It's summer and time to renew my love affair with some of my favorite homemaking reads!  As a voracious reader, my nightstand is packed with books of all types which I am working my way through, and my daughter and I are frequent visitors to our three local libraries.  But, as summer rolls around, I have several old favorites which I repeatedly return to as a means of settling back and renewing my focus on the goodness of life as a wife, mother and member of my community.  Each of these books has a personal meaning to me but most of them were written years ago and may be difficult for others to find.  But if you can find them, I hope you will enjoy them as much as I have!

1.  "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck:

This Pulitzer Prize winning novel written by Ms. Buck is a classic and a favorite for the human feelings it explores during good, bad and absolutely horrific times.  Written from the viewpoint of a Chinese male, it still captures perfectly the challenges of life as a parent and a spouse and the often difficult dealings with family.  Through it all remains the main character's love of his land and of nature--and the blessings of a simple life well lived.  

2.  "Anne's House of Dreams" by Lucy Maud Montgomery:

I have loved the "Anne of Green Gables" books and movies for years and a trip to Prince Edward Island is still at the top of my list of places to visit with my daughters, but years ago, I found an early edition of the book, "Anne's House of Dreams", in an antiques store and have loved reading it ever since.  For those who are fans of the series, Anne Shirley needs no introduction and in "Anne's House of Dreams", she is as charming as ever though is now a married woman in her first home.  As a woman, wife, mother and homemaker, I certainly can relate to Anne's desire to make her first home a "house of dreams" for herself and her family.  One of my favorite parts of the book is actually the ending when she and Gilbert are leaving the home to move elsewhere.  The book finishes,

She went out, closing and locking the door behind her.  Gilbert was waiting for her with a smile.  The lighthouse star was gleaming northward.  The little garden, where only marigolds still bloomed, was already hooding itself in shadows.

Anne knelt down and kissed the worn old step which she had crossed as a bride.

"Good-bye, dear little house of dreams," she said.  

Anyone who has loved a home and left it to move on, will feel the sentiment Anne expresses in this book.  

3.  "Sixpence in Her Shoe" by Phyllis McGinley:

This book written in 1960 by Phyllis McGinley, the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet is one I discovered at a libary book sale years ago.  Ms. McGinley wrote this as an answer to the radical women's movement starting during the sixties and it focuses on the importance and dignity found in the roles of motherhood and homemaking.  Much of it is dated and may seem hopelessly idealistic, but Ms. McGinley is a wonderful writer and her defense of motherhood and marriage are spot on.  As she writes in her introduction to the book, 

"So highly do I regard our profession and its importance to the human scheme, it seems to me occupation sufficient to fill a life, a heart."

4.  "The Art of Living": A Collection of Stories on Life from the Reader's Digest:

This book, compiled in 1958, is a gem and while written years ago, its lessons, advice and inspiration are timeless.  In this collection you will find stories written by famous and not so famous writers on subjects as varied as life itself, from articles on ""How to Deal with Your Tensions" to "There is no Unanswered Prayer".  It's a fun read because each article can be read separately from the others and it's easy to peruse the table of contents and find a story written to address whatever mood you are in or problem you may be dealing with.