May’s Top Self Publishing Reviews from BlueInk

By Edward Nawotka

In our effort to help facilitate the discovery of hot new titles that might interest overseas publishers for rights deals, we offer the occasional selection of “starred” reviews from BlueInk reviews, a service which reviews self-published books. These are all books that BlueInk Review feels “merit your attention,” and “are of exceptional quality and particularly worthy of representation.”

Starred Reviews:

SPORTS
The Legendary Game: Ultimate Hockey Trivia by Tom King: King shoots and scores with this book of hockey trivia that covers the topics and stars hockey fans will expect to read about, but also goes far beyond the obvious. With 29 chapters covering all sorts of themes — including the sport’s origins, minor leagues, NHL families and more — and combining narrative, trivia questions and answers, and “Did You Know” facts, it’s sure to please hockey fans of all stripes. Read review.

CHILDREN

The Amberella Tales: Amberella in the City by Rosemarie Kaupp; illustrated by Marvin Alonso: In this sweet chapter book, Amberella, a Welsh Corgi farm dog, moves to a new home in the city, where she is surprised to find herself sharing living quarters with two spoiled French poodles determined to teach her how to become a “proper” dog. With likeable characters and an engaging writing style, Amberella is peppered with French words and includes a vocabulary list to help children learn their meanings and pronunciations. The first in a planned series. Read review.

Henrietta, the Guard Chicken by Iris-Arla Moore; photography by Abe Clary Creative Portraits: This lovingly produced picture book tells the amazing true story of Henrietta, a Bantam chicken who walked into an auto repair shop one day and never left. The book recounts how for the last 12 years the chicken has greeted customers, chased away intruders and even helped owner Dan add up bills on his calculator.  Charming and artful photographs enhance the story. Read review.

MEMOIR

All I Wanted Was a Home: Raised in an Orphanage by Clark Watts: Left as a child at an orphanage by a single mother unable to care for her six offspring, Watts writes about his childhood experiences, making the unusual case that, rather than harming him, the orphanage gave him the foundation for a long and successful career as a neurosurgeon. This compelling, well-written book offers a rare window into an early-day social safety net. Read review.

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