Reading Fanatic Reviews
Books to Add to Your TBR list... or Not!Hey, ya’ll! I’m VERY behind getting my reviews up on the website! I’ve increased the reading and reviewing, leaving less of my leisure time available to update this website. I’ll do weekly posts with links to my reviews at Amazon; you can also check out my Amazon and Goodreads profiles.
By the way, I’m now a top 50 Amazon.com reviewer (#12 currently) and the top 8 US reviewer of all time on Goodreads (and top 9 in the world)… and the #6 US reviewer and #8 in the world in the past year. Cool stuff!
I hope to make updates to this site soon!
10 Life Hacks by Ryan E. Winner
Available at Amazon only
NOT with Kindle Unlimited
10 Life Hacks*
Life Hacks… Or Common Sense?
Perhaps it’s my age, somewhere north of 50, but I have an issue with the word “hack” being used everywhere for everything. Yes, it’s silly; I know. Sometimes, I actually feel like I’m still kind of fuzzy on the precise definition because different people seem to use it in different ways.
But enough about that. This is a very short and quick read. Because of my aversion to the word “hack,” I might call this more social common sense–that probably isn’t quite as common as it should be. He has clearly organized each of the ten hacks, talking about it in general, giving an exercise, and providing a similarly structured FAQ. Surprisingly, he does have some good insights into how these small changes which can actually make a positive influence on social interaction. None are tricky or difficult; they just take a little bit of thought and remembering. But I imagine if one started to practice them, they would become second nature in no time–especially if you get good results. These simple but good ideas, if followed by more people, would indeed make the world a more pleasant place to be in.
Restoring Lady Alice by Lydia Pembroke
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Restoring Lady Alice*
Another Very Dark Regency
Like the other book about Lady Jane in this series, I’m not quite sure what to make of this book. At times, it seems more like melodrama, or at least Regency with a heavy dose of Gothic. I wish the darkness in the series have been more obvious from the book blurbs. The covers make them seem like they’re just regular Regency or historical romance, but both of these stories are very dark. The villain doesn’t have a bit of light to him, at least not shown in either of these two books. Compared to the Lady Jane book, for some reason, I thought that the language in this one felt stilted. There were definitely some issues with grammar, punctuation, and usage. This kind of book, where so much seems to be focused on as such a vile person, is just not my cup of tea.
Hook, Line, and Vital Signs by Florella Grant
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Hook, Line, and Vital Signs*
Not Quite the Medical Romance I Was Hoping For
I was attracted to this book at my favorite book review site because I am an RN, and I will admit to having a weakness for romances that have a medical setting. The heroine is an ER nurse and the hero is a CAT scan specialist. Right off the bat, unfortunately, I noticed some things that didn’t seem right about the medical aspect, about how things work in the hospital these days. I run across that far too often in fiction books. With the interconnectedness of people on the internet, I would think that authors could actually reach out to nurses and other medical people so that those aspects of their books would ring true. Seriously, does any ED use paper charts these days?
I did not like the hero. He was far too much of a jerk towards the heroine at the start of the book, and the author was not able to successfully rehabilitate him for me. The two had had a previous relationship that went south, but he pretended like he didn’t really remember her when they meet up again at the hospital. Then he seemed more interested in pursuing her cousin. Ick. Not hero material in my book. All around, I found this to be a disappointing book.
Heal Your Body, Cure Your Mind by Dr. Ameet Aggarwal
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Scribd, 24 Symbols, Mondadori and Angus & Robertson
Heal Your Body, Cure Your Mind*
Broad Swath of Mental and Physical Health Topics Addressed
The topics that this book explores are vast. The author is a naturopathic doctor and gestalt psychotherapist who practices holistic integrated medicine. All of this is quite obvious when you read the book. The book is split broadly into three parts. The first part looks at emotions, the second how the body affects the mind, and the last covers a variety of topics and healing modalities. He explores mental as well as physical issues and ways to heal each. He does explain some of the science that is the background for some of his recommendations, like neurotransmitters and hormones. Much of the latter part of the book explores issues with hormones, like with the adrenals and the thyroid, as well as common issues like gut and liver issues. I am an RN, and I don’t wholly agree with everything that he says in this book, but he has given the reader much to think about, and I do believe he has the right of it in many places. He explores such diverse topics as sex, insomnia, and nutrition. He does give suggestions for different supplements throughout the book and shares some meditative practices. All in all, I found it to be a fascinating read.
Wedding at Walden Pond by Vivien Mayfair
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Scribd, 24 Symbols, Thalia, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, Indigo (Chapters), and Bol.de
Wedding at Walden Pond*
Well-Done Exploration of Familiar Trope
I had read the other two books in this series, and I wasn’t really wild about them. But I always like to give an author two or three shots to impress me. In this case, I am so glad I did. I found this book to be an absolute delight. One of the things that I had enjoyed from the previous book was Zeph, the owner of the horror bookstore. He was an excellent foil for the heroine in that book. In this one, he gets his own story, and I was delighted to see that there was so much more to his character. He has gotten himself into a bit of a bother because his mother believes that he is engaged to the French woman who runs the patisserie across the road from his shop. So, yep, this is a spin on the favorite fake engagement romantic trope. Both the hero and the heroine are having parental problems. Mirabelle has never quite lived up to her father’s expectations, and she is bound and determined to do so even at the expense of her own dreams. She is a kind and generous person who is also being hassled by her landlord; she gives too much money away helping others and doesn’t pay her rent on time. She agrees to be Zeph’s fake fiancee. Of course, Zeph has been nurturing a silent attraction for the French woman. The stage, as you can see, has been set for humor, romance, and drama between warring factions and because of lies and secrets.
The book did have a few problems. There were some issues with grammar, punctuation, and usage. As someone who has actually studied the French language and has a great appreciation for the French culture, I was definitely annoyed at the author’s use of the nonword “zee” to portray Mirabelle’s way of saying “the.” That rankled every time I saw it; it is just so wrong.
By the way, the Walden Pond in the title is NOT the one you are thinking about. All in all, I found the book to be a delightful read.
The Art of Minimalism by Olivia Telford
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
The Art of Minimalism*
More than Just the Art of Minimalism
I have read another book by this author on mindfulness, and in this book, she brings mindfulness to minimalism in a variety of ways. The book is roughly divided into thirds: generalities and mindset about minimalism, specific strategies for decluttering your physical environment, and ideas for decluttering your relationships, your thoughts, and your day. What I like about this book is that you can tell that the author walks the talk. She isn’t just cobbling together a variety of information from online sources and other books as happens far too often in nonfiction books these days. Instead, she shares personal stories and insights as well as tips that she herself has come up with. I particularly loved the section on how to naturally clean all the areas of your home after you’ve decluttered. I’m planning to implement some of those ideas very soon.
I have read several books on minimalism, but her approach draws you right in because she helps you understand your thinking about the excess of “stuff” in your life and the history of consumerism. Much of her advice is very detailed, like the specific recipes for natural cleansers and how to use the pomodoro technique in your decluttering. The book has some unusual topics for a book on minimalism, like affirmations and time management—and of course, the entire last section that is more about the mental aspects, like clearing toxic relationships and thoughts from your life and replacing those thoughts with more positive ones. It might seem from the outside like it’s an odd combination of ideas, but the ideas do work together to help support you in decluttering all aspects of your life.
My Christmas Darling by Vivien Mayfair
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Scribd, 24 Symbols, Thalia, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, Indigo (Chapters), and Bol.de
My Christmas Darling*
Books, Books, Books
Having read another book in the Snowdrop Valley series, I was a little surprised by this one. Sometimes reading books out of order can be a little confusing. I’m always intrigued by books that have an element about books in them. This book certainly had that, with a publishing house at the forefront, a woman who worked as a manuscript evaluator by day and was a writer by night, and much ado about a potential bestseller. I do have some knowledge of the publishing industry, and I definitely think there’s a fantastical element here because no new writer would have been offered such big money for a first novel. The heroine certainly created a heap of trouble for herself with the snowballing effects of her lies and cover-ups. I didn’t quite like the faux love triangle aspect of it. Mark is such a jerk, always wanting to tear the heroine down. Why she let that loser continue to have anything to do with her I can’t quite understand. Along with the romance, both the hero and the heroine had issues with their parents, too. The book did have some problems with grammar, punctuation, and usage. Comma splices seemed to be everywhere. All in all, something about this book just didn’t sit right for me; it wasn’t the feel-good Christmas story I was hoping for.
The Influential Author by Gregory V. Diehl
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Scribd, 24 Symbols, Thalia, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Bol.de
The Influential Author***
Required Reading for Would-Be Nonfiction Authors
On so many levels, I found this book to be an absolute delight and would recommend it to anyone who is considering writing a nonfiction book. It seems like these days most nonfiction authors are going for the quick reads category on Amazon, so unfortunately so many nonfiction books are more flash than substance, sometimes with just a paragraph or two given to a meaty topic. That’s part of what makes this book a refreshing change. The author goes into deep detail about the process of writing a nonfiction book. That’s not entirely accurate. He actually starts well before the writing begins. The book begins by discussing, in what he calls the philosophy section, whether or not you should write a book and what you may have to offer the world. Later sections dig deep into the preparation, writing, and publishing process, with step-by-step instructions with lots of details and advice given. As an author and a freelance copy editor myself, I don’t always agree with everything that he says in this book, but for the fledgling nonfiction writer, he gives you much to think about and consider as you approach and work through the process of conceptualizing, writing, and publishing your nonfiction book. I liked, too, that he gives information about how to think about your book even after publication so that you can learn lessons that will take you further in your writing career. With his book, the author is trying to set up future writers for success. Well done!
Death in Dalkinchie by Carly Reid
Available at Amazon only
Not with Kindle Unlimited
Death in Dalkinchie*
Tale of Death in Small Scottish Town Delights
Another delightful, but slightly murdery, trip to Dalkinchie, Scotland! I read the first book in the series, Murder In Bloom, and enjoyed it thoroughly. So it was fun to revisit characters that I had enjoyed and have a new mystery to solve! American Jessica is becoming more firmly entrenched in small-town life in Dalkinchie. She’s not only helping her aunt, but she is also doing some reporting for the local paper. One of her first big stories is about a big annual craft show. I actually quite enjoyed visiting this craft show through Jessica’s eyes; I’ve lived in a small town in northern California, and this was definitely reminiscent of what that can be like. Up until one of the judges is murdered, of course. I did receive an ARC copy of this book, and unfortunately, it is full of problems with grammar, punctuation, and usage. I hope this will be cleared up before publication, as it did detract somewhat from my enjoyment of the story. The book is well written in terms of plot and characterization. The author kept me guessing, which I love in a mystery. Even though the murder happened a little later than I like in a mystery, the author supplied such charming details about the show and was still able to develop the mystery well—that I’ll forgive her. 😉 I love this little quirky community that this author has created. Everybody seems to know everything about everyone, which makes it a lot of fun. The author has created the community of unique individuals that are fun to watch. If you love small-town mysteries, you will most likely enjoy this book.
How to Have a Meaningful Conversation by Sarah Rozenthuler
Available at Amazon, paperback only
How to Have Meaningful Conversation*
The Art of Conversation
Conversation and sincere dialogue are essential even in this day of tweets and texts. Especially when dealing with those who are close to us, meaningful conversation is essential to true intimacy; it is also crucial to getting the most out of life both personally and professionally. I think that sometimes when we have the need for one of the great conversations that can cause a shift in life, we can have a lack of clarity within ourselves that is magnified when we attempt to communicate our wants, desires, and needs to another. This book gives you seven shifts or frameworks for the important conversations that we have with those who matter. The author has many examples to show what these mean and what effective and ineffective conversation looks like. She even has exercises at the end of the book that will help you increase your capacity for creating meaningful conversations, although some of them are simply helpful just to help you get clarity about your thoughts and your regular patterns of communication. If you’ve ever felt yourself at a loss for those significant conversations or they didn’t turn out quite as you had hoped, this book can guide you on the path to more effective conversations.
Jamie Brydone-Jack
Reader, Editor, Writer
I’m an avid reader, for both fun and work/business. I enjoy a wide variety of books, including literary fiction, romance, thrillers, cozy mysteries, and fantasy for fiction and history, contemporary issues, philosophy, music, medicine, and cookbooks for nonfiction. I’m a freelance copyeditor who also does beta and alpha reading. I have two websites that are all about romance and mystery. You can also follow my reviews at Amazon, Goodreads, and Bookbub.
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