As the last of the unpredictable March weather finally gives way to April’s brighter days, there is no better feeling than shedding the heaviness of winter and turning our attention to new horizons, both literally and literarily.
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Best Spring Books to Read by British Authors
We’ve gathered a collection of timeless books that perfectly capture the fresh and renewing essence of Spring. To celebrate the season of renewal, we’ve curated the essential list of British books set to drop this spring, offering a perfect way to refresh your reading list. Grab your favourite tea and a cosy reading spot; these are the must reads that will carry you through the season.
The Spring Begins
Against the backdrop of the Kellaways’ magnificent country estate, with its sprawling gardens and private coastline, three domestic servants find their quiet lives awakened by the season’s intoxicating possibilities.
There is Lottie, the young nurse-maid, who fears the world of men; Maggie, the bold scullery maid, determined to find pleasure; and Hessie Price, the older governess whose carefully constructed worldview collapses when her sister announces an engagement.
As the flowers bloom and the waves crash, each woman navigates her secret desires and forbidden attractions, discovering that the beginning of spring holds the promise of transformation and love, for those who dare to reach for it – The Spring Begins.
Jane Austen’s Garden: A Botanical Tour of the Classic Novels
Jane Austen’s Garden: A Botanical Tour of the Classic Novels offers an elegantly illustrated journey through the lush landscapes and gardens found within Jane Austen’s beloved fictional worlds. The book delves into the botanical symbolism, specific flowers, and plants that appear throughout her novels, revealing how the historical gardens of the Regency Era and the natural world shaped the lives and settings of her iconic characters. Enhanced by the enchanted artwork of Jessica Roux, this unique guide also features historical information and charming DIY projects, making it an essential and entertaining read for plant lovers seeking to explore the natural heart of classic literature.
The Beginning of Spring
A Man Booker Prize Finalist, Penelope Fitzgerald’s “marvellous novel” is set in the richly observed world of Moscow in March 1913. English painter Frank Reid’s life is suddenly upended when he returns home to find his wife has disappeared without a word, leaving him alone to care for their three young children. As the spring begins to thaw the city, Frank desperately hires Lisa Ivanovna, a quiet and beautiful woman from the country whose simple demeanour hides a deeper mystery. Frank is left to question Lisa’s true intentions and the unusual involvement of his own bookkeeper, Selwyn Crane, in this masterful novel praised for its precise writing, depth of character, and “bristling with wry comedy”. The Beginning of Spring is one of those reads you won’t be able to put down.
Murder at the Spring Ball: A 1920s Mystery
England, 1925. To mark his seventy-fifth birthday, former detective Lord Edgington throws a lavish ball at Cranley Hall, finally emerging from years of reclusive solitude. But the celebration quickly turns deadly when a killer begins systematically targeting members of his own conniving, scheming family.
With Scotland Yard stumped, Lord Edgington reluctantly enlists his teenage grandson and the family’s adorable golden retriever to help solve the case before they become the killer’s next victims. This mismatched amateur sleuth duo must navigate a house full of preening playboys, scatter brained spinsters, and disgruntled staff.
Murder at the Spring Ball is a witty, warm-hearted, Agatha-Christie-style whodunnit, packed with eccentric suspects and engaging intrigue that will keep you guessing until the very last waltz.
As the weather warms and the world outside begins to unfurl in vibrant colour, let your reading list do the same. Spring is a season of new beginnings, making it the perfect time to shed your winter literary habits, dive into something unexpected, and embrace stories that promise growth, renewal, and a touch of sunlit magic. So grab a cosy blanket, find a sunbeam, and allow these pages to lead you into the beautiful, burgeoning season ahead.
Spring Is the Only Season: How it Works, What it Does and Why it Matters
Spring is the time of renewal and rebirth, a celebration of the resilience of life. As the year turns, animals and plants that have struggled to survive the winter find new hope and create the next generation. The season has inspired some of humanity’s greatest art and many of its most significant religious festivals.
Now, in Spring is the Only Season, Simon Barnes provides a fresh and compelling look at this period of the year. He explains the science of the seasons, which are caused by the planet’s 23.5 degree tilt; he also highlights the music, the paintings and the poetry that have tried to capture it. Packed with fascinating insights, remarkable facts and key stories, the book is a vivid and multi-faceted portrait of spring.
However, while the Earth will continue to spin on its tilting axis, he reveals how our impact on the planet is beginning to destroy the natural course of the seasons, and that elements of the beloved spring—from migrating birds to emerging butterflies—are endangered by climate change. But it’s not too late. Not yet. We can still make a difference, and so continue to enjoy the pleasures of spring.
Hedgelands: A Wild Wander Around Britain’s Greatest Habitat
Hedges – or hedgerows – have long been an integral part of the British landscape; a bastion of privacy for our gardens, a protective presence on winding country lanes and a vital hiding place for birds and beasts on farmland.
This man-made marvel is finally getting its time in the sun. Recognised as an environmental hero and a powerful climate ally, hedgerow is now considered the greatest edge habitat on earth, offering thorny scrub, mature woodland, grassland and even wetland. It plays a critical role in carbon sequestration and provides essential protection against the elements.
Hedgelands highlights the hawthorn and hazel of ancient hedges; the abundance of wildlife, from the elusive dunnock to the striking nightingale, the industrious hedgehog to the little harvest mouse; and the free pickings that the hedgerow offers, making it an essential – and delicious – element of any countryside ramble.
Hedgelands will tell you everything you never thought you needed to know about this wild, diverse and rich habitat – and you might even look at your humble hedge in a whole new way.
