Spring Retreat Day 2: Book Club

10 books that feel like Spring

Hello and welcome to day two of our Spring Equinox Retreat! (If you missed yesterday’s welcome post, don’t worry, you can find it here.)

Today we’re settling down in a comfy armchair with a refreshing drink and some of the very best Spring books.

Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash

The books on this list have been chosen because they have a fresh, energising or somehow ‘Spring-y’ feel to them. You’ll find a mix of fiction, non-fiction, cookery books and folklore tales. Hopefully something for everyone.

Everything on this list is light, easy and forward-looking because, for me, that’s the kind of reading I feel like doing right now.

I’m (reluctantly) moving away from the inward-facing cosy season of Winter into a more outdoorsy ‘doing things’ season, so my available time for reading is diminishing a little.

I’m also drawn to more practical books in the Spring, I want baking, cleansing, ‘doing’ sort of books. So those feature highly, alongside some classic spring tales.

There are no affiliate links here, because this is an ad-free space. Hurrah! But you should be able to track these books down in all good bookshops.

And finally, please do leave your own Spring reading suggestions in the comments… I’m all ears.

---

10 Books that Feel Like Spring

1. The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett

This classic story about bringing a garden back to life, and finding yourself along the way, is the epitome of Spring reading.

2. Wilding: The Return of Nature to a British Farm, by Isabella Tree

As the land around us starts to green up and come back to life, this is the perfect book to read, to accompany that rising sense of possibility and hope.

3. Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame

This book begins with a very hot and dusty mole flinging his paintbrush down and abandoning his spring cleaning in order to dash outside and enjoy the fresh spring air instead. May we all do the same this month…

4. Heidi, by Johanna Spyri

Another book that addresses the healing power of nature, the pages of this childhood classic are filled with fresh mountain air and spring-time optimism. And that cover is fab.

5. Woodland Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland, by Lisa Schneidau

This little book of weird and wonderful folk tales offers some cautionary tales to heed before you wander into the woods this Spring.

6. Clean and Green, by Nancy Birtwhistle

This book lives in my kitchen and I refer to it ALL the time. It’s deeply practical and there’s a quick and easy solution for every question. Usually involving lemon juice, vinegar and baking soda in various combinations. So if you’re feeling the urge to Spring clean right now… get this first.

7. Great British Bake Off - Perfect Cakes & Bakes To Make At Home, by Linda Collister

Baking and Spring go hand in hand. I have this cookbook from one of the first series of The Great British Bake Off and it never fails to cheer me up. I sometimes play the Bake Off soundtrack when I’m baking too, and pretend I’m under time-pressure in the tent, but perhaps let’s keep that between us shall we…

8. Rewild Your Home, by Victoria Harrison

Yes, this is one of mine! But hopefully you’ll forgive me as I think it has a very Spring-y feel to it. It’s focussed on small changes you can make to your home to bring the outside in and connect with nature. It’s very easy to dip in and out of at this time of year.

9. Rewild Your Garden, by Frances Tophill

No relation to mine! This has been on my TBR pile for a while and I’m really looking forward to reading it this Spring, just as the gardening year begins.

10. The New Homesteader, by by Bella Ivins and Nick Ivins

This is a really beautiful coffee-table photo book that I longingly re-read every year. It’s a guide to modern homesteading and how to live a self-sufficient life in the country. The lifestyle it offers is pretty out of reach for most of us, admittedly. But it’s soothing for my soul. I love to read it and think ‘one day’.

---

Ok, that’s all for now. I hope you enjoyed that list and that you’ve discovered a new Spring read.

Now it’s over to you.

Please let me know your favourite Spring books in the Comments.

I’ll see you tomorrow for day three of our retreat where we will immerse ourselves in Spring baking season.

Until then!

Vicky xx

---

Missed a day? You can catch up with all our Retreat activities on the Seasonal Retreat tab on my homepage. Enjoy.

---