A Year of Living Simply: The joys of a life less complicated (Kate Humble)

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Her last book, Thinking on My Feet, was shortlisted for both the Wainwright Prize and the Edward Stanford Travel Memoir of the Year. A year of Living Simply by Kate Humble was released in 2020. Where to Find Kate Online It also all feels an honest account, when reading the book, which holds a lot of positive, strong values throughout and also just how to ease life a little bit, instead of everything going from 0-100 and missing everything in-between. There seems a lot that society could take from this book and learn from. The minute the book is opened, there is some sort of serenity about it and an optimism. Kate Humble talks briefly about some hard times that she has faced, but it moves onto a positive calmness. It is a joy to read about her walking in the countryside. I, myself am surrounded by countryside and yet, still feel this and a quiet calmness whilst reading this book, in a way I've never known quite possible through a book. A Year of Living Simply is timely, given thatthe pandemic has forced most of us, in someway, to simplify our lives, whether we plannedto or not. Kate wrote it before any of us wereaware of the upcoming crisis, but it capturesthe current moment perfectly. There is a recipefor banana bread, included, she swears,before we became a nation obsessed;advice on making the most of your outdoorspace; thoughts on stepping away from ourphones and social media obsessions (‘I couldn’tbe less interested in what people are havingfor breakfast or what they’re wearing’). It’snot necessarily a ‘how to’ book, more of a‘why not try?’ approach. In this year of living simply, she does a lot of journeying. I didn't expect that. So for the first two-thirds of the book I was trying to reconcile her trips to see people doing wonderful things that recycle, or reuse on a grand scale, especially housing.

The timing of this means you could put your feet up with a cuppa in a cosy sweater and read about the tribulations of life beyond your door. It is an easy read and full of simple ideas and warmth.I had to get over my fear of power tools,” she laughs. “It was a programme so in tune with the book I had just written, about repairing, recycling and finding a new purpose for things.”

It took me a long time to read A Year of Living Simply because I had a considerable amount going on in my life but every time I returned to it I found it complete balm for the soul. It was akin to meeting up with an old friend you haven’t seen for years and yet it’s as if you only saw them a couple of hours ago. And In the same way Kate Humble discovers new skills, I learnt all manner of things from her warm, conversational, humane style. I’m usually sceptical of celebrity endorsements for books, but the comments attached to A Year of Living Simply are absolutely right. It is a treat of a read.Pleasures, she shows come in all different forms, such within people you meet, an unexpected letter or tantalising food. Last thing you put on your credit cardI don’t have a credit card, but the lastthing that went on my debit card wasanimal feed. It is not just the ecological breakdown that we are witnessing that tells us we need to pause for a while and re-think. Rising mental health problems should also give us an indication that we are losing our way. Perhaps the biggest question though is how we manage to do that reflection and make those changes collectively. It feels like we have rarely been so divided as people, whether economically, socially or virtually any other potential line of difference you can think of. Are we capable of cohesive thought and action at this crucial time? Maybe that’s where smaller and less really comes to its own solution, through localised relationships and communities. When big has been the problem for so long, looking for the big solution is perhaps futile. So in the book Kate started to think about what she really enjoyed, but never seemed to spend enough time doing. A keen environmentalist, one of the other areas she considered was how she could reduce her impact on the planet and the amount of resources she was using by learning to repair and repurpose items like previous generations might have done. Overall, this was an enjoyable read. Kate raises several thought-provoking questions and challenges us to think about what are the simple things in life? There were a number of good quotes that I have taken on board for myself, some of which I’ve added to this post.

I'd still like to see any city/suburban working mums with kids under ten who can't disappear off to the country and home-school them take up any of these ideas (other than an allotment). Now that would be a book worth reading.Kate's book has the warmth and calming effect of a log fire and a glass of wine. Unknit your brow and let go. It's a treat.' - GARETH MALONE Bottom line – an enjoyable read if you know very little about alternative lifestyles/technologies and don’t mind the pipedream that it might all come true for you, too. Kate Humble on television never fails to lift my spirits. Her wide smile, buoyant curls, infectious enthusiasm - I was delighted to read her latest book and thank Net Galley for enabling me to do so. The title, ‘A Year of Living Simply’ and the subtitle, ‘The Joys of a Life Less Complicated’ are enough in themselves to pique my interest. I was already well-placed to love this book. I did like it. But I didn’t love it. And it didn’t deliver what I’d expected. Unexpectedly I was very busy doing five different series. My husband is a cameraman and director and we ended up doing a lot of work and I was very grateful to get to do some lovely projects, including Weekend Workshop for Discovery, which was about upcycling. Stay up to date with all the news from Kate’s farm, including the latest courses, events, animal arrivals & special offers.

I just felt aggrieved that she was promoting this simple life, but much of it would only be possible if you had the time and the funds to pursue it. So not really so simple then! And I felt she was slightly judgmental of those who didn’t aspire to these things whilst at the same time trying to be self deprecating about her own abilities eg with making bread. I’d defy anyone to read A Year of Living Simply and not be inspired to change something in their life. It may be something as simple as sorting a shelf (and I have) to a more life altering action as deciding to live off grid, but Kate Humble’s honest, beautifully written book feels like a true catalyst for change at the most personal of levels. This isn’t a self-help book but my word it delivers food for thought and ideas to enhance any reader’s life. It also affords a glimpse into the life of the author that feels a privilege to see. Bottom line - an enjoyable read if you know very little about alternative lifestyles/technologies and don't mind the pipedream that it might all come true for you, too.I’d still like to see any city/suburban working mums with kids under ten who can’t disappear off to the country and home-school them take up any of these ideas (other than an allotment). Now that would be a book worth reading*. Thanks to Netgalley, Aster publishing and Kate Humble for my digital copy of the book for my honest review. Reads like a tv show. Would have worked better as a tv show or if instead of interviewing people we heard their stories first hand as a collection. I wondered why she had to fly to the Taos community with their recycled housing (using bottles and other reclaimed materials) in New Mexico. There is plenty of information about it, after all it’s been going for over forty years.