Following on from our spring and summer book club picks, here are some of our favourite countryside-themed books for autumn.

This book club coincides with CPRE Cheshire winning ‘Hedgerow Heroes’ funding, a project that will plant hedgerow across the county. With this in mind there are a couple of tree-related reads included also.

Adult Fiction

Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Whilst this fiction book is thrilling and beautifully depicted in its own right, it does describe the North Carolina Marshlands in picturesque detail. Kya, the protagonist, grows up in the Marshlands that are mainly uninhabited, the animals and the marsh often her only company. Whilst themes of prejudice, love and justice prevail, nature and its power are at the heart of this brilliant read.

Adult Non-Fiction

Into The Forest by Dr Qing Li

Immunologist Dr Qing Li examines the health benefits of spending time in the great outdoors. Through research and the latest scientific studies, Li explores the wellbeing that arises from connecting with nature. Benefits explored within the book include a reduction in blood pressure and lower stress levels.

Underland by Robert Macfarlane

Winner of The Wainwright Prize 2019 and The Stanford Dolman Travel Book Of The Year Award 2020. McFarlane explores the earth’s vast landscapes, from ice caps to deep waters, and how these will change over time. Focusing on forgotten and existing lands under our feet, the reader is transported on a journey of wonder.

Children’s Choice

Fiction

The Oak Tree by Julia Donaldson

The story of a tree throughout its lifetime The reader watches the people it shelters, the families it holds, the games it watches played under its arms. Little readers are then able to see that after a long lifetime, the tree then produces an acorn which grows to become important for the next people under its branches.

Non-fiction

The Ladybird Book Of Trees by Brian Seymour-Vesey-Fitzgerald

Recommended by PR and Comms volunteer Beverley, this classic covers all the main species of trees found in the UK countryside. Complete with beautiful illustrations, it’s a great reference book for children and adults alike.

Poetry

For Children

National Trust: I Am The Seed That Grew The Tree: A Nature Poem For Every Day Of The Year. Selected by Fiona Waters

This anthology was awarded the Waterstones Children’s Gift of the Year 2018 for its elaborate nature poetry, perfect for all seasons. It boasts 366 poems all celebrating the natural world, to inspire and uplift little readers.

For adults

The National Trust Book Of Nature Poems, Edited by Deborah Alma

Different chapters touch on different aspects of nature within this poetry anthology. Birds, wildlife, water, woodland and moors are just some of the sections covered. Works are included by poetry ‘greats’ such as Christina Rossetti, Philip Larkin and Sylvia Plath, as well as the inclusion of poetry from more contemporary and lesser-known authors.

If you try any of these books, let us know what you think on our socials! If you’re buying rather than borrowing, please support your local bookshop. If you don’t have one handy, you can buy online from a local independent bookshop at bookshop.org