Books of the Month
November
November offers a different perspective on the British countryside. As leaves fall and the landscape opens up, details that went unnoticed through the summer become easier to see. Wintering birds arrive, fungi persist among damp leaf litter and fallen wood, and the shorter days and longer evenings bring a chance to slow down and reflect.
Our four Books of the Month explore the natural world from different perspectives, offering new ways to understand, appreciate and connect with the places and wildlife around us.
Mike Dilger
Nightingales in November
‘Seldom less than fascinating.’ ― Times Literary Supplement
‘Lively and engaging.a fascinating insight into the lives of birds.’ ― Rare Bird Alert
Nightingales in November is a beautifully illustrated bird book exploring the lives, movements and remarkable journeys of twelve familiar birds of the British Isles. Drawing on decades of birdwatching, bird ringing and migration records, it reveals the fascinating details of their lives throughout the year, from where swallows spend Christmas to when young tawny owls begin to appear.
Combining lyrical nature writing with scientific research and satellite tracking technology, the book uncovers the secrets of bird migration and challenges familiar ideas about our native birds. Discover where cuckoos travel during the months they spend away from Britain, why some robins migrate rather than remain on their territories, and how the lives of these birds extend far beyond the places we see them.
Illustrated throughout with striking artwork by Darren Woodhead, Nightingales in November is an absorbing book about British birds, bird migration and natural history. Ideal for birdwatchers, wildlife enthusiasts and anyone interested in nature writing, it is a rewarding book to dip into throughout the year, offering fresh insights into the birds that share our landscapes.
Read this if you loved... ♡
Birdland by Jon Gower
Anjana Khatwa
The Whispers of Rock
Longlisted for The Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing 2026
'Anjana Khatwa writes science in poetry. She bridges worlds with her words. I'll never touch rocks in the same way again.' Dan Snow
The Whispers of Rock by award-winning Earth scientist and television presenter Anjana Khatwa explores the extraordinary relationship between rocks, human history and the natural world. From the ancient stones of Stonehenge to the rose-red city of Petra, it reveals how the rocks beneath our feet have shaped our landscapes, cultures and lives over millions of years.
Blending geological science with ancient stories and Indigenous knowledge, Khatwa takes readers on a journey through deep time, from volcanic landscapes in the Andes to the dramatic coastline of Dorset. Along the way, she explores how rocks are formed, how they shape the world around us and the meanings people have found in them across generations.
Rich in natural history, geology and cultural storytelling, The Whispers of Rock offers a fresh perspective on the landscapes we inhabit and the Earth's ancient past. An absorbing read for anyone interested in geology books, nature writing, Earth's history and our enduring connection with the natural world.
Read this is you loved... ♡
Stonelands by Fiona Robertson
Andrew Timothy O’Brien
To Stand and Stare
Fresh and gently radical... a manifesto for a new way of looking at your garden, perfect for this moment in time, and very appealing indeed. Gardens Illustrated
A quiet, contemplative piece woven together in a distinctively poetic way that will have you seeing the garden with fresh eyes. The English Garden
Reconnect with nature from the ground up and nurture not only your garden but your body, mind, and soul.
There's a lot of advice out there that would tell you how to do numerous things in your garden.
But not so much that invites you to think about how to be while you're out there. With increasingly busy lives, yet another list of chores seems like the very last thing any of us needs when it comes to our own practice of self-care, relaxation and renewal. After all, aren't these the things we wanted to escape to the garden for in the first place?
Put aside the 'Jobs to do this week' section in the Sunday papers. What if there was a more low-intervention way to garden, some reciprocal arrangement through which both you and your soil get fed, with the minimum degree of fuss, effort and guilt on your part, and the maximum measure of healthy, organic growth on that of your garden?
In To Stand and Stare, Andrew Timothy O'Brien weaves together strands of botany, philosophy and mindfulness to form an ecological narrative suffused with practical gardening know-how. Informed by a deep understanding and appreciation of natural processes, O'Brien encourages the reader to think from the ground up, as we follow the pattern of a plant's growth through the season - roots, shoots, flowers, and fruits - while advocating an increased awareness of our surroundings.
Read this if you loved... ♡
The Well Gardened Mind by Sue Stuart-Smith
Tom Moorhouse
Ghosts in the Hedgerow
"A triumph of accessible science writing." - Lee Schofield
"An intriguing book. The hedgehog has found its champion." - Tristan Gooley
"Jaunty, scholarly, wise." - Charles Foster
"Any project that highlights the plight of hedgehogs is invaluable." - Tim Rice
In poll after poll hedgehogs come out top as Britain's favourite mammal. And yet their numbers are estimated to have halved in less than twenty years. Why? Who or what is responsible for the disappearance of so many thousands of hedgehogs in recent decades? Is it the car driver, the badger, the farmer, the gardener ..?
Tom Moorhouse sets out to investigate the evidence, and in seeking to discover the cause of this loss and how we save the species he uncovers a story full of twists, turns and uncomfortable truths about the trade-offs that exist between humans and wildlife.
And then thankfully he provides solutions. A final chapter, complete with contributions from hedgehog conservation experts, equips the reader with the toolkit required to try and coax our beloved hedgehogs back.
Read this if you loved... ♡
The Hedgehog Book by Hugh Warwick