Goblin Mode Guide to Life: Embrace Your Feral Side and Thrive in Imperfection

by Chartwell Books

Let go, embrace your imperfections, and reject unrealistic standards with this accessible workbook full of prompts, quizzes, quotes, and tips to inspire your inner goblin.

Messy house, laid-back standards, congratulations, you’re in goblin mode! The 2022 Oxford Dictionary word of the year is more than a trend. It’s a way of life. By letting go and chilling out, you’re on your way to contentment. In Goblin Mode Guide to Life , you’ll explore your existing beliefs about how you should live, work, and see yourself through writing prompts and quizzes. As you work your way through, you’ll find that you’re starting to catch being in goblin mode is all good. Quit the busy work and the performative behavior and get real. In the book you’ll  
   
Sample prompts
 
Free the goblin within you. You’ll find goblin mode life oh-so-satisfying.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Witchcraft, Witches

192 pages, Paperback

Published November 28, 2023

About the author

Chartwell Books is dedicated to creating beautifully designed illustrated books for everyone. Aspirational yet accessible, each book conveys a high perceived value. We bring style and a fresh voice to every book we publish, presenting on-trend and universal titles in categories as diverse as spirituality, health and wellness, history, military, reference, cooking, lifestyle, and inspirational. Our books are highly giftable as well as perfect for any self-purchase.

Chartwell has created an extensive range of guided writing-prompt journals, covering everything from gratitude and prayers to your life story and the story of your family members to finding the inner you and sharing your anxieties. Beautifully designed, each journal is an exceptional value.

In addition to our wide array of books, Chartwell has an ever-growing book-plus program offering highly giftable kits and sets for every occasion, including crafts and art, tarot and the spiritual world, and cooking. With unique books paired with complementary added-value items, these all-encompassing, high-production-value sets are the consummate gift.

Reviews

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up for the illustrations. I enjoyed this cute lil self-care workbook & now I know what this term means! I think I'm a bit too much of a Type A boomer to go full on goblin mode, but there are some good takeaways here for me as we head into the holiday season of women doing too much! My thanks to NetGalley for this neat "read now".

[Emma Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Goblin Mode Guide to Life is a cute little workbook that invites the reader to practice what my therapist calls “self-compassion” and my mom calls “giving yourself grace.” The idea of this book is simple: it’s okay to let go of the things that aren’t serving you. If it’s too overwhelming to make dinner every night, there’s nothing wrong with cheap takeout. If your shirts are a little wrinkled, the world won’t end.

The book design is especially adorable: the pages are full of goblincore illustrations of mushrooms and snails and frogs. That said, the book’s activities are a little less goblincore-specific than I expected. I wanted more crafts! I wanted more ideas for designing a goblin-y bedroom or foraging for goblin-y baubles. If you’re coming to this book looking for fun little prompts for reflection, though, this book might work well for you.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC.

[Dana Cristiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would love to thank Chartwell Books, NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Chartwell Books for this e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

When I first got this ARC from NetGalley, I was expecting a cozy, funny cute book.
Instead I found a rule book that encourages you that it's okay to stay like a goblin in the house and do nothing.

Although I got the message the author is trying to send into the world within this piece of work, I for one couldn't resonate with this.
It has gorgeous illustrations, however. And there were parts that I found nice and likeable, but still it wasn't something that I needed.

If you find this premise interesting, please give it a chance. You might love it. ^_^
It gets 3 stars from me.

[The Book Paradox AshV · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Goblin Mode Guide to Life is such a unique workbook to adults. Its been a long time I have had enjoyed a workbook amidst my hectic schedule as a home maker. This is designed specially to make you examine your life and the ways you think about the things you have to do.
This workbook is a self help book that helps you move forward in a transformative journey toward self-acceptance.

I love that this book stresses that goblin mode is not just a state where you are being lazy and unhygienic, but this states thay being comfortable with yourself and your home is what matters truly. It also emphasizes on not to worry about things being always perfect and tidy. Embracing yourself with your flaws make you more positive minded and a strong personality.

This workbook has beautiful illustrations and small small tasks to get you thinking about your true self. These tasks lets you analyse the stress you are taking to keep up to the societal norms and make you think of Goblinmode in a healthy way..

Thank you NetGalley for providing this eARC.

[Kelly Savage · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sweet little self-help journal is the perfect fit for anyone who likes the idea of self-help but is exhausted by all the perfect-shiny or tough-love self-help out there. The Goblin Mode Guide is sort of the opposite. It asks you to slow down, be a little messy, and relax a little. The journal pages and activities are great exercises in reprioritization, and the illustrations are adorable. I think this would be especially helpful for any serious perfectionists who really want to learn to chill out, but as someone who's already a bit of a goblin, it still gave me things to think about.

ARC provided by NetGalley and Chartwell Books in exchange for an honest review.

[Jenn Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of this. I love the time lime and the clarification page. It is so much fun and the examples given make me wonder how the author knew me so well. The journal pages are nice and I cannot wait to try some of the crafts and self care ideas.

5 stars

[sairs_readsandreviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book and its messaging, I think it's important that we undo some of the 'perfect' life messaging and imagery that we have been fed for years, whether in the mass media marketing or from influencer culture in social media.
I think its helpful to deconstruct that in a simple way that will help some people to question this and find something that they feel they align with.

The illustrations are cute and fit the style of the book well, the discussions are thoughtful and I did come away with a lot of internal thoughts about this area of exploration.

In some ways, I think its ludicrous that we have to label this 'movement' when its essentially just human life. I'm not blaming the author or anyone about this, its more a response to the overall discussion the book engages in.
We are more and more rejecting this imposed societal norm of being productive, perfect and conforming to purchasing items to make us feel better and striving to be a perfect version of ourselves. Underneath this cutesy format, we are really looking at rejecting capitalism and mass media marketing and the way that effects us as humans.

I enjoyed the feeling of being encouraged to not feel bad if things that are popular don't appeal to me, like Marie Kondo and living a minimalistic lifestyle. I think it's was also important to define what's healthy and what might not be, which the book does. I think it was sort of apparent to me that this book might also appeal to neurodivergent people who may find it difficult to live a perfect, stylised life, although this isn't explicitly mentioned.

Does labelling it in this way lessen its meaning? I'm not sure. Wrapping it up in this way makes it more digestible and helps people to organise themselves with a group outside of what they may have been comfortable previously, which I think is a useful starting point, but I think maybe it swings too far in the opposite direction for me. We as a society are exhausted and with each new generation, I think that becomes apparent. This book touches on burnout and the background about how this movement came about, but with rising levels of mental health issues and burnout, I think this only really scratches the surface of what is going on.

I started to lose interest in some of the discussion when it moved into the 'goblin aesthetic'. This to me is the antithesis of the meaning of this. Yes, we can 'thrift' and buy 'second hand' but aspiring to look a certain way and labelling this as a goblin aesthetic and having frog/nature imagery is perhaps unhelpful. That's literally a pinterest board waiting to happen. Are we moving back into the realm of trying to look a certain way? To me, it's trying to project a certain image to fit into a norm around what this concept is. That to me, made no sense as I don't see 'goblin mode' as extending to having mushroom imagery etc in my home and me wearing beige and greens.
It's more of an expression of who I am, being authentic and finding what I like and not worrying about outside forces. I can wear clothes that are authentic to me without fitting into what this book describes as the 'goblin aesthetic'. I don't need to wear corduroy and look like a sterotypical witch to do this. I can be in goblin mode and paint my house pink and have kittens painted on the wall if I want, was this book not telling me that messaging a few pages back?

Overall, I like the discussions and the journal aspect of this book but I think it's meaning by the end had watered down and it tapered out. I think the messaging got muddled for me, is this book trying to tell me what goblin mode is and should be, or is it showing me a way to live a more authentic life and to question a perfect curated life and its worth, which goblin mode encourages?

Ok in hindsight that got probably too deep for this book but here we are - read it if you wanna know more about goblin mode 😂

I received an arc of this book and this is my thesis on the book.

[Sylvia Spruck Wrigley · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Goblin Mode Guide to Life" is a fun and intriguing workbook by the editors of Chartwell Books. I'm not an avid reader of self-help books, but the idea of being happy living in goblin mode made me ask for an advanced reader's copy. I first heard the phrase goblin mode during lockdown as a description of what it was like to not leave the house and know that no one was coming over. Someone in Goblin Mode will not bother to get dressed but sit in pyjamas all day long and drink milk straight from the carton. Goblin mode is about giving up on acting civilised, as no one can see us outside of a Zoom call anyway. I was surprised and intrigued to see this being described as a guide to life.

The cover asks us to embrace our feral side and thrive in imperfection. It seems like a crazy theme for a self-help book. But somehow, it works. This positive spin on goblin mode is presented as an antidote to hustle culture and social media perfection. We are challenged to consider our internalised expectations through a series of writing prompts, quizzes and motivational quotes, which make for a sort of guided journalling project. There are multiple comparisons which can help us to rethink what is truly important, rather than focus on what society expects of us (or what we believe that society expects of us). The book has many blank pages and although my copy was an e-book, I think it would be amazing as a printed copy, where we are encouraged to write in the book and doodle in the margins. I found myself smiling at the illustrations. The message of the book is clear but never preachy: the exercises ask you to actively engage with the subject rather than just passively absorb information. At the same time, it remains lighthearted even while asking you to question everything you have ever held true.

I'm sure plenty of people are horrified at the idea of eating ice cream straight out of the tub or hosting a party and serving delivery pizza. Someone entrenched in an Instagram lifestyle would probably not make it past the first few pages. The exercises repeatedly underscore that happiness doesn't come from a spotless home or a lavish meal but from genuine connections and authenticity. It struck me as clearly targeted at women, with multiple exercises focused on combating societal expectations for us to have the perfect house, the perfect clothes and able to step up to being the perfect host on no notice. However, the humor and the imagery keep the book from taking itself too seriously and make it easier to accept the benefits of cozy authenticity. The reader who is already heading down this road of acceptance will gain the greatest good out of this book. I am already planning to buy a couple of printed books for friends who will enjoy being given permission to be less than perfect.

[Nicola Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always been intrigued by the notion of ‘Goblin Mode’ and as the Oxford Dictionaries word of the year in 2022, it’s somewhat entered the public consciousness and become a whole new vibe in itself. Taking time for you, the sweatpant life, staying in and indulging in your own self care, it’s certainly something I can get on board with!

This book has everything in it to introduce you to what Goblin Mode life may encompass. From Goblin Aesthetics and Goblin work to Goblin home and Goblin Love, it sums up exactly what it is and how you can manifest and incorporate more of it in your life.

I loved the design of this book and just how interactive it is! It gives you space to reflect and write down your own thoughts. It encourages introspection and a deep dive into exactly what it is that you want and how you want to live and think. It provides just the right amount of guidance coupled with gentle nudges that makes it feel you’re being led and informed as opposed to preached to and told about this loose way of life.

It has space for you to pick up your own pen or pencil and jot down prompted responses to questions and some epic quotes to help you on your way. It really was a great book and one that would be great to have physically to connect with the pages and truly make the book your own. Super cute and loved the idea!

Thank you to the authors and publisher for this book on NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.

[Lilly]

Adorable, cozy, validating.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Goblin Mode Guide to Life does exactly what it wants to do - to be a unique workbook that helps you have a better understanding of Goblin Mode and the importance of self-acceptance and just ‘let go’. It has cute illustrations of little goblins and mushrooms to complement the idea. And I especially like how it listed all the positive and negative vocab around Goblin mode because it helps me to reflect on my own lexicon and whether I could sound judgemental even though I’m not trying to.
The word Godlin Mode has been a fascination to me ever since the Oxford English Dictionary chose it as Word of the Year in 2022, but I never really grasped the full meaning of what it is and what it entails. In short, Goblin Mode is a state of mind to prioritize yourself and your comfort first. Embrace self-acceptance and let go of the societal pressure, and release yourself from unrealistic standards. Some people probably started to live in Goblin Mode since the pandemic when the world was temporarily put on hold and we all had to take a step back from social life, which turned out to be a much-needed breather for most people. This workbook did give me a much clearer view of it, and it confirmed that I’m indeed living in Goblin Mode 24/7 even before the pandemic without realizing it. I mean, why bother using a straw when you can just drink Coca-Cola straight from the can? It tastes better that way anyway.
I like that I’m living in this state of mind where I don’t care about people’s opinions; I stop living on social media, wondering about what other people are doing; and I don’t care about whether I live up to the beauty standards or whatever the society expects women my age do. But even though I know this is probably not the intention of this book, I do feel like sometimes I can get stuck in this zone a bit too much that I still need to get out of it once in a while, But still, I’m happy with my state of mind right now.
Goblin Mode Guide to Life is more like a self-reflective journal template with thought-provoking exercises and quotes and cute illustrations, than a self-help book. I can definitely see myself using some of the questions in my own journal in the future for a deep dive into my own mind. But I guess I originally started this book with the prospect of something more informational and deep about Goblin mode. Overall, it's a really cute little book about Goblin Mode and helpful enough to shed some light on the topic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chartwell Books for providing this eARC.

[Jennyfer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goblin Mode entered our lexicon around 2020-2021, when the pandemic shut the world down and we collectively took stock of our lives and our goals. And embraced comfy pants.

Goblin Mode Guide to Life is a self care workbook that encourages the reader to put aside perfectionism and the conditioning we grew up with in order to prioritise mental health and self care. This book is filled with prompts to reflect WHY we put pressure on ourselves to meet certain expectations, and WHY we put ourselves last. Always.

This book gives the reader permission to simple BE. To keep the clutter that brings joy (sorry Marie Kondo). To embrace one's own preferences rather than the whims of fads and influencers. There are some really thought provoking checklists where one is prompted to consider which of two options (goblin or perfectionist) is worse, and the book prompts you to explore what Goblin Mode looks like to yourself, in terms of how you face the world, your home, socialising, work, and love. And it reiterates the idea that Goblins aren't lazy and slovenly - they're creatures who truly prioritise their own needs.

I do admit I was expecting a more cutesy goblin-core activity book with crafts and puzzles, but this is a far more thought provoking exercise into really rethinking self care. There are a handful of pages for doodling, one craft (creating a terrarium) and some powerful quotes spread throughout the book, but this is primarily a reflective journal.

~Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll admit, I hadn't really encountered the phrase Goblin Mode, until I encountered this book. The term has made it into the Oxford English dictionary though, so obviously I needed to up my game and embrace my inner goblin and Goblin Mode Guide to Life has everything I need to do so. It begins by outlining what Goblin Mode is and its benefits of authenticity and self care. The rest of the book is a workbook, where you can work through a list of questions to help you identify what areas of your life aren't working and negative assumptions and thoughts you need to get rid of. It covers every area of your life, so that by the end of the book, you'll know yourself better, have fresh insight and new priorities. The layout of the book is inviting and engaging and I like the "What's worst?" quizzes that give you perspective. It's not all intensive naval gazing either, there's space to doodle and craft and there's inspirational quotes throughout. I'd recommend it to fans of the self help genre and anyone feeling overwhelmed and in need to embracing their inner goblin

[Autumn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm really not a huge fan of self help books in general so take my review with a grain of salt.

The prompts were annoyingly repetitive so I just stopped doing them after answering the same things over and over.

And while this book is supposed to be a guide to accepting your natural imperfections and moving away from being obsessed with one's own instagrammability, it ends up just pushing the cottagecore/mushroom/plant mom/spiritual aesthetic which is pretty much the hot instagram thing to do now.

So yeah. Did absolutely nothing for me except highlight how much absolutely everything is designed to cater to our curated social media images. 👎

[madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goblin Mode Guide to Life is a refreshingly unique workbook that invites readers to embark on a transformative journey toward self-acceptance. Written with wit and wisdom, this book is a delightful and empowering respurce that encourages readers to be kinder to themselves, reject unrealistic standards, and celebrate their authentic selves. It's a must-read for anyone on the path to self-discovery and self-love. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

[Ande · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book might be one of the best self-help books I’ve ever read. And whilst I understand that it probably doesn’t class itself as a self-help book it does fall into that category.
In a world that is so fast paced that majority of people are getting burnt out this is needed.
The layout is gorgeous and sweet and captures the Cottagecore trend that is so popular (and I personally love).
I also enjoyed the interactive fill in parts of the book, this really helped it become immersive and more than just a book telling my what to do.

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t judge a book by its cover. I assure you I didn’t. I did judge it by its title, however. “Goblin Mode Guide to Life”. How damn cool is that? I immediately wanted to know more about goblin mode, of course. And dear reader, I can tell you exactly what it is right now. I think you’re going to like it.

What is Goblin Mode?

Chosen as the Oxford word of the year in 2022, Goblin Mode is described as a slang term, as “a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations.”

I think this definition is a little harsh – but it’s all about rejecting those norms and expectations society puts on us to be perfectly neat, to be busy, to look after ourselves and enjoy doing absolutely nothing. During the pandemic, we all learnt a lot about goblin mode.

The authors prefer to describe goblin mode as caring less about what others think of you, letting go of societal pressures, rejecting the busy life. Goblin mode is just allowing yourself to be human.

Goblin Mode Guide to Life

This book by the Editors of Chartwell Books calls the reader to brace imperfection, get rid of the things we do that cause us to be stressed and exhausted, and reject unrealistic standards.

So, what are the kind of things you can do to embrace goblin mode? Here’s a few to start with…

Prioritize self care and enjoyment

Work to live, instead of living to work

Live a more low key lifestyle.

You can find the others, along with tips, guides and checklists within the guide itself. Include a lovely list of “judgey vocabulary” to throw away. I absolutely love this section as it tells us how to replace those words like lazy and slob, and replace them with terms such as liberated and unfettered.

Part Guide, Part Journal

As well as a guide to living in goblin mode, this book doubles as a workbook/journal for allowing you to let your inner goblin free. There are lots of journal type prompts and opportunities for you to write down your thoughts, feelings, things you wish to embrace or let go of, and so many more. From purging your perfectionism, to a rant list about beauty and lifestyle standards that really make you mad.

Would you like to rest more instead of feeling guilty about being productive?

Do you wish you could pay less attention to your appearance when going out?

Want to be carefree and abandon fashion and beauty trends, to do your own thing?

If you answered yes to any of these, or similar, Goblin Mode is for you.

My Thoughts

I think I’ve been living in Goblin Mode for most of my life, but until recently, I’ve been made to feel guilty about it by social standards and “what are other people doing” thoughts. Being told that Goblin Mode is not just OK, but is actually good for you, is very comforting and freeing. I love that this book takes away those guilty feelings that many of us have to suffer when when we try and break free from the norms and expectations of life.

For example, how many of you “not morning” types have received cruel comments from your colleagues when you (on the odd occasion) arrive earlier at work – “Did you wet the bed?” – “Did your alarm clock break?”. Let’s turn that around and remind those naughty commenters that life doesn’t have to be hard. You don’t have to be rigid and get up at 7am to be the perfect person. You can do whatever works for you.

Mental Health

Having suffered from anxiety for many years, I can tell you that embracing Goblin Mode is one of the ways I help my mental health. Allowing myself to be me, looking after myself when I’m down and giving myself the space I need to be who I need to be at the moment I’m in.

Trying to conform often leads to mental health issues and we have to say a huge NO THANK YOU to many of the societal expectations. Obviously we can’t give up everything that causes us stress, like work, but we can try and make sure we don’t let it take us over. Life is about living. Work to live, not live to work. Those friends and colleagues who poke fun at your lateness – ignore them, they’re missing out on goblin mode.

You can buy this book from all good bookstores. I recommend BookShop.org as they support local bookstores.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

An odd little workbook for adults concerning what has become known as ‘Goblin Mode’, a term that was put into the Oxford English Dictionary in 2022 after a public vote, which became popular during the pandemic.

Being in goblin mode is typically thought as letting yourself go a bit - locking yourself in your home, letting your hygiene go, and prioritising yourself, until you feel ready to re-emerge. This book covers different areas in which you can apply the goblin mode way of thinking, and prompts you into thinking about what’s important to you in how you juggle the expected perfection level from societal pressure, and how you can maybe relax a little in some areas.

There are many pages to write down your thoughts and feelings about your relationship to yourself, your home, hospitality, self care, style, work, love. There’s even a few doodle pages.

I think the idea of having a book dedicated to this idea is good - the prompts were thought provoking, and I enjoyed the style sections, for both home and clothing.

However, there were quite a few typos, which hopefully will be fixed up for the final release of this book. I also found the art style to be inconsistent - on some pages you have beautiful cottage-core drawings of nature, and then there’s a very blocky looking goblin, or a grainy clip art-esq creature. There’s also ‘inspirational’ quotes dotted throughout the book, but they felt extremely random. For instance, there are about three Jane Austen quotes and then a random Ariana Grande one thrown in for good measure.

Overall, I think the concept is great, but the execution fell a little bit flat.

Thank you to the publishers, and Netgalley, for the copy to review.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

**I received an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.**

Goblin Mode Guide to Life is presented by Chartwell Books. The book is part guide part workbook to the trend of "goblin mode". This book provides definitions and examples of goblincore as well as providing space for the reader to write out their thoughts and perform thought exercises about.how goblin mode might benefit or be incorporated into their life.

My first criticism of this book is that goblin mode tends to lean heavily into the goblincore aesthetic, but the overall design of this book leans toward cottagecore or a very clean infographic style of presentation which made for a lot of cognitive dissonance for me. If we ignore the lack of alignment, the information is presented in a way that is very accessible and readable.

I would hazard readers to take the content of this book with a grain of salt. I understand this is very much an introduction to goblin mode to life and the book does mention a need for balance in all things. However, pages like the "what's worse" sections have readers choose between very black and white options that could present a false comparison. Realistically, most people will go for a middle ground, but this set up has potential for some pretty negative extremes.

Overall, this book is mostly just fine and introductory. I imagine this book will appeal to people fond of self-help, but I can't see anyone actually in "goblin mode" wanting to go through the trouble.

[Luci · Rating 3 out of 5]

As always, thank you to NetGalley and Chartwell Books for the opportunity to read and review.

I have to say, I do love a cute little workbook. Something that's a break from day to day life. If you're a creative, especially one trying to get out of a slump, these little books can be exactly what you need.

While this workbook is very cute and does dive deep in making you think, I wouldn't say it holds as close to Goblin Mode as I was expecting. The aesthetic here is much more cottagecore than goblin core, which doesn't quite fit with the theme. Most of the prompts still work, but many others are a bit too black and white, without giving wiggle room. Even the pages where it's asking you to answer prompts seem too clean cut for the vibe it should be going for. Perhaps there will be some slight changes between the digital and physical editions.

Overall it's a fun little workbook, but I would really say this is more trying to push a mental Goblin Mode into a whimsical CottageCore way of thinking. I think workbooks like this are great for helping you think about your mindset and get out of a funk, but several of the prompts may feel too much like it's a forced perspective rather than the slow climb many need to emerge from the Goblin Grotto.

[Adrianna Heaney-velu · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Goblin Mode Guide to Life” by Editors of Chartwell Books is a self-help lifestyle guide to living like a “goblin”. What is it to be a goblin in today’s society? Some may say it’s being a “slob”, but is it really? This book helps with the cozy lifestyle of the goblin living but without being out of control and dirty. There are places to write and reflect on self-introspection and what is actually important in your life. There are help worksheets on cleaning tasks you choose to prioritize on those hard days. The sections include home, hospitality, self-care, clothing style, work, and relationships.

I loved the cottage core witchy vibes and the nature imagery, especially the mushrooms. It reminds me a lot of “slow living lifestyle”. I liked the cute ideas and tutorials on things like “How to make an easy terrarium”. This book made me question the way we think our lives should look like and how perfectionism can be toxic to our relationships and ourselves. I’m definitely going to be implementing as much as I can in my life and see if I notice an improvement in mental health and my families happiness. I give it a 5 out of 5 stars.

[Sharondblk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think i was the target audience for this book, but it sounded intriguing. I actually hadn't heard of Goblin Mode, except in relation to being a beveridge goblin, and I thought Katie had just made that up. This is a lovely, well set up book whose main message is "it's okay to be who you are, even if that is a messy, grubby, binge watching goblin". While the idea of having a dirty house is not for me, or that not showering is fine (I love showering) the central message - that who you are and how you live is just fun, and don't worry about how great everyone else's life looks on instagram, is very affirming. This book would make a great gift for someone who needs to hear that message. It's also quite funny to me that a book whose central message is that everything doesn't have to be perfect has more than a few typos.

thanks to NetGalley for the free review copy of this intriguing book.

[Kaylee McCurdy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book truly is the ultimate guide to going into/being in goblin mode!
The imagery/art is amazing, many pages have decorative borders or little drawings and art strewn about. (My favorite pads is the one with “coffee stains”!

This book helped me discover that, as a matter of fact, I live much of my daily life in goblin mode!!!

I love that it emphasizes that goblin mode is not a state of being lazy and unhygienic or gross, but instead being comfortable with yourself and your home, no worries about things being perfect or constantly tidy.

It is so interactive as well!!! Many of the pages include prompts that ultimately help you understand why goblin mode could be extremely beneficial to your health and help you to see the bits of yourself that you didn’t realize were a part of goblin mode!

It was a very intriguing book, and I hope everyone begins embracing their goblin side!

[MC · Rating 5 out of 5]

5.0 / 5.0 Think Mari Kondo for forest denizens...

This journal is a fun-filled, whimsical collection of prompts to help you unleash you inner Goblin Mode and de-stress. I had such a good time reading through the pages of full-color inspirations that really had me stopping to consider the way I manage some aspects of my life. The entire thing was a fun exercise in wisdom versus intelligence, and understanding what works best for each person.

I immediately went to find it on Amazon and get my copy ordered because I know this will be one that I consult over and over.

I think this would be a good gift (and look at that the holidays are right down the lane) for the introverted, dark academia-loving, trinket-crafting person in your life be that a separate individual or yourself.

Until Next Time,
MC

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to review this book for my honest review.

[Kash · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Goblin Mode' is a term I've vaguely come across online, and is the 2022 Oxford Dictionary word of the year! I was pleasantly surprised by this book's version of it. It's all about letting go of perfectionism and living a simpler more sustainable and happy life.

This is a fun and easy guide, far more accessible than many other 'self-help' workbooks. Writing prompts, quizzes and quotes are all there to help you 'free the goblin inside.' It asks you questions about what causes you unnecessary stress, prompting you to sketch out a more peaceful lifestyle that aligns with your values. Importantly, this book also distinguishes between 'Goblin Mode' and going to far - it encourages us to take breaks and value ourselves, but warns us against bad habits like uncleanliness and ignoring the outside world completely.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

[Abi · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Goblin Mode Guide to Life" beautifully captures the essence of being imperfectly perfect, reminding us that life doesn't always have to be picture-perfect or "Instagram ready" to be meaningful and enjoyable. It's a book that invites you to celebrate your quirks, your missteps, and your idiosyncrasies. I love its interactive nature; there are plenty of journal prompts which encourage you to embrace your inner goblin, to revel in your uniqueness, and to find joy in the everyday chaos of life. It's not just a book to read; it's a companion to accompany you on your journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance. I adored this book, it feels accepting and non-judgemental. I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone, particularly to those who constantly strive for perfectionism but get tired and lost along the way. An easy 5 stars from me!

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 *****

This book is visually attractive, clearly laid out, easy to read, and nonjudgmental - without throwing all semblance of civilization to the wind.

The etymology of the term “goblin mode” was gracefully covered and provided a concise, contextualized explanation of what it does and does not mean and entail.

The book was full of thoughtful exercises for self-awareness, including bringing to one’s consciousness the harshly critical terms we may unthinkingly apply to ourselves. These exercises help to not only identify our negative self-talk, but also to reframe it. There were also exercises to consider healthy parameters to keep us in goblin mode rather than straying into seriously unhealthy realms of behavior.

I recommend this attractive, approachable book!

My thanks to the publisher for a free preview copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Kassie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A resounding "meh." This felt cobbled together with clipart and canva without too much thought. It's a cute journal to encourage self-reflection, but it offers almost no actual information about what to do with what you might find. The aesthetics shift dramatically; some pages are going for cottagecore while others have those weird little cartoon business people vector art. There is also some word art of "goblin mode" quotes, but these are suspect. They include two of the same Austen quote and one that is wrongly attributed to Austen.

I think my biggest gripe is that almost every page says something like "some say this." All this says to me is that they've taken other people's work and are choosing to not give it proper attribution.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Danielle - drops.everything.and.reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

All hail the goblin mode!
I felt this book was a bit of a tongue-in-cheek-guide to slowing down in life, resting, and getting away from the hustle culture.

I feel most people who would pick up this book are those who are already 'goblins' or are close to it; I'm not sure if the book would convince anyone not already inclined to this lifestyle to take it up. It also feels like it is capitalizing a bit on a current trend, as the content felt a bit minimal and perhaps rushed.

I think the overall messaging is important about reconnecting with nature, pausing, being comfortable, etc. and not being apologetic for it.

It was fun. I won't be buying a copy to keep on my bookcase, but it was an entertaining read and validating of my own approach to life.

[Kathryn Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun new different workbook that I haven’t seen before and definitely one that would have caught my eye on a store shelf. As someone who labels themselves as a goblin and going into goblin mode often this was super helpful. I enjoy that the book doesn’t describe being a goblin means you’re messy or gross but more being comfortable, eccentric or a maximalist.

The prompts were all very fun and some were especially helpful going into the fall season. The goblin mode tests and questionnaires were I think one of the funnest parts of this workbook. I will definitely be taking some of these prompts and using them in the future when needed. The art in the book was cute, stilly and perfect and the bonus doodle pages were a chefs kiss.

Thank you NetGalley and Chartwell Books for this ARC!