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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 Spotlight: Billy 9F by David Finley

    Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author David Finley for his latest release, Billy 9F. Book: Billy 9FAuthor: David FinleyPublication Date: 2021, 2nd Edition 2025Available Formats: ebook and paperback.Publisher: Genres: YA Dystopian Satire, YA Humor, YA Adventure, YA Science FictionPage Count: 212Contact: billy9f@gmail.com About the Book Like Orwell’s 1984 — but even…

  • Book Review: We Can’t Tell You: Part II (B&G Mystery: We Can’t Tell You Book 2) by Josh Martin

    Book Details: Author:  Josh MartinRelease Date: December 26, 2024Series: B&G Mystery: We Can’t Tell You (Book #2)Genre: Horror, Mystery, Supernatural, Psychological ThrillerFormat: E-book Pages: 115 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:Grayson’s night isn’t over! Can he finally unravel the terrifying mystery that’s taken hold of his small town? …or will he be another victim? Review The second installment of We Can’t…

  • Book Review: The Book of the Devil: Genesis by Veronica Preston

    Book Details: Author: Veronica Preston Release Date: August 27, 2025Series: Book #1Genre: Spiritual Fantasy, Mythic Fiction, Speculative FictionFormat: E-book Pages: 201 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:This isn’t a tale of horns and pitchforks.It’s a tale of questions, echoes, and exile.Book of the Devil: Genesis reimagines the Devil as Iblis—a being of fire, loyalty, and impossible choices. Born into a world of smokeless…

  • Book Review: Unborn (The Dark World #1) by Eva Barber

    Book Details: Author: Eva Barber Release Date: December 9, 2024 Series: Dark World (Book 1 of 2)Genre: Speculative Fiction, Sci-Fi, SurrealFormat: E-book Pages: 458 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:Olesya was not born like other people but was found in the Siberian Forest by a couple unable to have children. Plagued by mysterious visions and dreams, she struggles to fit into a…

  • Author Interview: Veronica Preston

    Welcome to TRB Lounge. Today, I’d like to welcome Veronica Preston, author of Book of the Devil: Genesis, for an author interview with The Reading Bud. About The Author Veronica Preston Veronica Preston is an author of spiritual fantasy fiction whose debut novel, Book of the Devil: Genesis, reimagines the myth of Iblis through a deeply philosophical and…

  • Book Review: B&G Mystery: We Can’t Tell You by Josh Martin

    Book Details: Author: Josh Martin Release Date: January 27, 2025 Series: B&G Mystery: We Can’t Tell You (Book 1 of 3)Genre: Horror, Mystery, Supernatural, Psychological ThrillerFormat: E-book Pages: 107 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:Have you ever awoken from a deep sleep and still feel like you’re dreaming? A few minutes of confusion is certainly common…..But what about several months?Not so common,…

  • Book Review: The Fortunetelling Wizard by Amanda White

    Book Details: Author: Amanda WhiteRelease Date: January 27, 2025 Series: Genre: Fantasy, AdventureFormat: E-book Pages: 192 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:Legends and common knowledge don’t always agree, but when it comes to wizards the facts are not so far from the stories.Both say that tunics are made from wild magic. Both say that a len who catches, tames, and puts on…

  • Book Spotlight: Book of the Devil: Genesis by Veronica Preston

    Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Veronica Preston for her latest release, Book of the Devil: Genesis. Book: Book of the Devil: GenesisAuthor: Veronica PrestonPublication Date: August 27, 2025Available Formats: Paperback, eBook, Audiobook (coming soon)Publisher: Independently PublishedGenres: Spiritual Fantasy, Mythic Fiction, Speculative FictionPage Count: 201 About the Book This isn’t a…

  • Book Spotlight: Unborn by Eva Barber

    Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Eva Barber for her latest release, Unborn (Dark World). Book: UnbornAuthor: Eva BarberPublication Date: December 18, 2024Publisher: Independently PublishedGenres: Science FictionPage Count: 366 About the Book Olesya was not born like other people but was found in the Siberian Forest by a couple unable to have…

  • Book Spotlight: B&G Mystery: We Can’t Tell You (3 book series) by Josh Martin

    Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Josh Martin for his debut supernatural thriller series release, B&G Mystery: We Can’t Tell You: Parts 1, 2, and 3. Book: B&G Mystery: We Can’t Tell YouAuthor: Josh MartinPublication Date: July 20, 2024Publisher: Independently PublishedGenres: Mystery, Supernatural Thriller, HorrorPage Count: 100 About the Book From Book…

  • Book Spotlight: The Fortunetelling Wizard by Amanda White

    Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Amanda White for her latest release, The Fortune Telling Wizard and Other Stories from The Kingdom of Dar. Book: The Fortunetelling Wizard And Other Stories From the Kingdom of DarAuthor: Amanda WhitePublication Date: January 27, 2025 Publisher: Amanda WhiteGenres: FantasyPage Count: 192 About the Book Legends…

  • Book Review: Deadly Odds 8.0 by Allen Wyler

    Book Details: Author: Allen WylerRelease Date: 7 July 2025Series: Deadly OddsGenre: Medical Thriller, Thriller, Cyber Thriller, SuspenseFormat: E-book Pages: 281 pagesPublisher: Stairway PressBlurb:On a Sunday morning, an unsuspecting parishioner collapses on the steps of a church.Moments later the CEO of a cardiac pacemaker company receives a phone call from an electronically distorted voice demanding that they shutter…

  • Book Review: Job Junky by Rudy Ridolfo

    Book Details: Author: Rudy RidolfoRelease Date: 2 May 2025Series: Genre: Memoir, Non-Fiction, Humour, EssayFormat: E-book Pages: 131 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:Job Junky is a bare-bones memoir of work, survival, and everything in between. Told in short, raw chapters, it reads more like a barstool confession than a polished life story.Rudy Ridolfo worked over 50 jobs while chasing a creative dream—from…

  • Book Spotlight: Deadly Odds 8.0 by Allen Wyler

    Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Allen Wyler for his latest release, Deadly Odds 8.0. Book: Deadly Odds 8.0Author: Allen WylerPublication Date: July 8, 2025Publisher: Stairway PressGenres: Medical Thriller, thrillerPage Count: 281For Readers Of: John Sanford, Don Winslow About the Book On a Sunday morning, an unsuspecting parishioner collapses on the…

  • Book Review: The Ghost Whisperer by Andrew Masseurs

    Book Details: Author: Andrew Masseurs Release Date: 1 June 2025Series: A Day in the Life Series (Book 5) Genre: Post-Apocalypse, Thriller, Dystopia, Survival HorrorFormat: E-book Pages: 428 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:‘A Tale of Revenge!’Vengeance! Lucy is hunting down the men who did her wrong. One victim at a time! How can she achieve this in a world full of…

  • Book Review: Face in the Sand (Burn My Shadow Issue #1) by Sebastiano Lanza

    Book Details: Author: Sebastiano Lanza Release Date: March 27, 2025Series: Burn My Shadow (Book 1)Genre: Graphic NovelFormat: E-book Pages: under 100 pagesPublisher: Markosia EnterprisesBlurb:November 2113. Tharmas and K – outcasts of society – are in dire need of supplies. They journey to Leipzig, the nearest megalopolis. Here, Tharmas comes to knowledge of an impending speech by Thomas…

  • Book Review: A New Life by L J Ambrosio

    Book Details: Author: L J Ambrosio Release Date: 21 July 2025Series: Reflections of Michael Trilogy (Book 3)Genre: Literary Fiction, Contemporary FictionFormat: E-book Pages: 166 pagesPublisher: Louis AmbrosioBlurb:From America to the streets of Paris, A New Life follows two friends as they navigate grief, love, and self-discovery in a city filled with history and hope. A New Life…

  • Book Review: HUMAN by Brett Hodnett 

    Book Details: Author: Brett Hodnett  Release Date: 2 April 2025Series:Genre: Apocalyptic, Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Speculative FictionFormat: E-book Pages: 242 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:A remarkable exploration of family, society, and what makes us human, HUMAN will take you from the post-apocalyptic world of the near future, to the two very different societies that emerge 15 million years later, where those few surviving…

  • ARC Review: More Than Conquerors: On The Run by DJanée

    Book Details: Author: Djanee Release Date: 21 October 25Series:Genre: Science-Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Faith-Infused, Thriller, Action, Christian LiteratureFormat: E-book Pages: 296 pagesPublisher: Xulon PressBlurb:Sophie and her friends have been captured and held prisoner for the purpose of obtaining intelligence they do not have. They have been burned, tortured, and abused for days right after having everything that they…

  • Book Review: The Faery Enchantment by Marie Lukic

    Book Details: Author: Marie Lukic Release Date: April 2025Series: Kingdom of Nerada (Book #2)Genre: Fantasy, Middle GradeFormat: E-book Pages: 105 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:Dottimar returns to the sunken sea kingdom and desperately tries to awaken her son, rainbow dragon, Cathoundral, who has been enchanted by Orange Faery. Ancient faery Verimetus and her grand-daughter, Blue Lantern faery, Vermial, lead Triton, the dragons…

  • Book Review: Tokyo Tangents by Robin S. Hasuki

    Book Details: Author: Robin S. Hasuki Release Date: June 1, 2025Series:Genre: Literary Fiction, Surreal Fiction / Magical Realism, Contemporary Fiction, Slice-of-Life Fiction, Japanese-Inspired/East Asian LiteratureFormat: E-book Pages: 321 pagesPublisher: JCA PressBlurb:Tokyo Tangents is a quietly haunting, speculative fiction novel, laced with Japanese pop culture and metafictional nudges. Fans of Haruki Murakami, Makoto Shinkai, Andy Kaufman, or David Mitchell…

  • Book Review: Isabella Airyfairyabelous & the Sleepy Dragon by by Marie Lukic

    Book Details: Author: Marie Lukic Release Date: April 2025Series: Kingdom of Nerada (Book #1)Genre: Fantasy, Middle GradeFormat: E-book Pages: 145 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:Princess Isabella embarks on a quest to find a magical cure for her tragically ill mother, Queen Julianne. Her exciting adventures lead her to hunt and fly sea dragons. Will Isabella finally discover a cure when all others…

  • Book Review: Lunarmancer by Jake Bennett

    Book Details: Author: Jake Bennett Release Date: July 10, 2023Series: Genre: Young Adult, Epic FantasyFormat: E-book Pages: 436 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:Reika is a changeling, a human girl brought up in a kind community of Metazoans, a sapientzoomorphic species who migrated from a distant land long ago. She works as a servant at theKing’s citadel.But all this changes when Reika and…

  • Book Review: Children of Dysphoria: Book One Fall of Haven by Rudith Moore

    Book Details: Author: Rudith Moore Release Date: May 11, 2025Series: Fall of Haven (Book #1)Genre: Speculative Fiction, Thriller, Literary Fiction, DystopianFormat: E-book Pages: 282 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:‘It was Hae-sol’s idea, Haven.Always been obsessed with medicines and the idea of healing those he deemed broken, perhaps because of the cruel way he was raised and the trauma that’s festered because of…

  • Book Review: Eva and Skye’s Magical Hair Solution by Darke Conteur

    Book Details: Author: Darke Conteur Release Date: January 7, 2025Series:Genre: FantasyFormat: E-book Pages: 390 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:It’s 1982, and fourteen-year-old Evandra Shade befriends earth-muffin, Skye Daniels. Their friendship is a salvation from the social pressures of high school, especially when damage to the school is dubiously linked back to them and they must repay the school for the damage.…

  • Book Spotlight: Job Junky by Rudy Ridolfo

    Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Rudy Ridolfo for his latest release, Job Junky. Book: Job JunkyAuthor: Rudy RidolfoPublication Date: May 2, 2025Genres: Memoir, Humor, Work & SocietyPage Count: 168 pages About the Book 50 jobs. One dream. All true. Job Junky is a fast, funny memoir of a life built on side gigs…

  • ARC Review: Geri o Shimasu: Adventures of a Baka Gaijin by Alia Luria

    Book Details: Author: Alia LuriaRelease Date: August 12, 2025Series:Genre: Memoir, Cultural, Japanese CultureFormat: E-book Pages: 196 pagesPublisher: Unsolicited PressBlurb:Geri o Shimasu: Adventures of a Baka Gaijin invites readers on a witty, unfiltered romp through 2008 Japan as experienced by Alia Luria, a self-proclaimed “clueless foreigner.” Luria dives headfirst into the quirks and challenges of Japanese culture, from decoding…

  • ARC Review: My Father is Police Lah!: Memories of 1960s Colonial Singapore by Rowena Hawkins

    Book Details: Author: Rowena Hawkins Release Date: June 24, 2025Series:Genre: Memoir, Cultural Literature, Asian LiteratureFormat: E-book Pages: 232 pagesPublisher: Earnshaw BooksBlurb:“The two of us against all of them? How unfair for them.”Seeker Hokuren’s big break is coming: the prince of Velles hires her to find his missing daughter. Tracking down all those lost pet cats for a…

  • Book Review: Hiro-J: Energy by P.S. Bartlett

    Book Details: Author: P.S. Bartlett Release Date: June 13, 2025Series:Genre: Science-Fiction, Mystery, Romance, AliensFormat: E-book Pages: 295 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:They told her she’d be studying human behavior.They never said the subject wasn’t human.Lana Delaney isn’t the kind of girl who chases adventure. A champion swimmer and psychology major, she keeps her world small—school, training, and staying invisible. But…

  • Author Interview: P.S. Bartlett

    Welcome to TRB Lounge. Today, I’d like to welcome P.S. Bartlett, author of HIRO-J: Energy, for an author interview with The Reading Bud. About The Author P.S. Bartlett P.S. Bartlett (pen name), an award-winning author, was born on Valentine’s Day in Baltimore, Maryland, near the historic sites of Fort McHenry and Federal Hill. As the youngest of eleven siblings,…

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

  • 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…

  • 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:…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

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