This new weekly online column showcases books that have eye-catching covers. See past weeks’ picks of children’s books and reimagined classics. Let’s give in and just judge a book by its cover, even though we’ve been admonished to never, ever do that.
These small-house books caught our eye:
1. Little House Living: The Make-Your-Own Guide to a Frugal, Simple, and Self-Sufficient Life
By Merissa A. Alink, interior design by Jaime Putorti, photographs by David and Merissa Alink, Gallery, 320 pp., $26.99
Quaint photos split this cover into quadrants that aptly describe the DIY guide inside. This book is about more than living in a small space — it’s about embracing simple things and learning to be self-sufficient in a world of instant gratification. From blackberry pancakes to coconut lime body scrub, Alink’s photography exudes the same warmth and care that fills her book’s pages with frugal know-how.
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2. Cabin Porn: Inspiration for Your Quiet Place Somewhere
Edited by Zachary Klein, stories by Steven Leckart, photography by Noah Kalina, Little, Brown, 336 pp., $30
“Cabin Porn’’ first caught our eye as a Tumblr and Instagram, but now the collection of visually-stimulating small houses is presented to readers as part of a narrative. Traverse the road not taken and learn the story of the lone man on the cover, and his modernized but earthy home. Positioned in a glade filled with soft light, this forest living tableau seductively offers soothing seclusion, rather than harsh isolation.
3. The New Small House
By Katie Hutchison, cover design by Sandra Salamony, Taunton, 224 pp., $32
These small houses don’t necessarily offer a return to pre-electric, rustic living, but rather a pragmatic step-by-step look at how to cultivate a downsized lifestyle in a modern world. While this cover’s featured house is compact, readers get a glimpse into how these small houses maximize space, maintain comfort, and utilize the outdoors for extended space as well. The warm glow of a lit interior, and the combination of tin and wood siding give this house an organic but stylized touch. The reader can almost picture leaning back on the porch’s wooden Adirondacks with a friend, sipping some tea, and chatting under the shade trees.
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Mallory Abreu can be reached at mallory.abreu@globe.com.