A Year of Living Simply: The joys of a life less complicated

by Kate Humble

'Simply wonderful' - BEN FOGLE

'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

'Kate Humble pours her enviable knowledge into attainable goals. It's a winning combination and the prize - a life in balance with nature - is definitely worth claiming' - LUCY SIEGLE

'As ever, where Kate leads, I follow. She has made me reassess and reset' - DAN SNOW

'Kate Humble's new book is a lesson in moving on from a tragedy and finding our place in the world' - WOMAN & HOME

' A Year of Living Simply is timely, given that the pandemic has forced most of us, in some way to simplify our lives, whether we planned to or not. Kate wrote it before any of us were aware of the upcoming crisis, but it captures the current moment perfectly... It's not necessarily a "how to" book, more of a "why not try?" approach' - FRANCESCA BABB, MAIL ON SUNDAY YOU

'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' - JO ELVIN, MAIL ON SUNDAY YOU

If there is one thing that most of us aspire to, it is, simply, to be happy. And yet attaining happiness has become, it appears, anything but simple. Having stuff - The Latest, The Newest, The Best Yet - is all too often peddled as the sure-fire route to happiness. So why then, in our consumer-driven society, are depression, stress and anxiety ever more common, affecting every strata of society and every age, even, worryingly, the very young? Why is it, when we have so much, that many of us still feel we are missing something and the rush of pleasure when we buy something new turns so quickly into a feeling of emptiness, or purposelessness, or guilt?

So what is the route to real, deep, long-lasting happiness? Could it be that our lives have just become overly crowded, that we've lost sight of the things - the simple things - that give a sense of achievement, a feeling of joy or excitement? That make us happy. Do we need to take a step back, reprioritise? Do we need to make our lives simpler?

Kate Humble's fresh and frank exploration of a stripped-back approach to life is uplifting, engaging and inspiring - and will help us all find balance and happiness every day.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Lifestyle, Biography, Audiobook, Nature, Memoir

304 pages, Paperback

Published June 3, 2021

Reviews

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, however, I felt the name & the blurb were both very misleading.
What I expected was not what I got. The author enjoyed a break in a remote area of France, so much so, she bought a place there herself.
She wants to learn more about eco houses, so jets off to Mexico and Amsterdam.
Growing vegetables is a wonderful way to become self-sufficient, so hire someone to plant them for you.
This was not a year of living simply for Kate Humble, it was a year of spending lots to see how other people are living. While there is nothing wrong with doing this (though others may argue that) I feel that the message should be made clear before someone who wants to learn how live simply and save money buys the book under the illusion that it may be filled with wonderful tips and advice.

[Cathy Hayes · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Kate Humble as a nature and wildlife presenter and thought this might be an interesting look at different ways to look at ways to simplify life. Some of the chapters were better than others but overall I found it a bit irritating. Flitting around the world to spend time with different lifestyle gurus didn’t seem much like living simply and it came across as a bit ‘hippie chick’ with plenty of money! Not for me!

[Kate Hewitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting, but it was not what I'd expected. I was hoping for tips for the average person on living simply and stripping things away, but instead it was more of a memoir about a woman who had the opportunity to buy a house in France and travel around the world finding ways to simplify her life--entertaining but not possible for most of us! I guess it's easier to live simply if you have a lot of money. Still, once I realized it was not what I thought it was, it was an enjoyable and entertaining read, if not of as much practical help as I'd hoped.

[Sophy H · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can see what Humble was trying to do here but hmm something doesn't sit right with me. I think it's the fact that she promotes a "take a lighter step on the earth" approach in this book, really pushing for us all to recycle, reuse, buy less, lower the carbon footprint, which is fine when you're not trolling off to London or flying abroad for work multiple times a year (which incidentally is Humble's TV career and exactly what she does in this book!)

Being able to go to writer's huts on friends multi-acreage farms is a privilege of the rich, as is flying to far flung places to look at eco-houses or sustainable communities. I don't know, I don't want to sound bitter but I think it's always easy for celebrities to spout about paring down and living a simpler life, purely because they're financially comfortable enough to do this in the first place.

Humble owns a multi-acre farm and she is a brand with multiple businesses all doing exceptionally well for themselves. The message in the book feels a little hypocritical therefore.

On the plus point, there were some valuable resources listed at the back of the book which I made a note of.

[Paula Corker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet

[Holly Doherty · Rating 1 out of 5]

Basic, boring and not as described.

Pros
- Some nice descriptions
- Some interesting facts


Cons
- As others have said the title is misleading. This is Kate’s year of visiting other people who live simply and failing to adopt the lifestyles she’s promoting. She doesn’t succeed at bread making, veg growing or sewing. As most of us wouldn’t if we’re being honest. So what’s the takeaway?
- Reads like a tv show. Would have worked better as a tv show or if instead of interviewing people we heard their stories first hand as a collection.
- Some bits go on too long. I can’t believe how long the Earthships section went on for. Only for her to finish by revealing that they are primarily made with concrete so they’re not that good for the environment after all and that it’s better not to build a new house.
- Inaccessible. Most of the things described in this book cannot be put into practice by normal people because they require significant time and money. Though she talks a lot about how people are living these lives on a budget, for people who don’t come from a background of money so they have a security blanket or have money to invest in the life in the first place, it’s not possible.
- Weird structure. Some sections were wildly long. Others just a small rambling about something insignificant and unhelpful like marmite on toast or pestle and mortars. And sometimes we came back to something and I was like ugh not this again. Not the unsuccessful veg growing again. Not another walk with the dogs. And so many unnecessary details as well. Like why did we just have an entire paragraph describing how much she likes her mate Claire and then not even go on to meet her?

Overall this book put my nose out of joint because it came from such a place of privilege and me buying the book only fuelled that privilege and I didn’t even get anything helpful in return. The book offered very few new perspectives and the title was disgustingly misleading. I gained nothing here that I can apply to my own life. Don’t recommend.

[Valerie Wicks · Rating 1 out of 5]

Finally DNF’d this book at 55% after a very long struggle to keep picking it up.

The title is very misleading, especially alongside the cover picture of a steaming teapot. I was expecting ‘The Good Life’ in book form; however, it’s actually documenting Kate Humble’s search for self-sufficiency and eco housing which involves travelling to other countries and getting involved in projects to see how they do it - presumably spending a small fortune in the process.

[Kirsty ❤️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn’t a bad book, I quite enjoyed it. I took away a few things I can learn from but I didn’t feel like the book appealed to every standard of living. I have no chance of being able to afford some of the simple things within the book. However I can take away some of the ideas and look at how I can recreate for myself within my own salary and personal standard of living so it was worth reading for that.

[Kate Garrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and well written but mildly annoying. I enjoyed the style, the stories, and even the structure of the book (I liked the 'Simple Pleasures' sections a lot), but it does give the impression you can only 'live simply' if you have quite a lot of money.

This is obviously not true, so maybe there are other books that express other ways of simplifying your life to make up for where this one falls short. I'll be keeping an eye out for them!

[Ilona · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not quite what I expected. I still kinda enjoyed it, though.

-

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".

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.

So, this book, instead of a self-help one, felt more like an interview one!

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…

Honestly, this book just felt really, really cosy to read—perfect for autumn, in my opinion!

-

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.

I also appreciated that not only does she share things that work—both for her and the people she talks to—, but also what didn't work for her—this is mostly the case when she starts gardening and making bread. She doesn't give up though, and comes out with with solutions or tries again. That was uplifting!

What I also absolutely loved were all the passages where she shares the simple things in life that make her happy—a gentle reminder to celebrate even the smallest things!

-

What feels a little disappointing to me is that not everything that Kate Humble or the people she meets do is accessible to anyone—which can be a bit disheartening when you are reading this book in the hopes of starting to "live more simply".

I personally wouldn't be able to do everything that the people she discusses with do. But I'll definitely pick up some ideas from theirs, and think and plan them for when spring days come back!

-

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!

I recommend this book if you enjoy reading people's experiences, and want a nice cosy read for fall.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bits of inspiration, bits of what the actual…. Quite blue sky in parts and just a dream for us living the rat race. Feels more geared up for those in retirement, but definitely some bits to take away for a simpler life.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I expected; as other reviews mention, this isn't really about 'living simply', but rather finding pleasure in simple things (there is a difference). I still enjoyed the first half's exploration of simple-living initiatives such as New Mexico's Earthship community and Europe's repair cafés, as well as some of Kate's descriptions of everyday gratitude including the piece on the globe artichoke. However, as you can probably tell simply by reading that last sentence, such descriptions started to feel very pretentious, out-of-touch, and unrelatable and I stopped reading at about 85%. To be fair, I had no idea who Kate Humble was prior and picked up the book purely from the title, so probably wasn't the target demographic. Nevertheless, some important points on practicing gratitude, simplicity, and everyday joy.

[Karen Mace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands up who needs help in stripping back their life and finding joy in the smallest of things?! ✋ And this is the book that is going to help you reconsider, reflect and reprioritize what is going on in your day to day life and it was such a refreshing read that I raced through it and am now eager to put into action just a few simple changes to stop me feeling overwhelmed by what life throws my way - 2020 sure has been excessive on that front!! - and to look for more positives than negatives! Easier said than done I know, especially at the moment!, but I'm definitely feeling more equipped to put changes into action after reading this book.

Kate Humble has such a lovely personable way of speaking to you through her words. She recollects personal memories, her own difficulties she has with letting go and switching off and in this book takes a look at why everyone seems so much unhappier even though we're surrounded by more stuff than ever before.

Using a variety of different methods from death cleaning, to gardening and to meeting people who have changed their whole way of life to live a more simple existence, I found so much to relate to within this book. I often find myself at my happiest when I'm in my garden pottering, or with my nose in a book, and it looks at those simple pleasures and those distractions that help take you away from all the negatives and shift your mind into a happier state.

She shares her own experiences with decluttering especially how we can throw ourselves into a task like this to soon be followed by being surrounded by a big pile of mess and wondering what have I got myself into! But by breaking things down into a drawer or room at a time, it can make sorting out so much more achievable and less overwhelming.

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.

There are a few recipes included, some great little 'simple pleasures' thrown in for a good measure (yes to soup on a dank day and handwritten letters!) and was just a wonderfully comforting and thoughtful book to help the reader on the road to living a less complicated and less angst ridden life!

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed Humble's writing style - which is pretty informal and reads as if she is having a casual conversation with a friend - as well as her optimism and zest for life. I also enjoyed the chapters about the Earthships and various organisations such as Mens Shed and repair cafes who do excellent work within their communities.

However, I did find parts of the book to be hypocritical and patronising such as flying to stay and work in the Earthships and getting the train to interview the lady working in the repair cafe. The lady herself even encourages talking online and eventually persuades Humble to take the train as opposed to flying (yet again!). I also find it strange that she criticises Facebook yet has a Twitter page. She gives a specific example which is a understandable criticism of social media as a whole but why have any social media pages at all in that case?

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.

Thanks to Octopus Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't really warm to Kate Humble until I watched a programme where she helped city folk who wanted to move to the country and try smallholding or veg growing or whatever and she came across as very genuine and seemed to want to help the people really settle into a completely different life. This book is a sort of extension of that with Ms Humble taking us through her attempts to cut back on unnecessary things and make more of the simple things. It isn’t necessarily about saving money (she buys her boots from a local merchant rather than cheaper from the internet) but about quality of life and improving your own environment and mindset. It is easier for people who have money to live like this but this book does have a nice glow about it and isn’t condescending or patronising. Ms Humble is self deprecating - her efforts at bread making are amusing - and honest and I enjoyed reading the book.

The timing of this means you could put your feet up with a cuppa in a cosy sweater and read about the tribulations of life beyond your door. It is an easy read and full of simple ideas and warmth.

I was given a copy of the book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Turns out my life is a lot simpler than Kate Humble's - a couple of tips for her:
1) You don't need to pay a gardener to fail at growing vegetables, in my experience it is perfectly possible to fail all on your own
2) When you go on holiday, try to resist buying rural properties because you like the area. One multi-acred rural property is simpler than two.
3) Don't take my bitter review to heart, I probably shouldn't have read this book during a cost of living crisis when I have no car, no chickens, no land, no dog, no artichokes and no dahlias and so can only really enjoy the simple pleasure of writing this mean spirited review.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

The point is that Kate Humble doesn’t spend the year living a simpler lifestyle. She visits other people who are sensible enough to live life on their own times while the author merely talks about it.
I found her constant bleating about her lack of practical skills irritating and a poor excuse. She could have saved a year of travel, stayed at home,lived a simpler life and got to grips with some of the skills she lacks, but then she would have made less money!

[Ruth Moss · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well it is very easy to embrace 'simple living' in your camper van, and huge gardens with your hired gardener with the knowledge that when all the simplicity gets too much you can go to your remote cabin and sack off work for as long as you'd like. Seriously, people are allowed to publish this??? Please, please, please educate yourselves on the struggles of 99% of people in the UK and maybe get a little pinch of reality with your pickled cucumber.

[Jade Kovacs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed reading "A year of living simply" by Kate Humble. I'm quite the minimalist and frugal where I can be myself and I love Kate's outlook on life and the experiences she herself has gone through to find a life living simply. An easy read, and would recommend for anyone wanting to know more and looking to live a more simpler life themselves.

[Penny · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not what I expected from the title and blurb at all. A year of loving simply cannot involve jet setting to random countries and purchasing a second home in France. I understand what the point of was that the author was trying to get across - just not very everyday day, real world ideologies in my opinion.

[Penny Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Kate Humble is a natural writer, and I found the book thought-provoking and inspiring. It's so true that a simpler life makes us happier - cooking, growing vegetables, and buying fewer things. Also the value of community. Looking forward to reading some of her other books.

[Elisabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I never want to hear Kate Humbles voice again. “and best of all, anyone can do it!” Yes, if you can get 40k from somewhere. Living self sufficient requires money to setup. Ultimately annoying.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recently I got very into Kate Humble’s television series Twice the Life for Half the Price. The premise is that families living in urban environments seek out a life in the country that delivers less of the stress of modern life and more of life on the land, for less money or at least relatively less for what they have in return. What distinguishes this programme from others about escaping to the country is that the lives they seek out are real and authentic country lives, rather than chocolate box versions bought out of their appreciated London assets and healthy pension pots. As a result the programme is both more accessible and more satisfying.

In her writing Kate continues to focus on practical realism (albeit wrapped in a snug duvet of her trademark kindness and positivity) as she seeks to understand different facets of living a “simpler life” and relate them to her own situation. As always the first hurdle with such books is to overcome the distinction between simple and easy. Simplicity is about a lower resource intensity, which in turn means a greater reliance on the self, both technically and physically. So a simpler life requires harder work, but the pay back is that the work has meaning. The second “myth” of a simpler life is, I believe, that of self-sufficiency, as everything I have learnt in my own small experiments is that a simpler, less resource intensive, lifestyle is absolutely reliant on other people in community.

Early on in the book the author visits Satish Kumar and he neatly sums up a key problem that we face as a society when he says: “It’s innate. It’s intrinsic to human nature. Our hands are made to make. But our society and the way we educate our children dismisses manual labour – it is only for those who have failed, who are not intellectually up to doing anything else. And because of this attitude, instead of being a society of makers we are a society of consumers, dependent on buying everything we need and easily swayed into buying so much we don’t.”

By the end, having visited a range of fascinating people all doing very different and creative things to move towards more sustainable and rewarding ways of living, she turns to an ancient voice to sum up her findings quoting Confucius (possibly internet meme Confucius rather than the actual person), “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” We are beholden to the notion of progress, but it seems that sometimes we don’t stop to question what that actually means. Too often progress is defined as bigger and more, but with a little more reflection we might learn to see that the progress we need now, having over-shot our limits to a catastrophic level, is smaller and less.

It is not just the ecological breakdown that we are witnessing that tells us we need to pause for a while and re-think. Rising mental health problems should also give us an indication that we are losing our way. Perhaps the biggest question though is how we manage to do that reflection and make those changes collectively. It feels like we have rarely been so divided as people, whether economically, socially or virtually any other potential line of difference you can think of. Are we capable of cohesive thought and action at this crucial time? Maybe that’s where smaller and less really comes to its own solution, through localised relationships and communities. When big has been the problem for so long, looking for the big solution is perhaps futile.

If that is the case then there is hope contained in this book. Groups of people across the globe are creatively carving out space for lifestyles that value both people and planet and may guide us to a more balanced relationship with the world. It can be depressing to watch news, hear politicians or become bogged down in the miasma of social media, so we have to manage our sources of information and the stories that we prioritise. In A Year of Living Simply Kate Humble tells some stories that are worth investing in and can help us to begin to plot a course for our own journey of experimentation.

I write about books and football at my blog: https://mistrollingin.wordpress.com/

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ohne Fernsehen oder Internet, abseits von den Ablenkungen der Stadt, aber auch ohne die vielen Dinge, die sich im Alltag in unserer Umgebung ansammeln: für Kate Humble war es die perfekte Woche in einer kleinen Hütte von Freunden, die sie zum Umdenken bewegte. Was wäre, wenn sie ihr Leben einfacher gestalten könnte? Nicht in einer Hauruck-Aktion, sondern in kleinen Schritten um so den besten Weg für sich zu finden.

Kate gibt in ihrem Buch keine Ratschläge, sondern erzählt ihre Geschichte. Einer ihrer ersten Versuche, aufzuräumen, endete im Chaos. Statt eines aufgeräumten Vorratsschranks hatte sie eine Küche, in der jede Oberfläche von Dingen bedeckt war, die sie eigentlich sortieren wollte. Für sie funktioniert es am besten, wenn sie in kleinen Schritten vorgeht: erst einen Regalboden oder eine Schublade und wenn die aufgeräumt sind, kommt die nächste dran.

Mir hat gut gefallen, dass sich Kate informiert hat und Hilfe suchte, bevor sie ein Projekt anging. Bei ihrem Garten hatte sie jemand zur Seite, der sie in ihren Plänen unterstützte, aber auch bremste, wenn sie in ihrer Begeisterung so schnell zu viel wollte. Trotzdem war gerade der Garten für sie immer wieder eine Herausforderung: so befriedigend die Arbeit auch war, es war viel mehr, als sie sich vorgestellt hatte und die Ergebnisse ließen oft zu lange auf sich warten. Auf der anderen Seite war der Garten auch etwas, was sie mit ihren eigenen Händen geschafft und geschaffen hatte und sie unglaublich stolz machte.

Nach diesem ersten, großen Schritt folgten viele kleine und jeder brachte Kate ihrem Ziel näher, mit weniger trotzdem glücklicher zu sein. Sie ist offen für neue Ideen, so reist sie auch nach New Mexico, um sich über Earthships zu informieren, stellte aber fest, dass das nichts für sie ist. Kate will keine radikale Erneuerung, sondern das verändern, was sie hat.

Auch wenn Kates Buch kein Rezept für ein besseres Leben ist, gibt sie trotzdem auch Ideen, wie man kleine Veränderungen bewirken kann. Die kann man in seinen Alltag einbauen, fast ohne dass sie auffallen. Für sie sind es gerade diese kleinen Dinge, die zählen und, die aber auf lange Sicht den großen Unterschied machen können. Schade, dass die Geschichte nach dem einen Jahr zuende ist, denn ich hätte gerne erfahren, wie sie in den kommenden Jahren weitergeht.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm trying to live more 'simply' for the benefit of the planet and my own well-being so this book appealed to me. Kate writes in a chatty and enthusiastic style about interesting and inspirational stories of sustainable living in the UK and around the world (some great initiatives eg. 'share shops') and how she has adapted the philosophy into her own life. However her lifestyle is not relatable to mine and I'd like to seek out books written by people more like me (eg. with a small house and garden in an urban setting with a 'normal' job and children and limited time and budget) who are trying to move towards a more 'simple' life. Nevertheless this book is an enjoyable and thought provoking read.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very easy read that pulls you along a journey of the exploration how to have a simple life. A very indulgent journey (as the author has the financial means and no kids). Focuses on eating well, gardening, living environmentally friendly (ie, Earthships in New Mexico) etc. Didn’t learn much but it is probably more of the journey than the substance.

[Heather Browning · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is something so appealing about a simple life, about shedding all the usual hurry and stress and clutter of life for the purity of the things you value. But I'm not sure the sort of simplicity explored here is really all that simple for most. The book begins with a description of her tiny cabin by her own private lake in France, where she escapes for a week or so at a time, and at this point the entire enterprise while undeniably idyllic, already seems unachievable for most. Although this isn't the core message, none of what she describes seems easy- doing your own growing, cooking, seeing, building, mending, while all perhaps grounded and meaningful are also difficult and time consuming. That said, the core messages explored do seem to pick out something important - the value of meaningful work, working with hands, time outdoors, connection to community, and perhaps we can each find our own ways to implement these things.

[The Blue Cave · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is much more than a year of living simply. It reads (or rather, I should say, sounds) more like a mid-life review of a successful (and yes, definitely, privileged) career exploring alternative ways of living. I find the author's attempt to reclaim 'living simply' from the doctrine (and maybe a fad, too) of minimalism particularly timely and refreshing. She's recounted the many ways in which we can live and savour our life without throwing all of belongings away, and the stories of the people she met, talked to, and even became friends with are the most inspiring part of the book. I will keep these ordinary heroes in mind when I make my next big or small everyday decision.

[Carys · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was lovely to hear about all the different people who are in their own way living simply, and authentically to themselves. Whilst I don't really see this as Kate Humble herself living simply, but meeting people who are, I found the book such a pleasure to read. Humble excellently brings you along with all her adventures and details the amazing people she meets. I would definitely look to read this again, for the inspiration, for the recipes, for my own desire of living simply.

[Conny Belzen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook which was read by Kate herself and it was such a lovely “read”! Inspirational as well! There are some things that I will definitely change in my own life to make it more simple 😃