I lost interest in this title and it wasn’t what I expected from the description. I think this book is for a more niche crowd.

Kind of felt cookie cutter-ish. A story that many have experienced and talk about within the group of friends. Do I feel like others need to hear this? Yes, absolutely. But this book was the wrong time for me.

his book is relatable, thought-provoking, and inspiring. I loved how the author had personal stories followed by digging deeper into Scripture sections.

I absolutely love the idea behind this book, I mean, do we really need to be doing all the things just because we feel that we “should”? I know I lose too much time just trying to satisfy unrealistic expectations and demands by I don’t even know who, but no more thanks to this book!

With everyone sharing their highlight reel for all to see, it always feels like there's more that you "should" be doing. I was hopeful that this book would help with my mindset around that. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. It was written with a perspective of things you "should" be doing to avoid feeling like you should do other things, which felt a little hypocritical to me.

The book was very heavily rooted in religion, which isn't what I was expecting from the description. It wasn't what I was hoping to get out of reading this.

The pressure of "should" is real
Author and speaker Crystal Stine presents "Quieting the Shout of Should. How a Life of Less Can Lead to More", published by Harvest House Publishers. The book is divided into four parts: 1) Relationships, 2) Personality and Possessions, 3) Time and Talents, and 4) Faith. Every one of these parts is followed by a section entitled "Quiet Time" which is a time to pause. It offers a Bible passage to read, thoughts by the author, and a "Quiet quest" to accomplish. Each chapter in these parts deals with a specific struggle, e.g. "I should be More Like Her", "I should Want to Host", "I should Work Less and Serve More", or "I Should Never Doubt What God has Planned for me".
Stine states as goal of the book: "That’s what this book is—not permission to put on headphones and check out from our lives, but an invitation to go on a journey that navigates the noise of the world as we swap what weighs us down for the quiet, uplifting guidance from God our souls seek (p.9)." She wishes that readers "... to read this book slowly, giving yourself time to rest and reflect and space to hear from God over all the shoulds the world shouts at you. Running on empty will never take you where God needs you, and listening to the shouts of should from the world will only distract you from living fully in God’s peace, provision, and power. Refill and refuel so you can be prepared to do the work God has set before you with passion and joy (p. 10)." Stine is convinced that quieting the shout of should is more than just beneficial: "Imagine the impact it might have on your family and your future if you were able to walk in the freedom of making choices that honor God, instead of trying to live up to what everyone else is doing. There is freedom and abundant living in choosing to embrace who God made you to be (p. 22)."
The book is far more than a simple "self-help" book. Stine is honest, personal, and uses personal examples. She offers also additional materials (reading plan, book club materials, but I also appreciated the sections entitled "Digging deeper" (reflections based on the Bible), "Flip the Script" (changing negative statements to positive ones), and "Reflection" at the end of the chapters. Furthermore, she has included an appendix with "Women Who Silenced Should" and Notes at the end of the book. I highly recommend the book for reading it alone, but also in a Bible study group or in a book club. The book "should" be read more than once, but most important, it needs to be applied.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#QuietingTheShoutOfShould #NetGalley

Exactly the encouragement I needed for these trying times. I am looking forward to putting practice into action.

The word that haunts me--should. All the things I should do...here is a book that helps put all those thoughts into focus. With Biblical reminders and a focus on prayer, Quieting the Shout of Should helps you "flip the script" (restate the shoulds into Biblical truths).

This is an amazing book. One that I have re-read. I carry my copy with me to have when I start having the thoughts of I should have did this. Highly recommend

This is a interesting book based for women that are Christians. The author provides us with the ability to say no and determine what we should be saying no to to lead a more fulfilling life. She has exercises and suggestions that are sensible in regard to more Bible study and following Christ. its a worthwhile read that has some good ideas that any woman can benefit from.

I enjoyed the concept behind this book, and the reminders that we don't have to be everything that society says we "should" be. The graphics were a bit skewed, but I was reading on my phone, and I would imagine it would be prettier and easier to read on a bigger screen or in print.

Crystal leads the reader through 12 should statements that women believe in the areas of relationships, personality and possessions, time and talent, and faith. For each should statement she shares her own experience as well as a Biblical example. She offers insights that had never occurred to me before, like her daughter being totally ok with making a pool friend for a day while an adult woman would expect that brief encounter to turn into a permanent relationship and criticize herself when it didn't. As a former therapist I especially enjoyed the flip the script sections where she provides the reader with new thoughts to replace old thoughts. It reminds me of books about mininalism and essentialisma way, even though it's not described as that. Each new thought is a way to challenge an old thought that says you have to do more, be more, or live up to some crazy expectation. It's really a book trying to teach the reader to decrease the pressure on themselves, turn down the noise, and turn toward God.

Crystal Stine wants you to consider the impact the things you should do are having on your life.  Quieting the Shout of Should addresses concerns such as,

• Being a better mother

• Having more friends

• Apologizing less

• Having more faith

• Praying more

She uses her experience to show us how devastating giving in to people's expectations can be, especially when we fail to live up to God's expectations of us.

She uses Scripture to encourage her reader to strive for God's best.

Each chapter ends with an option to "flip the script". Ms. Stine reiterates the should being expounded on in the chapter and  offers a suggestion to turn it into an opportunity for growth.

Each chapter also includes a set of questions that can be used for personal  reflection or as part of a book club discussion.

Quieting the Shout of Should is divided into four sections  and at the end of each section, Ms. Stine includes a quiet time. This is a chance to dig into Scripture, to spend a little quiet time with God.

There were quite a few shoulds that resonated with me but I found it difficult to get into the book. I can't pinpoint the reason but believe it may be because this book was trying to do too many things at once.

What I did enjoy about this book was that Ms. Stine provided a reminder that we don't have to lean into the world's expectations, we can choose to do what God wants us to do instead.

I received an advanced reader's copy from the publishers through NetGalley; a positive review was not required.

Quieting the Shout of Should by Crystal Stine is a book that can be read individually or in a group to spend more time with God. I think this is an important topic for women because they are frequently told what they should or should not do and what is "appropriate" especially in Christianity. The author gets vulnerable and shares her own experiences with the "shoulds" she faces in her everyday life. In addition, the author brings these experiences to how it relates to Bible passages which is unique. There are a variety of exercises provided with reflection questions at the end of each chapter as well. I think this book was interesting as it highlights how you can find God and your values by silencing the shoulds. Overall I recommend this book for Christian readers looking to have more spiritual time in their day to day.

Many thanks to the publisher Harvest House Publishers and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I loved this book. As a wife and mother myself, I find myself fighting the comparison battle all the time. I used to think I was pretty content with who I was, but have since realized that I have always been comparing myself with others, just in different ways through the stages of my life. This book is relatable, thought-provoking, and inspiring. I loved how the author had personal stories followed by digging deeper into Scripture sections. There are also sections with questions for book clubs. I highly recommend this book!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book, especially the chapter on friends. I like how each chapter has the going deeper and the reflection questions. The balance between present world and Biblical examples was great! I would recommend this book to others.

As a life-long people pleaser who really struggles with committing to more than I should, every word from Quieting the Shout of Should hit home.

Crystal Stine digs deep into the reasons why we feel the need to do it all and explains how to flip the script and find peace in Jesus. She uses scripture and relatable anecdotes to talk about everything from motherhood, to friendships, to worry and anxiety, to service, and so much more. We learn how to put aside all of the "shoulds" the world pushes at us and embrace the silence and peace found only in doing what God has planned for us. Each chapter includes a small section to use as a book club or further reflection as well as a "flip the script" and a "quiet quest" to help apply each tip to your own life and struggles.

I really appreciated that Stine used so much scripture and always pointed back to God. She shows us how to lay our burdens down at Jesus' feet, and how to decide if each "should" is something that is beneficial or if it's just something to help us keep up with the Joneses.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and will definitely be sharing it with my friends.

*I received a complimentary copy of Quieting the Shout of Should through the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. My positive review is not required.

We women are typically much harder on ourselves than we are on others. We apologize too often, and we "should" ourselves all too frequently. This title appealed to me immediately.

The author shares personal experiences in battling the "shoulds" in her own life. She writes in a personable manner and includes references to pertinent Scriptures for each of the chosen topics. At the end of each chapter there are "Flip the Script" suggestions on how to change perspective on the chapter's subject, Reflection/Bookclub questions and action points to reinforce the message in the chapter, and ends with a heartfelt prayer. I personally love the "Flip the Script" ideas.

A favorite quote from the ARC copy I read is "That's what carrying the burden of should does to our lives. It keeps our eyes focused on everything - and everyone - around us, instead of directing our gaze toward God."

The message of the book is the only "should" we ought to concern ourselves with is in doing what it takes, in all areas of our life, to draw closer to God, discern His will for us, and live our life accordingly.

My thanks to NetGalley and Harvest House Publishers for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. I rate it as a 3.5 rounded to 4 star read. All opinions expressed are my own.

Encouraging read that ties in scripture. The book helps the reader to give themselves grace, specifically women. I really appreciate how the Bible stories are woven into the book in a very applicable and understandable way. The book is a great resource for helping me to re-frame my thoughts, give myself grace, and stay centered on what truly matters and what doesn't. There are instances throughout the book where the author urges the reader to "flip the script". I found these reframes to be really helpful and empowering.

Of all the self-help or self-improvement books that are you right now, this one is very well done and based on truth.

Preface: this is a religion based book. Those of you who are looking for insight on this topic without religious-bias should go ahead and skip this book. It is decidedly Christian in its tackling of topics.

That said, what a timely and helpful book! I really appreciate a lot of Crystal Stine's practical tools to refocus our hearts in the loud world we live in. There were a couple of areas that I struggled with - the writing in some areas and the advice given a few different times didn't sit right with my spirit. But overall, I think this book provides great conversation for bible studies and great fodder for personal reflection and introspection. I enjoyed the material and appreciated the spirit that it was written in.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC of "Quieting The Shout of Should" in exchange for my honest review.