This is a cute gift book about taking pleasure in the little things without ticking a box, being productive, or making a post about it. It asks us to think about the steps on the way to something rather than just the result. A great gift to include with some snacks or bubble bath in a care package!

I really liked this book, but maybe that is because I am a life long potterer. I love a good potter, though in the years since I've had my children, time to potter has become more limited.

In this book, Anna McGovern discusses the joys of pottering, its main components and the benefits of it. The book is laid out well and has beautiful illustrations.

Reading this reminded me how much I enjoy a good potter about and have booked myself a day off, just me, on which, I will certainly be pottering.

I loved this book, it makes so much sense to me and felt both comforting and validating as I do tend to potter myself! I think I'll re-read this regularly, and I've ordered for the shop.

I'm enjoying the current swathe of books around mindfulness and slow living, and really enjoyed this calm and charming guide to pottering. Particularly during the last year, pottering has been something we've all done more of, and it was nice to read about how living more slowly and more mindfully can be beneficial.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher, who provided me with a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really found this book interesting and insightful. It made for some pleasant reading. It was easy to read and easy to read

I loved this book and feel that it helped me to reconfigure my understanding of what pottering was and why it can be so helpful for mental health. My house has never looked better, with absolutely no extreme tidying or cleaning!

Pottering (often called puttering in the U.S.) is moving around in a relaxed way, doing odd jobs, things that aren't that important, like cleaning out the junk drawer or rearranging your closet. It's doing a mostly mindless activity to relax, while actually getting something done (though the something doesn't have to get done, so if you don't finish, that's okay). Everyone should potter once in a while; it's good for your mind- it's essentially mindful, though your mind doesn't have to be fully in the moment. This book is primarily for people who don't know how to potter, or who just don't do it- the type A personalities. Those of us who know how to potter could use this book as a reminder or refresher, but the ones who really need this book are the type A's in your life. There are some "rules" to pottering (quotation marks because rules aren't terribly important here), the most crucial being that pottering is to be done without devices- no phone, no tablet, no t.v., etc. This is the part that will be hardest for most people, but it must be done. Netflix and Ben & Jerry's is not pottering. There are exceptions, such as looking up how to bake snickerdoodles or some such thing, but social media is out.
I enjoyed the suggested pottering activities, and appreciated the author extolling the virtues of keeping things local- try out a local cafe, stop in a local shop to look around (making sure to buy something). There are suggestions for pottering in different seasons, and tips on how to know when to potter and when it's an excuse to procrastinate. Sometimes, pottering is writing a long review for a short book that you enjoyed, or reading that review to see if you'll like it. I'm a type B, but this book served as a good reminder to potter more often. Potter on, y'all!

#Pottering #NetGalley

This is a gentle little book which serves as a timely reminder not to get too stressed about daily life in these stressful times. It is a celebration of not doing very much at all, and discovering in the process that you've actually done lots of little things that needed doing, and also emerged feeling better for it.

Pottering has five requirements, according to Anna McGovern - making do with what you've got, not trying too hard, keeping moving, keeping it local, and keeping it digital-free. There is a light-hearted chapter about each, with some examples you may wish to try if they hadn't occurred to you before. There is much about making time for a little sit-down with a cup of tea and a book -sound advice if ever there was any.

Charlotte Ager's illustrations are a joy in themselves, featuring a very ordinary-looking family with a cat. In my experience, cats are very useful for getting you to sit down with a cup of tea and a book. The whole thing is written in a light-hearted style, but at its heart is a profound truth - that me-time is essential for our wellbeing, and pottering is quintessentially me-time because it requires no planning, no lists, no tyranny of achievement. And in indulging, we find that we have got a lot done, and given our brain a rest, and we emerge better rested, less prone to burn out, and perhaps with regular practice, a different attitude to life.

I really didn't understand the point of this book. The activities the author describes as pottering seem to be mainly standard tasks involved in keeping your home on a daily basis? Definitely nothing groundbreaking in this title.

This is a book that I didn't expect to make me think about my life as much as it did! I am always rushing around to get somewhere and stressed. This book showed me the importance of slowing down and finding happiness in simple things versus stressing out to find things that I think will make me happy.

I was fortunate to receive a copy of this ARC from NetGalley.

Ah, the art of Pottering. Potentially a lost art for most of us!

This book talks us through how to Potter while making a cup of tea and also how to return to a more analogue life.

The drawings by Charlotte Ager are very cute!

My favourite quote:
""Pottering is a flexible activity that exists on a spectrum of thoroughness."

Perfect for autumn days at home!

Publication date: 26th October 2020.

A lovely little book, setting out the importance of pottering. A book for our times, for the pandemic perhaps, and for a slower lifestyle. I loved it.

Pottering is a book that really examines what it means to potter and the benefits of pottering. It also encourages you to potter in ways you might not have thought of before. It's a kind of celebration of resourcefulness and the stepping away from perfectionism.

I really enjoyed this book. It was quaint, warm and a quick read. Perfect things to have on a table and dip in and out of, while you're pottering I suppose. I especially appreciated the distinction between pottering and procrastination, and how to avoid the latter.

If this sounds like a book for you, it probably is!

Pottering A cure for modern life by Anna McGovern. This is a small book and talks about what pottering is and what are the fundamentals of it.

The definition of pottering is to occupy oneself in a pleasant way but without a definite plan or purpose. The author says that pottering can be done while doing any small household work like cleaning and making tea or going to a nearby shop to buy something. One of the characteristics of pottering is honesty. We do not have to put too much effort in it and travel too far or do it with others. But after doing it you should feel relaxed and content.

What are the fundamentals of pottering ? there are 5 principles of pottering and as per the author meeting all of them would be great but not necessary.

Principle #1 Make do with what you have got. Things like tea, milk, colors, mug, teaspoons which are easily available in any household can be used in pottering. You do not have to strive for perfection and It will really keep the pressure off. The important thing is that you should like the activity that you chose to do when you potter.

Principle #2 Don’t try too hard. There are many ways you can do any activity. The author gives the example of tea where she says that there are millions of ways to make tea. You have the freedom to make tea any way you want. You be you.

Principle #3 Movement. Pottering implies moving from one activity to another, it is not still. However, you do not have to move far or fast. There is no destination. There are no triathlons involved here. Strain, breathlessness, and sweating are unnecessary. Nevertheless don’t stop moving all together or you will lose momentum. After finishing one activity if you do not get any idea about the next activity you should then just sit and think.

Principle #4 Keep it local. Do the activity at home. You do not have to leave your home. Though You can enjoy wandering down to the local small shops. Probably, you can go driving without a destination in mind but don’t overdo it.

Principle #5 Keep it digital free. Watching tv or playing games on mobile is not pottering. In pottering, you do one thing at a time mostly so you can’t be on social media. Plus, pottering activities are so inconsequential that you are unlikely to tell your social networks about them.

Finally, Pottering, the tiny inconsequential activities that we do can make our lives better. After doing these activities we get a sense of owning time and control on our life. Reading this book gave me a lot of pottering ideas that I could do. This is a nice book and I liked it.

Pottering is a charming little book about the pastime (or shall we call it art?) of pottering. It follows the self-help style, and encourages readers to slow it down a little and enjoy some everyday tasks and moments without the hassle of being productive and most importantly digital-free. In many ways, the principles are similar to the popular "being present" meditative propositions. Even though not much new is being revealed, it's a lovely guide and an important reminder of dropping down that "to-do list" and take it one spontaneous step at a time. I also enjoyed the author's personal experience at the end, where she shares how she became preoccupied with pottering.

Thanks to Laurence King Publishing and NetGalley for the digital copy of this little gem.

#Pottering #NetGalley

I love the idea of this book and the philosophy it promotes. A great resource for discovery and reference for others revisiting to maintain practice. Looking forward to sharing with readers.

I absolutely loved this book, but I think I am biased because pottering is one of my favorite ways to spend time and comes naturally to me. I would love to see a version of this book that wasn't digital when it is released because I think it will be gorgeous with the color artwork and a book I could see adding to my own collection. It was sweet, practical, and a breath of fresh air in the digital heavy world to consider pottering as an antidote for stress and overwhelm. I thought this was a wonderful read!

Such a cute, unique and niche book. It was the book I didn't realize I needed. Would make a great coffee table book.

This is a sweet little read that continues with the modern trend of self-help books designed to tell us to slow down and stop doing so much, and to have fun doing it. It has a decidedly old fashioned British tone and is very sweet and encouraging. It was not really anything new to me, as it turns out I am already a master at pottering. I really don't need to read very descriptive instructions on how to do things like oil a hinge (and make it somewhat enjoyable in a calming and happy sort of way), but if I had to then this would be a wonderful guide. It reminds me a lot of a charming children's book in the tone, and could be a great fit for busy folks who want to learn how to slow down and enjoy the little moments.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

This is a lovely little coffee table book on all things pottering. It reminded me a little of reading Ladybird books as a child on a single subject in that it’s written similarly and filled with information and ideas. The illustrations are beautiful and really added to the book too. Want to know about pottering, how to be more in the moment and slow down or be more intentional in every day tasks- this is a good starting point.