Book Review:
Book Title: The Curious Lore of Precious Stones
Author: George Frederick Kunz
[From Project Gutenberg]
Status? : Still Reading
My overall rating of the book : 9/10 for crystal enthusiasts
How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: This book delves deep into crystal history, meanings, significance, and so much more. As someone looking to learn more about crystals for their many uses in magickal and healing arts- this book is a wonderful resource full of interesting tips and curiosities! 
An interesting quote from the book: From the section on one of my favorite stones, Carnelian:
“The wearing of carnelians is recommended by the Lapidario of Alfonso X to those who have a weak voice or are timid in speech, for the warm-colored stone will give them the courage they lack, so that they will speak both boldly and well. This is in accord with the general belief in the stimulating and animating effects produced by red stones.” (Page 63)
My personal thoughts/opinions: I had a lot of distractions this reading period (blaming the holiday hecticness), so I still have a ways to go with this book! 
While there are some sections meant for a sit-down read, most of the book is designed to be a list of common stones- a wonderful resource for checking individual stones 
Most of the stones mentioned in the book have a variety of historical tips, famous examples, cultural information, legends, and (most important in my personal opinion)- their healing/spiritual uses 
However, a lot of the information and tips are out of balance- some stones have multiple pages of information, while others have just a few sentences.
This book has a lot of information, but will work best when cross-checked with another source- especially if the stone you are looking into only has a small mention in the book.
[Napoleon’s Carnelian Seal from The Curious Lore]
All in all, would I recommend this book?: Yes! If you want information about crystals in general or are looking for details about a specific stone- this book is a great place to look. It may not have everything you need, but it’s a good place to get extra information and even some history about certain stones and crystals.
And after all, the book is free and available online- so I recommend it to anyone interested! 