I know not all of you homesteaders will agree with me, but I LOVE kindle. Don’t get me wrong…. There is nothing like the feel of a real book in my hands and I am not an advocate of paper books going away.
That said, even if you are a firm opponent of kindle books, hear me out. There are a ton of good reasons why you should learn to enjoy kindle books.
First of all, kindle books are almost always cheaper than the paper versions. Even better you can get a lot of kindle books for free if you know where to look. Free is free and I am always up for something I do not have to pay for. But this is not the ONLY reason why you should give kindle books a try if you have not already.
I think having a publishing medium where everyone is on an even footing can only be a good thing for the transfer of information.
Think about it, ANYONE can publish an ebook, so if you have a brilliant idea, are talented at something, or have a wealth of experience you just want to share, anyone can do so.
What does that mean to the reader? Well at the age of 50 I lived in a world were there was no Internet, no ebooks and knowledge was limited by what I could glean from books magazines and classes. Now granted that was a lot of information, but is was nothing when compared to what is available these days.
Just because you cannot get published in paper book format does not mean your ideas are not worth listening to. In fact some of the most creative, ingenious, and practical ideas I have learned have come to me since I started reading on the Internet and reading kindle books.
If you buy a book you get one person’s perspective on how to solve a problem, if you buy or obtain ebooks, and read blogs you get many people’s perspectives on how to solve a problem. Many of which might just be much better than the one in a book that cost you $30.
Electronic devices and technology in general have made the transfer of knowledge far more fluid, and that can never be a bad thing.
That being said, I have prepared a list of free or bargain ebooks for the home and the homestead. Please keep in mind I have not vetted this list in any way, I have merely provided the list for you to choose from.
One more thing, if you do not have a kindle, you can read these on your computer, tablet, or smart phone!
DISCLAIMER: At the time I wrote this post, these books were free or very cheap, please make sure to check the price BEFORE you click buy. I take no responsibility for accidentally buying books you did not mean to, always check first. Keep in mind too, that if you accidentally buy a book you do not want, Amazon does provide a way to undo the purchase.
1) How to Grow Your Own Sweet and Plump Grapes – FREE– Always wanted grapes? This book will show you how.
2) How To Grow Your Own Herbs At Home – FREE – This guide goes through where to put your herbs, what conditions they need to grow, and how to plant and care for them properly.
3) Gardening Basics For Beginners (Gardening Preparedness Series) –Free – If you are new to gardening this book will take you through the basics to make sure you get off to a good start.
4) Container Gardening: The Beginner’s Guide to Planting a Vegetable & Herb Garden without a Backyard (Quick and Easy Series) –Free– Even if you have no place for a garden you can still have a garden this book will show you how to start growing vegetables and herbs in containers.
5) How To Plant Your First Container Gardening –Free- Another book about container gardening
6) Permaculture Chicken: Pasture Basics –Free- This free ebook is more than just about how to feed and raising your chickens but how to do is to ensure optimal health of your flock.
7) Sovereign Living Guide to Backyard Chickens –Free – A hands on book from a family who started with 8 chickens and now has a flock of over 100.
8) How to Make a Quilt – Simple Sampler Quilt Pattern –Free– Quilting is something everyone can learn to do, learn to make your own patchwork quilt with these easy instructions.
9) Circle of Friends – 25 Pie, Crisp & Cobbler Recipes –Free– This recipe book comes from the Gooseberry Patch and is filled with Pie, crisp and cobbler recipes.
10) Gravy :The Ultimate Recipe Guide – Over 30 Delicious & Best Selling Recipes–Free– Everything you ever wanted to know about making homemade gravies.
11) Cake Making Made Easy – Instructions and 60 Cakes –Free– This book has 60 recipes as well as instructions on cake making. If you want to master cakes, this is a great time to do so.
12) Things Mother Used to Make A Collection of Old Time Recipes, Some Nearly One Hundred Years Old and Never Published Before –Free– This book is a true steal for homesteaders and those interested in a simpler life. These recipes are a selection of old time recipes, some never before published.
13) Candy Making Made Easy – Instructions and 17 Starter Recipes Free How to’s and recipes for the beginners.
14) Pumpkin Recipes :The Ultimate Recipe Guide – Over 30 Delicious & Best Selling Recipes –Free– Great Pumpkin Recipes perfect for fall.
15) The Survivalist Cookbook – Recipes for Preppers –Free – This book is for preppers, there are a 75+ recipes to keep you going in case of an disaster.
16) PICKLES AND RELISHES-TWENTY BLUE RIBBON CANNING RECIPES –Free– Quick and easy pickle and relish recipes.
17) How to Grow Squash: Planting and Growing Pumpkins, Zucchini, Summer and Winter Squash, Gourds, and Chayote -Free- How to grow squash, pumpkins, and zucchini. Learn everything from planting and feeding advice to how to deal with disease and pests.
18) How to Start Your Own Gardening Business –Free– Turn your passion and talents into cash, by learning to profit off of your garden.
19) Trailersteading: Voluntary Simplicity In A Mobile Home (Modern Simplicity) –Free – Ever dream of ditching the bills and the mortgage and living debt free, this is just one way to achieve that dream.
Cheap
These books are not free but most of them are $3 or under, a bargain for a book.
20) The Minimalist Mindset: How To Declutter, Downsize, And Get More Fulfillment From Life $2.99 The American dream has become the American nightmare for some, prompting more and more to change the way they live their lives.
21) Seed Saving for the Organic Gardener (Organic Gardening Guides) $4.97 This book is more than just about seed saving, it also helps you tell the differences between the different types of seeds, so you can get the results from seed saving you are after.
22) A Beginners Guide to Organic Vegetable Gardening: Introduction to Composting, Worm Farming, No Dig Raised & Wicking Gardens Plus More… (Simple Living) $2.99 This is a great book, especially for those who really want to grow organic but really do not know how.
23) A Beginners Guide to Companion Planting: Companion Gardening with Flowers, Herbs & Vegetables (Simple Living) $.299 Companion planting is one of the best ways to discourage pest and disease and it helps you plant more in less space. This book is an Amazon bestseller that will walk you through everything you need to know about companion planting.
24) Composting: A Comprehensive Guide to Making Your Own Compost (Compost, Composting, Composting Guide) $2.99 Learn everything you need to know about composting.
25) Worm Composting: & Composting Ideas for use in Organic Gardening & Growing of Vegetables & Herbs $2.99 Worm composting is a great way to feed your garden and to use up some of your kitchen scraps. It also makes a great family project!
26) Worm Composting – Woodworking Plans & Worm Bin Ideas for Use in Organic Gardening $2.99 The author offers up a hundred pages on how to make your own worm bins.
27) One Acre Homestead $2.99 Small farms can be self-sufficient too. This book shows you how.
28) Off The Grid Hydroponics – No Power Needed $3.99 Always wanted to learn about Hydroponics? This book will walk you through it step by step. Their method is not the conventional way, but works perfect for those who want to use hydroponics off the grid.
29) How to Grow Tomatoes, Peppers, and Eggplant: Planting and Growing Organic Heirloom Tomatoes, Sweet Bell Peppers, Chili Peppers, and Gourmet Eggplant $0.99 Do you struggle with growing great tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant this book will show you not only how to grow beautiful plants but how to grow them organically.
30) Egg Production with Urban Chickens: How to Raise Chickens in Your Backyard $2.99 want to keep chickens in the backyard? This guide will show you how.
31) 52 Natural Cleaning Solutions: Recipes for Green Cleaning Products Without Any Pesticides, Carcinogens or Toxic Chemicals (Natural Cleaning Recipes) $2.99 I have always been a fan of natural cleaners, and this book can help you get started. Toss out all of the chemicals in your house and make natural cleaners that will keep your house smelling good and chemical free.
32) Natural Cleaning Recipes: Essential Oils Recipes to Safely Clean Your Home, Save Money, and Protect Your Family (Essential Oils Books) $3.99 Another excellent book on natural cleaners.
33 Smart Soapmaking: The Simple Guide to Making Traditional Handmade Soap Quickly, Safely, and Reliably, or How to Make Luxurious Handcrafted Soaps from Scratch for Family, Friends, and Yourself $2.99 I actually had this book, it is a great simple step by step on how to make soap. She explains it clearly in terms you can understand. One of the best soapmaking books on the kindle market!
34) Food Preservation & Storage at Home – A Step by Step Guide to Canning, Pickling, Dehydrating, Freezing & Safely Storing Food for Later Use $2.99 If you need a book to get you started on canning, this one can help. It will give you everything you need to get set up, and a few recipes to get you started to feeding your family better.
35) Food Storage: The Complete Guide to Food Preservation $2.99 This book will take you through many of the meothods of food storage available to you.
36) An Easy Guide to Sourdough : Delicious Recipes, Starters and More! $2.99 If you need a definitive guide on how to make sourdough this book is for you. Everything you need is here to become a sourdough master.
37) Survival Pantry: The Prepper’s Guide To Food Storage, Water Storage, Canning And Preserving $2.99 Learn how to prep using your canning and preserving skills.
38) Homesteaders ‘Quick Bites’ 3 Book Bundle: Raised Bed Gardening; Growing Organic Vegetables; Raising Chickens $3.25 Currently this bundle is on sale, you get three books, about gardening organically, raised beds, and raising chickens.
39) $10 Root Cellar: And Other Low-Cost Methods of Growing, Storing, and Using Root Vegetables (Modern Simplicity) $1.99 At a loss as to how to store your crops, check out the authors tried and true methods for storing root vegetables.
40) Homesteading (Back to Basics Guides) $3.99 If you are new to homesteading this book can help you get started by giving you ideas on how to reduce your footprint, how to grow vegetables, and how to raise animals.
Misti says
Hi! Great list of books there! I have several. I would also like to think my two eBooks could be in a list like this as well.
Homemade Cleaners: Surprising Ways to Save Money and Help the Environment
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008RCKZ44/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008RCKZ44&linkCode=as2&tag=frugalfamilie-20
and
Grow your own groceries: Vegetables
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EXA9Y50/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00EXA9Y50&linkCode=as2&tag=frugalfamilie-20
Mary Ellen Ward says
I agree with you 100%. We homestead and I also publish for Kindle on Amazon (one published and available now, more in the works now that the growing season is over 😉 ). I think the biggest advantage to homesteading and other non-fiction books on Amazon/kindle/eReaders is the range and availability of different personal perspectives and experiences. To me what independent publishing does is opens up access to more “real world” knowledge. As an author with an economical, time-saving publishing platform I can feel free to target a very select group of readers, whereas I often think the big publishing houses spend too much time in trying to cast a wide net and the result can be that the information, the real first-hand experience that homesteaders and people like us are looking for, is diluted. It has the effect in many cases of not being that useful. As you say, too, with the low cost and easy access of eBooks I can afford to hunt around a little more and glean a little from a number of different people and approaches.