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favorite books on country life?

post #1 of 15
3/31/05 at 12:40pm
Thread Starter 
anyone have favorite writers who write about daily life in the country, or even the city-to-country transition? I'd love to read others' experiences, reminders of the benefits. a sort of pep talk I guess.

I am still in the culture shock stage. I love having the creek nearby and the pretty views but I miss the city.

thanks, mamas

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post #2 of 15
4/2/05 at 1:48am
John Seymour seems to be a good one -- I have a book of his on the way from amazon, The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It, or something similar. I like Amazon because they tell you books that people who bought that one also bought, and have, oh what is it called, Listmania -- people submit book lists, and if the book you choose is on one, you can see the whole list. There was a thread in, hmmmm, maybe Digging in the Earth, or Natural Home and Body Care before this sub-forum was created, for voluntary simplicity -- there were a lot of book recommendations there. I'll see if I can find it. Maybe I'm not remembering correctly.

ETA: Here it is. It was sustainable living, not voluntary simplicity.
post #3 of 15
4/2/05 at 1:55am
carla emerys encyclopedia of country living. i love this book! i use it all the time!
post #4 of 15
4/2/05 at 2:04am
I'm sorry, I just prattled off an answer there -- it wasn't until I reread your post when my reply loaded that I realized you don't sound happy where you are. I don't know what to suggest. I love living in the country, my dh prefers the city. We are in the city now, he knows that I pine for the country, and I think he wants to give me that, but it wouldn't be feasible now anyway. I cope by taking off for nature trails as much as possible, and doing my groceries at pick-your-owns in the summer as much as I can. :LOL How close are you to a city? Is it possible for you to get in there now and then? I think if you miss the city, you're apt to feel really isolated out there. I think dh finds it boring -- the city is so much more exciting, there is more going on, even if he's not involved in it, he can just feel the energy around him.

You might enjoy better something like the Little House on the Prairie books. Noah's Children by Sara Stein talks about the benefits of raising kids close to nature (it's not a religious book). The Have More Plan, the family who wrote that decided to leave the city to raise their family, and it talks about the benefits. Dated, but interesting.
post #5 of 15
4/25/05 at 11:37pm
I love River Place -- One Man's Search for Serenity by Doug Baker, a former columnist at the Oregon Journal (1970's). He travels back and forth between Portland and his place on the river. He talks a lot about the differences (but he much prefers the country life), about repairing the old house, his neighbors (and the cultural differences), good food, raising chickens, etc. They're all short essays (some were used in his column). It's an old book; you may find only a used copy.
post #6 of 15
4/26/05 at 12:58pm
I would definatly recommend Carla Emery's book. I have had the awsome opportunity to meet her, and she is such a wonderful person
post #7 of 15
5/20/05 at 12:30pm
Another plug for E of Country Living. I nearly loved it to death, but duct tape brought it back!
post #8 of 15
5/20/05 at 9:53pm
Definitely anything by the Nearings - The Good Life, etc.

I recently got from the library Hard Times in Paradise: An American Family's Struggle to Carve Out a Homestead in California's Redwood Mountains by Mickie Colfax - it was pretty fascinating. Homeschooling family in the 70's - it's pretty good at showing the depth of work involved. Most of their kids went to Harvard, which I think at that time was really amazing for homeschooled country kids.

I also really like Woodswoman by Anne LaBastille.
post #9 of 15
5/25/05 at 3:32pm
I really love Walden.....and some really odd pioneer books that I found at the second hand store. It sounds funny, but it made me count my blessings...I mean, at the time I thought that my life was pretty tough, but nothing in comparison!

In terms of useful books though - and a really good read too - I love Basic Country Skills by John and Martha Storey. It has loads of really good info about a huge variety of topics - including recipes! Dh gave it to me as a gift when I was feeling really dejected about living here, and all of the challenges that an old house presents and it got me through some rough times....

I also read Harrowsmith Country Life (Canadian) at the library...a guilty pleasure
post #10 of 15
5/25/05 at 8:54pm
post #11 of 15
6/2/05 at 5:20pm
My library list just gets longer and longer...
post #12 of 15
6/2/05 at 8:52pm
Thread Starter 
thanks for all the great suggestions. I discovered that dh has a copy of carla emery, under his stack of nursery catalogs. I look forward to checking it out.

my library has the nearings and hard times in paradise. I'm eager to track down river place.

I also thought it's about time I reread barbara kingsolver's essays. many of them are concerned with ecology, and she has a keen eye for observing nature.
post #13 of 15
6/6/05 at 1:50pm
Carla Emery's book.. for sure.
post #14 of 15
6/6/05 at 4:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kangamitroo
I also thought it's about time I reread barbara kingsolver's essays.
I love her novels. Are these essays in a book, or where can I find them?
post #15 of 15
6/8/05 at 6:12pm

Books I Like

I really enjoy reading books about country living, low-impact, natural lifestyles, etc. Here are some I have enjoyed about the transitional to country life and some about living on a farm.

My first and fave (after Thoreau/Emerson) was "Simple Living" by Wanda Urbanska and Frank Levering. They move from busy, entertainment lifestyle in CA to the family farm/orchard in Virginia. I could read it, again and again. They may have written more books.

"A Country Year" by Sue Hubbell She writes about beekeeping among other things.

"Better Off" by Eric Brende about living off the grid, as an experiment in an established community of people who were already off it. How it changed him and his family.

"Harvest:A Year in the Life of an Organic Farm" by Nicola Smith with lots of great photos, an honest look at a couple with a toddler who pursue organic farming in the NE.

"Fifty Acres and a Farm" is a humorous look at moving to lots of land and feeling kinda clueless. by Jeanne Marie Laskas She wrote "The Exact Same Moon" later about farm life and adopting.

"Becoming Native to this Place" by Wes Jackson is more enviro and academic of a read.

"This Organic Life" by Joan Dye Gussow reading it right now...an older woman recounts her life with artist hubby and their drive to plant stuff.

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