Nothing like kicking back and enjoying a good book or two..or three. Find a comfortable spot outside on a porch or under a tree and engage in reading an inspiring book in your spare time.
I promise, it will help you feel recharged!
Books are fun to collect and are extra fun if you can get them for a fair price at the local thrift store or on amazon.
To be honest, I order most of my books from Amazon because I love not having to drive anywhere—the books get delivered to my front doorstep. I can open up the box and start reading at that moment if I really want to.
This summer, I have been carefully making my way through a few books. Some homestead and garden related, some not.
I want to share with you my top picks for a good summer read or for filler in your spare time.
How do you stop social media addiction?
A few months ago, my entertainment in my free time was consisting of scrolling through TikTok (guilty) and occasionally throwing a show on the TV. One night, I literally felt sick (mentally and physically) from staring at my phone. My eyes were watering and my brain’s mental capacity felt hindered and weak.
I believe our bodies respond to the way we treat them and mine was responding negatively to the overabundance of media I was drowning it in. I decided right then to pick up books or engage in my creativity whenever I found I wanted to scroll on my phone.
I picked up a book I had been reading on and off for the past few months called From Blood and Ash. In the beginning of the year, I had read Dracula then The Count of Monte Cristo. Both classics and both amazing reads.
The Count of Monte Cristo left me dead in my tracks, and I felt like I couldn’t pick up or engage another book because I had just lived through a masterpiece and nothing could top it.
What is a good fiction action book?
From Blood and Ash had been one of my random book buys in the beginning of the year when I was on a book binge. I began to read it after The Count of Monte Cristo. It definitely did not compare in any way, but I understood that it was a different kind of book—one for an easy read and to fill the gaps of my free time.
I had seen it on social media as a highly recommended read for romance/thrill/fiction narrative, so I figured I would pick it up. So far, it has been a slow read, but I enjoy the fantasy aspect of the book. The main character is a girl who has been chosen to be the Maiden of her society.
She is cloaked by a veil every day and is patiently waiting her “Ascension.” She doesn’t know whether or not her Ascension will kill her, but she has no way of escaping being the society’s Maiden.
Her superpower is that she can absorb people’s emotions—she mostly does it to take away pain that people feel. Vampire-like peoples shadow her kingdom and threaten their livelihood and murk about plotting an overthrow.
Among all of this, the Maiden’s love interest becomes part of her Royal Guard…the drama. As you can tell, this book is a fun time-filler if you enjoy fantasy.
I won’t lie, I enjoy escaping reality to distant kingdoms occasionally. Probably why I love videogames as well.
What is a good canning book?
The Ball Book of Home Preserving has been out on my counter this entire summer. There are canning recipes for all sorts of foods and there are easy to follow instructions for canning and troubleshooting tips in the book.
I love that this book has an in depth glossary where I can look up “raspberry” and be bombarded with tons of different canning recipes that contain raspberries. The recipes in this book have been tested and are approved canning recipes.
From what I have been able to try for myself from this canning recipe book has been successful. I would recommend this book if you are looking to get into canning and curious to learn more.
Not only will you learn about canning, but also you will have a plethora of recipes to choose from.
What is a beginner level gardening book?
The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible is a must have if you are wanting to learn more about gardening or are a seasoned gardener. I have been making my way through this book and the author, Edward C. Smith, makes gardening and the associated gardening methods easy to understand.
Sometimes, I feel gardening can seem complex and can be made complex, but it doesn’t have to be! This book has given me confidence to take on my garden and plan for a better year next year.
I am a visual learner, and this book has plenty of pictures that I can process and take the ideas to my garden.
For example, it has a picture guide of how to assemble trellises in the garden—I needed that!
Is The Count of Monte Cristo a good book?
The Count of Monte Cristo is hands down the best book I have ever read in my entire life. I am not currently reading it, but it is on my list to revisit in the near future. I remember my dad telling me to read this book in high school, but I was intimidated by the length and never did.
I finally picked it up this year, and was immediately thrown into the depth of the story. Young Edmond Dantes, a peasant tasked with being a sailor is betrayed by people close to him and throw into the most dreadful prison.
There, he meets a life mentor and is tasked with finding a treasure. What he does with this treasure (immaculately plotted revenge) plays out beautifully and is inspired by a true story!
The action starts fast and is packed through the whole book—this is not a slow read through it is a long book.
What is a good fantasy book?
Assassin’s Apprentice is the last book I am reading. Like I said, I enjoy fantasy so it only makes sense that I picked up a book that helps my mind escape to a different world.
The bastard son of a royal person tries to find his way in a world where he isn’t wanted. Sounds a lot like Game of Thrones Jon Snow, right? I would normally recommend The Game of Thrones books, but after the show’s disappoint, no.
I will recommend the Assassin’s Apprentice though. The bastard son finds his niche in society and his life’s purpose that he is kept around and alive for. This has been a fast read for me, and I can’t wait to continue the series! I love reading books that are in a series because I become attached to the characters and want to continue their life with them.
That’s my reading list for the summer! A good variety of homestead and fantasy. I would never recommend anything I didn’t enjoy, so I hope you find the same happiness as I do in these reads!
