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Love my home: 99 clutter-free tips in only 10 minutes a day
Love my home: 99 clutter-free tips in only 10 minutes a day
Flora Clarke | 2018 | Home & Garden, Reference
1
1.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review and I wanted to learn new decluttering tips. Unfortunately, I didn’t. This book felt like a school assignment with a minimum number of words required. Words, phrases, and ideas were frequently repeated. For example, in “Chapter 8: Single guy’s tips”, “as a single guy” is in half of the tips. Some of the chapters’ last paragraphs say how the tips discussed in the chapter were handy decluttering tips. The goal of the book is to declutter so it isn’t necessary to say it.

Tip #45, discusses demarcating the boundaries. Demarcate means to set the boundaries so the phrase is redundant. The word doesn’t fit with the rest of the vocabulary used.

Some of the language felt as if it was written by a person who does not live in the United States. We say bunk beds, not bunker beds. We write Tip #23, not #Tip 23. The term “netflix and chill” is often used as a euphemism for some form of sex in the US.

The book needs more editing. It’s an ARC book, but the cover states “only 10 minutes a day”, the inside title page states “20 minutes”.

This is a fast read but I could not recommend it.
  
The Gift of the Magpie
The Gift of the Magpie
Donna Andrews | 2020 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Who Used a Helping Hand to Murder?
This year at Christmas, the churches in Caerphilly, Virginia have started a Helping Hands for the Holidays charity event, and Meg is right in the thick of it, organizing and helping. One of their projects is helping Harvey the Hoarder declutter and fix up his house before the county is called to intervene. Day one goes pretty well, but when Meg shows up for the second day, she finds him lying in a pool of blood in the garage. Are the rumors of a treasure hidden in the house true? Did that get Harvey killed?

I always enjoy visiting Meg, and this book was no exception. The sub-plots involving her large family slow down the main mystery early on, but as a fan of the series and the characters, that’s a minor complaint. Once the mystery gets going, it is strong with several good suspects and twists before we reach the great climax. The sub-plots still weave in and out of the main mystery, and I really enjoyed them and the Christmas spirit they give us. I didn’t find this book quite as funny as some of the others, maybe because it left me contemplating which side of the hoarder or collector line I’m on. If you are looking for an entertaining mystery set at Christmas, there’s still time this year to cozy up to the fire and enjoy this mystery.