Books that Inspire my Future Self

Hello Lovely Readers! I hope the start of your 2026 is going well! While I miss the holidays, I am glad to start a new year, though I admit getting back on a schedule has been more difficult than anticipated.

 For those of you who are new, in addition to this blog I also am a 2026 writer in residence for the Slow Living Home Magazine. This magazine is “An online magazine & mentoring community of women & homemakers, intentionally holding space for awareness & stability in a rushed and insecure world.” (from the website). I have a lovely column called the Book Nook, where I write book related content based on a monthly theme. For January, the theme was vision. With the permission of the lovely Melissa, I am allowed to post my articles here on the blog. Just know there are so many other wonderful articles/columns in this magazine including health, fitness, scripture, recipes, and more! If you are interested in becoming a subscriber (and you definitely should!), here is the link:  https://www.patreon.com/cw/slowlivinghomemagazine

On with the article, entitled Books that Inspire my Future Self :

In January, many people set out with resolutions for the new year. They envision forming  healthy habits or ridding themselves of bad ones. I think it is a good and honorable thing to want to improve oneself as long as you don’t let the success or failure of these resolutions dictate your value. Regardless of what you are trying to achieve, you must know that you are a precious child of God, one who He knows inside and out and loves very much.

This being said, I am constantly striving to be a better homemaker and mother, one that finds joy and beauty in the day to day. Like many millennial women, I was told that while homemaking and motherhood was important, it was secondary to having a constantly progressing career. I have nothing against careers, I’ve held many wonderful jobs myself, but I now want to focus on intentional homemaking and motherhood. Much of my inspiration comes from pre 21st century homemakers, both real and fictional. Here, I will list just some of the books that have shaped my vision of myself as an intentional homemaker and mother. 

The Holy Bible

While this one seems obvious to most Christians, I am specifically referencing the Proverbs 31 woman. I have heard some women feel judged by this fictional woman, that they fall short of doing all that she does in a day. My mindset focuses on the possibility one can achieve and the many ways a homemaker can be employed- nourishing her family, working hard at all she does, and being rooted in confidence of who she is. 

An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott (1869)

A lesser known Alcott book, this novel’s protagonist shows the importance of kindness. Polly Milton is a 14 year old girl who journeys far from home to Boston Massachusetts to stay with her wealthy friend Fanny Shaw and her family. While the Shaw family is wealthy and up to date on the latest trends and fashions, Fanny puts stock in older values like kindness, empathy, listening and learning from your elders, and enjoyment in the small things. She keeps these same values as she grows up and has her own home. I adore Polly and her inner strength, despite temptations to let her values go by the wayside. In the end, she is a positive force to the Shaw family and all she comes to know. I hope to be a positive influence too.

How to Raise a Viking: The Secret of Parenting the World’s Happiest Children by Helen Russell (2024)

This was a recent read and already it feels like it has impacted my vision of how I want to mother. The author is a UK citizen who moved to Denmark with her husband for his job. Years later, she now has 3 children who they are raising in the Danish culture and this book is her observations and takeaways from the culture. To be clear, I don’t agree with everything this book says or take my parenting advice solely from this book. The biggest takeaways from this book were relatively universal: let kids enjoy being kids, make sure they get lots of time outside, encourage them to have self sufficiency, and that motherhood, while definitely challenging, can also be filled with joy. 

In addition to these books, I have also been shaped by:

-The Little House on the Prairie Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder 

-Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul by Stasi and John Eldridge 

-7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker

-The Hobbit by JRR Tokein 

-Eight Cousins and Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott

-The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery

-Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Books, both fiction and non fiction, can help shape the vision you have of yourself. I pray that books will inspire your 2026 self. 

Happy Reading!

*All images are free from online sources; apologies for any blurry images