Zoë
Unless you're brand new to self-help, organizing, planning, and/or simplifying ideas or books, don't bother reading this one.
This is a great book for those of us looking to live a more minimalist lifestyle. I recommend this to folks who are new to the ideas behind decluttering and the process that goes along with that including both the act and the emotional aspects associated with releasing our belongings.
This is a book both about the how-to and the underlying issues that can lead to having too much stuff in our lives.
The author makes every attempt to give this book away via Amazon so I suggest following her blog (which covers a wider range of relevant topics than simply decluttering) and wait until you can get it for free on your device. I like free. :)
David Sedaris is amazingly funny. This book was traumatizing! Enjoyed every bit of it, even if I was disturbed.
The first book, Divine Rivals, was really good. This one felt slow and uninteresting. It could've been abbreviated and added to Divine Rivals to make a satisfying stand-alone. It would've had great pacing and explained all the backstory for both the main characters and the divine beings. I really liked the story; I wish it had been given more care in its telling.
Alix E. Harrow's Starling House is a heartbreaking and haunting gothic story gorgeously narrated by Natalie Naudus. As Harrow does so well, this book serves magic, mystery, love, and enough tension to keep readers wanting more. Steeped in the painful reality of poverty, homelessness, and hunger in Eden, Kentucky, we find our feisty protagonist Opal struggling to care for Jasper, her book-smart brother with a bright future to preserve. An encounter with the brooding and mysterious Arthur sets off a chain of events that will forever alter the trajectory of their lives. A must-read for anyone who has ever wanted to find a door to a magical space beyond.
Natalie Naudus narrates this with a perfect mix of intention, personality, distinct and recognizable voices, and her unique ability to keep the listener enthralled throughout. The delicious slow burn readers savor in an excellent gothic mystery like this is beautifully enhanced in this audio rendition. Naudus handles steamy passages with just the right amount of sensuality, and her voice with Harrow's text is so, so good. Together, they will take you on a journey full of humanity. There will be laughs, possibly some tears, perhaps a little rage, and ultimately a satisfying scratch for that itch we call nostalgia for all those magical stories read under covers by flashlight.
Go find the short story that is the backstory for this book and read that first. Otherwise, you'll be wondering the whole time what you missed.