ŷ������

I read an ARC of this book via Netgalley for an open and honest review.

As I’m currently going through a phase in my life where we want to declutter and enjoy life more than possessions, I felt this a great book to read. And, to be honest, big parts of it were rather interesting in the things they discussed. I learnt a lot and did enjoy small sections.

But, unfortunately, for a book that was meant to help with decluttering our lives, I found it way too cluttered, at times really mind numbing to read and actually gave up about half way through after struggling for months to read it. First Netgalley book on my DNF (did not finish) pile.

I think it was the constant story like “case studies�� where all the women seemed pixie like and shallow to start with but were deemed saints by the end that started to get to me. That and the fact the book goes from these casual story like tales into huge swathes of fact and text book style prose and then back again�� As much as I wanted to read it, I have other books on my TBR (To Be Read) list that need to have a chance and this one is just bogging me down and I’ve decided to stop struggling to finish it and give up.

Also, and I don’t know if this is because I’m Australian or already not that much of a materialistic person, but I could barely relate to any of the people in the case studies. Yes I’ve been successful in a high paying job, now I’ve chosen to slow it down and be a stay at home mum who cooks, knits, sews, makes things from scratch and was raised with the “make do and mend�� philosophy, rather than “go buy something new and make more clutter”�� but I just couldn’t relate and therefore couldn’t see this book helping me as much as I’d hoped.

I do really hope it does help others look at their lives, stop being packrats and accumulating and actually slow down and enjoy life more for what it has to offer, than for what you can buy�� but I’m obviously not the right audience for it.