Damn English! by Gary Sherbell Damn English! (Black Rose Writing 2025) by Gary Sherbell is a witty exploration of why your high school English papers were always covered in red ink. With humor and insight, Sherbell compiles a collection of homonyms, tricky spellings, and the many illogical quirks of the English language—all in one entertaining […]
August Books of Note: “Damn English!” and “When Time Was Suspended”
August 4, 2025 by Leave a Comment
“The Game” by Brandon Keller
July 15, 2025 by Leave a Comment
In his gripping debut novel The Game: A High-Stakes Conspiracy of Power, Poker, and Profit (Black Rose Writing, 2025), Brandon Keller explores the ruthless race to control artificial intelligence—an innovation powerful enough to reshape the future. With its fast-paced plot and financial intrigue, The Game will appeal to fans of Stephen Frey’s financial thrillers and […]
“The Wars Between Us and Them” by P. V. LeForge
July 14, 2025 by Leave a Comment
The setting for The Wars Between Us and Them (Back Bay Books, 2025) by P. V. LeForge is Detroit, Michigan—his birthplace. So why is a Southern publication reviewing a novel set so far north? Because LeForge’s parents moved to Florida when he was just an infant and he remained there most of his life. He […]
“The Medici Curse” by Daco S. Auffenorde
July 1, 2025 by Leave a Comment
A novel set in a Tuscan villa might seem like an odd choice for Southern Literary Review. Obviously, the setting completely misses our locale. Yet The Medici Curse (Scarlet Books 2025) hits the mark because it was penned by a talented Huntsville, Alabama, author Daco S. Auffenorde. The story contains a heavy dose of gothic horror and supernatural […]
“When the Earth Was a Comfort” by Victor Depta
July 1, 2025 by Leave a Comment
The Buddhist concept of emptiness appears frequently in Victor Depta’s latest collection of poetry, When the Earth Was a Comfort (Blair Mountain Press 2025). The collection is divided into four parts, corresponding to the seasons. I related strongly to the title poem, which is placed first in the book. Depta references the floods, the heat, […]
“Good Eye, Bad Eye” by Jeanne Malmgren
May 14, 2025 by Leave a Comment
Readers of Jeanne Malmgren’s engaging memoir, Good Eye, Bad Eye, will find the universal themes and the clarity of her writing style appealing. From her personal story of trauma following a childhood eye injury, life truths emerge as Jeanne struggles to find her way in the world. This is not another poor-pitiful-me memoir. Instead, it […]