Some Favorite Books This Week!

I’ve been having a tough time keeping up with both the reading AND posting here. While I get it all sorted out, I thought I could at least post the reviews here to Amazon, so you can read them there!

By the way, I am proud to announce that my own book published last week, Kitchen Open, was a #1 new release twice in the past 4 days! Check it out above and share it with your restaurant friends!

Note: I am listing reviews as I do them each day. Sometimes, Amazon takes days or even a week or more to approve these reviews, so you will see a lag between when I list reviews and when a link is available. The longest I had to wait was 3.5 weeks!

Hope that life becomes a little more sane soon!

Historical Romance

Westward Courage by A. T. Butler (disappointing Oregon Trail story, told more than shown)
Spirals of Fate by Tim Holden (not a romance but a well-written debut novel that details the struggles of a yeoman farmer just after the death of Henry III)
His Perfect Hellion by Amanda Mariel (super short but well written)
When Lady Innocent Met Dr. Scandalous by Merry Farmer
Embraced by Moonlight by Sandra Sookoo (prequel for new Victorian adventure romance series)
Ladies Prefer Adventure by Sandra Sookoo (the first book of the above series, which I didn’t like to much)
The Atlantis Papyrus by Jay Penner (not really a historical romance, just historical)
Highlander Avenged by Rebecca Preston (time travel Highlander romance)
Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater (paranormal Regency)
The Mistletoe Mistress by Maddison Michaels
All of My Love–Stop by Lelia J. Belle (had potential but not fully fleshed out)
Gentleman in the Shadows by Karen Sommers (delightfull Regency)
Cecilia or Too Tall to Love by G. L. Robinson (too much telling and not showing)
An Irresistible Arrangement by (well written; had parts that nearly made me laugh out loud)
A Stubborn Bride by Kellie Abbott (mail-order bride, American West)
A Truth Revealed by Lucy Adams (Regency suspense)
Kisses and Scandal by Shana Galen (three Regency novellas that explore romances for classes and occupations often ignored)
The Wildflowers at the Edge of the World by Shaylin Gandhi
Time of the Warrior by Ivy Hollins (time-travel romance back to Pictish Scotland)

Contemporary Romance

Brokenhearted Lovers by Penelope Wells (super short and ultimately unsatisfying)
Leaving Home by Casey Dawes (a long, complex, and nuanced tale not only about romantic love but also a family drama; worthwhile read!)
Finally Married, Sophie by Jan Gallagher Dunn (needed a prologue to explain their past)

Nonfiction – General

Intermediate German Stories by Let’s Learn Japanese (just German story with English translation; no other tools)
Mind-Blowing Secrets on How Brands and Designers Lure You to Buy More and Stay Broke by Ellen Johnson (a fascinating look at achieving financial freedom by not giving away your power or money to insidious brand marketing)
All About Strength Training & Healthy Eating by Taylor Cole (eating book is good; not a fan of the other one)
1424 Fun, Random, & Interesting Space Facts that Everybody Should Know by Professor Smart (interesting facts, but too random–no organization)
The Cosmic Playbook for Writers by P. K. (an excellent book of affirmations and mini-meditations to inspire writers through all parts of the process)
Intermittent Fasting for Goddesses by Helen Lowe (not as “goddess-y” as I might have liked, but the idea of “missions for each day of the 14-day meal plan is inspired)
Interesting Stories for Curious People by Bill O’Neill
A Radical Theory on Men, Metabolic Syndrome/Infertility (MetS) and Depression by R S H
Word Search Puzzle Book for Adults by David Lazio
The Art of Crochet for Beginners by Freya Gates (basics well diagrammed; simple and advanced projects)
The Art of Cricuting for Beginners by Freya Gates
Sashiko for Beginners by Freya Gates

Nonfiction – Business

Stoicism for Business by R. Stevens (awkward and difficult to read)
Stoicism for Entrepreneurs by Joel E. Winston (easy, conversational writing style and great quotes from ancient stoics)
Social Media Marketing and Advertising for Your Personal Brand in 2019 by A. Steele
Social Media Marketing for Small Business Owners by Mark Warner (a combination of three poorly written books)
Facebook Marketing and Advertising for Small Business Owners by Mark Warner (one of the aforementioned poorly written books; this is the most disorganized ones of the lot)
Sales Funnel Management for Small Business Owners by Mark Warner
How Great Leaders Think, Act, and Communicate by R. Stevens (another combination of three poorly written books)
Starting a Business by Walter Grant (more for entrepreneurs than solopreneurs, but some solid advice)
Lead for Growth by Nichi Ayoka (a very personal look at what it means to be a good manager)
Introducing Agile Project Management with Scrum by Andrew Sammons

Nonfiction – Self-Help

Declutter Workbook: An Essential Guide to Minimalism by Luigi Harbin (poorly done)
Kid Confidence by Susan Garcia
Emotional Abuse Recovery by Martha McDowell (subtitle doesn’t reflect what’s in the book)
Self-Help for Men by John Adams (too touchy-feely for most guys)
How to Live the Dream: Things Every Van Lifer Needs to Know by Kristine Hudson
Take Control of Your Life Self-Help Box Set by Martha McDowell (has this author’s book above plus a 21-day plan to help introverts)
Declutter Workbook: The Vital Role of Sleep to Declutter Your Mind by Luigi Harbin (one of the oddest books on sleep; skip)
Declutter Workbook: A Step-by-Step Practical Guide to Organizing Your Life by Luigi Harbin (one of the more unusual decluttering books I’ve seen–and not in a good way! has 11 pages of DIY project instructions in 44-page book)
Declutter Workbook: Illustrated DIY Projects for Your Home for by Luigi Harbin (not DIY projects; more like super simple craft projects)
Self-Esteem for Men by John Adams

Nonfiction – Spirituality

How to Navigate the Five Steps of Your Spiritual Journey by Cheryl Marlene (a hero’s journey approach to your spiritual journey)
Wicca Candles by Wendy Crystal (a solid introduction to fire magic)
Wicca Book of Spells by Wendy Crystal (more about building a book of shadows)
Wicca by Wendy Crystal (all 4 other books listed here by this author: spells, candle magic, herbs and a beginner’s book all in one volume)
Wicca by Crystal Molina (four books on Wicca for beginners, spells, moon magic, and herbs)
Witchcraft for Beginners by Crystal Molina
Wiccan Spells by Crystal Molina (potential ethical issues)
Witchcraft and Wicca by Crystal Molina (combo of the two books just above)
The Art of Buddhism by Sherman Evans (broad survey of Buddhism)
Essential Skills for Psychic Development by Serena Dracis (excellent guide to basic new age skills like grounding, centery, and visualization; with exercises)

Children’s Books

Would You Rather Book for Kids by Mindsource Publishing (better than most I’ve seen! Interesting fonts and some values questions.)
ABCs of Countries: Australia by Des O’Gorman (lush, gorgeous pictures of Australia)
ABCs of Countries: Europe by Des O’Gorman
Coloring Book for Kids — Awesome Animals by Idy Wills (only given 4 drawing pages of the book to review as author didn’t seem to understand that she could give the entire book to a reviewer)
ABC Alphabet Mazes for Kids by Activity Nest (Love this concept! Learn the alphabet as you figure out a way through a maze.)
Counting Princesses by Yellow Fox Kids Press (great if your little girl is into princesses)
Let’s Count Food! by Pamparam Kids Books
I Spy, You Spy – Shapes and Colours by Yellow Fox Kids Press (Poorly done book on colors that doesn’t give proper names for some of them! “Kinda greeny” Indeed!)
Word Search Book for Kids Ages 4-8 by Willy Dolly
Space Activity Book for Kids ages 4-8 by Activity Handwriting
Word Search for Kids Ages 4-8 by Color Publishing
My First Preschool Workbook by Lizzie Thompson (just letter and number tracing)
Fun & Difficult Riddles for Smart Kids Ages 8-10 by Mickey Creative Lab
Coding for Kids: Scratch by Nathan Jobs (good for the budding programmer)
Unicorn Coloring Book for Kids Ages 4 – 8 by Michelle Brilliant
My First Kids Sudoku, Volume 1 by Brain & Fun
My First Teens Sudoku, Volume 1 by Brain & Fun