A Collection of Well Loved Books
Here’s a glimpse into the books I have found interesting and relevant to the topics on One Homely House. It’s like a virtual bookshelf full of my favorite books! I hope you enjoy my selections.
I have included product links to the books on Amazon if you would like to purchase them. As an Amazon affiliate, I do earn a small commission for qualified purchases through these links (at no additional cost to you). Read my full disclosure here.
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The Awakening of Miss Prim, by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera
Prudencia Prim is an intelligent, attractive, independent, and extremely qualified young woman. She feels that her life is missing something, but she’s not quite sure what, and dismisses it as a common psychological phenomenon.
She prizes delicacy and sensitivity, and feels out of place in her harsh, modern surroundings.
When she accepts the post of private librarian in an insignificant village, however, she begins to realize that her views on life are actually quite modern compared to some people.
Her world is turned upside down as she encounters people who hold a completely opposite worldview, and can defend their positions with convincing arguments.
The story unfolds as she is forced to examine beliefs she never thought to question about education, marriage, feminism, religion, and the basis of culture.
The possibility of a romance is overshadowed by the question of whether or not such a relationship could survive between people with widely different worldviews.
This book is full of intelligent, engaging characters who have dared to be different. Their questions will challenge you to think about what formed your own worldview, and whether or not your beliefs stand up to rational objections.
Join Miss Prim on a journey of self-discovery and awakening. You just might find that the world contains more goodness, truth, and beauty than you imagined.
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Cozy Minimalist Home, by Myquillyn Smith
I have a confession to make. I write about homemaking, but I’ve never read a book on home decorating. It’s not my strong suit; perhaps because I’ve never lived in a place long enough to consider decorating worthwhile. Note that I didn’t say I’ve never lived in a place long enough to decorate, just not long enough to consider it worthwhile.
Anyways, the title of this book caught my eye in the library. I’ve been thinking a lot about simplifying this month (it seems to be a common theme in January), and I was curious about how you can make a home feel cozy without much in it.
This book is a quick, easy read for its 205 pages. It took me only a few days to finish, and reading wasn’t my main priority, to say the least!
It’s written for people who have never done much with home decorating, or at least never approached it with a specific purpose in mind. (That’s me. I’ve never thought about houses or rooms this way.)
The author describes a fairly concrete goal of making her home feel cozy and welcoming without excess stuff. Then she goes through the steps to achieve that goal.
She focuses on one room of the house, and says that once you have the system down, you can apply the same steps to every other room.
Her system is fairly straightforward, logical, and easy to remember. I like her method of placing large items of furniture first, and then getting the floors, windows, and walls right.
Her tips about window treatments and choosing sofas were eye-opening! I’m glad I read this before we bought a house.
I don’t completely agree with her ideas about decorating with smaller items, but everyone has their own ideas about these things. (I also don’t really care for her decorating choices, but again, that’s just preference.)
Overall, cozy minimalist decorating is an intriguing concept which I am excited to try. We’re not planning on buying any more furniture for our current cabin (it wouldn’t fit anyways!), but I will be following Myquillyn’s method whenever we do buy a house.
I recommend this book to anyone who is feeling stifled by their belongings and wants to achieve a home that feels peaceful and yet still full of their own style. Or anyone who has embraced minimalism, and now feels like their home is lacking something. Enjoy!
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If you’re looking for resources for traditional cooking techniques and recipes, check out this article on traditional cookbooks. There’s something for the beginner to the seasoned home cook.
