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Book Review: The Vegetarian by Han Kang

Book Details: Author: Han KangRelease Date: 5th November 2015Series: Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Horror, PhilosophicalFormat: E-book Pages: 192 pagesPublisher: Portobello BooksBlurb:WINNER OF THE 2024 NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE WINNER OF THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE ‘A strange, painfully tender exploration of the brutality of desire indulged and the fatality of desire ignored… Exquisite’ Eimear McBride Yeong-hye…

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Book Spotlight: The Awakening — Book 1 of The Sleeping King Trilogy by John Hempstock

Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring John Hempstock for their latest release, The Awakening — Book 1 of The Sleeping King Trilogy. Book: The Awakening — Book 1 of The Sleeping King Trilogy by John HempstockAuthor: John HempstockPublication Date: 2026Publisher: John HempstockPages: Genre: Epic Fantasy / Dark FantasyAvailable in: Ebook, Paperback, HardcoverFor Readers who enjoyed: Brandon Sanderson (The Way…

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Book Review: The Orange Man and Me by Lord Hugo Dastardly

Book Details: Author: Lord Hugo Dastardly Release Date: 17 April 2026Series: Genre: Political satireFormat: E-book Pages: 225 pagesPublisher: Blurb:She gave him everything.He gave her January 6.What would you do if you caught the eye of the most powerful man in the world?His dealmaking skills are legendary. His prowess with the ladies is well-documented in court…

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Book Review: THE FATIMA FILE: The Case of the Missing Millennium by Tom Lysaght 

Book Details: Author: Tom Lysaght Release Date: 22 May 2026Series: Genre: Religious Mystery, Political Thriller, SuspenseFormat: E-book Pages: 414 pagesPublisher: Pan y Paz PressBlurb:She uncovered a secret that powerful men will kill to protect.Former nun Dr. Jackie McBride once sought heaven. Now, as an astrophysicist, she searches the heavens for truth.When Jackie uncovers collusion between the…

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Book Review: Radical Son Back to Roots: A Cinematic Reggae Novel Experience by Emmanuel Carlos St. Omer

Book Details: Author: Emmanuel Carlos St. OmerRelease Date: 6 May 2026Series: Genre: African American Literary FictionFormat: E-book Pages: 169 pagesPublisher: -Blurb:This is not just a book.This is a Cinematic Reggae Novel Experience.Set in the heart of the Caribbean, Radical Son Back to Roots is a powerful fusion of storytelling, music, and cultural truth. Through vivid imagery, unforgettable…

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Author Spotlight: Tom Lysaght 

Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Tom Lysaght for his latest release, THE FATIMA FILE: The Case of the Missing Millennium. About The Author Tom Lysaght Raised Irish-Catholic in Brooklyn, Harvard graduate Tom Lysaght has written some 30 plays in both English and Spanish. His Off-Broadway play, Nobody…

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Book Review: KOSTYA: Inspired by a True Story by Scott Zimmerman

Book Details: Author: Scott Zimmerman Release Date: 20 April 2026Series: Genre: Historical Fiction, ThrillerFormat: E-book Pages: 371 pagesPublisher: Kostya PublishingBlurb:He survived genocide. Nazis. Stalin. Now he’s being hunted.Kostya is a Ukrainian boy who endures brutal Nazi forced labor, Allied bombings, and Stalin’s enslavement in the Ural Mountains. When WWII ends, the danger doesn’t. He’s sent…

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Book Review: Extropia by Jae Darcy

Book Details: Author: Jae Darcy Release Date: 1 May 2026Series: Genre: Young-Adult, Science-Fiction, Dystopia, CyberpunkFormat: E-book Pages: 407 pagesPublisher: Pomegranate Seed PressBlurb:In 2164, reality is something you can buy. The wealthy live online in a gleaming virtual world wired directly into their bodies from birth. Those left outside keep the lights on in an abandoned…

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Book Review: At Least I’m Trying by Tara Hodgson

Book Details: Author: Tara HodgsonRelease Date: 15 October 2025Series: Genre: Young-Adult, Psychological ThrillerFormat: E-book Pages: 366 pagesPublisher: http://www.tarahodgson.caBlurb:When the volleyball hits the floor mere inches from Reese’s hands, her dreams of playingcollege ball shatter.After consecutive failures on the court, in the classroom, and in her relationships, she’s doneplaying the part of perfect daughter, perfect…

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Book Spotlight: KOSTYA by Scott Zimmerman

Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring Scott Zimmerman for their latest release, KOSTYA. Book: KOSTYA: Inspired by a True StoryAuthor: Scott ZimmermanPublication Date: 20 April 2026Publisher: Kostya PublishingPages: 371Genre: Historical Fiction/ThrillerAvailable Formats: ebook, paperback, hardbackFact: Western media knows very little about the horrific genocide in Ukraine in 1932. Additionally, this…

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Book Spotlight: Extropia by Jae Darcy

Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring Jae Darcy for their latest release, Extropia. Book: ExtropiaAuthor: Jae DarcyPublication Date: 1 May 2026Publisher: Pomegranate Seed PressPages: 416Genre: Young-Adult, Dystopia, Science-FictionAvailable Formats: Kindle ebook, trade paperbackFor Readers who Enjoyed: Feed by M.T. Anderson, Warcross by Marie Lu, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline,…

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Book Spotlight: THE FATIMA FILE: The Case of the Missing Millennium by Tom Lysaght 

Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring Tom Lysaght for their latest release, The Fatima File: The Case of the Missing Millennium. Book: THE FATIMA FILE: The Case of the Missing MillenniumAuthor: Tom Lysaght Publication Date: 12 May 2026Publisher: -Pages: 416Genre: Religious Mystery, Political Thriller, SuspenseAvailable Formats: Ebook and PaperbackFor Readers who Enjoyed: About…

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Book Review: Red Sky by A. B. Acharya

Book Details: Author: A.B. AcharyaRelease Date: 2 March 2026Series: Juggernaut Series (Book #1)Genre: Medical Conspiracy ThrillerFormat: E-book Pages: 334 pagesPublisher: -Blurb:He came to fix the world’s most dangerous drug. The drug had other plans.Narin Roy is writing his confession in a police interrogation room, and the only thing keeping him calm is the drug…

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Book Spotlight: The Strains of Malice by Andrew Beardmore

Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring Andrew Beardmore for their latest release, The Strains of Malice. Book: The Strains of MaliceAuthor: Andrew BeardmorePublication Date: 28/2/2025Publisher: Ryelands Books (an imprint of Halsgrove Publishing) Pages: 397Genre: Epic FantasyAvailable Formats: Ebook and PaperbackFor Readers who Enjoyed: Cold Sanctuary (Book Two of The Nessemiah). Many…

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Book Review: North of Broken & Furever Home by Holly B. Gutwillinger

Book Details: Author: Holly B. Gutwillinger Release Date: 14 February 2026Series: Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Animal FictionFormat: E-book Pages: 264 pagesPublisher: Ramblings From The Little Shed PublishingBlurb:Renley Nelsen’s life is unravelling. She’s caught between midlife melancholy, her sons have drifted away, and her mother’s mind is slipping beyond reach.Sully, the youngest in a pack of abandoned…

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  • Book Review: The Convergence: Restoration (The Convergence Series) by Richard French

    Book Details: Author: Richard FrenchRelease Date: 8 July 2025Series: Part of: The Convergence Series (2 books)Genre: Speculative FictionFormat: E-book Pages: 530 pagesPublisher: Indie Pen PressBlurb:When reality fractures, love becomes the ultimate weapon.Engineer Samantha Reed’s perfectly ordered world explodes the night golden light erupts from her hands. Across the city, artist Connor Blake watches impossible shadows flow from his…

  • Book Review: The Coffee Shop Masquerade by T.A. Morton

    Book Details: Author: T.A. MortonRelease Date: 23 April 2025Series:Genre: Philosophycal, Reflective, Asian LiteratureFormat: E-book Pages: 202 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:A mysterious mask abandoned in a Hong Kong coffee shop eavesdrops on the lives of those who enter, asking, who are we beneath our masks?The Coffee Shop Masquerade is a captivating exploration of transient lives seeking meaning amid everyday encounters,…

  • Author Spotlight: David Morabito

    Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author David Morabito for her latest release, The Old Clock Peddler. About The Author David Morabito David Morabito is a retired engineer who lives in the mountains and deserts of Southern California. You can find author Morabito here:Website | Medium | Goodreads About the Book This novel continues where the Night of the…

  • Book Review: Paganini (PEOPLE MAKING DANGER) by Adam Fike

    Book Details: Author: Adam FikeRelease Date: 20 March 2025Series: PEOPLE MAKING DANGERGenre: Historical Fiction, Supernatural IntrigueFormat: E-book Pages: 97 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:HISTORIC DRAMA – The wicked life of a notorious nineteenth-century violinist, who played so beautifully, and broke so many hearts, they thought he was the devil.PEOPLE MAKING DANGER is a collection of quick, fun, three-act, feature-length stories,…

  • Book Spotlight: The Old Clock Peddler by David Morabito 

    Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author David Morabito for his latest release, The Old Clock Peddler. Book: The Old Clock PeddlerAuthor: David MorabitoPublication Date: September 30, 2025Genres: Dark Fantasy, Suspense, Romance, Science-FictionPage Count: 270Formats Available: Kindle & PaperbackFor Readers Who Loved Reading: Lord of the Rings (J. R. R. Tolkien), The Wonderful…

  • ARC Review: A River of Blood by Adam Williams

    Book Details: Author: Adam WilliamsRelease Date: 1 November 2025Series: Genre: Historical Mystery, SuspenseFormat: E-book Pages: 382 pagesPublisher: Earnshaw Books LtdBlurb:Egypt 1099 CE, Qahira (Cairo)Samuel, a Jewish doctor versed in alchemy, and Gregory, his English apprentice, are investigating a terrifying plague. The Nile has turned red with blood and fish are dying.Near a small island, they wrangle a…

  • Book Review: Catalyst by Sloane Mercer

    Book Details: Author: Sloane Mercer Release Date: 2 October 2025Series: Genre: Psychological Thriller, Political Thriller, Terrorism/Espionage Thriller, Literary Suspense, International IntrigueFormat: E-book Pages: 193 pagesPublisher: AMEE PublishingBlurb:Everyone’s the hero in their story. Even the monsters.Jake Rossi, a Capitol crewman trying to rebuild his life, isn’t looking for meaning — just a paycheck, a place to belong, maybe…

  • Book Review: Unearthed: The Lies We Carry & The Truths They Bury by Chanchal Garg

    Book Details: Author: Chanchal GargRelease Date: 2nd June 2025Series: Genre: AutobiographyFormat: E-book Pages: 282 pagesPublisher: Blurb:In this searing memoir, Chanchal Garg reveals the spiritual and sexual abuse that shattered her sense of self and forced her to question a life defined by duty and sacrifice. Raised as a devoted Indian daughter, she was taught never to question…

  • Book Spotlight: Catalyst by Sloane Mercer

    Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Sloane Mercer for her latest release, Catalyst. Book: CatalystAuthor: Sloane MercerPublication Date: October 2, 2025Publisher: AMEE PublishingGenres: Psychological Thriller, Political Thriller, Terrorism/Espionage Thriller, Literary Suspense, International IntriguePage Count: 193Formats Available: Kindle & PaperbackFor Readers Who Loved Reading: I Am Pilgrim (Terry Hayes), The Girl with…

  • Book Review: The Convergence: Broken Magic by Richard French

    Book Details: Author: Richard FrenchRelease Date: 1 March 2025Series: Convergence SeriesGenre: Dystopian, Speculative FictionFormat: E-book Pages: 184 pagesPublisher: Indie Pen PressBlurb:Federation Enforcer Samantha Reed has orders to kill Connor Blake—the one person whose soul was torn from hers when the Federation shattered magic itself.Reality is fracturing across the galaxy as the Convergence approaches, a cosmic force trying…

  • Book Review: The Supreme Pastor by Thomas C. Hosey DPM

    Book Details: Author: Thomas C. Hosey DPMRelease Date: 31 July 2025Series: Genre: Thriller, Psychological Thriller, SuspenseFormat: E-book Pages: 260 pagesPublisher: Pegasus PublishersBlurb:Ian thought his quiet life was safe-until the night his uncle was brutally murdered. Narrowly escaping the same fate, Ian finds himself relentlessly pursued by a shadowy organization determined to silence him. Desperate and alone, he…

  • Book Review: Singing the Forge by G H Mosson

    Book Details: Author: G H Mosson Release Date: 22 April 2025Series: Genre: PoetryFormat: E-book Pages: 90 pagesPublisher: David Robert BooksBlurb:Singing the Forge explores the singing of what’s shaped us and what we’ve shaped for ourselves. Through poems at times personal, plus vignettes from men and women of the past two centuries in the book’s middle section, these poems offer…

  • Book Review: Love Without Borders by Ni Wencai

    Book Details: Author: Ni WencaiRelease Date: 29 July 2025Series: Genre: Memoir, Non-FictionFormat: E-book Pages: 229 pagesPublisher: Earnshaw BooksBlurb:For more than three decades into the early 21st Century, China’s effort to curb population growth through the “one-child policy” created a wave of abandoned Chinese infants, most of them girls. Around 160,000 of these Chinese children found homes abroad, with…

  • Book Review: Mortal Zin by Diane Schaffer

    Book Details: Author: Diane Schaffer Release Date: 4 March 2025Series: A Mortal Zin Mystery (Book #1)Genre: Crime Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, HumourFormat: E-book Pages: 408 pagesPublisher: Sibylline PressBlurb:A crusading attorney’s death. Sabotage at a family winery. Secrets buried in California’s past…When corporate attorney Noli Cooper visits her godparents’ Santa Cruz Mountain winery, she’s hoping for a few quiet days…

  • Book Review: High Desert (PEOPLE MAKING DANGER) by Adam Fike

    Book Details: Author: Adam Fike Release Date: 19 March, 2021Series: PEOPLE MAKING DANGERGenre: Crime Fiction, Western FictionFormat: E-book Pages: 69 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:MUSCLE CAR WESTERN – Hanner only wants to tinker in his desert junk yard, fish for wrecks on the highway and forget his family legacy. A rotten Sheriff, fate and a vault full of organized crime…

  • Book Review: Operation Dragonhead (PEOPLE MAKING DANGER) by Adam Fike

    Book Details: Author: Adam Fike Release Date: 19 March, 2021Series: PEOPLE MAKING DANGERGenre: Science-Fiction, SatireFormat: E-book Pages: 78 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:MID-CENTURY SCI-FI SATIRE – Early one morning at the end of the 1950s, an impressive, highly coordinated Army training exercise goes off without a hitch. Until frightened town folk decide to fight back. Based on a true story.PEOPLE…

  • Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: August 2025

    While Elif Shafak’s writing proved quite disappointing, Augustina Bazterrica’s phenomenal storytelling and world-building completely made up for it. I finally managed to finish the 3rd book in Brandon Sanderson’s epic saga Mistborn (with over 2000+ pages in just 3 books), and started with a very popular crime series by Steig Larsson, Millennium trilogy, opening with…

  • Book Review: Italian by Default by M.J. Walker

    Book Details: Author: MJ WalkerRelease Date: 25 July, 2025Series:Genre: Memoir, Women’s LiteratureFormat: E-book Pages: 283 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:AN ADOPTION REUNION – based on a true story –Meet Polly, her Italian husband Joe and his identical twin brother Cicero. Polly is adopted and wants to find her heritage, but the twins’ passion for Italy dominates her life. She gets…

  • Book Review: Into the Mountains: Exploring China’s Sacred Daoist Peaks by Debra Liu

    Book Details: Author: Debra Liu Release Date: 8 July, 2025Series:Genre: Nature Writing, Memoir, PhilosophicalFormat: E-book Pages: 232 pagesPublisher: Earnshaw Books LtdBlurb:In a journey of discovery through China’s sacred mountains, traversing the hidden caves of Huashan, freshwater pools where alchemists once lived on Luofushan, and the opulent brilliance of the Gold Palace atop Wudangshan, Debra Liu explores the…

  • Book Review: Burn My Shadow Issue #2 by Sebastiano Lanza

    Book Details: Author: Sebastiano Lanza Release Date: September 22, 2025Series: Burn My Shadow (Book 2)Genre: Graphic NovelFormat: E-book Pages: under 100 pagesPublisher: Markosia EnterprisesBlurb:In Leipzig, Tharmas devises a plan to kidnap Thomas Crowley. To do so, he’ll need assistance from a quite extravagant tech wizz, a rather inhumane amount of patience, and a very light footstep. Even…

  • Book Spotlight: Italian By Default by MJ Walker

    Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author MJ Walker for her latest release, Italian By Default. Book: Italian By DefaultAuthor: MJ WalkerPublication Date: July 25th, 2025Genres: Women’s Literature, Memoir, HumourPage Count: 283For Readers Who Loved Reading: Bill Bryson’s worksFormats Available: e-Ebook ($3.99 USD) About the Book AN ADOPTION REUNION– based on a…

  • Book Review: The Quiet Ones (PEOPLE MAKING DANGER #1) by Adam Fike

    Book Details: Author: Adam Fike Release Date: 19 March, 2021Series: PEOPLE MAKING DANGERGenre: Literary Horror, Psychological Horror, Crime-Thriller, Noir, HorrorFormat: E-book Pages: 66 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:SUBURBAN THRILLER. When a young girl goes missing, families fall apart and neighbors grow together with the help of their friendly local serial killer.PEOPLE MAKING DANGER is a collection of quick, fun, three-act,…

  • Book Review: Market of the Never Setting Sun by E.F. Nordmed

    Book Details: Author: E.F. Nordmed Release Date: July 14, 2025Series:Genre: Cozy Mystery, Science-FictionFormat: E-book Pages: 184 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:Stout works as a tech by day, saving up money to achieve his dream of leaving the planet. His plans are thrown in disarray when he’s asked to look for a missing college student, Andrew, and he quickly finds himself…

  • Book Review: BILLY 9F by David Finley

    Book Details: Author: David Finley Release Date: 3 November, 2021Series:Genre: YA Dystopian Satire, YA Humor, YA Adventure, YA Science FictionFormat: E-book Pages: 204 pagesPublisher: FINWORKSBlurb:Like Orwell’s 1984 — but even funnier!In a grim School-centred dystopia where humour is outlawed and laughter—even a single HA!—is met with an excruciating electric shock to the neck, Billy 9F is the…

  • Book Review: We Can’t Tell You: Part III (B&G Mystery: We Can’t Tell You Book 3) by Josh Martin

    Book Details: Author:  Josh MartinRelease Date: 13 April, 2025Series: B&G Mystery: We Can’t Tell You (Book #3)Genre: Horror, Mystery, Supernatural, Psychological ThrillerFormat: E-book Pages: 119 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:The terrifying mystery has taken yet another turn. The stakes are higher than ever. Grayson’s running out of time…It’s a frenetic race to an ending you won’t see coming! The exciting…

  • Book Review: Hundred Tongues: Volume 1: Northern Poets (Song Dynasty Poets) by Susan Wan Dolling

    Book Details: Author: Susan Wan Dolling Release Date: 5 August, 2025Series: Song Dynasty PoetsGenre: Earnshaw BooksFormat: E-book Pages: 283 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:Volume I, Hundred Tongues, enters the world of Nothern Song Dynasty poets. It begins with a romantic warlord followed by “A Short, Short History of Song China”. Then comes a serious scholar-warrior, and a popular poet-songwriter whom…

  • ARC Review: Betrayal of Trust: A Medical Thriller by Geoffrey M Cooper 

    Book Details: Author: Geoffrey M Cooper  Release Date: October 7, 2025Series: Brad Parker and Karen Richmond Medical ThrillersGenre: Medical Thriller, SuspenseFormat: E-book Pages: 229 pagesPublisher: Captain Thomas PublishingBlurb:Who’s killing the cancer researchers?A leading clinical investigator is butchered in his hotel room hours after receiving a prestigious award for cancer research. Weeks later, a second researcher is the victim…

  • Book Review: Dreamland: Selim’s Echo by Robb Watson

    Book Details: Author: Robb WatsonRelease Date: August 8, 2025Series:Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy, Psychological Fantasy, Surreal FantasyFormat: E-book Pages: 77 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:Ever had the exact same nightmare every night. Miles was beginning junior high and trying out for the basketball team. While trying to fit in and excel on the court, he started to have nightmares he couldn’t…

  • Book Spotlight: Market of the Never Setting Sun by E.F. Nordmed

    Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author E.F. Nordmed for his latest release, Market of the Never Setting Sun. Book: Market of the Never Setting SunAuthor: EF NordmedPublication Date: July 14th, 2025Genres: Sci-fi Cozy Mystery, Private Eye, Amateur Detective, Tech NoirPage Count: 184For Readers Who Loved Reading: Malka Ann Older, “The Mimicking…

  • Book Spotlight: Dreamland: Selim’s Echo by Robb Watson

    Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Robb Watson for his latest release, Dreamland: Selim’s Echo. Book: Dreamland: Selim’s Echo Author: Robb WatsonPublication Date: 8-18-2025Publisher: Amazon KDPGenres: Middle Grade Fantasy, Psychological Fantasy, Surreal FantasyPage Count: 77 About the Book Ever had the exact same nightmare every night. Miles was beginning junior high and…

I’m Heena

Welcome to The Reading Bud, my cosy corner of the internet dedicated to all things books and authors. Here, I invite you to join me on a journey of discovering under-represented books, independent and small press authors, and all things book with a touch of love and loud purrs. Let’s get Reading!

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Recent Posts

  • Author Interview: Travis Peterson

    Welcome to TRB Lounge. Today, I’d like to welcome Travis Peterson, author of Salvation Reigned, for an author interview with The Reading Bud. About The Author Travis Peterson Travis James Peterson is a former Marine. He has spent…

  • Book Review: Spindrifts by A-M Mawhiney

    Book Details: Author: A-M MawhineyRelease Date: 24 November 2021Series: Genre: Dystopian, Science-Fiction, Speculative FictionFormat: E-book Pages: 308 pagesPublisher: FriesenPressBlurb:Racism, climate change, and violence are in the past. The new world values respect and collaboration with others. But are…

  • Book Review: 1521: The Defiance by Charleston Lim

    Book Details: Author: Charleston LimRelease Date: 15 April 2026Series: Genre: Historical FictionFormat: E-book Pages: 243 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:History remembers the fall of Ferdinand Magellan, but it forgets the lives caught in his death’s shadow.1521: The Defiance is not merely a…

  • Book Review: Fade to Black by D Reign

    Book Details: Author: D ReignRelease Date: 12 December 2025Series: Genre: RomanceFormat: E-book Pages: 81 pagesPublisher: Blurb:Isn’t that what they say happens when you try to forget something so poignant, so soul rendering? you need to run, hide and…

  • Book Review: A Dream Life: A Memoir by Wendy Swift

    Book Details: Author: Wendy Swift Release Date: 21 April 2026Series: Genre: MemoirFormat: E-book Pages: 296 pagesPublisher: Blurb:When Wendy Swift discovers a letter demanding nearly two million dollars in restitution from her attorney husband, she realizes that her life as…

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