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

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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 Most people will recognise Kate Humble from telly. She’s a well-known face; honest, appealing, the kind of person you’d like to sit down and have a cuppa with and chat, knowing you’ll come away enriched by the experience. It’s thus a joy that Humble’s new book, A Year of Living Simply, reflects her broadcasting style. It’s conversational, thoughtful, funny, at times even profound, and just strips away a lot of the nonsense we’ve been obsessed with in our twenty-first century, all singing all dancing world, to what really matters: being happy and how we achieve it. If you’re a fan of Kate Humble then buy this book as you will enjoy it. Kate’s writing is open, honest and easy to read. You will learn more about Kate’s ‘off screen’ country life. As a dog owner myself, I enjoyed reading Kate’s country walks with her dogs. I totally identified with the simple pleasure of dog walking. Getting out in the fresh air, enjoying nature and giving yourself some space and a chance to unwind a busy mind. Now that’s simple living. Where to Buy I also loved how she shared her own personal memories of happy times with friends and family, and how things have changed over the years that people seem to value things differently now.

This book has been patiently sitting on my Netgalley Shelf for a couple of months now. So I’m pleased to have been able to read it this week. Here’s my book review of A Year Living Simply by Kate Humble. 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 It was still quite interesting, as we get to see a lot of different points of view, and read about many things from gardening to cooking bread to building your own house to sewing… Instead, we actually follow Kate Humble while she meets tons of people who have changed their way of living, and who tell her about their own stories and experiences.PDF / EPUB File Name: A_Year_of_Living_Simply_-_Kate_Humble.pdf, A_Year_of_Living_Simply_-_Kate_Humble.epub 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 vaguely recognised the author’s name from tv shows my husband and son enjoy watching. They are both outdoorsy country types and so I absorb some things, at least by some sort of osmosis.

It was a very lovely read, and though I didn't know who Kate Humble was, I now know that would be more than happy to discover her other books! Overall, an interesting if somewhat hypocritical view of minimalism, self-sufficiency and anti-consumerism. My views differ somewhat considerably but perhaps an interesting read for someone who is starting their own journey. Humble debut as an on-screen character in Spymaker: The Secret Life of Ian Fleming in 1990. Humble began her TV profession as a scientist, later exchanging to showing projects, for example, Top Gear, and Tomorrow’s World. I have a garden and we spent a long time creating a vegetable patch, but I didn’t spend enough time in it. I looked at the resources around me and thought ‘how can I use them better in a way that will make me fully happy’? You can feel a bit disconnected and that we are like flotsam and jetsam being cast around.” I thought I was going to read about someone sharing her experience of her first year "starting a new simple life", sharing her tips, some kinds of "how-to's".There's plenty about "earthships" and about shopping too and I must admit, I love her attitude to shopping in a physical shop. It's also interesting reading about her gain knowledge on gardening. What I particularly love is her philosophy for happiness, which is the subject of her new book, A Year of Living Simply. The clue is in the title. Remember the basics. Instead of barging through the day on autopilot, really stop to think about the tiniest little things that added a moment of joy. No, of course stopping and smelling the flowers won't cure all our ills and woes. But taking the time to savour the things that bring pleasure, really being in that moment and appreciating it, can remind you that most days have moments that buoy your mood.' - JO ELVIN, MAIL ON SUNDAY YOU 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. Materially, many of us have more possessions than our ancestors could have imagined. Thanks to technology we are more connected than ever. And yet numerous surveys have found that it doesn’t necessarily lead to happiness. 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.

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. Once all the seeds were potted and growing was underway, Kate turns her attention to other ‘simple life’ projects to try. She takes a bread making course and shares a few recipes for bread & chilli jam. Ok, now we’re getting something useful. Sadly, next up was a trip to New Mexico for three weeks to help build an Earthship (Google it I had to!). I enjoyed how the book is written—somehow, it feels like you're having a chat with Kate Humble, just like you would with a friend.

Pleasures, she shows come in all different forms, such within people you meet, an unexpected letter or tantalising food. 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.