Reader’s Digest

Sunday Post and a review: Living Large in Our Little House by Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell

Mary Book arrivals, FSB Associates, Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell, Mailbox Monday, Nonfiction, Reader's Digest, Sunday Post

Book arrivals:  (linked to Mailbox Monday)

you will know me (7:26)  the life she wants (9:27)  image001-2  Untitled-1

Last week on Bookfan:

sunshine beach (6:21) Berkley   pound for pound by Shannon Kopp

Reading plan for this week:

the secrets she kept (7:26)

Same as last week. We’re in the middle of a kitchen renovation so reading time has been limited.

  • living large in our little houseTitle:  Living Large in Our Little House
  • Author:  Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell
  • Genre:  Non-fiction
  • Published:  June 2016 – Reader’s Digest
  • Source:  FSB Associates; Publisher

My take:  I’m a fan of the cable shows about finding the perfect tiny house to live in but I’m not sure it would be the right permanent housing choice for me. Maybe for a weekend.

Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell and her husband Dale found it to be the best choice for them. Kerri’s book is a combination memoir and How To guide for anyone thinking of making the leap to living in a little house. She uses her experiences of what to do and what not to do when building a small home. Included are lists of pantry/kitchen necessities, details about financial considerations, a helpful index, and a resource list – just to name a few. Kerri and Dale know what they’re talking about – they went from a three bedroom home in the suburbs to a 480 square feet home in the woods!

Several little house owners are spotlighted in the book. They all have unique experiences. There are many photographs scattered throughout. If you’re a fan of shows about this trend or you’re serious about making the move to a little house I think you’ll enjoy this book.

Author Bio:
Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell is a journalist and author who has written a column on small space living for Parade.com. She’s also written on small space living for Mother Earth News and Realtor.com and has been interviewed extensively on her tiny house expertise. Her work has also appeared in Audubon Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo! News, MSN.com and NBC Digital’s pet channel. A member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, the Society of American Travel Writers, and the Society of Environmental Journalists, a past national board member of the Society of Professional Journalists, and a past president of the Kansas City Press Club, Kerri’s other writing specialties includes animals and pets, business, travel, and the environment. She loves boating and fishing, hiking, and spending time with her husband of 30 years and their dogs. Kerri lives an intentional life with an eye toward sustainability in a 480-square-foot cabin in the Ozark Mountains with her husband and five “recycled” (rescue) mutts, which she documents on her blog, Living Large in Our Little House.

For more information visit her website http://livinglargeinourlittlehouse.com and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Spotlight/US Giveaway: Living Large in Our Little House by Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell

Mary FSB Associates, Giveaway, Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell, Reader's Digest

living large in our little house

Living Large in Our Little House
Thriving in 480 Square Feet with Six Dogs, a Husband, and One Remote–Plus More Stories of How You Can Too
By Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell
Published by Reader’s Digest
Hardcover: 240 pages
June 7, 2016; $24.99 US/$33.99 CAN; 9781621452522

Description

Based on the successful blog, Living Large in Our Little House, the book is a practical and inspirational memoir about the joy and freedom of tiny house living.

Traditionally, the American Dream has included owning a house, and until recently that meant the bigger the better. McMansions have flourished in suburbs across the country, and as houses got bigger we filled them with more stuff. Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell had been subconsciously trying to live up to this American Dream when circumstances forced her and her husband into a 480-square foot house in the woods. What was supposed to be a writing cabin and guest house became their full-time abode and they quickly discovered that they had serendipitously discovered a better way of life.

They realized that by living smaller, they were in fact, Living Large. They were not spending extra time cleaning and maintaining the house, but had the freedom to pursue their hobbies; they did not waste money on things they didn’t need; and they grew emotionally (as well as physically) closer. Kerri and her husband realized that Living Large is less about square footage and more about a state of mind.

As Kerri relates the story of her transformation to a “Living Larger,” she also profiles more than a dozen other families living tiny house lives and offers practical advice for how you can too. The book will:

– walk you through the financial advantages of small space living

– help you define and find the right size house

– teach you to scale down to the essentials to be surrounded only by things you love

– show you how to make use of outdoor space

– give tips on how to decorate judiciously

and much more.

Whether readers are inspired to join the tiny house movement or not, they are sure to be inspired to Live Large with less.

Author Bio
Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell is a journalist and author who has written a column on small space living for Parade.com. She’s also written on small space living for Mother Earth News and Realtor.com and has been interviewed extensively on her tiny house expertise. Her work has also appeared in Audubon Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo! News, MSN.com and NBC Digital’s pet channel. A member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, the Society of American Travel Writers, and the Society of Environmental Journalists, a past national board member of the Society of Professional Journalists, and a past president of the Kansas City Press Club, Kerri’s other writing specialties includes animals and pets, business, travel, and the environment. She loves boating and fishing, hiking, and spending time with her husband of 30 years and their dogs. Kerri lives an intentional life with an eye toward sustainability in a 480-square-foot cabin in the Ozark Mountains with her husband and five “recycled” (rescue) mutts, which she documents on her blog, Living Large in Our Little House.

For more information visit her website http://livinglargeinourlittlehouse.com and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Reviews

“Living Large in Our Little House is the open, honest, and enjoyable story of Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell’s journey to simpler living. Woven into this well-written narrative is a wealth of solid advice from her, and others in the tiny house scene.” —Derek “Deek” Diedricksen, designer, author of Microshelters, and host of HGTV’s Tiny House Builders

“With her down-to-earth and elegant storytelling, Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell reveals that there’s a tremendous joy in living simply, without debt, and with a strong connection to the land—in short, a truly sustainable lifestyle. For those interested in living lightly and fully, this book is an elixir for realizing your dreams, describing a path to Living Large on a lot less than most people ever imagine.” —Sarah Susanka, architect and author of The Not So Big House series and The Not So Big Life

“Living Large in Our Little House mixes a sense of history with personal anecdote, case studies, interesting personalities, and tips and tricks. It really has something for everyone in its pages and will inspire countless people to get busy living!” —Andrew Odom, co-founder of Tiny r(E)volution (www.tinyrevolution.us)

“Living Large in Our Little House offers big insights into the realities of tiny house living. Whether you’re thinking of going small for financial or environmental reasons – or because tiny houses are too cute to resist – this is a must-read guide to help you make smart decisions and enter into tiny house living with a Living Large attitude.” –Jodi Helmer, sustainable living expert and author of The Green Year: 365

“Living Large in Our Little House helps put faces to a movement that’s often portrayed as being about houses rather than the people who live in them. It’s the people who make the stories come alive.” –Greg Johnson, SmallHouseSociety.net

“The author didn’t join the tiny-house movement entirely by choice—financial circumstances prompted her and her husband to move into a 480-sq.-ft. cabin in the Ozarks. She’s since embraced the lifestyle, and her book includes personal anecdotes, interviews with families living in tiny homes across the U.S., and advice on decorating and on making the most of outdoor space.” –Jennifer McCartney, Publishers Weekly 

US Giveaway

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GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED

living large in our little house

Singing to a Bulldog by Anson Williams

Mary Anson Williams, FSB Associates, Memoir, Reader's Digest
  • Singing to a Bulldog (Nov11)Title:  Singing to a Bulldog: From “Happy Days” to Hollywood Director, and the Unlikely Mentor Who Got Me There
  • Author:  Anson Williams
  • Genre:  Memoir
  • Published:  November 2014 – Reader’s Digest
  • Source:  Publicist

My take:  Singing to a Bulldog is a slim memoir that packs a lot of inspiration within the 150+ pages. I remembered Anson Williams from the 70s sitcom Happy Days but hadn’t heard anything about him in recent decades. I don’t watch a lot of tv so I missed all the shows he directed. He’s been a busy guy who realizes how blessed his life has been.

He didn’t start out that way. He had a criticizing father who blamed Anson for all of his own failures. That had to be tough for a kid to live with! What ended up saving Anson was a janitorial job at a California store when he was in his mid-teens. His department boss, Willie Turner, taught him life lessons through brief adages he’d learned in his own life. Willie was an older, alcoholic man who was able to keep his job despite his issues.

In his own way, Willie provided the nurturing that had been missing in Anson’s life. Without realizing it he became Anson’s mentor and Anson listened and used those lessons. What he found out was that Willie knew what he was talking about.

I thought Singing to a Bulldog had a folksy feel to it. It’s chapters are very short (rarely going over five pages). That made it easy to pick up and set down. Each begins and ends with one of Willie’s lessons. The lessons may seem a bit simplistic to some readers but it’s Williams’ memoir and, given he had no parent willing to teach him, the effect of the lessons on his life was huge. It’s not a typical Hollywood memoir although Williams does share a few stories about other stars that all readers will recognize. One thing I found lacking in the book are photos. I would have loved to see a few.

Recommended to fans of the memoir genre, Hollywood memoirs, life advice books.

Click here for a video of the author on Access Hollywood

Author Bio
Best known for his Golden Globe nominated role as Warren “Potsie” Weber on the series Happy Days, Anson Williams is also an award-winning television director and writer as well as a singer and producer. He has directed more than 300 hours of television for a variety of series, including Beverly Hills, 90210, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. He won the prized Humanitas Award for his writing, has been honored by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and served on the board of the USO. Together with business partner JoAnna Connell, he founded StarMaker Products, an international product company. He lives with his wife and five daughters in Los Angeles, California.

Reviews
“Singing To A Bulldog is such a meaningful, fun, and uplifting book. I have such sweet memories of Anson . . . like millions of others, I loved him on “Happy Days.” I am proud to be a little part of this wonderfully written, revealing, informative, and entertaining book. Praise and congratulations to Anson.”
— Dolly Parton

“I’ve always known Anson to be a great storyteller as well as a true and generous friend. Now he’s written the most important story of his life — about Willie Turner, the head janitor at one of Anson’s first jobs, whose words of wisdom guided him through a turbulent time in his life and gave him the confidence to move forward to a successful career as an actor, television director, and entrepreneur. Even better, he’s made it into a truly inspirational book of life lessons for the rest of us.”
— Ron Howard