Cover Image: The Good Enough Guide to Better Living

The Good Enough Guide to Better Living

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Member Reviews

This was a pretty fun book to read. Each section provided tips on making the most out of the spaces in your house. Along the way readers will learn about ways to get by with doing the least at home. Most readers will have a great time reading this book.

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This was an interesting and funny take on cleaning self help book. Quirky and random book for sure. I definitely giggled a few times.

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***Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the eARC of this book. It dropped earlier this week. All opinions are my own.***

“The Good Enough Guide to Better Living: Leave Your Dishes in the Sink, Serve Your Guests Leftovers, and Make the Most Out of Doing the Least at Home” is a humor book just asking to be your newest go-to housewarming gift.

This book is littered with vintage-esque illustrations to go along with a bunch of “tips” on how to keep on top of your house with the least amount of effort possible.

Don’t have a whisk, use a fork. Need a spatula, use a spoon. It will be fine.

It even comes with cooking tips like 40 variations of mac-n-cheese.

And a list of plants that you don’t have to worry about keeping alive. Well, maybe you have to worry just a little.

Not meant to be taken TOO seriously, but also not completely unhelpful, this is a fun silly gift for a new homeowner, or for the person who is domestically uninclined like me.

This book made me chuckle and I hope that y’all will like it too.

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Make the most out of doing the least around the house with this hilarious guide. While the tips aren’t super helpful the humor behind them is. Just lots of fun and some head nodding when you come upon the tips you’ve already been doing! 😆 Thanks to Netgalley and Chronicle Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

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Witty and refreshing, it's a good book to remind you that you can slow down and scale back if you need to.

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This was a delightful read that made me giggle throughout. It would definitely be a fun coffee table book and it would probably be a fun gift as well! I do wish there had been a bit more useable information within, but overall a fun read!

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In a Nutshell: A humorous compilation of tips and strategies designed to make you tackle housework without stressing out. An entertaining read not to be taken seriously, as is clear from the title.

One of my favourite quotes comes from Claire Oshetsky’s ‘Chouette’: “Housekeeping is nothing more than a losing encounter with entropy.” In a world where every home on social media looks spic and span, seeing the endless chores lying ignored in our own homes can lead to dismay and depression. After all, all of us want a clean house, but none of us wants to work tirelessly for it, right?

The root of the problem is perfectionism. But have you ever tried following the concept of ‘good-enoughism’? It works so much better for you and for people around you. The ‘good enough’ part of this title immediately made me grab it. (Not to forget that the tagline also had a strong appeal! 😁)

This is the most practically impractical book on housekeeping. Alison Throckmorton reveals her expert strategies of how you can make your home *appear* perfectly clean without breaking a sweat.

This book is divided into sections based on the rooms of the house. Each section comes with plenty of suggestions on how to maintain the façade of cleanliness in that zone. The information includes funny quotes, how to guides, text boxes with helpful (?) tips, simple DIY ideas. The book even tackles the dreaded question of how to entertain guests without losing your mind.

My favourites were the ‘How to’ and the ‘Cleaning Tips, and the quotes introducing each section – these were hilarious!

Some of the jokes got repetitive after a while, but in general, the content generated many smiles and grins. I also enjoyed the presentation. None of the pages looked cluttered, which is quite ironic for a book that aims to normalise clutter.

All in all, this is a good pastime read with tongue-in-cheek humour and jabs at stereotypes. It will make a good housewarming gift, but only to those with a sense of humour and also with enough common sense to know which tips to follow and which to ignore. 😉

3.5 stars.

My thanks to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Good Enough Guide to Better Living”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

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Just wrapped up "The Good Enough Guide to Better Living" by Alison Throckmorton, and let me tell you, it's like a breath of fresh air in the self-help genre. Throckmorton's approach is refreshingly realistic and down-to-earth, steering clear of the usual 'one-size-fits-all' advice.

What I loved most is the emphasis on embracing imperfections and finding joy in the journey. Throckmorton's anecdotes and humor make it feel like you're chatting with a wise friend who gets it. The book is full of practical tips, but it doesn't overwhelm you—more like gentle nudges towards a better, more fulfilling life.

It's not about striving for perfection but rather finding contentment in the imperfect, and that resonated with me. The author's genuine voice and relatable stories create a connection that sets this guide apart. So, if you're tired of the usual self-help fluff and want a guide that's equal parts encouraging and realistic, "The Good Enough Guide to Better Living" might just be your cup of tea. Cheers to imperfectly perfect living!

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Quick, light, funny read that offered some surprisingly sensible tips on managing your home. I am the perfect audience for this book, having not the time or inclination to be Martha Stewart (still love her). This book recognizes the lives of busy people, providing a realistic take, delivered tongue-in-cheek, of having a home and doing the best one can do to maintain it. Thanks NetGalley, the author and publisher for this ARC.

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This had me laughing! I enjoyed this so much! It was super refreshing to get a kick out of a book that helps to maintain the household. As someone who always has struggled with a tidy living space, and all other aspects of my life, this book brought a fun new light on the how to of a homemaker. It would be perfect for those moving out onto their own for the first time or for new home owners. I loved the quirky suggestions it had, the fun illustrations, and the overall vibe of the book! This was awesome and would be a definite recommended book from me! Would love to have one for my coffee table just for fun.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a copy.

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So, this was both more amusing than expected and less amusing than expected.

It really resonates with my hatred of adulting. The cooking, cleaning, presentation of living somewhere. (The difference is, this book seems to think inviting people to your house is a must, which it absolutely is not)

My favorite part is DIY corner, where you're instructed on how to make sheets, dishcloths, window drapes. It took a couple of goes before I saw the joke.

But it's also...I don't know. The jokes are incredibly compact and often try too hard to pack a laugh in where one hasn't been earned.

I think this could be a really fun housewarming gift for someone in their early 20s, though.

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I really liked this book! It was funny and I think it would make a perfect housewarming or bridal shower gift. Certain parts had me laughing out loud! I will definitely be gifting this book in the future. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

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This cheeky book made me continuously guffaw on a cold dark wintry day. The illustrations are hilarious with a kind of Midcentury vibe when meticulously cleaning house was a woman's metier.

There are many quotes from acclaimed wits on the subject. My favorite:

"My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance."
-- Erma Bombeck

In sum, better than a dirty martini and a cigarette!

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Opinions are mine.

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What a fun little book! It was funny and entertaining, and I do actually feel better after reading it. This would be a sweet book to gift to friends or have on a coffee table/in a guest room.

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This book is utterly pointless. But I guess that is the point? It’s at best mildly humorous, but I never laughed out loud, and I wasn’t even tempted to read any bits out to my spouse (and that’s a low bar). Admittedly, the description of the nightstand was spot on. But the rest…this could have been a meme or maybe a booklet. Not a whole book.

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I had a great time reading The Good Enough Guide to Better Living!
I found it relatable and laughed out loud multiple times.
Thank you netgalley for giving me ARC of this book.

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You had me at "Leave Your Dishes in the Sink" and "Serve Your Guests Leftover".....Yes, Please!
Three-Minute Meals? Don't mind if I do!
Mac and Cheese Forty Ways? (with the ways falling off the side of the page....Mac & cheese with a box of red wine??? Ok! You don't have to tell me twice)
How to clean the living room? Do Not Have Pets, Kids, or Guests....ok! HAHAHA
This book is great. Funny and witty. Makes me feel better about my own messy home. Would be a great gift for first homeowners, newlyweds, or your kids when they move out. Loved it!!

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Fun read
This may have been meant to be tongue in cheek, but I recognize my attitude in some of the chapters. There does come a time to set priorities or have a breakdown and letting go of some must dos is the smarter choice of action. This is thought provoking in that there are some things that we needn't stress over, most friends wouldn't know right away about the task you skipped even if you brought it up.
I requested and received a NeyGalley arc to peruse gratis and offer my opinion in there same

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I was excited to read this because I am definitely a minimal housekeeper. However, the book was trying to be funny and kept missing the mark.
There really isn't that much advice and there's a lot of repetition.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

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This was funny. As someone for whom neither keeping the house, decorating, nor entertaining are on a top 10 list of priorities, the read was quite relatable. Several times I laughed out loud and several more times I thought, “I feel seen!” A fun little book to mostly enjoy on the commode. It reminds me of an Amy Sedaris book I read once.

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