Gray All Over by Frederick Douglass Reynolds

A riveting and eye-opening read for every American, Black, White, and Gray All Over by Frederick Douglass Reynolds is a powerful story of family, struggle, redemption, and resilience as a black police officer on the mean streets of Compton.

Recounting his life in emotional detail in the opening chapters, the author’s roots are revealed, as are the early struggles that led him towards a career in law enforcement. The majority of the book then details his decades on the force, delving into the nitty-gritty history of Compton street gangs and power structures, as well as the near-constant war being waged […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-04-27T04:41:58+02:00January 26th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews|

Rotten Fruit in an Unkempt Garden by Michael Nanfito

A raw, unusual, and unforgettable memoir, Rotten Fruit in an Unkempt Garden by Michael Nanfito is a collection of personal essays, poetry, art, quotes, and reflections that encapsulate a remarkable life and an inspiring worldview.

Exploring outlaw living, alternative perspectives, and universal themes of lost love and opportunity, this patchwork offering of thoughts and memories is powerful and intimate. The opening section focuses heavily on religion, and Nanfito’s experience with patriarchal betrayals, both psychological and physical, and closes on a damning note: “We’ve yet to evict these faithless landlords / from the spaces that were always ours.” The writing then […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-01-14T06:49:16+02:00January 14th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews, Poetry Book Reviews|

Review: Under the Orange Blossoms by Cindy Benezra

An emotionally vulnerable, authentic memoir about enduring horrific childhood trauma and learning how to cope and survive, Cindy Benezra’s Under the Orange Blossoms is a testament to human strength and the power of positivity.

When living with her mother and sister in Spain at age 17, author Benezra started having frightening, visceral nightmares about being sexually abused by her father when she was younger. Uncovering these painful memories lead her down a difficult path of emotional strife, suicidal ideation, dissociative episodes, reckless daredevil behavior, and withdrawal from friends and family, all while her parents’ problematic relationship lingered off and on […]

Michelle Hogmire2022-01-06T07:03:09+02:00January 5th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews|