A Cozy Winter Books for Homesteaders & Hobby Farmers

Looking for winter books to cozy up with on the homestead? Rethink:Rural writer, Mara Watts, shares her top rural living books, fiction and non-fiction, to escape the frosty nights with.

Winter is the perfect time to cozy up with a good book, a warm beverage and a blanket, giving you the chance to unwind from the past year and start planning for the upcoming homesteading season.

While these colder months invite you to rest and relax (that’s nature’s plan, anyways!), they also offer a valuable opportunity to expand your knowledge and prepare for a successful year of hobby farming.

As a huge fan and advocate for reflection and reassessment, I highly recommend taking the time this winter to dive into some practical reading while mixing in a few feel-good novels — especially if you enjoy lighthearted, heartwarming fiction. 

Here, I’ll start by sharing a few practical books that will help you approach spring with new ideas, skills and a solid plan for your hobby farm. Then, we’ll dive into some warm and fuzzy rural living reads that will touch your heart and soul all winter long.

Let’s get to it, then.

Homesteading Books

Successful Small-Scale Farming — An Organic Approach

By Karl Schwenke

When our family moved to rural land, we had big dreams of owning and running a hobby farm with lush gardens and happy, healthy livestock.

It was a nice dream, but we had no know-how. So I bought a book (among others, of course) — Successful Small-Scale Farming, an Organic Approach by Karl Schwenke. An easy, informative read that has helped guide us on our journey to running an efficient organic hobby farm - at least for the most part.

In this book, Schwenke starts with the basics and builds up. He offers practical advice on how to improve soil health, gardening and planting techniques, farm machinery (new and old), cash and specialty crops and more. 

My favorite section is in the back. Schwenke includes an appendix filled with graphs, information and resources that detail how to make the most of your land, no matter how small. This was especially helpful during winter planning for our 2-acre property.

He also includes “social gatherings” and how to host them on your land. A fun way to earn some extra cash from your homestead.

So grab that blanket, settle in and dig into the world of small-scale organic farming with this informative and actionable homesteading book.

Buy a copy on Amazon, or borrow from your local library.

The Complete Guide to Restoring Your Soil

By Dale Strickler

As a hobby farmer or backyard gardener, The Complete Guide to Restoring Your Soil is a must-read for cozy winter days, and I’ll tell you why. 

It’s packed with insights on why healthy soil matters and how you can restore it using organic and regenerative practices. Plus, it pairs well with Schwenke’s Successful Small-Scale Farming (mentioned above), as it elaborates on and echoes the importance of soil as the foundation to successful farming.

In this guide, Strickler takes you on a deep dive into everything you need to know, including: how to improve poor soil quality without the use of foreign dirt, fertilizers and tilling, as well as how to use cover crops, crop rotation, and livestock to help your soil thrive. He also touches on soil microorganisms, why they matter and how to use them to create nutrient- and nitrogen-rich soil.

Curious about how to start a no-till garden? Check out Embrace the Garden Mess: The How-Tos and Benefits of No-Till Gardening.

As you read, I recommend taking notes. Think about your own hobby farm and how the principles can be applied throughout the year. If you’re anything like me, make a list of springtime to-dos so you’re ready to go!

Typically, in the wintertime, the ground is resting and reviving. But as soon as it begins to thaw, there are many steps you can take to improve and build upon the ground to provide a season (and future growing seasons) of nutrient-packed vegetables, fruits and herbs. 

For more soil tips, read up on Soil Preparation for Gardening.

If this is your goal, you need to grab this guide and add it to your homesteading library. 

Seed Catalogs

Now that you know how to improve the health of your soil, it’s time to plan out what you’ll plant in that nitrogen-rich ground.

So hear me out on this one - seed catalogs! They make good winter reads and are often offered for free or at a low cost by popular seed companies. They’re also beautiful to thumb through and usually include helpful gardening tips for the new planting and growing season.

A few of my favorites are:

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company: By far the most beautiful, well-laid out seed catalog known to man (I might be exaggerating a bit, but you’d have to see it to believe it!). The 2025 catalog is out and has over 500 pages of gorgeous heirloom varieties “from around the globe.” If anything, it’s worth grabbing a copy to display on your coffee table. Shop the seeds, marvel at the photographs, read up on interesting seed-related stories, and indulge in some recipes using the food you grow. I highly recommend!

Sow True Seed: This digital or print seed catalog is totally free and always super cute. The company, based in Asheville, NC, commissions artists to create art for their catalog and seed packets, a whimsical take on the world of gardening. Their annual catalogs include heirloom seeds, cover crops and more! They’ll also include instructions and helpful how-tos within.

And while you’re at it, be sure to check out our article on Seed Saving! Learn how to dry and preserve heirloom seeds for future growing seasons.

More Winter Homesteading Reads:

The good and helpful reads don’t end there. Literature abounds in the homesteading world with how-tos, reasons for going rural, self-sufficiency tips and tricks and guides on necessary homesteading skills you’ll need before spring arrives.

Here are a few more recommended books and guides to help you plan for the warmer months ahead:

• Homestead Tsunami by Joel Salatin
• The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner by Ann Larkin Hansen
• Heirloom Skills: A Complete Guide to Modern Homesteading by Alva Herdevall
• The Old Farmer’s Almanac Vegetable Gardener's Handbook by Old Farmer’s Almanac
• Attainable Sustainable: The Lost Art of Self-Reliant Living by Kris Bordessa

For even more homesteading book ideas, check out Rethink:Rural’s Jim Mize’s book list for riding out the winter here and our Best Homesteading Resources for Beginners.

Rural Living Novels

The Blue Castle

By  L. M. Montgomery

If you’ve read and enjoyed Anne of Green Gables like I have, then you need to read The Blue Castle. L. M. Montgomery has a way with descriptive words, painting a picture that lures you deeply into the storyline.

In short, the story is about a young girl named Valancy living with her overbearing mother and cousin. She’s empty and miserable, having never been in love. To escape her reality, she dreams of a beautiful place she calls her “Blue Castle,” the representation of the life she’s always dreamt of.

After a serious medical diagnosis, she decides to take her life into her own hands and live how she wants, ultimately finding love.

This book is beautiful, heartwarming and touching all-in-one. A 5-star read for anyone looking for a charming nature-inspired, small-town story. And, if I’m being completely honest, I read it in less than a week (it’s really that good!).

Find The Blue Castle on Amazon here.

The Magic of Ordinary Days

By Ann Howard Creel

I have a weakness for novels set in the World War II era. The stories of heroism, love amongst war, human compassion and overcoming the odds always seem to draw me in without fail.

So it’s no surprise that this novel has been at the top of my book recommendation list. Plus, it’s well-written and includes many historical details and vivid descriptions, bringing the story to life.

Set in rural Colorado, the main character, Livvy, was forced into an arranged marriage with a farmer named Ray after an unplanned pregnancy. As she adjusts to rural farm life and slowly comes to love Ray, she learns many lessons that are revealed throughout the story. It’s beautiful and an absolute page-turner.

Fun fact: This book was turned into a Hallmark movie!

Grab your copy on Amazon, here, or check your local library listings.

Looking for More Novels to Read this Winter? Check these out.

If you’re anything like me, you’re always on the hunt for new books, especially novels. Consider adding a few of these suggestions to your bookshelf as well:

• Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
• Whispering Winds of Appalachia by John Ellington
• Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
• Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
• The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

Build an At-Home Rural Living Library

Books are invaluable. They open the door to knowledge, real-world information and magical fictional worlds we otherwise wouldn’t have access to.

Whether you’re looking to grow a more practical, skill-based, and knowledge-led homesteading library or want to add some poetical small-town novels, the options here will help jumpstart your rural living library or take it to the next level.

Happy cozy winter reading, y’all!