I tried with this book but I just couldn’t get along with it, I’m afraid. It is beautifully laid out with lovely images, but I didn’t find anything new or compelling in the text.

I loved reading Seeking Slow by Melanie Barnes! I felt like I was sitting with a friend and chatting over a cup of tea. This book is full of practice advice to slow down all areas of your life. I learned about the importance of slowing down and how it will benefit me and my family in the long run. This is a great book for anyone who is looking to slow down and simplify their life.

Seeking Slow: Reclaim Moments of Calm in Your Day is a new tutorial and philosophy handbook by Melanie Barnes. Released 24th Sept 2019 by Quarto on their Rock Point imprint, it's 128 pages and available in ebook and paperback formats.

Almost everyone I know has a more or less frenetic life. We race from place to place and overbook our time to the minute. Our society has become one where being a workaholic is a good thing. Most of us are overconsuming and have a throwaway philosophy concerning everything from phones to relationships. This book provides some good arguments for why we can (and should) slow down and take control of our time and recapture calm for psychological and physiological health benefits.

I liked the layout of the book. The introduction (~10% of the content) covers 'what, how, and why' for slow living. The following chapters cover these whats hows and whys in more depth and in specific situations (work, social interaction, prioritizing time use, recapturing time from our schedules and using it wisely, and more). I especially liked the tips for being more aware of how much time electronic devices use up of our days. I think most people have experienced planning to only check their social media quickly to be surprised that an hour (or more) has disappeared.

Tips and techniques are often set into sidebars for focusing readers' attention to the info. The book is generously illustrated with crystal clear illustrative photos and the text is easy to read and accessible. Information is grouped into logical chapters so readers can find and easily access the info they need, a la carte. There are a number of wide-reaching subjects covered here, from meditation to decluttering. The info is presented objectively and well.

Four stars, well written, accessible, sensible, and useful.

Wishes were granted and I got the opportunity to read this lovely book.
Well laid out, beautiful photography and practical tips and ways to seek slow, be slow and actively change your mindset from busy rules, to slow feels better.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

A great overview of the "slowness" movement by author Melanie Barnes. Brief essays on topics such as self-compassion, minimalism, and mindfulness offer nothing groundbreaking, but are still a great reminder of their importance. For those new to these topics, this offers a perfect introduction without overwhelming.

This book came at a time when I really needed to carve out some “me” time in my life. I had just started a full-time job after years of staying at home with my sons and then working only part-time through their early school years. I’m finding that the transition has been exhausting! I am tired just trying to get through Monday to Friday and running all weekend to play catch up on things I didn’t get done during the week.

This book offered suggestions for so many areas of life that are beneficial to me, from ideas for self care to some thoughts on decluttering. There are even suggestions for seasonal living that were a surprise to me, but another area I appreciated that the book covered. I also really liked the authors soothing voice that shines through in her words, and the occasional photos that added to the ideas in the book.

I really needed this book, and I am very grateful for the suggestions that are improving my life.

It may seem a bit funny to hear that I read this book while working out, to some the exact opposite of slow. But for me taking time to go to the gym is a part of my mindful and slow day.

This is a beautiful book, not too long but packed with so many great tidbits and tips for incorporating slow into your daily life. I love that it included more than just meditation and self-care but also had chapters on sustainability, seasonal living, and much more.

There may not be too many new concepts to those of us that have read many slpw living books but the way it is laid out is very engaging and made my workout seem to go even faster.

Seeking Slow: Reclaim Moments of Calm in Your Day by Melanie Barnes is a thoughtful reflection on the pace of life today. The author advocates for literally slowing down to actually take in the world and humans around us. Given the subject matter, I appreciated that this isn't a lengthy read. Rather she focuses on easy to implement strategies to make this happen. Prior to reading this, I hadn't heard the term formally used, so this was also a good exploration of what a slow living lifestyle would look like. Much of that lifestyle means being mindful of the moment you're in, putting down you're phone, and finding contentment in the everyday. This isn't a lengthy read, so if you're looking to get an introductory look at the concept, I think this is a good place to start. Thanks to NetGalley for the early peek at this read!

Excellent book regarding living your life intentionally, savoring each moment and enjoying it. In this fast paced world we all agree we need to slow down. This book opens the door to seeking a slower more worthwhile life.
How there is joy in the simple small things. It talks about intentionally spending your days, what you spend your money on, how to spend your leisure time and what you surround yourself with. In today's world we feel that somehow being busy correlates to success. The author explores how slowing down is the opposite of what our society tells us. She also discusses how materialism has turned our society in to having it now. Seeking Slow gives the reader much to think about. It is well worth the read. Well done.

I would like to thank the publisher, the author and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a short, very basic book about why you should embrace a slow life. Suggestions are given for each area (such as decluttering or embracing seasons) but they are very common ones. Most of the book is talk about why you should slow down, declutter, take care of yourself, etc. and then there is generally a page of common suggestions (don't keep your phone on you, take breaks from social media, get rid of things that don't bring you happiness, buy less, buy used...). There are some lovely photos sprinkled throughout the book and it may be helpful for someone who really has no idea why they might want to slow down and live more simply or where to start, but those who already live a slower lifestyle are unlikely to find anything new.

I received a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.

This book is exactly what I needed right now. Life is so frantic and living slowly is not something that I had considered until now, to be honest this book may prove to be somewhat transformative. I have most definitely ended up in a bit of a rut and it's easy to see why. 

You need money to live and to get money you need to work. Not many people would dispute that but (and it's a big but) I ended up rounding off that sentiment with one of my own and got it twisted. Because what I added to the phrase was you have to work to live and it swiftly turned into living to work. Which is pretty much the opposite of the message in this book, a message that I very much needed to hear. 

An important message from this book is that time is a commodity. When I was living to work I knew that but it was a twisted version of time being valuable. When you have no time to plan your relaxing activities then you do not relax because you don't know what you are meant to be doing. You spend the time thinking about relaxing rather than actually doing it. At least I did. I became very greedy with my time, not wiling to sacrifice a moment that I could have to myself to the absolute detriment of my relationships. I could never get this time back and, because I hadn't been intentional and planned my free time, I was never sure that I was spending it in the right way. And it was a vicious cycle because I never switched off but also never did anything to relax. 

Other themes that resonated with me are taking time to look after yourself, self-care and daydreaming being important. Also seasonal living is an area that I am majorly interested in following up. Working the 9-5 doesn't always allow you to really see the changes in the seasons; supermarket stocks are often all year round and taking the car means only paying attention to the condition of the roads, not nature. 

The first step that I have taken following reading this book is to become a more conscious consumer. I already do a lot of the suggestions (buying used and vintage; shop locally; buy less and choose well) but I do still have more to consider. Honestly I could probably write a book in response to this book, which is always a good thing! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who feels like they are swimming against the tide.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an egalley. And thanks to the author, Melanie Barnes. I genuinely think that my life is better for having read this book.

Seeking slow is a refreshing take on trying to live a slow life. This book is full of chapters on living slowly by meditating; taking care of yourself; reusing what you can; taking the time for what is in your life already before adding more; and enjoying life more. It's so easy to speed through life and even though it is hard to slow down sometimes, it is so rewarding!
#seeking slow
#Netgalley

This book encourages the reader to take time out of the unnecessary and to start living more fulfilled lives, slowing down the mayhem and to start doing what you actually want to do.

She shows us how we can make small changes to our daily life where we will see a big difference in our emotional fulfillment.


I would definitely refer back to this through time to gain new ideas.

Goes through a few different topics (ex. consumption, digital detox, working smarter). Things to do and benefits of many of them. Looks at different areas that could help out the reader.

Ironically, I started to read this book when I had ten minutes free before rushing off to do something. I came back again later and began to make the time to read this book and think about its messages and suggestions.

We all know that life is hectic, that many only feel okay while being productive and that it is hard to slow down. This book will help readers to think about what is important about slow living, as it helps you to understand why slow living is important. It is well worth your time to find out.

The book is divided into many chapters and is illustrated throughout with beautiful photographs. Readers can read straight through or look first at what makes most sense for them. There are sections on everything from creating rituals to explanations of what mindfulness and meditation are, to learning to listen to your body, pay and more. Hopefully, readers will take away the intended message and will begin to slowly enjoy life more.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this helpful read. All opinions are my own.

This is a lovely book all about slowing down to live more intentionally and stay in the present! In today's society we have so many choices in all aspects of our lives and we often live beyond our means financially and energy wise. Our schedules are so busy and there's always more to do. The perfect way to help counter some of the busyness and living beyond our means is to slow down, simplify, become more aware and mindful of our lives and choices. The author gives us a plethora of ways to do just that! Whether it's to spend time meditating, spend less, clean clutter and/or detox from digital devices this can help us decide what really brings us joy, enhance our well being and help us to direct our energy to those things. I enjoyed this book with all of the practical tips as well as the history shared about the American Dream and buying things for social status. I highly recommend this book. Thank you to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Rock Point for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Seeking Slow is the next, of many, in the category of simplicity and slower living. This book is beautiful, with very evocative photographs on a majority of the book's pages. It is a short book (126 pages) and covers a large variety of topics including time, self care, listening to your body, a slow hot, mind and soul care, a slow home, sustainability and more. Because the author covers so many topics in a short book, she does not have much space to go into any of these in great detail.
If the reader is new to the topic of simple living, this book might be a good introduction. If they have read much in this area, then likely they will learn nothing new from Seeking Slow. I was very familiar with this topic, and as a nutritionist and healthy lifestyle expert, most of this book was not new to me. I enjoyed the beauty of the book, however.
I would like to thank the publisher for allowing me to have an advance review copy on NetGalley.

Seeking Slow talks you through getting out of teh busy world and making time for yourself. Predictably, it includes a lot about getting out of technology; but this is a needed thing to help s relax sometimes. While the bigger sections are verbose, Melanie Barnes breaks down practical ways to help you. Each section comes with activities or self inflection to help you slow down.
In a busy world, some times it's hard to slow down. Let this book and it's seen photos help you.

My whole life, I've often felt out of place in the world because my desire to stop and smell the roses can be viewed as odd. This book was reaffirming for my life philosophies and gave me some important reminders and useful guidance for day to day living.

While I appreciate the emphasis the author places on literally slowing down, physically and mentally, this book is about much more than that! It's about mindful, intentional living. Her writing is straightforward, yet almost poetic. I love the phrasing she uses to explain her philosophies and give tips. She talks about the need to redefine what is essential in our lives, stressing that urgent does not always equal important. While there are a. lot of practical tips for things such as time efficiency and boundaries with technology, at the core of this book is the emphasis on prioritizing wellbeing. It's not only about not rushing or multitasking, it's about making time to take a bath or pick up pretty leaves when you take a walk.

And not only is the writing in this book great, the photos and layout of it are pretty and calming. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to make changes in lifestyle, or to maintain the ones you've worked hard to make!

Seeking Slow by Melanie Barnes is a brilliant self help book about slowing down in the modern age. Full of wisdom.