Expanding my Homesteading Library

Today marked the start of the annual Brisbane Lifeline Booksale, an event known and loved by any bibliophile in the South East Queensland area.

Lifeline is a charity organisation which provides a phone counseling/listening/help line for those who need to call someone for guidance and help in times of desperate need. To raise money Lifeline run a chain of op-shops stocked by donation bins. One thing they get donated in the thousands each year is books. So every year they hold this gigantic (and I don't use that word lightly!) booksale where all the books are pooled at one location and sold en masse at very cheap prices. It is an excellent event to hunt down that elusive book you've been seeking or to just pick up a good read. The best part is knowing that the money you spend is going to a good cause.

I went there today with the goal of expanding my library, in particular the non-fiction gardening, homecare, home-making section of said library, which beforehand was thin to non-existant.

Today's haul at $40 was only half of what I'd usually buy but it was still hefty and I was thankful I took a suitcase on wheels to get it home!

Cookbooks
Though I need another cookbook like I need a tonne of chokoes (that is, not at all!) I picked up three which I couldn't resist.

1) The Commonsense Cookery Book (Book 2) ISBN: 0-207-16694-3
This book, used by Home Economics teachers across Australia, is full of classic, simple, basic recipes that won't require a special trip to an international delicatessen to find that elusive, rare ingredient. (You can tell I've been burned by Womens Weekly cookbooks turning too fancy-pants).

2) Food and Cooking in Medieval Britain: History and Recipes. ISBN: 1-85074-081-X.
An English Heritage printed book full of information and recipes straight from the pages of medieval cookbooks. This was bought for my historical reenactment hobby... couldn't resist it at $2.

3) Australian Early Settlers' Household Lore. (no ISBN)
This little charmer of a book is packed from page to page with recipes from the early days of Australia. From old favourites like Scotch Broth and Treacle Pudding to some of the more outlandish creations like Kangeroo Tail soup. This book has it all! But then as I browsed through further I found instructions on things like making cheese and rhubarb wine as well as recipes for home and gardening like a garlic spray for slugs and soap making. Heck, it even has instructions for trying to speculate on the weather via a 'leech barometer' which uses one healthy leech, pure water and a bottle...

Gardening Books
4) Success with Growing Fruit in Containers. ISBN: 0-86411-821-X
5) Success with Growing Vegetables for Pots. ISBN: 0-86411-787-6
Beautifully illustrated with colour photos. Loads of information on which plants will grow well in pots and how to care for them.

6) Growing From Seed. ISBN: 0-86411-946-1
Again, so full of information that it makes my head spin, this book has seed raising techniques and cultivation information with photo illustrated plant descriptions.

7) The Digger's Club Guide to Gardening Success. ISBN: 0-86824-551-8
Produced by my all-time favourite heritage seed supplier in Australia, the Digger's Club!

8) The Woman's Day Vegetable Gardening (too lazy to find ISBN)
Similar information in this book to the other gardening books but it also has a well set out section on pests specific to vegetables with excellent photos.

Home Care, Homesteading, Environmental Concerns Books
9) Clean House, Clean Planet. ISBN: 0-671-53595-1
Information about the chemical products out there and then more information about (and recipes for) the home-made, environmentally friendly and safer alternatives.

10) The Good Life. M. Moody
11) The Good Life in the 90's. M. Moody.
Anyone in Australia who is looking into homesteading, self-sufficient living and simple lifestyle concepts can't help but come across mention of 'The Good Life'. I almost squealed with joy when I found a copy at $3. Then I did squeal when I found her later released book. I bought both.

11) Home Made. ISBN: 0-454-01053-2
An odd little book that can't decide if it wants to be a craft book or a cook book. Excellent recipes for butter, yoghurt, cheese, jam, preserves and various breads.

12) The Ultimate Book of Household Hints. ISBN: 0-85835-818-2
Exactly what the title says. Hints like how to freshen stale bread or how to soften stiff jeans. Peppered with recipes where suitable, like a recipe for playdough or brewer's yeast.

Home Crafts
13) The Harmony Guide to Knitting Stitches. ISBN: 0-7111-0013-6
Very clear pictures on basic knitting and info on how to read knitting patterns. Then there are well over 100 different knitting stitches, each with a photo of the finished fabric.

Because it was Beautiful
14) The County Diary of an Edwardian Lady. ISBN: 0-7181-1581-3
In 1907 Edith Holden kept a naturalist's diary, complete with poetry and gorgeous watercolour paintings of the flora and fauna she saw in her country walks and garden. It has been reproduced in a book format... so lovely! I bought this beacause it was just beautiful but also because it makes me feel relaxed and slowed-down flicking through it.


So there you go! 14 books, many of them in near new condition, for $40. They are all very useful in their own way and I'm pleased with myself for stopping at my budgeted amount where there was so many books left that I wanted! So. Many. Books.