Our pick of this season’s best books for countr y-lovers
Blossomise by Simon Armitage (Faber, £10) Published with the National Trust as part of its annual Blossom campaign, the Poet Laureate celebrates spring’s confetti in 22 ballads, hymns and haikus, with beautiful illustrations by Angela Harding.
Hunt for the Shadow Wolf by Derek Gow (Chelsea Green, £20) He helped reintroduce the flood-fighting beaver to Britain. Now, the ecologist turns his attention to the wolf. Red Riding Hood, look away now.
Wild Woman: Empowering Stories from Women who Work in Nature by Philippa Forrester (Bloomsbury, £18.99) The TV presenter explores what it takes for awoman to live or work in the wild, tackling everything from motherhood to menopause head on.
The Beacon Bike: Around England and Wales in 327 Lighthouses by Ed Peppitt (Icon Books, £20) When Ed Peppitt was diagnosed with MS, nothing would stop him fulfilling his childhood dream: to cycle 3,500 miles visiting the lighthouses of England and Wales.
Weathering: How the Earth’s Deep Wisdom Can Help us Endure Life’s Storms by Ruth Allen (Ebury, £18.99) Ruth Allen combines her geology background with outdoor therapy. The ancient landscape, she says, can teach us much about resilience and change.
The Giant on the Skyline: On Home, Belonging and Learning to Let Go by Clover Stroud (Doubleday, £18.99) Clover Stroud explores the ancient Ridgeway near her Oxfordshire home before she leaves it behind for Washington. Out 9 May.
