BLOG TOUR: Where Do I Go From Here? - India Rigg

Another thing checked off Seffy's list - a promotion before she's thirty! But that's not the kind of thing you can brag about on Facebook - that's reserved for engagements, weddings and photos of adorable little children. When it comes to those milestones, Seffy's struggling; she's divorced, heart-broken and reeling from a recent infertility diagnosis.

Then her best friend suggests she takes a sabbatical, goes travelling, and creates a new list - one full of mile-high clubs, hot strangers and sketchy mushrooms. Maybe amongst all that chaos, she might find a way back to herself - even if that way involves travelling halfway around the world.

But when life's a series of negatives, how far would you go to find a positive?

 

What did I think?

Where Do I Go From Here? is a really fun book to read but it also covers serious topics such as work/life balance, infertility, miscarriage and divorce.  I really enjoyed Seffy's story and my heart was breaking for her as we relive her struggle to conceive through her letters to Aphrodite.

Seffy is approaching her thirtieth birthday as a childless divorcee and the only thing left to tick off her list is a promotion at work.  Seffy is a workaholic and her job is the only fulfilment she has in her life, but there's more to life than work and Seffy is about to find that out.  Seffy's bag is packed and she's off travelling for nine months!

I loved Seffy's relationship with her friend Harry and I was fuming at Luke for divorcing her at her lowest ebb, however, there are always two sides to every story and I was guilty, as usual, of jumping to conclusions.  

India Rigg tackles the difficult subject of infertility with honesty and sensitivity and it really makes you think about what's hiding behind people's smiles.  It's surprising how many couples suffer from infertility and/or have experienced miscarriage so what you may think is an innocent question: 'Do you have children?' is like sticking a knife into their heart and giving it a good twist while you're in there.

Heartbreaking and humorous in equal measure, Where Do I Go From Here? is an entertaining and thought-provoking novel that I thoroughly enjoyed.  It's beautifully written to perfectly balance light-hearted fun with sensitive and emotional subjects.  I wish I'd read it in my thirties when I treated work as my life.  

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

About the author:

Born in North Norfolk, India grew up along its picturesque coastline before leaving to study Cell Biology at Durham University and embark on a career in Marketing.  Expanding from the tiny towns of East Anglia to the hustle and bustle of the big city made her see the world for all its wonders and faults - it's a big place to try and change yourself but India wants to give muted societal issues a voice and give scary topics a friendly face. She believes all good ideas come from a spicy Bloody Mary, a niche documentary and over-hearing conversations in cafes.

Follow India Rigg on Instagram: @indiegram__

Follow the tour:

I Am Enough: A 90-day challenge to find contentment - Sheridan Stewart

Stressed by your spending? Always feeling like you should do more? Join Sheridan Stewart on an inspiring journey towards spending less, feeling happier and focusing on the important things.

What began as a 90-Day challenge simply to spend less, becomes an exploration of what matters most. I Am Enough contemplates what it means to have enough, do enough and ultimately be enough. Told with insight and humour, this book is an antidote to the constant pressure we are under to do more, have more and be more.

Busy radio presenter and broadcaster, author and mid-lifer Sheridan Stewart created the 90-Day Enough Challenge out of necessity. She had been struggling with burnout for years but couldn’t find a way to break the cycle of dashing about feeling guilty about spending too much, eating too much and not being a good enough wife, friend, volunteer, work colleague and human being.

Sheridan’s quest to prioritise calm, self-care and what really matters in life is inspirational. The practical programme which she has created is in three parts with a detailed timeline, tips and checklists for every step of the journey.

 

SURRENDER:

• The first part of the book is about surrender – learning to let go and strip life back to the essentials: getting enough sleep and support, utilizing what we have instead of buying more and doing enough without being sucked into the relentless pursuit of perfectionism. 

MAYBE I CAN BE ENOUGH?

• The second part of the book makes a shift from not only doing things differently but beginning to feel and view things differently. Even though to the outside observer, Sheridan’s life may appear the same – same job, same relationships, same environment – she learns to see life through a different lens. She begins to take small actions that better served her physical, emotional and financial wellbeing and shows the reader how to do the same.

CHOOSE TO MAKE THE CHANGE LAST:

• The third part of the book is about choice. As Sheridan nears the end of her 90-Day Challenge, she starts to explore implementing lasting change. As a chronic dieter and a driven over-achiever, she is aware of how quickly old patterns and behaviours can take hold. Why will this time different?

Over the course of this journey, Sheridan learns to trust herself, and you can too by following in her footsteps on a journey towards financial and emotional happiness.

 

What did I think?

This book is very well written with short chapters that are easy to follow and hold your interest.  Having, being and doing ‘enough’ is a simple idea but it makes a lot of sense and it’s comforting to know that you’re not the only one with a harsh inner critic that never shuts up.

I’m pretty good at saving money, but it was absolutely mindblowing to see how much money is wasted on coffee shops and restaurants; it’s ok to have a treat now and again but you can save so much money by making things yourself at home.  Yes, that’s a no-brainer but seeing Sheridan Stewart quantify it in monetary terms would’ve given me a cold sweat if I was someone who had a takeaway coffee every day.

For me, what I want to get out of this book is learning to accept that I’m enough.  There’s no manual for life so we’re all just doing the best we can but I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t want the elusive ‘more’.  I think just looking at what you already have is a really good philosophy as we waste so much these days.  I’m as guilty of this as the next person: my other half says I’m more thrilled by the purchase of a bargain than by actually consuming said bargain, that is likely to be languishing at the back of the cupboard six months after its best before date.

It almost takes the pressure off by changing the way you think, by saying for example: ‘I’m going to TRY to lose weight’ rather than ‘I’m going to lose weight’, that sets you up to fail the minute you step on the scales and put on 0.5kg so you might as well eat that whole packet of ginger nuts.

I’m really pleased I have discovered Sheridan Stewart’s I Am Enough book.  The small steps approach is one that is easy to follow and you really can’t fail, as you’re only trying after all.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon