If there’s one thing I love, it’s reading. My girls and I can often be found in a comfortable chair with a big book in hand. Reading, to me, is the most magical past time a person can have. Books are a great friend. They don’t care how much money you have, what your hobbies are, whether you put pants on today or not… they’re ready to take you off to far off lands, back in time or put you in someone else’s shoes. I love the quote “Readers are leaders”, because I believe it’s true. My mom used to say, “If you don’t like reading, you just haven’t found the right book.”
Here are some great books that are sure to spark the interest of any DIY-er.
By DANIEL MINTZ
Photo: Harper Collins
All The Way Home” by David Giffels
This comical memoir recounts a journalist’s overly ambitious quest to restore a dilapidated mansion. His plans quickly go awry when he encounters every complication imaginable. Word to the wise for anyone considering a few renovations: Be ready for the unexpected!
Photo: Vintage Books USA
“The Walls Around Us” by David Owen
David Owen seeks to satisfy his own curiosities about home construction in this hilarious primer on the subject. His musings cover everything frompainting a home with nuclear power plant paint to expositions on the history of paneling. It’s a wacky, informative read that will leave you thoroughly entertained.
Photo: Harper Collins
“The Fixer Upper” by Mary Kay Andrews
Here’s a truly funny novel about a Washington lobbyist who joins her father in Georgia to rejuvenate an old Victorian. Looking to clear her head, she instead finds herself smack dab in the middle of more mayhem … except, of course, for the peace and fulfillment she finds in fixing up the mansion.
Photo: Simon & Schuster
“Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House” by Eric Hodgins
City-dweller Mr. Blandings packs up his family and ships off to the tranquility of the country to build his dream home. Tragically, and comically, things don’t quite pan out the way he’d hoped. This classic has spawned three movies—but as is often the case, the book is much better.
Photo: Modern Library
“Green Thoughts: A Writer in the Garden” by Eleanor Perenyi
A staple of many a gardener’s bookshelf, Perenyi’s 1981 memoir is filled with botanical-themed essays. With pieces on dozens of different plants, flowers, and gardening practices, this modern classic is sure to leave you with green thumbs each time you put it down… if you can put it down.
Photo: Hachette Book Group
“The Backyard Parables: Lesson on Gardening, and Life” by Margaret Roach
This collection of poetic parables is packed with a profusion of gardening advice gleaned from the author’s 20-year bond with nature. The volume is a spiritually stimulating, soul-enriching reminder to savor every DIY moment—not just the end results.
For the entire list of books and their descriptions, head over to *BobVila.com*.
The Tub Connection
Leave a Reply