Let nature writing guide you through the seasons and transport you to a calmer place

Some books require all of the reader’s attention, demanding to be consumed in a single sitting, while others take more of a back seat, offering comfort in a slower, more understated way. This is especially true of those titles that chart the passing of the year, the ones that will dutifully sit on the bedside table ready to be picked up at any given moment, from New Year’s Day to the darkest winter night. The genre of nature writing in particular has seen some fantastic year-round reads recently, and there are few nicer ways to explore the great outdoors than with a companion in your pocket or a familiar friend to read by the fireside.

Nature everywhere

A great place to start, The Stubborn Light of Things by Melissa Harrison is informal and inspirational in equal measure. The book began life as a nature-diary column for The Times in the UK and follows the author’s move from Streatham in south London, to Suffolk, describing the abundance of nature in both city and country settings. As she mentions in her introduction, Melissa has enjoyed noting nature’s deeds since childhood, when she was praised by a teacher for her description of an overgrown pond. This book is, according to its author, borne less out of ecological expertise and more out of an enduring affection for the natural world (as well as a gift for gorgeous prose). Melissa’s inquisitiveness is infectious and a fantastic springboard for any reader’s curiosity.