In this month’s look at the best-reviewed self-published titles, we highlight a guide to pairing food and wine, an apocalyptic thriller, a historical novel set during the lead up to the Iranian Revolution, and a whole lot more.

Cook + Cork by Harry Mills and Chris Horn

Synopsis: Sommelier Horn and chef Mills discuss the intersection of food and wine and creating perfect pairings at home.

PW’s Takeaway: Light, inclusive, and illuminating... Sure to inspire a trip to the local wine shop as well as the market.

Comparable Titles: What to Drink with What You Eat

Sample Line: “Our wish is that food and wine pairing is no longer a vague or fatuous concept, but a natural impulse based on simple understandings of what can happen when liquid meets solid.”

Read the review.

Unrest by Sandra Ann Heath

Synopsis: This historical novel from Heath follows the life of 17-year-old Annette Patterson as she and her family arrive in Tehran in 1987, during the lead-up to the Iranian Revolution.

PW’s Takeaway: This is a superb accomplishment of character development, as well as an immersive journey through Tehran’s many landmarks.

Comparable Titles: Reading Lolita in Tehran

Sample Line: “It’s been said that birds can sense an approaching storm. And cattle often run for higher ground before a flash flood. Yet I hadn’t been gifted with a similar sixth sense.”

Read the review.

Resurrection America by Jeff Gunhus

Synopsis: A small town descends into martial law out of fear of a mysterious airborne virus.

PW’s Takeaway: [A] taut, thought-provoking thriller.... Readers will keep turning the pages as the action builds to a surprising conclusion.

Comparable Titles: Outbreak

Read the review.

Reflections in the Mist by Curtis Krusie

Synopsis: A dream job turns into a nightmare for Grey Cavanaugh when he’s suspected of murder and becomes a fugitive.

PW’s Takeaway: Fast-paced action sequences are balanced nicely by the depiction of the lovers’ devotion to each other.

Comparable Titles: Vertical Run

Read the review.

Begin Again by Crystal Walton

Synopsis: Former model Ti moves to North Carolina where she falls for a single father raising his 10-year-old daughter.

PW’s Takeaway: This classic love story will have readers enthralled until the last page.

Comparable Titles: Like Never Before

Read the review.