Summer Retreat Day 2: Solstice Book Club
5 Books that Feel Like Summer
Hello and welcome to day two of our Summer Solstice Retreat! (If you missed yesterday’s welcome post, don’t worry, you can find it here.)
Today we’re relaxing in a deckchair with a cool drink and some the very best Summery books.
Each book on this list has been chosen because it has a bright, outdoorsy or somehow ‘Midsummer’ feel to it. You’ll find fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Hopefully something for everyone.
There are only 5 books this time, (not like the 10 books in my Winter Solstice cosy book list), because we all read less in the Summer don’t we?
So 5 books should be more than enough to keep us busy.
And I’m also hoping you’ll leave your own Summer reading suggestions for me in the comments…
(I’ve added links where possible, but none of these are affiliate links)
5 Books That Feel Like Summer
1. The Summer Book, by Tove Jansson
This heat-drenched book is strange, beautiful, unsettling and dream-like at the same time. Impossible to describe, but perfectly suited to the high solar energy of Midsummer.
It’s written in chapters that are like stand-alone short stories in themselves, so it’s perfect for picking up and putting down throughout the summer. Highly, highly recommend.
2. Let the Light Pour In, by Lemn Sissay
I’ve just finished reading a sample of this poetry book and it was so good, I’m recommending it on that sample alone, which I’ve never done before.
For the past decade, Lemn Sissay has composed a short poem as dawn breaks each morning and this is a collection of the best of them. They’re snappy, short and brilliant. Plus, that front cover is excellent.
Here’s a review of it by Jeanette Winterson. "I love Lemn for his hard-won light smashed out of darkness like gold from the rock. Simple fast quatrains, dawn-written, day after day, just swallow one like an espresso and go."
3. A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by William Shakespeare
If you want to give in to the dreamy, supercharged energy of Midsummer and lose yourself in a world of fairies, magic and mischief, while also feeling quite highbrow, this is the one.
You probably read it at school, but give it a re-read as an adult and you’ll find so much more in it. Plus, now you’re an adult there’s no exam at the end of it any more! You can just read it for pleasure. Hurrah.
4. Waterlog, by Roger Deakin
This is a non-fiction account of Roger Deakin’s attempt to swim Britain; the seas, rivers, lakes, ponds, pools, streams, lochs, moats, and quarries. The perfect refreshing read on a hot day and a classic in the wild-swimming community.
5. The Solstice Yearbook, by Victoria Harrison (that’s me!)
The perfect book for the Solstice. I’m absolutely not biased at all! The Solstice Yearbook shows us how to understand and follow the cycles of the sun in order to align our own bodies and minds with nature’s rhythm. It’s packed with seasonal folklore, crafts, recipes and rituals.
It actually doesn’t hit shops until 2nd September, but pre-orders are open now and it will land on your doorstep just in time for the Autumn Equinox - offering you a plethora of ideas on how to celebrate it.
Plus it’s also filled with ideas for the Winter Solstice, Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice for you to enjoy next year. A book for all seasons!
Ok that’s it for now. Happy reading and please do share your own summer reading suggestions in the comments below.
I’ll see you tomorrow for day three of our retreat where we’re talking all things strawberry.
Until then, take care,
Vicky x
I usually find myself rereading Mary Stewart's gothic romantic suspense stories. They're older, but they're often set in interesting locales... France, Greece, Corfu.
Actually a lot of summer reading for me ends up being books set in interesting places, because it's the perfect time to read them, or any book about travelling.
I also feel like it's a good time to read biographies, especially if the subject travels 🤔😂
Tove's book has been on my list for a while because I love her Moomins.
I will add "How to be a Wildflower" by Katie Daisy simply because it's a fun and light read, with some interactive parts (particularly for USA readers).
And finally, it's also the perfect time to revisit those children's books that have lovely summer scenes- most of Enid Blyton's Famous Five series (and her adventure series), The Wind in the Willows (who can resist Ratty's picnic?), The Chronicles of Narnia, Swallows and Amazons, The Secret Garden... There's bound to be many others I have forgotten! These are also good family read alouds/along if you have kids.
Lovely list Victoria. I adore The Summer Book and have recommended it to so many people over the years. And Lemm Sissy is a brilliant poet. I love this book and his other work. I could add more serious books that have a summer element such as McEwan's Atonement and Bowen's The Last September. I am really enjoying these posts. Sun has come out in Kerry and I have had my first strawberry 🍓 from our small crop.