Book Review: Martha Stewart's Organizing by Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart’s Organizing: The Manual for Bringing Order to Your Life, Home and Routines
by Martha Stewart (648.8 Ste)

 

I really loved this book for what it was: A beautiful, Pinterest-y inspiration book. I have it on my dining table and every time I open it, I feel inspired to clean and organize. My favorite part of the book, and her magazine for that matter, is her detailed calendar. Her monthly calendar is stellar and I always look forward to it the most when I read her magazine. This book delights me because it has all of the calendar months neatly organized inside one, glossy, confectionery binding. I devour cleaning and organization books and this one is, by far, the prettiest.

 

I am always astounded when I pick up a cleaning/organization book and its contents are not cohesive. Martha does not disappoint in the slightest. Every chapter is neatly organized, flowing from section to section with ease. She details how to clean and organize based on the items she listed in her monthly calendar. For example, In the month of November she has “Assemble a Winter Car Kit” and “Make Holiday Crafts.” The following pages are dedicated to describing exactly the best way to detail the car and make holiday crafts. I love it!

 

Aside from the visual delight, I enjoy how streamlined the book is with check lists, calendars, and tasks. She presents a year’s worth of chores in a manageable, easy-to-follow format. It is no wonder she is able to handle such a busy life. She also dedicates a good portion of the year to leisurely activities. Reminding us to ice-skate, horseback ride, and gather with friends and family. After all, it is important to celebrate and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

 

If you are looking for a deep, philosophical kind of organizational book, I would stick to something like Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up or anything by The Fly Lady. If you are wanting Pinterest-in-book-form, then look no further!

 

[ official Martha Stewart corporate web site ]

 

Recommended by Monica K.
Bennett Martin Public Library – Public Service

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be
by Rachel Hollis [248.843 Hol] 

I had a couple of friends recommend this, maybe because of the straightforward way Rachel Hollis speaks (she’s very no-nonsense, and I totally dig that), or maybe because she’s very in touch with her spiritual self, which I admire and respect. I also wonder if these friends recommended this book to me because they felt like I need to stop believing lies about who I am so I can become who I am meant to be. (Um, I have to admit, that title kind of confuses me…..)

I must admit, I’d never heard of Rachel Hollis before. As a practicing Catholic, I’m kind of in the dark when it comes to the female Christian speakers. I’m not big on self-help books, even the kind that are in-your-face like this one is.

That being said, it was kind of fun to listen to. Hollis can be self-deprecating without being awkward about it, yet she owns her accomplishments. One thing I really do appreciate about her style of writing here is that each chapter is broken down into something she’s learned–then she goes into story-mode, explaining what happened. She ends with what she’s learned, enumerating things she’s taken away from that experience and things that helped her. It’s a bit Type-A, but I like that about her.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Of Mess and Moxie: Wrangling Delight Out of This Wild and Glorious Life, by Jen Hatmaker]

[ official Girl, Wash Your Face web site ] | [ official The Chic Site by Rachel Hollis ]

Recommended by Tracy T.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Life is Like a Musical: How to Live, Love and Lead Like a Star by Tim Federle

Life is Like a Musical: How to Live, Love and Lead Like a Star
by Tim Federle [158.1 Fed] 

Tim Federle has had a quirky and quixotic writing career. I very much enjoyed the two volumes in his juvenile series about Nate Foster, a pre-teen taking a shot at trying to break into Broadway. He’s also the writer of two stand-alone novels for teens — Tommy Can’t Stop and The Great American Whatever. He has three themed cocktail recipe books, tied into films, fairy tales and literature — Tequila Mockingbird, Hickory Daiquiri Dock and Gone With the Gin. And he wrote both the Broadway musical adaptation of Tuck Everlasting, and the screenplay to the recent hit animated film, Ferdinand.

You can now add an inspirational self-help title — Life is Like a Musical. Federle has long been involved with the stage, and this short motivational title couches all of its self-improvement suggestions in musical theatre metaphors, with chapter headings such as: “Congratulate the Person Who Got ‘Your’ Part”, “Dance Like Everyone’s Watching”, “Remember: The Show Must Go On”, “Realize We’re Each the Lead of Our Own Life”, “Find Your ‘I Want’ Song”, “Save the Drama”, “Clap Loudest for the Undertstudies”, “Keep a Photo of the Worst Gig You Ever Had” and “Life is Not a Dress Rehearsal”. Each chapter is just a small nugget — two to five pages at most, with lots of humor but also lots of practical advice, albeit with a “survival on the stage” twist.

Federle has a wry, sarcastic sense of humor, which really comes through in this short chapters. If you like his combination of bubbly effervescence and witty snark, you’ll probably appreciate his light-hearted (yet still honest and sincere) take on the standard self-help manual. I, personally, love his style, and found this to be a fun read. Your mileage may vary…

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to sample Better Nate Than Ever, Tequila Mockingbird, and The Great American Whatever, all also by Tim Federle.]

[ official Tim Federle web site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!