Reading Fanatic Reviews
Advice and How To NonfictionConversational French Dialogues by Lingo Mastery
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Scribd, 24 Symbols, Mondadori, and Angus & Robertson
Conversational French Dialogues*
Not Sure If You’ll Learn…
This is the first time I have been introduced to this way of language learning done by Lingo Mastery. I was put off from the start by the English mastery of the writer. I found that the English in the introductory section as well as the English translation of the French conversations to be odd and somewhat stilted. Occasionally, wrong words were used. Does anyone in an English-speaking country refer to teeth cleaning as descaling or plaque as calculus? The poor English made me question how good the conversational French part would be. If there are so many issues in the English sections, would there be such issues in the French parts that I wouldn’t really have enough knowledge to know? I did take French in high school and college, but I still can’t say whether the French is correct. I would definitely be leery of trusting the French to be accurate, though, given what the English is like. I thought some choices for the conversational topics were odd. Some make complete sense, like ordering food and drinks or asking for directions. But how often would an English speaker going to France need to ask about pet grooming or pest control?
This book definitely is not for a beginner learning French. You certainly have to have a background in French to appreciate some of the nuances. I can’t imagine this being someone’s first (or even second) introduction to the French language; it would be akin to reading gibberish. And, of course, you would have no idea how to pronounce these French words unless you bought the audiobook version as well—or had previous knowledge of French. There is no pronunciation guide given. I wonder, too, if the book would have been better organized if it had each sentence in the conversation in both French and English one right below the other, so you can more quickly assimilate new words as well as associate phrases between the languages. It can be a pain to flip back and forth between Kindle pages. All in all, I found myself disappointed in this book, though I would probably refer to it if I was planning to go to a French-speaking country. Although, I would not be reading about dog grooming!
The Little Book of Speaking Up by Jutta Ritschel
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Thalia, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Bol.de
The Little Book of Speaking Up*
Not Quite What I Thought, But Good Read
I’ll admit that when I first read the title and subtitle of this book, I thought that the subject matter was going to be somewhat esoteric. I thought that the book would explore finding your voice so that you can be comfortable speaking up. I saw it as a self-help book. But it is definitely much different than that. It actually does refer to your speaking voice. After reading the introduction, where the author explains that she is a breathing coach and has enjoyed singing, it becomes clear the direction that this book is going to take.
Divided into six chapters of exercises—most of these exercises not taking long at all if done singly—the book is organized simply. Surprisingly, the author first looks at the body as a whole, not concentrating on the voice just yet. I’ll admit that I had a hard time seeing the connection of this chapter to the rest of the book, but the exercises were still interesting. The next chapter focuses on breath while the next chapter is the one that specifically focuses on speaking, song, and sound in a very physical way. The exercises here are meant to get you more in touch with the sounds of words and the sounds your vocal apparatus produces. I actually found myself jumping in; I couldn’t help but do some of the exercises as I read along. After all this focus on the self—from the whole-body perspective down to the voice—the next chapter switches to listening to others and being aware of sounds. The second-to-last chapter is a way to help you be more mindful of voice and sound throughout your day. The final chapter talks about speaking and voice under pressure, when you have to speak publically, like for a work presentation or an oral examination.
This book was not what I expected, but I still found it quite fascinating. It is an unusual subject to go into in such depth. The exercises are simple, straightforward, and definitely get you in touch with your body, your breath, your voice, and the sounds created by others and the world. It certainly offers a unique perspective. I found it to be a fun, participatory read.
Cyber Security by Matt Reyes
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Cyber Security*
A Good Introduction to Cyber Security for Regular People
If you fully read the book description, you might come away a little paranoid. I’m sure we all have a vague sense that we are vulnerable to cyberattacks, whether it is to our own devices or to companies that we work with. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has gotten a Credit Karma alert that one of the companies I do business with has been compromised. But in the description of this book, the author really puts forth very strongly how we can be personally vulnerable in so many ways.
While the blurb is a bit doom and gloom, the book itself is not. After a brief introduction to cybersecurity, the internet of things/everything, and “dangerous wares” like malware and viruses, the author breaks down digital security by device, application, or platform. In each section, he talks a little about what that particular piece of the cybersecurity puzzle is and its vulnerabilities, giving a real-world example. Most helpful, though, are the three sections on how to prepare, react, and secure that particular item. He goes so far as to share specific applications. The items explored include some that you would expect (like your computer and smartphone) but also includes things you might have never thought of like key fobs, voice assistants, and your social media and internet profiles.
While this book may not be the be-all, end-all book on cybersecurity, it is a well-written, easy-to-understand book that gets you thinking about your potential vulnerabilities and what to do about them so that you are not as open to attack. I think it is a great introduction to the topic for the layman or laywoman.
Where Can I Find Wi-Fi? by Kayla Kurin
Available at Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, Mondadori, and Angus & Robertson
Where Can I Find Wi-Fi?*
Want to Be a World-Traveling Nomad?
If you have ever considered traveling the world or living in a foreign country (not just as a tourist), this book gives not only one woman’s personal story, but her personal hints, tips, and tricks learned from a life living and working on the road. The book is well organized. The first section is about being just a regular nomad, either volunteering or find work in other countries. The bulk of the book is about being a digital nomad, whether as a freelancer, an entrepreneur, or working remotely for a company. The author has set up several businesses that have allowed her to add to her bank account while still enjoying travel around the world. I like how she interweaves her personal experiences with the tips, techniques, and the knowledge you need if you are going to consider this kind of lifestyle. Before you book your first plane ticket for the new nomad life you envision for yourself, I recommend reading this book to get a sense of what it is really like as well as some ideas that will help you make the transition more smoothly.
Work from Home by Michael Cobble
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Work from Home*
Too Short and Generic
This book is so short that it could almost be considered a pamphlet. The author touches on some very basic ideas about how to make money from home. Honestly, so little is said in the book, that you can just about read the table of contents and take away about as much as if you had read the book itself. The subtitle seems to imply that he will mention specific companies that you can work for from home, but the only ones that I saw were the common freelancer sites (like Fiverr and Upwork) and an affiliate marketing hub. He very briefly goes over ideas like freelancing, selling online, blogging, and affiliate marketing among a few others. When I say briefly, I mean very, very briefly–he touches on ideas but gives no true guidance or blueprint if you are interested in a particular idea. Scattered throughout the book are a variety of affiliate links like to Aweber and Bluehost. To me, the book almost feels like it is just there to get you to click on his affiliate links. If you’re interested in working from home, I would suggest a different book that will help put you more firmly on the path to what you are hoping to achieve.
Speed Reading by Michael Cobble
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Speed Reading*
Standard Speed Reading Fare with One Twist
I have read a variety of books about speed reading as it is a topic that I find interesting as a reader and a writer. This particular book is a very quick read. I think the subtitle is a little overblown; reading faster doesn’t always necessarily lead to learning faster or achieving more. The author gives you a bird’s-eye view of a variety of common speed reading techniques and exercises. The ones shared are the ones typically found in books about speed reading. Interestingly, the author did share one idea I don’t typically see in speed reading books. He has a chapter on expanding your vocabulary as a means of improving your reading speed. The connection, of course, is not as direct as specifically working with the written page in a variety of ways, as you do with the techniques and exercises. But as I am a word person, I like the idea of anyone expanding their vocabulary, and if it serves the purpose of helping reading speed, that’s fine. Other than that, no new ground is really covered here, and some descriptions of what to do are too sparse for someone who is new to speed reading techniques and exercises. There were also issues with grammar, punctuation, and usage scattered throughout the book. I found it interesting, too, that this book seems to be a lead magnet to get you to buy a speed reading course, to which there is a link at the back of the book. If you are interested in speed reading but haven’t done much with it, I would recommend a more detailed book than this one.
Declutter Your Home by Madeline Crawford
Available at Amazon only
NOT with Kindle Unlimited
Declutter Your Home*
Standard Tips with a Few Unusual Sections
I am one who definitely has always had a clutter issue, so I’m always quick to snap up books like this in hopes of gaining more insight into getting more control of my clutter issue. This book is organized like most books on decluttering, focused on rooms or spaces in a home. There are a few introductory chapters, including an overview of the process and the proper mindset with which to approach decluttering. What follows is then a breakdown of how to declutter each room or space in the house including closets, storage areas, entryways, home office, basement, and even the garage. She even had a few more unusual chapters, like on decluttering books and paper, how to handle things of value to you, and decluttering before moving. I felt that most of the room chapters were far too short to be of much value. Most of the tips scattered throughout, including the introductory section, were ones that you see in just about any other decluttering book. I did like one tip: go into a room and notice what doesn’t belong; take care of that first.
While I found myself nodding along with some stuff that she said in the introduction and I appreciated the chapter on books, I found parts of this book almost laughable. There was a point at which she said something along the lines that you should gather all your clutter into a pile and go through it. As if that could even happen! I found the chapter on books and paper especially interesting, as this is my clutter problem area. But even then, I couldn’t quite imagine myself decluttering my books and papers as she mentioned. The clutter issues she seems to be addressing are more minor ones. If you’ve read other books on the subject, you likely do not need this one.
The Joy of Missing Out by Tonya Dalton
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Thalia, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, Indigo (Chapters), and Bol.de
The Joy of Missing Out*
Can Joy be Found in Productivity?
This book wasn’t quite what I was expecting. The title, of course, is a spin on the fear of missing out (FOMO), which is quite a catchphrase these days. My thought was that the joy of missing out (this book) would be the opposite of the fear of missing out, but that’s not how this book comes across. In fact, it is about productivity and uses the author’s four-part system to analyze and build that. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t associate joy with productivity! It almost feels as if the author is combining two buzzwords in trying to cobble together a method. The book is heavily anecdotal, particularly of the author’s life, though she also includes discussion of other people’s issues and forays into solving them. In general, storytelling is a good way to get across nonfiction concepts, but it must be done with a light hand. Examples shouldn’t go on for too long, and they should definitely correlate to whatever the topic is. These personal experiences and anecdotes often failed one or both of these criteria. The storytelling at times overwhelmed the message, so I wasn’t really clear what I was supposed to be taking away. That’s the danger of storytelling; the actual message can get lost in a high noise-to-signal ratio. The book, too, seems to be focused more on mothers of at-home children. Whether you’re looking at the topic from the perspective of the joy of missing out or productivity, not everyone who needs such guidance fits into that category. All in all, I found this to be a disappointing read.
10-Minute Tidy Home by Sara L. Hunter
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
10-Minute Tidy Home*
Basic Home Organization Tips
Don’t let the title give you high hopes. This 200-plus page book will not get your house tidy in 10 minutes. Rather, the book is full of ideas about how to organize each room in your home so that it will be more tidy; these tips are meant to be done in 10 minutes each. It really isn’t about decluttering or cleaning, the latter mentioned in the subtitle of the book. I found some of the tips to be super basic and common sense, while others were ideas I had not thought of. Not every tip would be something that everyone would use or need, but there is a lot in here that gives food for thought about how to have a more organized home. Despite what the author promises, not every tip would take only 10 minutes to accomplish. Some would take only minutes, while others could take hours depending on your current level of disorganization. In the introduction, the author does suggest that whatever task you attempt, to only do it in small 10-minute doses so that way you don’t give up, overwhelmed by the task or the greater sense of all that you need to accomplish.
The book is split into three parts. Part 1 is what I talked about above, where she gives tips for each room in the home, including the garage. She takes her organizational skills beyond stuff in the house for parts two and three. In part 2, she gives tips for having stress-free holidays, house guests, and parties. In part 3, she discusses travel and moving. I did find the book helpful, and I believe I will be implementing some of her ideas.
Read This if You Want to Take Good Photographs by Henry Carroll
eBook available at Amazon only
Read This if You Want to Take Good Photographs*
The Philosophy of Photography
As the author states in the introduction of the book, this is not a work that focuses on the technical aspects of photography. Yes, there are sections on exposure, white balance, and lenses, but the book is more about fostering the development of an artistic eye. To aid in that, the author has a selection of photographs that he uses as an example to discuss topics like framing, symmetry, different types of light, and the dangers of perfection. The book is actually a set of mini essays about these topics and others. I would almost call it philosophical in nature, as it does get you to think about your perception of the world and what you can capture with a camera. I love how the book starts, where he just shows a box with a hole in it, saying that this is your camera. I think he wants to take away any fear of the complexity of modern cameras and show as well that the focus of this book is really on the photographer, not the camera. If you are into photography at all, you will most likely find this book and its collection of essays and striking photographs an interesting read and much food for thought.
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