There's not really much new here in this little book, but it's a great pep talk for anyone going through grief - whether from divorce or death.

I devoured Keep Moving in one sitting and would recommend to anyone who's been struggling lately with uncertainty, change, anxiety (aka, most of us?) 

The book is a compilation of Maggie's thoughts following her divorce, but I found the messages to be universal to any times of upheaval. I'm not much of a self-help gal, but this one offers little bits of hope and perspective, and I think I'll find myself returning to my many highlighted passages when I'm feeling down.

Thanks Netgalley + Atria for my free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I wanted to read this because I heard the author on NPR and liked what she said. However, that was the only thing I liked. Smug and pretentious, I was annoyed almost from the start.

I really like the premise of this book. The short essays were nice, but I would have liked longer essays that deal more with the nitty gritty elements of loss and grief. They were a little too abstract for me, though the writing is gorgeous.

The smaller quotes were okay, but some were almost identical to others.

I think some people will get more from this than I did. This isn’t the author’s fault, but I think the book could’ve been marketed more toward the loss of divorce and broken relationships. A lot of the essays/advice didn’t speak to me as someone experiencing grief over the terminal illness diagnosis of a family member, but by being more general about loss on the cover, I assumed grief related to death would have been discussed more.

Tl;dr: Good writing, but I wanted more depth. Might be right for others!

In her book "Keep Moving", Maggie Smith shares personal anecdotes about the losses she's endured throughout her life. This book was full of wisdom, quick quotes, and inspiration. While I didn't find it personally helpful, I'm sure that someone who has gone through similar losses would find this book useful.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Although I know author Maggie Smith had no idea her book would be published during a pandemic, Keep Moving, could not have come at a better time for so many of us. I have always found so much comfort in affirmations that allow us to not only self reflect but continue on our paths forward.

While our feelings of grief and loss can all be deeply personal, there is also a collective feeling of being in something hard when we just feel connected and heard. Maggie Smith's writing is relatable and has the perfect balance of being a reminder of who we are and who we can still become while also celebrating the struggles and the joys of the messy "in-between".

Thank you to Atria Books for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a case of the right book at the right time. When everything falls apart what else can we do but keep moving. Just keep moving.

Many thanks to NetGalley, One Signal Publishers/Atria Publishing for the gifted digital ARC of this fabulous book of essays/thoughts from Maggie Smith. 5 stars - I read it in one sitting this morning and have already ordered a hardcopy to keep plus I know this will be a definite gift item for friends struggling with change/loss.

I loved everything about this book and its message - that you just need to keep moving to get through life. Life will throw everyone punches and this book helps guide you through coming out of it a better person. There are so many pages and thoughts that I highlighted that just spoke to me and will speak to everyone, because we all experience these issues. Everyone has a story - some are similar, some vastly different, but we could all use some encouragement along the way and ways to look at others going through their stories. My husband and I have already adopted the Beauty Emergency line - just a way to pause and be grateful for the world around us.

Bravo for a fabulous book! Plus the author is from and continues to live in central Ohio - I grew up about an hour away and then spent decades living in northeast Ohio before moving to Upstate NY. Go Bucks!

This little inspirational volume is probably best appreciated in snippets, as a regular dose of affirmation and cheerleading that could help the reader "keep moving" through difficult seasons of life. I read it in one sitting and found it too repetitive, but that was my fault-- not the book's.

My more important quibble with the book is that optimism, determination, and acceptance aren't sufficient for facing life's hardest challenges. Sometimes, we are crushed beneath the weight of loss. Sometimes, we can't, as Smith suggests, "make a new door" in a wall. The wall is simply impenetrable. I am a white, middle-class, cis, straight American woman who has never lost someone I loved permanently; I recognized several of Smith's affirmations as things I've told myself to get through rough patches. But I wondered how these would sound to someone unhoused during this pandemic. How would an undocumented farm worker in California's Central Valley receive these snippets? What about families and communities that have lost loved ones to racist police violence, COVID, or suicide, how would they hear this?

I will keep this book as a resource to suggest to certain people going through certain difficulties-- but always and only in conjunction with other resources and practices that encourage stopping and noticing, letting go and grieving, simply being instead of moving.
#NetGalley, #KeepMoving

Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity and Change is a book that will resonate with anyone who is grieving any sort of loss, going through a hard time, or facing changes in their life. At a time like this in our global history, Smith brings a breath of fresh air and perspective.

Written following the author's divorce as she comes to terms with all the changes and adjustments that brings, this book combines journal-type reminisces, affirmations, notes to herself, and lessons learned. It is a quick read, but one I found myself lingering over and highlighting quite a bit.

I found this to be an uplifting read and one I will tend to revisit from time to time. It would make a nice gift for those you care about.

My thanks to NetGalley and Atria Publishers for allowing me to read a copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Keeping Moving is mentioned so much in this book it almost becomes cringey. Though it's a great mantra. Author Smith does a great job when she is talking about her personal challenges. Good insight and optimism for anyone going through difficulties.

I have went through my own difficult times recently, and this book was a great resource when walking through that season of pain. A great resource for anyone in rough patch. Maggie Smith's word were so insightful. I will definitely keep coming back to them. Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I recently lost my husband and when I was given the opportunity to read an ARC of this book, I couldn't wait to read it. There are definitely a few good insights into grief and loss, but the book is basically just the mantra "keep moving" over and over. The author was recently divorced and had to deal with the grief that comes when the future you planned collapses. "Keep moving" is good advice; you must take one step at a time to keep moving forward. This book is more of a simple self-help cheerleader than a deep meditation on grief. It does not add much to the subject, other than cheering the reader to "keep moving." I would not recommend this book to someone who has recently suffered from a devastating personal loss. This book is more for someone further down the road of grief or someone who is having trouble adjusting to an unexpected change in their lives.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the parts of this book where the author talks about her life. The rest was okay. There were affirmations and bits of poetry. I would recommend this book if you need inspiration to "keep moving" on. A very interesting book.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

Minuscule snippets of Smith’s divorce, miscarriages, and postpartum depression are buried among annoyingly repetitive self-affirmations. The phrase “Keep Moving” appears 170 times in only 224 pages (per kindle 🔍). As a whole, this lacked cohesiveness and purpose. A straight up memoir about her experiences would’ve been more impactful.

PUB DATE: 10.6.2020 #netgalley

I loved this book. I will not only purchase this book when it comes out, but I will also purchase copies and give them to people I love. It’s a beautiful, encouraging book, and I think everyone could use a copy in their shelves, or next to their beds, or in their bags. We all need to keep moving, and in these brief paragraphs of encouragement, alongside mini-essays about life and living, Maggie Smith has created a jewel.

It should come as no surprise that Maggie Smith is one of our most-respected contemporary poets. This book is not only fortifying but beautifully written. A perfect gift for anyone who is going through a hard time. A rudder when one's boat is lost at sea.

Keep Moving by Maggie Smith is a book full of quotes, essays, and affirmations. In Keep Moving, Maggie touches on many topics such as healing, creativity, acceptance, and starting anew. Taken from her personal experiences, she shares profound wisdom about divorce, change, loss, and life’s curveballs. Maggie’s words are words that you want to carry around with you, reminding you to live, forgive, and accept change.

Many of her passages I want to write on post-it notes and put them on my wall, under stranger’s windshields, on public bathroom stalls & mirrors. But, in the wake of Covid-19, I can only share these messages with you through the power of social media. (Maggie also shares her writing on Instagram). But regardless of how these messages are shared, these are messages we all need to hear. These are messages we’ve been waiting to hear, messages we’ve maybe once told ourselves and decided against, messages that are 100% true the moment we allow ourselves to believe them.

Keep Moving contains kind but not sugarcoated truths. Maggie Smith’s words are full of heart and wisdom. This is a book that has something for everyone. Whether you’re married, divorced, single, young or old, Maggie’s words are bound to speak to you in some kind of way. At the end of the day, we all experience the same things, even if we experience them a little bit differently. Loss, change, and pain are all an inevitable part of life, but words like Maggie’s help you deal with them.

Keep Moving is incredibly timeless. I first read this book months ago, before the pandemic and when I was hopeful about a current love prospect. I'm rereading it again when things are kind of scary and with fresh wounds after that prospect seemingly fell apart. It reads a little different this time, but, that's exactly what makes this book so significant. Maggie's words speak to you when you need them the most.  But, if her words aren't exactly what you need at this moment, maybe like Maggie, you can find the courage to start writing messages to yourself.

“Imagine what might await you on the other side of this dark forest. Imagine the clearing, the sunshine.” Maggie Smith didn’t write Keep Moving as a guide to a pandemic, but it’s quite fitting at the moment. It’s main messages are about finding yourself and continuing life even after loss or change. She focuses much of the book on her divorce, but it turns out that divorce and pandemics have some things in common.

If you’re feeling anxious right now and little tidbits of support and guidance help you through tough times, add this one to your list. It’s out May 5.

Equal parts poetry, philosophy, and memoir, Smith addresses self-help topics without ever feeling cliche or simplistic. Instead this is a friend who's been through a dark time telling you how she survived it, learned from it, and giving suggestions for how you too can make it through. I highly recommend this for anyone who is going through a difficult time and wondering "how do I do this?" or "what comes next?". She addresses themes of loss, divorce, change, and growth and has a talent for writing words that have stayed with me... "Stop calling your heart broken; your heart works just fine. If you are feeling--love, anger, gratitude, grief--it is because your heart is doing it's work. Let it."
I already know I'll be reading this again in the future.