The Shout-Out

25 August 2026

Four indie books, each by an author featured for the first time. Every title links to its page here, and buying goes straight through the author's own retailer.

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  Bittersweet

  by Sue Robertson Danells

  Thriller/Mystery/Crime

  A story of dark themes where toxic relationships, control, abuse and emotional trauma threaten to destroy the lives of three generations. Love and loss feature throughout. It takes hope to carry on. It takes resilience to survive. Set mainly on the Ards Peninsular in Northern Ireland, this is a novel with strong emotional arcs, and would appeal to book clubs, readers of women's fiction, historical fiction and Irish family sagas

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  Me for Myself

  by Abhishek Aggarwal

  Self-Help/Personal Growth

  What do you do when nothing feels right anymore? When success feels empty, relationships become confusing, and the advice of others no longer seems to help, deeper questions begin to emerge: *Who am I? *What is the point of all this? *How do I live when life feels uncertain and full of contradictions? Me for Myself explores two central ideas. First: You are the solution to your own life, not anyone else.** Second: When nothing feels right, the search for answers becomes a journey inward. The first part of the book explores the struggles many of us quietly face: confusion, dissatisfaction, loneliness, fear, ethical dilemmas, and the search for self-understanding. It challenges the idea that fulfilment can be found through external validation and invites readers to look inward and understand themselves more deeply. The second part moves beyond everyday struggles into deeper philosophical and spiritual questions about identity, death, God, money, freedom, and the meaning of life. Rather than offering easy answers, motivational clichés, or a formula for happiness, Me for Myself invites you to question what you believe, confront what you avoid, and think for yourself. At the heart of the book is one provocative realization: “All humans are born gods, and all gods are born human.” This is not a book about finding temporary comfort. It is an invitation to look deeper — into life, into the world, and ultimately, into yourself.

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  Jaqine: High School is Complicated

  by Jacquelyn Barnes

  Young Adult

  The year is 1997. Being a senior at Lafayette High should be a victory lap, but the final days of her high school career are proving to be anything but simple. Between the high-energy demands of the cheerleading squad and the looming pressure of choosing the right college, Jaqine finds herself caught in a whirlwind of "complicated." While she tries to cherish every moment of her final season under the Friday night lights, life keeps getting complicated. Her relationship is Complicated, and even the familiar routine of her classes feels a lot more complicated than ever. But amidst the complicated life of High School leading up to College, Jaqine isn't alone. With the steady encouragement of her family and a tight-knit group of friends who are always by her side, she is determined to navigate the drama while preparing for a future away from home. She also deals with the girls who seem to want her to be jealous of them in different settings. Sit tight for the rollercoaster that she will take you through as she prepares to leave home.

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  She Rises

  by Akanksha Dwivedi

  Self-Help/Personal Growth

  She Rises is a powerful multi-generational story that follows three women-Elena, Clara, and Sophia-across time, choices, and transformation. From silent sacrifice to self-awareness and finally to independence, the novel explores how each generation carries the unfinished dreams of the one before. At its heart lies a simple yet profound symbol-a jar-representing hope, resilience, and the quiet acts of defiance that shape the future. This is not just a story about feminism, but about lived realities: love, compromise, identity, and becoming. Emotional, reflective, and deeply human, She Rises captures the journey of women who do not just survive the world they are given-but slowly, courageously, rise beyond it.

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