Reading Fanatic Reviews
All Nonfiction ReviewsSpring Gourmet Mag, Palermo Issue by Claudia Rinaldi
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NOT with Kindle Unlimited
Spring 2019 Gourmet Mag, Palermo Issue*
A Historic and Gastronomic Tour of Palermo
I wasn’t sure what to expect about this “book” that is named after the now-defunct magazine. What I found is a curious combination of travelogue, history, and recipes, with plenty of pictures of both the recipes and Palermo. This is an intensely personal book. In the early parts of it, she takes you on little day trips around the vicinity, seeing both places of historic interest as well as foodie places. There aren’t many recipes in the first part of the book, but as the book goes on, more and more recipes show up. I absolutely loved the photographs as well as her descriptions of Palermo and the recipes. I felt like I was walking the streets with her, which is certainly fun for an armchair traveler. The recipes themselves are written in both metric and Imperial measure, though I am always leery of Imperial measures that have been derived from a metric source. The collection of recipes I would call quirky, some that are specific to Palermo or Sicily and others that are more pan Italian in nature. There are lots of fun ideas in here, from main dishes to snacks and even offbeat things like digestivos. If you like a little bit of food with your armchair traveling, you may very well enjoy this book.
By the way, I think this ebook is best enjoyed on a tablet or computer, not a standard Kindle. You’ll lose the effect of all the lovely photographs on a black-and-white Kindle.
Find Your Mantra by Aysel Gunar
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Thalia, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, Indigo (Chapters), and Bol.de
Find Your Mantra*
Not Truly New Mantras, but Mantra Actions are Good
In this book, you will find 75 mantras along with suggested actions for you to take to fully embody or embrace what the mantra is about. The book is divided into 5 core topics: peace, love, happiness, strength, and journey. I was surprised as I was flipping through the book at how common these mantras are. A few of them might be original to the author, but most are short, commonplace sayings–commonplace, at least, if you’ve done much reading in self-help or self-development. What does make this book interesting are the suggested mantra actions, though some are a bit general. After all, it is one thing to say a mantra and another thing to try fully practice, embrace, or get to know it more deeply. I think that’s what this book’s strength is. The writing is a little awkward, as if the writer is not a native English speaker or has been translated from another language. If you have an interest in positive thinking or translating positive thinking into action, this book could be for you.
Become an Intelligent Real Estate Investor by David Morales
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Become an Intelligent Real Estate Investor*
Doesn’t Quite Live Up to Expectations
In the blurb of this book, the author promises to tell you every tip, trick, and technique to become a real estate investor. That’s a lot for a book to live up to, and unfortunately, I don’t think the author succeeded. In fact, the first half of the book is basically about mindset, which doesn’t seem all that important to me in a relatively short book that should probably focus on some nitty-gritty new-investor advice for real estate investing. The bulk of the second half looks at the 22 ways that you can make money from real estate. These aren’t really gone into in any depth; some are just a paragraph or two. I just don’t see where this book gives you truly practical information if you’re just starting out or thinking about becoming a real estate investor. If you want to understand the concept of passive income and the mindset needed to be an entrepreneur, this book could be for you. If you aren’t sure of all the ways you can benefit from real estate investing, you might appreciate the 22 ways that he shares that I mentioned above. Outside of these ideas, I don’t see where this book is that helpful.
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.
The World Sauces Cookbook by Mark Stevens
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
The World Sauces*Cookbook
Get Your Sauce On!
I love sauces in cooking, whether store-bought or ones that I make myself. So when I saw this book at a book reviewer site, I was very curious to see what it would have. The book is broadly divided into two sections: sauces of the world and recipes with which you can use the sauces. Both of these sections are further divided, the sauce section into continents and the second section into basic main ingredient types like meat, seafood, and vegetables.
Flipping through the section on the sauces, I found it to be an intriguing collection of 75 recipes. The ones you would expect to see are here like tikka masala, barbecue sauce, romesco, and chimichurri. It also contains some things that I don’t really consider sauces like baba ganoush, fondue, and hummus. Other sauces are ones that I would not consider to be a signature sauce for a country or region. Even a brief glance shows you, unfortunately, that so many sauces have been left out. For instance, the French and Italians are well known for their sauces but not many are presented in this book. (Note: Look for a couple of French classics in the Introduction, like bechamel, hollandaise, and mayonnaise; this section also has a basic tomato sauce.) I would have loved to have seen more sauce recipes. Frankly, I can’t get enough. In this section, each sauce recipe refers to recipes in the second section to pair it with.
The second section, on using the sauces for everyday recipes, is a lot of fun. Some basic everyday recipes are given like pan-roasted vegetables, fish in parchment, and couscous. What makes these interesting is some of the accompaniments they have with them as well as the suggested sauces. Some of the combinations suggested are unusual, but I bet they’d be good. It gets you thinking more about how to creatively combine sauces with simple recipes to really elevate a meal rather simply. There is much here for inspiration.
If you enjoy cooking with sauces, this book would be a great one to add to your library.
From Freezer to Instant Pot by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarborough
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Thalia, Angus & Robertson, Indigo (Chapters), and Bol.de
From Freezer to Instant Pot*
Nice Book for Meat-Loving Instant Pot Users
I am still relatively new to the Instant Pot, so when I saw this at one of the book review sites that I use, I was curious. Unfortunately, for me the book will be pretty useless as I am a vegetarian, and the book offers very few vegetarian options. However, if you are a meat eater, there are tons of ideas here for you. After a section that introduces you to the best tactics to use if you want to cook in your Instant Pot straight from your freezer, the book is divided into chapters based mostly on the meats involved. The first two recipe chapters, though, are about soup and noodles. The chapters that follow are about chicken and turkey, beef, pork, and fish and shellfish.
Despite the seeming simplicity of being able to take food straight from the freezer and cook it in your instant pot, the introductory section certainly shows pitfalls and things to be aware of. It is not as easy as you would think. But the convenience of it could sway you, and of course, you will learn how to circumvent many of the problems with this method, especially with the tips and hints that the authors give. I definitely see “soupiness” as a problem, as thawing foods do give off a lot of moisture.
The recipes themselves are mostly what I would call common recipes like tortilla soup, beef lo mein, chicken fajitas, chili, and pot roast. There are a few surprises, like Tater Tot Soup. One of these things I liked is that some of the recipes are what they call “roadmap recipes”; they don’t just give you a list of single ingredients to use for a particular dish. Rather, they give you a list of ingredients where some have options, like different seasonings, different types of meat, different sauces, etc. That way, you can make many different versions of a basic recipe. The roadmap recipes include bean soup, ravioli, chicken stew, roast chicken, pot pie, and several others.
If you want the convenience of being able to cook straight from your freezer using your Instant Pot and you are a meat eater, you’ll most likely find recipes as well as tips and techniques that will help you get a meal on the table.
When Average Sucks by Terry Williams
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
When Average Sucks*
It’s All About Change
This book is an extended excerpt from this author’s other book that I had previously reviewed which was about doing two dangerous things each year. So if you’ve read that book, you don’t need to read this one because there isn’t anything new at all here. I wasn’t aware of this fact when I chose this book from my favorite book review site because the title and the blurb were different enough that I didn’t see the similarity. And, of course, it’s not as if I go through my notes to see if one book by an author is related to another when I’m choosing titles to review. The title and the subtitle of this book are so different from that of the other book. Also, I didn’t really think that the title and subtitle of this one matched up with what was actually in the book. I like my nonfiction descriptions (including title and subtitle) to promise what the book delivers… and for the book to deliver on the promise. I think the author should have actually slightly rewritten what he took from his other book because of this (or changed the title/subtitle). It didn’t really discuss being average, why it sucks, or why staying in your comfort zone is a slow death (all from the title and subtitle). The book is really all about change: why it’s important, why we have difficulty with it, a better mindset to approach it with, etc. I think the author would have served his content better by actually titling and subtitling it what it’s about (or changing the content). Just make it all line up! People do have a hard time embracing change, so that might be why he was reticent. But with the right title, subtitle, and blurb, he could sway hearts and minds I am sure, and this would have been better than the disconnect between content and title.
Buying and Selling Old Stuff by Dixie Maria Carlton
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Buying and Selling Old Stuff*
Short Read, But Good Info
This is a super short book, but the author clearly has a wide range of experience in this topic because she has jam-packed it full of information. She especially seems to have extensive knowledge of estate jewelry. The book, as the title suggests, works whether you have some of your own antiques to sell–as she gives you clear directions on how to place a value on them and how to approach selling–or whether you wish to get into buying antiques. I did find myself wishing that there was a little more information on occasion, but this is a great start if you’re interested in getting into either part of antiquing.
When Mediterranean Mindset Meets DASH Diet by Marcella Palmer
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
When Mediterranean Mindset Meets DASH Diet*
Good Book that Looks at the DASH Diet and Mindset
You can tell when you read the early parts of this book that the author is very passionate about the DASH diet as well as what she calls the Mediterranean mindset. She has blended these two concepts in this book. First she gives an overview of the DASH diet and its origins; she also explains how she came up with seven tenets of Mediterranean mindset. She then looks at the benefits of the DASH diet from a medical perspective. The next chapter seeks to bust myths about the DASH diet, like cost and restrictions. She does talk at some length about the foods that are best on this diet, and she even gives some recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. At the end, she has a further tip section about how to incorporate the Mediterranean mindset with the DASH diet with very specific action plans to help you with meal planning, activity, and other concepts that support weight loss.
I’m a registered nurse, so I thought that some of what was stated in the medical section was not wholly accurate but would probably be good enough for the general reader. The book is a little repetitive in parts and could have been condensed some. Sometimes her enthusiasm overwhelms the idea she is trying to get across. In general, I agree that the DASH diet is a good one to follow as it is basically about eating whole foods. I disagree with a few of her statements. One was actually nonsensical to me. At one point, she talks about not adding sauces, salt, or other seasonings to your food—just try them as the chef intended. Well, if you’re the home chef, you will most likely be using some seasonings, or the food is going to be pretty bland and you won’t stick with a diet! There is certainly nothing wrong with most sauces or seasonings; you might need to watch for a few ingredients in sauces, but herbs and spices like oregano and cinnamon zazz up a dish. While salt isn’t strictly prohibited on the DASH diet, it is recommended to be consumed in small quantities and in balance with other minerals like potassium, magnesium, and calcium. This actually shouldn’t be a problem if you eat home-cooked whole foods that have only been lightly seasoned.
The recipes seemed straightforward, and most appeared to be simple to do. I liked how the author emphasized vegetarian- and vegan-friendly options within the diet. Indeed, the DASH diet is very friendly for non-meat eaters as well as those who are omnivores. I thought the tip section at the back was fantastic. I love the idea of mini action plans. They would definitely all be helpful to the would-be dieter as he or she tried to live a more healthful life, whether that’s through your food or lifestyle choices.
Accelerated Weight Loss – 70 Positive Affirmations by Marcella Palmer
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Accelerated Weight Loss - 70 Positive Affirmations*
Good Affirmation Process Along with Targeted Affirmations
The mind can be an incredible tool when applied with intent to many different topics. The power of affirmations comes from this space. They can help your brain accept a new, more positive reality. This book begins with an explanation of the author’s technique for working with affirmations. She has a 5-step process that should help to imprint any affirmations better than if one had just simply spoken some aloud once or twice. In fact, I quite like her affirmation procedure. It wouldn’t really take that long, and the effect could definitely be magnifying. The affirmations themselves all have to deal with weight loss and having a healthy body, as the title suggests, and some affirmations are specific to the DASH diet. From the way things were worded in the book, it sounds like there are audio files that go along with this or will be provided by the author in some way. I was not given access to that as a reviewer, so I cannot speak to what that might be. I would hope that she would give the reader time and space to follow the 5-step process that she recommends. All in all, this appears to be a decent book of affirmations for weight loss, especially if you are following the DASH diet.
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