The Good Enough Guide to Better Living

This is a laugh out loud, all too relatable, great coffee table conversation book. I never realized much of my “quirks” are actually just normal feelings about dealing with things in the house.

“Dont confusing Hoarding with maximalism “ - nailed it. I see soo many influencers who are maximalists and all I can think of when I see their spaces are ooof, fire hazard.

I also learned a lot of terminology i never knew before, like the word “gem” in a setting other than rock.

Definitely will be buying all my friends who’ this book when they start buying houses (in 30 years when they can finally save up enough)

I loved this book! It made me chuckle quite a few times. My mother-in-law loves to give me books for Christmas that aren’t novels but are more like fun, little life journals. I will definitely be buying a copy of this as a gift for her.

The Good Enough Guide to Better Living was really fun! I appreciated the actually helpful tips but the fun way they were presented.

This book was a quick, light hearted read.
It resonated with me and made me giggle several times.
It’s a great fit for the “good enough” housekeeper.

Hahah this book is hilariously on the nose with how I love my life. The tips are things I’ve figured out over the years and laughed about because of how easy life sounds and yet doing the bare minimum like this book suggests is what I can manage most days.

Laugh out loud hilarious book that tackles household chores from an accurate perspective for the real life family. I read straight through this book and would highly recommend to all my friends! Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.

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

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.

This book definitely spoke to me as I can be guilty of many of the behaviors so hysterically described in it. When I stopped laughing, I realized that I had been given a friendly nudge to get my act together and improve my lazy ways when it comes to tidying and cleaning. We all need a reminder that while good enough is a realistic goal (unless you are one of the lucky ones who has a house with a place for everything and everything in its place), the good enough as described in this tongue in cheek little book is really pretty awful.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley.

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.

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.

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!!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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