I think Reza is still the best single book for Survey, because it covers most of the current exam spec. I did find his book lacking in the details and have supplemented it with other available sources when I passed it. The first time reading thru Reza text also confused the hell outta me, but at the end of the day it's just geometry. If you think his solution is cumbersome/ineffective, find a simpler and easier way to get to the same answer.
Do as many problems and as many times as you can to the point that you don't have to think to get thru it, because there won't be time to figure anything out in the exam. So, either you have seen it before and immediately know how to solve it, or find a way to make an educated guess then move on. Regarding practice exams, try to get your hands on PPI, PE Prepared, Mansour, CPESR as well.
p.s. No one should abandon their California PE Civil license because of Seismic and Survey (obviously), brush yourself off and just keep giving it your best shot.. They are not super difficult, but you gotta master time management. Maximum effort!