When I signed up for the 2022 nonfiction reader challenge, the one topic that gave me concern was a reference book. I used to love reading world books (remember them?) back when I was a kid, but I couldn't imagine sitting down and eating a whole one now.

I needn't have worried.

‘The almanac - a seasonal guide to 2023’ is a beautiful book. I haven't finished it; in fact, I've only dipped in. So in many ways this is only a partial book review. But I've seen enough to know I'll be revisiting it throughout the year, because that is the whole point of the book - it's an almanac. The description says it better than I ever can:

Reconnect with the seasons in Britain and Ireland with this month-by-month guide to the world around us - including key dates, tide tables and garden tasks; constellations and moon phases; sunrises, folk songs, seasonal recipes plus a 'bun of the month'; and - because 2023 will be a good year for planet spotting - the solar system and the zodiac.

Seasons

Even as I flicked through the Almanac, I found myself reconnecting with the seasons. Each entry starts with a list of celebrations and holidays and has a description of the month and what to look out for in nature, beautifully written, full of wisdom and hope by Lia Leendertz.

From best gardening times, celestial events, tidal timetables - it's full of fascinating little tips and insights and I'm already looking forward to opening it at the start of each month. The recipes were especially welcome and although not one for astrology, I found the history of the zodiac signs and greek mythology to be fascinating.

It's easy to drift through our days, not even noticing the changes that are happening around us. Dara McAnulty made me think about this a lot this year on my walks. I’ve made more of an effort to take off my earbuds and to look and listen to nature.

Gift

I only have a PDF of ‘the almanac - a seasonal guide to 2023’ on loan from Netgalley, and it only lasts for a couple of months, so I may splash out for a copy. This would also make a great gift. and the hardback would make a nice companion piece for a coffee table. A word too for the wonderful cover and the book is also gorgeously illustrated by Whooli Chen.

In this bleak December, I'm hearted by the fact that we are approaching the Winter solstice tomorrow. Althought It's the shortest day/longest night of the year, it always gives me comfort that the days are getting longer. It feels like a turning point, no matter the cold and dismal weather. I’ve gotten more accustomed to wintering in recent years, thanks in part to the lockdowns and this wonderful book by Katherine May.

The winter solstice has been a date marked in the Irish calendar for 5000 years. ‘An Grianstad’  means ‘the sun stop’, and in Newgrange our Neolithic ancestors gathered to witness the start of the new year, natures rebirth and life returning to the land.

Winter and darkness  is a  time for reflection, for reconnecting.

Everything passes, everything changes. 

Amazon UK Amazon US

The almanac - a Seasonal guide to 2023 by Lia Leendertz was Published on 1 Sep 2022

by Octopus Publishing

thanks to Netgalley and Octopus publishing for the Advanced Reader Copy.