10 Reviews: Best Homesteading Books (Nov 2023)

This Simple & Natural Soapmaking guidebook by Jan Berry will offer ways to make unique botanical soaps. In addition, it presents 50 easy and fantastic soap recipes with ingredients and scents inspired by herb gardens, vegetable gardens, farms, forests, and more.

Also, it is written on 192 pages, each with an easy-to-follow picture or tutorial for beginners. Amazingly, it is tagged as the #1 best seller on Amazon, which has a total rating of 1,462 and is rated almost perfect at 4.8 out of 5 stars. Thus, doesn’t this make you curious about the material inside?

"Has pictures, great instructions, lots of recipes, and good troubleshooting examples"

by Barbara

Read our recommendation for another homesteading book, the Encyclopedia of Country Living. This book teaches a more straightforward way of life with a healthier, greener, more self-sufficient, and holistic approach to modern life. Moreover, it is an essential classic book on the basic skills and country wisdom of living off the land, being prepared, and doing it yourself.

At the same time, it is so basic and reliable that it deserves a place in every home, whether in the countryside, the city, or somewhere in between. Also, it is the most comprehensive source of step-by-step information on growing, processing, and cooking.

"This is my favorite go-to book for pretty much anything. We have a hobby farm and when I need farm advice this is the book I grab. It was written a long time ago and has some funny advice but still has great advice. I recently bought this as a gift for some new hobby farmers and I’m sure they will use it as much as I do."

by farmergirl

Enjoy healthy recipes for preserving fruits, vegetables, meats, soups, sauces, and more in The Homestead Canning Cookbook. In addition, it features 208 helpful pages, so you don’t have to worry about spoiled food. Also, it presents an easy and fun way to do canning right.

By the way, food storage is one of the essential things homesteaders need to learn. Therefore, it’s time for you and your family to get comfortable with food again with the help of this cookbook.

"Best canning book with lots of tips from someone who definitely knows the craft of canning! Delightfully detailed!"

by Karen W.

Own the book Barnyard in Your Backyard for anyone who has ever dreamed of having a small place in the country. Furthermore, it teaches how to raise healthy, happy, and productive farm animals.

In addition, the book written by Gail Damerow has a total of 416 pages, each focusing on a different animal, discussing the pros and cons of raising animals, housing and land requirements, feeding guidelines, and more. Plus, as written on the book cover, it is suitable for beginners who want to take care of animals correctly.

"I recently purchased this book it was very helpful for a first time beginner at farming with livestock. The book is not over complex. JUST the basics which for me was excellent. Would recommend it to anyone that is wanting livestock or anyone that all ready has livestock. It is fun reading as well as informative. I will keep it handy for references as long as i have livestock."

by Pamela J. Moore

If you plan to homestead, you must have the book The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It. Besides, this book has a lot of lessons that teach you how to survive efficiently and correctly. What are these lessons? They include utilizing natural forms of energy, raising crops and livestock, preserving food, making beer and wine, and many more.

Also, it features clear pictures and text for easy understanding. Well, you can’t miss this one to make your life in the countryside easier!

"This book has it all!!! From planning your garden and what tools to use, to harvesting it. There’s composting, to spinning wool, to making bricks and baskets. It really has a bit of it all and has just enough depth you have a chance to learn from it without getting overwhelmed or bored. Very handy book for my new way of life."

by Stephanie

This Foxfire Series book differs from the previous books we described. This one comes in 12 other series. Moreover, this book discusses how to grow plants, perform herbal medicine, sharpen iron, and slaughter pigs are covered in this series.

In addition, this book will be easy to understand because each series has not had many pages, so you can switch series faster. Also, it gets pretty high stars on Amazon at 4.8 out of 5. Overall, this book can be inspiring and practical for homesteaders.

"I've wanted these books for so long! Very happy with my purchase. I received the books earlier than expected, wrapped to ensure they were protected, and they are in PRISTINE condition. If I order any more books from Amazon I'll definitely look to see if Lakeside Books has it first."

by Kris*10

Do you want to know what topics are covered in Folks, This Ain’t Normal? Well, this book is about how far away one is from the simple and sustainable joy of living close to the land and the people we love. It comes in more than 300 pages that you can read at your leisure to learn about homesteading principles.

In addition, it is written by philosopher Salatin who has a lot of thoughts on changing lives in small ways that have a significant impact. Anyway, although this was published in 2012, it is still available on various websites.

"This book has expanded my view into the limitations imposed by the US government on our modern food system and how complicit and unhealthy the majority of consumers are.

As an avid gardener and supporter of the local food movement prior to reading this book, I would recommend this read to anyone with even the slightest amount of interest in the topic."

by sunsfan30

An essential read for homesteaders and anyone interested in creating a more resilient lifestyle is The Resilient Farm and Homestead. This 320-page book by Ben Folk is written in English, so people will find it easy to understand.
On the other hand, it is a practical guide with information on growing crops, soil fertility, water safety, nutrient-dense foods, and more.

Not only that, but the book also offers tools to develop durable, highly functional human habitat systems that are sustained by preparation, regeneration, and resilience. Plus, after reading this, we are sure that you will find it a wealth of helpful information.

"After reading Falk's work here, I could never turn back. He has a fairly unique perspective which is entirely appropriate for the times we live in. Don't hesitate to read this, it's a treasure."

by Nicholas J. Vandervort

Make this next recommended book a guide to your homesteading life, the Attainable Sustainable book by the great author Kris Bordessa. Also, whether you live in the city or the countryside, this essential guide is perfect for achieving a home-based life. Why? Because it offers a directory of 50 delicious recipes for cooking, natural remedies, gardening tips, crafts, and more.

Also, it includes step-by-step instructions for creating easy and cost-effective projects. Finally, filled with 340 color photos, the book is comprehensive and easy to understand.

"I have bought 3 copies, one for me, 2 for gifts! Lots of helpful advice and recipes! Self-sufficiency skills outlined in brief format, making it easy to learn new skills."

by Amazon Customer

You can’t go wrong with the No Dig Organic Home & Garden book, which discusses how organic gardening can save time and work. In addition, this book can help to accelerate soil structure improvement and lead to higher fertility and fewer weeds.

Also, it comes with 9 x 1 x 11 inches dimensions, which you can read and carry anywhere that fits in your bag. Overall, this book has essential lessons but comes at a price of less than $30. So, isn’t this the perfect choice for you?

"What a beautiful book! I love the author's videos on Youtube and I was glad to see his book includes the same level of beauty and depth of information. This isn't a book that was written from other books. It is a collection of hands on expert research that was taken from the field."

by Matt