Reading Fanatic Reviews
All Kindle Unlimited ReviewsNOTE: These books were in Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited program at the time that I posted the reviews. They may not still be in the program, as authors can opt out every 3 months. If you find a book that is no longer in the program, don’t hesitate to contact me, and I will update the review.
Productivity Plan by Robert Green
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Free with Kindle Unlimited
Productivity Plan*
Fuzzy Focus, Not Much of a “Plan”
This book is all over the map. I like it when my nonfiction books are precisely about what they say. If you call a book a “plan,” it should have a plan. If a book is about productivity, every chapter should focus on that theme. I found the book did not fulfill either word’s promise. I didn’t see any big overall “plan” mentioned in this book. There are a variety of strategies and tips offered but no comprehensive plan. The book does have some discussion of productivity, including what hampers it, like perfectionism and thinking that working long equals working well. But I didn’t really feel like he got to the heart of the issues about what can make one more productive while still maintaining mental, physical, and spiritual health. The book should have been more tightly focused on productivity itself instead of peripheral subjects, and he needed to delve more deeply into productivity as well. Many sections in the Table of Contents (which is far too long and detailed) are just a paragraph in the book itself; there’s little depth here. The book in places felt like a grab bag of pop-psych ideas about productivity and peripherally related concepts like sleep and meditation. If you are genuinely looking for a productivity plan, you would do better to look elsewhere.
Day Trading for Beginners By Bill Sykes and Timothy Gibbs
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Day Trading for Beginners*
OK as an Intro to the Topic, But Lacks Depth
This book is full of hints and strategies for day traders. I don’t know enough about the markets or day trading to know if what they give is actually good advice. I always place a more substantial burden on books that claim to be for beginners. I do not think that this book alone will allow a beginner to start day trading successfully. While some terms are defined, the authors use other ones that are not as well explained, which would make the book confusing for some beginners. Plus, the book lacks the depth of explanation that a beginner needs. I definitely think there is some useful information here that would help somebody interested to start day trading, but they will need more to truly get them going. One bizarre thing, too: the names of the authors in the blurb are different than the names on the cover or inside the book; one author has a different last name, and the other has a different first name!
First Edition Murder by Tessa Kelly
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Free with Kindle Unlimited
First Edition Murder*
Engaging Book-Based Mystery
This is the first mystery that I have read by this author, and I am glad to have found her. Even though this book is relatively short for mystery, the author still managed to surprise me with the ending. That doesn’t happen often, so I enjoy it when it does! I like the way the author described scenes and settings. I felt like I was in the room with the main character. The characters were well drawn and feel like real people. I loved being in the head of the main character. She is completely relatable and sympathetic, especially when her father looks guilty of the murder. (Even with the first line about her discomfort about catering a wedding wearing an evening dress and stilettos was just so authentic). As a book lover, too, I’m always drawn to novels where the story in some way hinges upon a book. This one does, and it is even a mystery! In all, I found this book to be an engaging read.
A Murder in Hope’s Crossing by Brooke Shelby
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A Murder in Hope's Crossing*
Didn’t Work for Me
I will admit that I am turned off right away when a book starts with an information dump, and this book had quite a lengthy one. I do work with some authors on their books, and I sometimes recommended they just toss out the first chapter or two and get to the story! This book might have benefited from such an action. I thought the dialog sounded stilted, not like the way people talk. As such, I had a hard time getting into and sticking with the story. I didn’t really find the characters engaging, and I will be passing on the rest of the series.
Torn by Ditter Kellen
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Free with Kindle Unlimited
Torn*
Fallen Angel Finds Love and Redemption
What a lovely story! The hero, Exodus–who prefers to be called X–is a fallen angel biding his time on Earth while he awaits judgment because of one rather unfortunate indiscretion. Judgment time is almost upon him when a seemingly fragile young woman literally falls into his arms. X is a decent and compassionate angel (despite his fallen status). I love how X could appear a little bit jaded, but Niki’s demeanor and ways could charm him in a way he never had been in his immortal life. Niki is definitely physically fragile because of her heart condition, but she has a tenacity and strength that is the core of her character. All of this is complicated by Delia, the demon who was at the heart of X’s indiscretion. This book looks at the choices that we make and the repercussions that those choices have. (By the way, the cover seems at odds with the X I came to know and love in the story. That isn’t how I picture him at all, and really, not how he is portrayed.) A beautifully written supernatural love story.
Bradley’s Bride by Kathleen Lawless
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Bradley's Bride*
Action and Intrigue But Romance Fell Flat
Just like the first book of the series, this one is full of action and intrigue. In fact, at the couple from the first book’s wedding, which opens this book, there is quite the gun-fight kerfuffle. While there definitely was a lot going on in the book, I didn’t like the way that the romantic aspect was played out. Often in romances, the hero and heroine go back and forth about their feelings for each other and what to do about them (that’s the basis for romance books), it seemed extreme in this novel. For instance, at one point when it looks like the couple have to marry, the heroine decides that she can seduce him into loving her, and not long after, she’s thinking of how to get out of the marriage so she can run her own business in a different town (though she claims to have had feelings for him from afar for a long time). There is just too much of that kind of wild back and forth for both of the characters. I also thought that the blurb didn’t accurately portray the book. The blurb makes it seem as if the book is all about a forced betrothal or wedding. It isn’t really about that, and that issue is even germane until after the 40% mark of the book. The book continues the issues with the villain of the previous book, and my gut feeling tells me that this will be the case for the rest of the books in this series about the seven “brothers.” This book didn’t gel for me quite like the first one did, and I quite enjoyed that one. It was nice to see a little bit more of Laura and Brody, the heroine and the hero from the previous book, and their new life together as a married couple. While this book could be read as a stand-alone, you would miss much of the context about the brothers and the villain.
Options Trading for Beginners by Tim Shek
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Options Trading for Beginners*
Well Organized, But May Be Confusing for True Beginners
This book is well organized, which I always appreciate in a nonfiction book. The author starts with the basics, first explaining the concept of options and then defining terms used in options trading. Then he goes into covered calls and even gives a step-by-step way to do the sell and the buy version of this. He then talks about buying and selling puts. The book ends with advanced strategies and information about bull and bear markets (and how to profit with either). I felt like the book needed more clarity to be fully accessible for true newbies to option trading. The definition section is definitely a good idea, but I found the definitions confusing. The book definitely had some issues with grammar, punctuation, and usage. I don’t know enough about options trading to say if what he writes is good information or advice, but I do appreciate that he does address tricky issues like volatility and risk as well as how to be careful.
How Probate Works by Anthony S. Park
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Free with Kindle Unlimited
How Probate Works*
Perfect Guide to the Probate Process
How wonderful to come across a nonfiction book that promises precisely what it delivers! As the title says, this book is all about how probate works, and as the subtitle says, it is for executives, heirs, and families. The book starts with a definition of probate and other terms that are a part of the process. Then he goes into the beginnings of the probate process and follows with how to settle and close an estate. Ending chapters are specifically for executors and heirs. The last chapter looks at specific difficult situations. Each chapter ends with key takeaways. Each chapter is full of examples, so you can see that the ideas that he talks about in action. Probate is tricky business–complex, lengthy, and potentially expensive–and people have to handle it at probably one of the most challenging points in their lives, when they’re grieving someone they cared about. This straightforward, no-nonsense book is the perfect antidote so you don’t have probate overwhelm.
As Sweet as Honey by Anna Klein
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
As Sweet as Honey*
Light, Lovely Contemporary Romance
What a sweet and lovely little romance! You could feel for the heroine immediately with the troubled morning she was having. Right off the bat, the hero and the heroine had very good interactions and banter. The heroine definitely couldn’t stop her mouth to save her life, but endearingly so, and at times her statements were very funny, cringe-worthy, or insightful. The hero was definitely much more buttoned up, but as the book went along, he loosened up some. A lot of books call themselves romantic comedies these days and quite a few miss the mark, going over the top and trying too hard (which falls flat for me). This book, however, hit all the right comedic notes, both in what actually happened in the story itself, like one of the problematic situations that the hero and heroine find themselves in, as well as with the characters themselves–mercy, some of that girl’s thoughts! The book hit all the romance notes, too: the hero did perfectly swoon-worthy things right from the start, and some of the settings were very romantic. All in all, an entertaining, light read.
Dark Genius by H. Peter Alesso
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Dark Genius*
Cool Nerdy Characters… and Science!
I found the characters of this story to be quite engaging, especially the hero and the heroine. I liked the interaction between them and their group of friends. While some reviewers thought the science was a bit much, I’m enough of a science nerd and science fiction aficionado to appreciate the digressions into the scientific aspects of this story. If you find them too burdensome, you can mostly just gloss over them. They do add to the story, but they are not integral to it. I felt like the language was overloaded with adjectives and adverbs that didn’t actually add anything to the story; they more told rather than showed. Calling something alluring, when it’s not a character saying it, doesn’t really speak much to me; show me why it is alluring and why that matters!
Also, I think this book has a bit of an image problem. The cover on Amazon looks like a light and breezy summer romance story; I would call this a science-based technothriller with a tiny romantic element. The headline of the blurb is nothing that really happens in the story, or at least to any appreciable degree. It feels like the author is trying to recast the story into a YA romance… most likely because these are popular. I actually prefer the old cover that you can still see on Goodreads; it more accurately reflects what the story is actually about.
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