Review: Slow: Live Life Simply by Brooke McAlary

3 stars for Slow: Live Life Simply by Brooke McAlary.

January's been a busy month with lots of changes and adjustments. I don't remember ever posting just one book review in an entire month. It feels just so... not me. Where has all my time gone to? Deep down, actually, I do know the answer. I have made the deliberate decision to slow down, to exercise more, to rest more and to not stay up late into the night to read.

That brings me to this book. I read it because I like the laid-back title. I do admit, the thickness of this hardcover book put me off initially, but eventually, I decide to borrow it from the library and lug it all the way home.

All things considered, this is not bad a book on self-help except for the sheer volume. I enjoy reading the part where the author talks about mindfulness and her version of a slow life, which in her mind's eye is that of a cabin in the woods. I believe each of us has our own version of the cabin in the woods. It may be a house by the beach, or the beach itself, or a tree or a river or even a hilltop. It is a place where we want to seek refuge in when the hustle and bustle of life seems too much for us to bear.

Truth be told, in this Year of Less, not only am I taking action to drop things out slowly until I am left with only what I deem necessary, I am also looking forward to my version of a cabin in the woods, to slow down and to live life simply. To that end, this book is a good introduction to why a slower life is a more contented one and how we can go about achieving it.

I agree with the author that there is no perfect way to live life simply, only the recognition of what to rid of slowly but surely until one is left with what is necessary and with what makes one happy. I also agree with the way the author describes slow living. So, I will end this review off with a passage - that I really like - taken verbatim from the book.

"Slow living is a curious mix of being prepared and being prepared to let go. Caring more and caring less. Saying yes and saying no. Being present and walking away. Doing the important things and forgetting those that aren't. Grounded and free. Heavy and light. Organised and flexible. Complex and simple."


Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Publication date: 3 Jan 2019

*** Favourite quote ***

Slow living is a curious mix of being prepared and being prepared to let go. Caring more and caring less. Saying yes and saying no. Being present and walking away. Doing the important things and forgetting those that aren't. Grounded and free. Heavy and light. Organised and flexible. Complex and simple.

~ Slow
Brooke McAlary

@}--->>--->>-----

'Dear Mr & Mrs Jones, I am writing to inform you of my withdrawal from the race to keep up with you . . .'

Once upon a time, Brooke McAlary thought she was close to having it all. Married to a wonderful man, mother to a lively young daughter, and pregnant for a second time, she'd acquired all the things she'd once thought important-holidays, cars, a renovated home. Yet despite this, she found herself utterly despondent. Realising that they wanted a simpler, more fulfilling existence, Brooke and her family gradually created their own way of living, with an emphasis on depth, connection and experiences.

In Slow Brooke gently encourages you to find pleasure and value in a simpler life, sharing the practical tips and rituals that have helped her on her own journey, from decluttering to de-owning, messiness to mindfulness, from asking why to asking where to now?

Part memoir, part practical companion, Slow provides a fascinating insight into the benefits of slowing down. It will inspire you to forget about the Joneses and create a life filled with the things that really matter to you . . . slowly, of course.

*Blurb from Goodreads*

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