Reading Fanatic Reviews
All Nonfiction ReviewsWicca: A Beginner’s Guide by Melissa Smith
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Wicca: A Beginner's Guide*
Some Confusion May Not Help True Beginners
This book purports to be a beginner’s guide to Wicca. By some measures, it is that. Wicca is a hard term and practice to define, especially the further and further we get away from Gardiner, and I think this fact is reflected in the book. The author attempts to define it and related terms right in the first chapter, but I think the author got a few things confused. She stated in several places that paganism falls under Wicca; I see Wicca and other earth-based religions as falling under the broader umbrella of paganism. Paganism is another word that is hard to define; some use the word to describe any religion outside of the big three while others say that any pagan religion’s tenets must come from a pre-Christian form of religion. Honestly, I don’t think the definitions really matter to the individual; it’s what’s in your heart and what resonates with you. I found it odd that the author discusses shamanism and druidism in the section where she defined Wicca. I don’t believe that shamanism relates in any way to Wicca (although it might be a part of a particular Wiccans spiritual reality), and druidism is what I might call a sister path to Wicca with deep roots in pre-Christian Celtic religion. On the chapter about the benefits of Wicca, the author also included a brief writing about dealing with others who might not accept you. Considering that this is meant to be an introduction to Wicca (perhaps for people who are not practitioners), I think this would have been better put in a separate chapter perhaps later in the book; there, it would make sense to have this information if once one has decided to go on this path.
The book is full of general information that can form a foundation of knowledge for someone interested in Wicca, but it is not detailed enough for someone who really wanted to start practicing. There are brief chapters on deities, holidays, and different types of witches as well as more practical aspects like rituals and spells. The book is potentially dangerous, giving simple spells for readers who haven’t been given enough background to know what they are doing. I think the book definitely could have been better organized; for instance, the “different types of witches” chapter might have been better if it were a part of the definitions chapter. I didn’t like that the author interrupted the book asking for reviews. I get why authors want reviews, but just put it at the end; don’t interrupt your book as it does ruin the flow of a book. Throughout the book, the author does talk about the different flavors of Wicca and modern paganism. I would have loved to have seen a Suggested Resources section at the back that an interested reader could follow up with if he or she wanted to know more about one of the branches of paganism discussed. Instead, there’s an oddly styled reference section of blog articles and websites that seem more general. All told, if you want to learn more about Wicca, you might be better off looking at books that have been around a long time, like the ones by Scott Cunningham.
Diary of a Ghost Whisperer by Laura Power
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Scribd, 24 Symbols, Thalia, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, Indigo (Chapters), and Bol.de
Diary of a Ghost Whisperer*
Otherworldly Realm from Psychic’s Perspective
While the blurb of the book makes you think that it may give a fair amount of information about working with ghosts or otherworldly entities yourself (or what to do if you encounter one), it is more of a reflection of the title as it is mostly about the author’s own ghost stories. She even has some pictures! I found this book to be an interesting glimpse into the world of a psychic medium. There is a small amount of information at the start of the book about the different types of otherworldly beings that one could encounter (and that the author has). There is a very brief section at the end with the author’s recommendations and tips if you want to try to work with the lighter end of the spirit spectrum yourself. She doesn’t recommend actually interacting with ghosts (whom she distinguishes from spirits). If you like ghost stories, you will most likely enjoy the ones shared by this author as well as her personal take on the otherworldly realm.
Intuitive Tarot Reading by Melissa Smith
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Intuitive Tarot Reading*
Nonintuitive Rehash of Familiar Tarot Information
The title states that this book will look at intuitive tarot reading, and the blurb further suggests that the tarot is a pathway into the subconscious. While I agree with the latter as a long-time tarot reader, I do not believe that either promise was actually delivered in this book. Instead, the book seems to be a compilation of some common themes in tarot books or on tarot websites–like how to pick a deck, how to attune your deck, and how to get ready for a reading as well as some very basic spreads or draws–but is mostly taken up with a brief description of each of the 78 cards of the tarot along with its upright and reversed readings and its possible meanings if it comes up in a spread about finances, love, or work. I found these sections on each card to be little more than what you read in the little white book for each deck; nothing in particular is added to help improve intuitive reading. There’s a brief section about how the cards work that follows these descriptions of the cards; for structural purposes, I think this would have been better put with the beginning background information.
Some of the tips in the general section seem a little fussy and pedantic to me as someone who has been tarot practitioner for a long time; I suggest using your intuition to see if her suggestions feel right to you. I did think, though, that the information about asking the right questions what’s a good one.
The table of contents is a hot mess, and I actually don’t think it is terribly helpful for navigation around the text. Why is this? The author has made a clickable link for not only every chapter but every heading and subheading in each chapter. So in my Kindle, the table of contents goes on for screens and screens, especially when you hit the section on the card descriptions. Not only is the card name a clickable link, but the three sections that the author has written for each card are also clickable links– for each and every card.
There are also some formatting issues within the main text itself. I did receive an advance review copy, so I hope these formatting issues will be taken care of in the published version of the book. For instance, within the card description section, sometimes what should have been separate paragraphs all ran together. This is beyond the first 10% of the book at Amazon, so I couldn’t see if these had been fixed. There are definitely issues with grammar, punctuation, and usage. The reference section was formatted oddly, vaguely reminiscent of college paper reference sections. There was another odd thing as well. The author put out a call for reviews in the middle of the book—with a graphic and everything—and that was rather distracting and offputting.
For all of these issues, I would say that you could find better books on tarot in general, and you will certainly want to look for a different book if you truly want one that is about intuitive tarot reading.
Hypersanity by Neel Burton
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Hypersanity*
Thoughts on Thinking
What an intriguing book! It truly is a book that makes you think about thinking. The earlier sections of the book dissect various aspects of logical and illogical thought. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on fallacies, as these seem to be so rife in today’s political climate. But the author does not only attend to the left brain; the right brain is also given analysis and exploration in sections on intuition, wisdom, emotion, inspiration, and even music. I actually wish more time was spent on the more right-brain parts of thinking that aren’t usually given such prominence or importance. Throughout the book, the author uses examples to illustrate the various points he is making. I have just recently read another book on thinking, and that book seemed to be more about getting you around to the author’s way of thinking. This book is better and completely different, thank goodness! This author presents his ideas and arguments clearly and succinctly and urges the reader, directly and indirectly, to engage and explore the various ways of thinking, taking no sides or positions that are self-serving. I recommend reading this book in small doses, as it can tax our human minds to think about thought, and I also heartily suggest that you continue to think about thinking when engaging with the world around you. You will understand not only your own thinking better but also the thinking of others who matter in your world.
The Gluten-Free Instant Pot Cookbook by Jane Bonacci and Sara De Leeuw
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, Indigo (Chapters), and Bol.de
The Gluten-Free Instant Pot Cookbook*
Yummy-Sounding Recipes and Helpful Hints
This book is so full of yummy sounding (and looking!) Instant Pot recipes and information about how to have a gluten-free kitchen! If you need such a book, because you love the Instant Pot and have gluten issues, I imagine this would be one of the go-to books for interesting recipes and helpful information. The authors start the book by looking at pressure cooking in general and the Instant Pot in particular. They talk about other tools needed and helpful ingredients. The next chapter is about having a gluten-free home and kitchen. They even give recipes for recommended flour substitution blends. The recipe sections are like those you typically see in cookbooks, from breakfasts to soups to sides to main dishes and desserts. Each recipe also mentions if it has other considerations, like if it is nut free or vegetarian. The authors give further hints and tips about gluten-free cooking within the recipes themselves. Some recipes are very creative in using the Instant Pot, like using it to make a cheesecake or a breakfast frittata. They even have some breads that are made in the Instant Pot. All in all, I found this to be a delightful cookbook with many creative and fun uses for the Instant Pot. many of the recipes sound good enough that they would even appeal to people who do not have gluten issues.
Being Creative by Michael Atavar
Available at Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Thalia, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, Indigo (Chapters), and Bol.de
Being Creative*
Spurs to Creativity
In this book, the author has 20 tools that creatives can use to inspire creativity. The author states that this works for all manner of creativity, but I can definitely see that it would be particularly beneficial for writers, as most of the exercises do involve some writing. The book is divided into five sections: beginning, processes, how to keep going, methods, and ending. Each of these sections has four tools, and the tools themselves have a couple of exercises as well as insight by the author. It is definitely a book that gets you thinking about creativity and can certainly free your mind to look at the world in new ways. The explanations that go along with the tools give much food for thought about the world and the creative process. I play music and write as my creative outlets, and while some of the tools were familiar to me, others were not, but I could see their usefulness. I look forward to working with these tools now and in the future.
How to Day Trade Penny Stocks by Bill Sykes & Timothy Gibbs
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
How to Day Trade Penny Stocks for Beginners*
The Skinny on Day Trading Penny Stocks
I have recently read these authors’ day trading book for beginners, and I felt that it lacked in the information needed for the true beginner. I was wondering if it would be the same for this book. I was delighted to discover that this book is chock-full of information and contains enough of it for the serious beginner to contemplate whether or not to actually start day trading penny stocks as well as the best steps about how to do it. The book begins with the basics and gets more complicated as it goes along, but the authors do so in such a way that the beginner isn’t overwhelmed with the technical details. While there are plenty of industry-specific terms in this book, they are introduced gradually and explained well. The authors give all sorts of practical information, like how to ease your way into penny stock trading and how to avoid being scammed. If you’re thinking of trading penny stocks, I highly recommend this book as it will give you solid information and advice.
Narcissistic Mother by Mia Warren
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Narcissistic Mother*
Style Improvements Needed, But Good Info
I recently read this author’s other book on changing your life after narcissistic abuse and was curious to see what her take was on parental narcissism; the other book was more about narcissism within a romantic relationship. The author herself states at the beginning of the book that she herself has a narcissistic mother, and I believe that her background has colored the rest of the book in both positive and negative ways.
The book is structured cleanly, with background definitions and explanations at the start, the effects of narcism, and a section ending on what you can do to heal from parental narcissistic abuse. The author seems to have pulled a lot of her information that isn’t clearly personal from the works of writers in the psychology field. In fact, some lists that I mention later below seem to be directly taken from other authors.
Within the chapters themselves, I think the author should have formatted each section to make it easier to read. Much of the background and explanations are written like a list–like a list of traits of a narcissistic mother or the forms of abuse that the narcissist will use. These are written just as sequential paragraphs that start in a very similar and boring fashion, like “the second sign of _____ is… [new paragraph] The third sign of _____ is…” Some of these lists go on for 10 or more signs, examples, or trades, so this can get tedious. It would have been more readable if the author had listed each sign as a subheading of the section within the chapter.
That said, if you believe you have a narcissistic mother (or father), this book will help you get clarity on precisely what that is, what it has done to you, and what you can do to heal now that you recognize that it is an issue.
How to Hire an Executor by Anthony S. Park
Available at Amazon only
NOT with Kindle Unlimited
How to Hire an Executor*
Good Read for Heirs or while Estate Planning
I have read the author’s previous book on probate and found that to be a well-organized and insightful work on what can be a very tricky subject. I’m happy to say that this book is as well done as that one. It follows a logical flow, first talking about what precisely an executor is and problems that one can have with an estate if an executor is not up for the job. He then goes onto the meat of the book, first describing what a professional executor does and then going into other details like fees, the hiring process, and what to expect. As in the book for probate, the book is very neatly organized into chapters and topics with examples clearly marked with italics and a bulleted takeaway list at the end of each chapter. The author is an attorney, so there is some bias toward hiring a professional, but he does look at the pitfalls of having each type of executor, personal or professional, as well as the processes involved.
For whatever reason, I have been reading and reviewing a lot of nonfiction in the last week. Most of it, unfortunately, has been so poorly formatted that it is actually hard to read. I’ve read books where even the table of contents was a mess, let alone the rest of the book. So it was a pure delight to open the Kindle version of this book and see a perfectly formatted ebook. The table of contents is well organized and concise, and the chapters are well laid out with subtopic headings and the purposeful formatting I mentioned in the previous paragraph. It really does make a difference for a reader enjoyment when a book is formatted well!
In the last chapter of the book, the author does put forth his own services as a professional executor. He clearly states the type of clients that he works for. Normally, I don’t like it when a book like this ends on a big sales pitch, but I feel like the author actually earned a little space to talk about his business because of the quality of information shared in the bulk of the book. This can be easily skipped over if it doesn’t apply to you. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who is in the estate planning process or for heirs trying to sort out an estate; this book will help both parties figure out whether a professional executor is the right choice.
Mindfulness by Olivia Telford
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Mindfulness*
Practical, Helpful Mindfulness Exercises
Mindfulness definitely seems to be a buzzword these days. This book attempts to define it and help you use it to help your life, both dealing with the negatives and cultivating the positives. The book is relatively simple and straightforward beginning with the definition of mindfulness, some simple exercises, and meditation information and techniques. The first section after that goes into detail about destructive negatives, like stress, anger, and anxiety, that mindfulness could potentially help with. The next section looks at how mindfulness can be used to help build better habits (or beat bad ones), relationships, and perhaps a better life. Both of these practical sections have a little article about the topic and include mindfulness exercises that the author believes will help. One tiny little thing bugged me. The author clearly states at the beginning that mindfulness is not meditation, yet she includes meditation in the subtitle, perhaps making the potential reader think that meditation is the only way that mindfulness can be achieved or that this book is only about mindfulness through meditation. As noted above, meditation does have its own chapter, but the exercises in the rest of the book don’t focus on meditation.
I think this is a solid introduction to mindfulness that contains simple, practical exercises could be helpful if you have issues like I mentioned above.
Used To Build My Websites
NetGalley Badges