Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Finding Zen in the Ordinary by Christopher Keevil is a wonderful and insightful book full of little tidbits and knowledge.

Every day can become so monotonous full of daily tasks. This book offers a different perspective and sheds light on how to change our outlook on our lives and every day routines.

I enjoyed reading the book and would recommend it!

Insightful and thought-provoking. Really liked that it was in the form of vignettes, and you can read one and ponder upon it, or swap between them as whimsy calls, or depending on the day (like, crack the book open and see what vignette you landed on, then see what message it might be trying to impart to you at this moment)
Have to say, it would be better suited to someone who's familiar with the world of Zen. But there's still wisdom, and better yet: reflection, to be taken from each bit of this little book

A little book with simple stories- and although I know that its a 'me' problem, I really didnt get it. I may need to understand more about zen to truly appreciate the richness of what is in this book, because it left me a little bored. I think I probably need to refine my mind a bit more!

Our days are often filled with the mundane tasks we have to get done, from housework to actual work and little things in-between. When we appreciate each moment during these tasks without expecting it to be more we start to see the beauty in everything.
This book is filled with little tidbits, insight and more on what one can see in the ordinary. I recommend it for anyone looking to find some zen in their lives even if you're not familiar or not sure where to start.

Finding Zen in the Ordinary by Christopher Keevil is one of those insightful little books that I will come back to time and time again. I found myself highlighting many of the pages and bookmarking short stories that really resonated with me.

I highly recommend this to people new to Zen or those practicing for years. While I have taken other spiritual paths in life, I think we are all connected and can learn so much from each other if we only open our hearts and minds.

5 stars.

I wanted to read this book to find out about Zen Buddhism but found I was no clearer about that path after reading. I think this book is for someone who is already familiar with Zen and recognises specific terminology such as 'koans' and 'kayas'. Not for novices.

Finding Zen in the Ordinary by Christopher Keevil is a book about finding zen in day-to-day life events. A few stories that touched me were a guy with no arm meeting somebody else in a worse situation, a father who lost his son being kind to others. The author also highlights the impermanence of life. A few pieces were simple like following an insect's routine but even the ordinary things can be enlightening. I was not able to understand a few Buddhist Zen stories and stories with dialogue. Other than these, the rest of the stories were interesting to read.

The book also reminds us to slow down, not take life too seriously, and be helpful to others. This book would be of interest to people who like Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness topics.

I got a digital galley copy of this book via NetGalley. I loved the stories in the book and the simplicity of language to explain deep concepts.

Some of the stories I have read elsewhere and some of them are fresh (for me).

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and would highly recommend this book to all, irrespective of your interest in Buddhism or meditation. The pure pleasure of the stories are well worth the time it takes to read the book.

I received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review.

This short book provides a window into the world of Zen through a series of 48 vignettes. What's so special about these vignettes is that they correspond with the 10 Principles of Zen by Zen Master Bo Mun, whom the author worked with. That is what makes this work a great resource for study groups or book clubs, because of the ability for serious study and reflection of the principles using the poems and short essays. The stories and concepts are very relatable and the writing is clean and concise. I found particularly moving #26. Kindness. The intricacies of the observations the author made when witnessing the kindness of another and the courageous question and answer to whether kindness was innate or learned was breathtaking. A beginner to Zen is in good hands with this work.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me an ARC for my unbiased review.

Finding Zen in the Ordinary by Christopher Keevil is a book which offers events which had happened in the authors life and the lessons he learnt and understood from it. My takeaway from this book is more to look at those everyday moments and reflect on my own actions and how to use the moment to learn and appreciate life. I believe this book is not just a guide but a companion to us urging us to understand and appreciate how to be fully present and enjoy the moment.

With everything that is going on with the world today, finding a book like this was a true treasure. It allows you to dissect things that are happening in little pieces, and makes you look at them in a way that will truly bring you more peace. I loved this book.

Finding Zen in the Ordinary by Christopher Keevil is a beautiful collection of work to deepen your spiritual frontier and inspired growth. It is the type of book that will you will want to behold with. cup of tea on a cloudy afternoon.

This wasn’t quite the book I thought it would be. I’m afraid it was a DNF from me.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

This book was not what I was expecting. I was anticipating a book that helped me to find Zen in my ordinary, day to day life, but it is more of an accounting of how the author found Zen. The book is well-written, just not what I was hoping for. It is more autobiography than self-help.

As with so many 'Zen books', far more time needs to be dedicated to thinking as to reading.
This book does not teach, but each of the 48 pieces provides ample context for your own exploration and contemplation.
The best books of this type provide a spectrum of content: from the obvious, which immediately resonate with your inner understanding, through the challenging, which require study and inner enquiry, all the way to the elusory, which you may never understand, but nevertheless reward repeated investigation, For me, this book provides a good range of content with many pieces that I found challenging and just a few that I have not yet mastered,

How frustrating is it to be told by all the different sources the things you must do to be successful in life? This book definitely does NOT do that. It instead takes an empathetic approach and gives bite size approaches and allows you to have kindness and patience with yourself when dealing with life. This is so necessary for everyone to read in life. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Finding Zen in the Ordinary by Christopher Keevil

ISBN: 978-1789044492

112 Pages
Publisher: John Hunt Publishing / Mantra Books
Release Date: February 26, 2021

Non-Fiction, Self-Help, Mind, Body & Spirit, Mindfulness, Religion & Spirituality

The book is small stories and poems about experiencing life. The author compares dealing with life’s up and downs to that of a student pilot learning to fly. He asks the question, “can you keep your airspeed up to avoid a stall?” This sounds like a such a simple question yet when you think about life’s experiences, we need to be prepared for a “potential stall.”

This book, although short, had valuable messages within the 48 vignettes. Surprising to me, I was most drawn to the cover of this book. The seeds on the bun seem so normal and ordinary but when you truly look at them, they are all unique and have a taste and smell to them. To me, that was a message not to take the ordinary for granted and there is value in all.

If you are in need of a pick-me-up or just like up-lifting stories, you will enjoy this wonderful little book.

This book of Zen devotionals was a good idea, but it just didn't speak to me. I didn't understand the point of many of the vignettes. I would like to see more books like this, however.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This is a beautiful read!!

Poetic and thoughtful this book blends anecdotes and wisdom into stories. They're bite-sized bits of knowledge hidden in stories that don't feel like parables or heavy handed. They're relaxing and interesting and informative.

There's also resources about zen practices included in the books. I was drawn in by the cover and enjoyed reading simple stories that left me feeling lighter.

A great read!

Some really interesting thoughts in this book. I particularly liked that it was broken down into bite size stories and experiences from the author's life. I didn't understand all of the Zen concepts the author touched on but he presented them in a way which wants me to find out more. I was especially touched by the 'ordinary' people he included (and represented the spirit of Zen) that have had a profound impact on his life. Recommend.