Indie book reviews

IndieReader’s reviewers are tough, but fair

Our Reviewers won’t judge your book as compared to other self-published titles, but against other books, period. Our ratings are based on the following criteria, although reviewers are able to award partial stars (i.e. a 1.3 or a 4.7), rather than rounding up or down to a whole or half number.

1/5

Really bad 
Work on it.

2/5

Mediocre
1-2 bright spots.

3/5

Good
Worth reading.

4/5

Very Good
1-2 spots that need work

5/5

Excellent!
Must-read.

* IndieReader receives compensation for most of the books it reviews, along with copies of those books.

April 12, 2024

EMBRACING BEWILDERMENT

By Cory Mortensen
Rating:
3.0 / 5.0

EMBRACING BEWILDERMENT is a good travel book in that it highlights key features, customs, and brief histories of each country author Cory Mortensen visits.

IR Approved
April 12, 2024

GETTING ALONG WITH RUSTY

By Lasell Jaretzki Bartlett
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

Lasell Jaretzki Bartlett’s GETTING ALONG WITH RUSTY: Horses, Healing, and Therapeutic Riding is both an inspirational memoir chronicling a journey of healing and an informative...

IR Approved
March 22, 2024

AND ALWAYS ONE MORE TIME: A Memoir

By Margaret Mandell
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

Margaret Mandell’s AND ALWAYS ONE MORE TIME: A MEMOIR is a brave and moving portrayal of grief and love, confronting the messiness and beauty of...

March 8, 2024

THE HEADHUNTER’S GRANDDAUGHTER

By Terry Iwanski
Rating:
3.7 / 5.0

Terry Iwanski's THE HEADHUNTER'S GRANDDAUGHTER is a memoir that benefits from a remarkable first half and an inspiring journey.

IR Approved
March 6, 2024

BETTING ON BERNIE: A Memoir of a Marriage

By Martha Marks
Rating:
4.6 / 5.0

In BETTING ON BERNIE: A Memoir of a Marriage, Martha Marks touchingly details her 50-year marriage with businessman-turned-fine artist Bernie, both before and after his...

February 21, 2024

THE BOOK OF IRWIN GOULD (IDG)

By Irwin Gould
Rating:
3.0 / 5.0

Irwin Gould’s THE BOOK OF IRWIN GOULD is a short and inspiring memoir that shows the author is more than ready for whatever life throws...

February 14, 2024

GRAVEL SOLDIERS

By Terry Iwanski
Rating:
3.8 / 5.0

Terry Iwanski’s GRAVEL SOLDIERS is a compelling account of a biker's adventurous lifestyle during the late-twentieth century and his strained relationship with his father.

February 7, 2024

SEX, TRUCKS, AND ROCK ‘N ROLL

By Ben Mason
Rating:
3.8 / 5.0

Though a little scattershot at times, Ben Mason's SEX, TRUCKS, AND ROCK ‘N ROLL offers much to divert the casual reader.

IR Approved
February 5, 2024

SHADES OF INFLUENCE

By Paul Cade
Rating:
5.0 / 5.0

Paul Cade's memoir SHADES OF INFLUENCE has warmth, wit, and a message aspiring artists need to hear: Never give up.

IR Approved
January 15, 2024

STILL MOVING

By Skyeris
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

A poetic memoir, STILL MOVING documents Skyeris's struggles with Long Covid, tackling the difficult subjects of disability, ideation, and depression with sensitivity and grace. It...

Rating:
3.6 / 5.0

Veronica Caven Aldous’s AUSTRALIAN WOMEN CAN WALK is an unevenly edited but engaging account of the author’s gap year in the late 1970s.

IR Approved
January 5, 2024

THE LUPUS DIARIES My Life With Chronic Illness

By Lillian Smith
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

Part memoir, part self-help, Lillian Smith’s extraordinary book THE LUPUS DIARIES: My Life With Chronic Illness is full of poignant moments and helpful advice.

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