First let me say I loved the premise of this self-help book and the illustrations were fantastic. Unfortunately, while the Passport layout was easy to follow and the explanations of the words/themes blended in a cohesive way, I found the content came up short as it read more like Sampler to capture my attention for a future series. I would love to see the author expand on each section in greater detail, perhaps each as it own novel?

First off, the cover is beautiful! Secondly, I really enjoyed learning more about different self-care throughout history and the world and will definitely be trying to implement some over the Christmas period.

This is a cute little book. I really liked the layout and the break down of it all! I would of liked more tips in each section and then at the end. But overall I loved the break down of each word and then the illustrations were also a wonderful touch! This would make a great little gift book or just a book to have on the shelf to remind you of different ways to relax.

ARC from Netgalley and publisher for honest review

Love this book! It gives brief overviews of peaceful living traditions/ideologies from around the world, broken into the categories of Focus & Awareness, Body & Wellness, Habits & Rituals, Rest & Relaxation, Patience & Poise.

Some of my favorites are:

Ayliak - Bulgarian for the art of living slowly and without worries

Apramāda - Sanskrit for ethical vigilance, attentiveness or heedfulness

Flâneur - French for a man who strolls leisurely around while observing society

Desabafár - Portuguese to take some fresh air; to vent

Hózhó - Navajo for a philosophy of wellness through balanced living

* Fika - Swedish for a coffee break as a social activity, often with sweet baked goods

Dominguear - Spanish to partake in activities associated with Sunday

Sadhana - Indian for dedicated practice or learning

Nuchi Gusui - Japanese to treat ones food as medicine for living

* Fredagsmys - Swedish for Friday coziness

Abbiocco - Italian for drowsiness, particularly afternoon a large meal

Fjaka - Croatian for sleepiness; relaxation of body and mind; doing nothing; daydreaming

Couthie - Scottish for amiable, friendly (person) and comfortable, snug (of a thing or place)

Morgenfrisk - danish for morning freshness; feeling rested when you wake up in the morning

*Villasukkapäivä - Finnish for a woolen socks day

Belum - from Bahasa Indonesia. Meaning “not yet”

Voorpret - Dutch for pre-fun; the joy of anticipation

Upeksha - the sense of equanimity is my favourite word from this brilliant book. I loved how beautiful the illustrations were. This book is as much about reading as it is about watching the illustrations. The pictures are indeed worth a thousand words each. They are absolutely lovely and worth the price of the book alone. I want to buy one in glossy hardcover.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.

Colorful and peaceful illustrations work well to go along with the text. The book gives us words from multiple languages/cultures that relate in some way to serenity, including information about the word and its usage. Additionally, interspersed are helpful activities to reinforce the serenity theme.

This is a delightful little book filled with ideas from around the world to practice mindfulness. I loved the idea of taking this singular focus and looking at ways that different cultures apply it. It is a perfect introduction to a lot of practices with descriptions and how-tos. A reader can then research any of these ideas further if they want more details and background. The illustrations make this a fun book to flip through and engage with. The Serenity Passport would be a great gift, especially for those who want quick hits of information about being mindful.