The Winter Reading List

One of my favorite things to do is to read. It’s something my mom instilled and encouraged in me from a very young age. I enjoy reading so much, finding time to spend between the pages of a good book is actually one of the minor priorities I listed when mapping out my Simple Life plan.

Several years ago, this love of the written word led me to starting an annual Winter Reading List on my blog. I chose a winter reading list for a reason. In spring, I am primarily outside in my greenhouse starting seedlings, or getting my garden ready for planting. In summer, I am weeding, harvesting, and preserving the fruit, vegetables, and herbs I grow. In fall, I’m back in the garden either planting fall goodies, or getting the beds ready for a long winter’s nap. 

Are you ready to start planning your Winter Reading List? Listen in to develop a good strategy for what you’ll be reading this winter – and get some ideas of what to add to your list!

4th Annual Winter Reading List

Transcript

One of my favorite things to do is to read. It’s something my mom instilled and encouraged in me from a very young age. I enjoy reading so much, finding time to spend between the pages of a good book is actually one of the minor priorities I listed when mapping out my Simple Life plan.

Several years ago, this love of the written word led me to starting an annual Winter Reading List on my blog. I chose a winter reading list for a reason. In spring, I am primarily outside in my greenhouse starting seedlings, or getting my garden ready for planting. In summer, I am weeding, harvesting, and preserving the fruit, vegetables, and herbs I grow. In fall, I’m back in the garden either planting fall goodies, or getting the beds ready for a long winter’s nap. 

Although I do read during these three seasons, Winter seems to be the one in which I get to do the most of it. Outside is too cold to do much. Inside, I have most of my heavy winter chores done in the first week or so. That leaves me plenty of time to work on handmade gifts for the upcoming year and to catch up on my reading. 

Many people who have a chance to read just grab a book that looks interesting and start turning pages. Me? I have method to my madness. My Winter Reading List is actually chosen very carefully – and to be sure I have what I want to read on hand, I start planning it the first of December.

First, I consider what research I need to do for future plans. When we first moved to the farm, my list was longer than the time I had to read, so I chose the things I wanted to implement as soon as possible. Hence, I read a lot on gardening, choosing a milk cow, how to raise cows and chickens, and other farm-related books. 

Now, my research stems more towards different methods of baking bread, historical ways of using fiber, such as Nalbinding (which is a predecessor of knitting and crochet using a bone or wooden needle), and work-related books on marketing, writing, or other instructional information. 

Once I have at least a few research books on my list, I then turn to some of my other interests. I love reading historical accounts – especially on the history of crafting. Books on the Depression Era, Memoirs, and biographies are usually on the list. 

Next, I choose books by writers I know. This year, my friend Crow Johnson Evans published a book called ‘Me and Mrs. Henrietta’. It is a beautifully written book – and I confess that I didn’t wait until winter to read it. But it’s definitely going on this year’s 4th Annual Winter Reading List – which I’ll tell you more about in a bit.

As I’m always trying to stretch my horizons, I choose books that are outside of my favorite genres. My friend Margaret gave me a suggestion for that, which is a book called The Timepiece by Heather Albano. As Margaret put it, this book is a ‘steam punk time travelling’ novel. Ordinarily, I’m not sure it would be something I would choose, but the historical aspect of it incited my curiosity, and I found a copy. It was fascinating to me, and I had no choice but to read the next ones in the series – just to find out what happens. 

And that is the essence of a good book. It doesn’t matter what genre you prefer, anyone who reads wants a book that will hold their interest from page one. And unfortunately for me, I have so many books I want to read this winter, I’ll either have to forego some of my winter chores or stretch my winter reading well into the summer!

You may not be an avid reader or understand why reading is so valuable. There are actually many reasons. 

First, reading opens you up to many new worlds, lifestyles, and gives you the opportunity to explore places you may never get to go. I’ve always dreamed of seeing castles in Scotland, but with the unrest in the world, I’m not as excited about leaving the safety of my home and country. Plus, traveling that far is an expense I’m not willing to shell out. For me, it isn’t just the airfare, hotels, and meals. It also means hiring a farm sitter, which adds to the cost. Instead, I’m perfectly content to read books on the castles. And in some cases, these books give me more in-depth information on their gardening practices, which I can then in turn try in my own gardens. 

Another reason to read is to gain knowledge. The world is changing so much, just learning how to operate new technology is reason enough. But almost anything you can dream of doing has a book on how to get started and often is followed up with more books on advanced practices. And all of this doesn’t include the idea of going back to school to earn a degree or certification in a specialized field. If you are going to school, reading is the most basic requirement. 

Reading also helps you with skills for socialization. Bet you didn’t see that one coming, did you? But even though most reading is something you do alone, the book you are reading can become a conversation piece. Or the information you glean from reading can help you participate in discussions. You may have heard of someone being described as ‘well read’. If you are described as such, it probably means you are viewed as someone with a certain level of intelligence. 

To be well read also helps you with language skills. It helps to increase your vocabulary. In some ways, it also helps you to reason, and understand ‘the vernacular’. The Red Badge of Courage written by Stephen Crane is one of the best examples of a book being written in the vernacular that I can think of. When something is written in vernacular, this means dialogue is written in the dialect or language of the region the character is from. The main character, teenage Private Henry Fleming speaks in dialect throughout the book. This helps to bring his character to life. 

And. Of course, with spelling being a part of language arts, reading may also help improve your spelling. By reading the words, you quickly recognize the letter placement. The next time you have to write something, being an avid reader may just help you to actually spell the words correctly!

These may all be some great reasons to spend more time reading, but my favorite reason is just for the sheer enjoyment of it. Reading is a great escape for me. When I have a particularly tangled issue to work on, it helps to lose myself in a book. This prevents me from thinking about it too hard. By the time I’m finished with my chapter (or even most of the book, if you want to know the truth), my mind is a bit clearer, and I am able to start working on a resolution for the problem. 

Reading also introduces me to totally new concepts. I may not want to build a time travel machine and wander around the dark ages, but I am interested in learning more about ancient forms of gardening, handcrafting, and farming. By reading about how it was done, I can often adapt those practices and try something new to me right now. I did just that when I discovered Nalbinding – and even learned how to make my needles out of bone, just like they did in 6000 BC.

If you’re like me and love to read, but aren’t sure where to start, visit me over at the Farm Wife for the 4th Annual Winter Reading List. This is something I post the first week of December every year. It’s a combination of books that are on my personal list plus books that are recommended to me by others. This year will be the 4th Annual Winter Reading List. The theme is going to be ‘What Writer’s Read’. One of the first things a new writer is taught is to read everything they can within the genre they want to write. But most writers I know just love to read – inside or outside of their writing scope. And by talking to them, I now have quite a few more books I want to read this winter! 

Are you ready to start your own Winter Reading List? Then this podcast and the 4th Annual Winter Reading List is a good place to start. And if you have your own favorites, be sure to stop by for a visit and let me know what you are reading. I would love to add your selections to next year’s Winter Reading List! 

 If you want to learn more about living a Simple Life, just visit my website at www.thefarmwife.com/ . If you’re enjoying listening to these podcasts, you can support the show by clicking the SUPPORT button in the show notes. When you do, you’ll be helping me continue bringing you fun and helpful ideas for living the Simple Life you love!

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Thanks again for stopping in. I will see you next week on Living a Simple Life with a Back Porch View. And while you are waiting for the next episode, grab that glass of refreshment, pull up a rocker, and sit back for a while. It’s time to relax and enjoy.

 4th Annual Winter Reading List