It gives details of the month “at a glance” such as the appearance of the countryside and traditional practices in rural areas such as Morris dancing. I was attracted to this by the very beautiful cover and when it arrived it’s quite a small book, so possible to carry around with you - as long as you’ve got a good sized bag. This is a wonderful pocket sized but packed book to guide us through the months and seasons with inspiring recipes, sketches, information on the night sky, plants and trees to look for, and so much more. The Chalke History Festival announces a new name, new look, and tons for history buffs to get their teeth into!

Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously. 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. The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2023 gives you the tools and inspiration you need to celebrate, mark and appreciate each month of the year in your own particular way. Leendertz’s writing is just lovely (see below) and I’ve appreciated the relevant recipes and folk songs each month. Slightly Foxed introduces its readers to books that are no longer new and fashionable but have lasting appeal.When I signed up for the 2022 nonfiction reader challenge, the one topic that gave me concern was a reference book. With delicate illustrations by Whooli Chen, this beautiful book presents a month-by-month guide to engaging with the seasons in Britain and Ireland.

I hope you will make this beautifully illustrated and presented book your own and keep it by your side to remind you get close to Nature through 2023. Beautifully packaged both outside and in, The Almanac will give you, literally, twelve months of pleasure. 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. And, threaded through the book, are in-depth insights to the cycle of a garden pond throughout the year. Publication dates are subject to change (although this is an extremely uncommon occurrence overall).The illustrations by Whooli Chen are beautiful and I couldn’t decide if they would have been even better in colour or whether that would detract from their exquisite subtlety. From moon phases and tide times, to mythology and astronomy, from what’s happening in ponds to recipes and folk songs… this month by month guide informs and inspires. It is littered with black-lined illustrations and images that correspond perfectly to the item they accompany. Each monthly chapter is broken down into sections including the night sky, the garden, a recipe, nature and the tide tables.

This year's focus has been the zodiac but not as a horoscope, but more as the what and why of each month. Every month there are records of heavenly activity, locations of planets and the best time to spot such things in the sky.My garden is tiny but I am learning all the time for when I have a larger garden to turn into a sanctuary for all living creatures to enjoy the natural cycles of the seasons. This book is so valuable because it gives the actual dates for significant events in 2023, of holidays, special days and so much more. I’ve gotten more accustomed to wintering in recent years, thanks in part to the lockdowns and this wonderful book by Katherine May. These little books are a delight and cover much more than you would find in a typical Farmer's Almanac which obviously relates more to matters affecting agriculture and fishing. 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.

To become a subscriber to Slightly Foxed: The Real Reader’s Quarterly Magazine, please visit our subscriptions page. In this bleak December, I'm hearted by the fact that we are approaching the Winter solstice tomorrow. There are also features on each month’s unique aspects — what to plant, and what to watch out for in the wild, in the sky, and in your garden — with suggestions for ways we can celebrate nature through folk songs, decorations, and what we eat. The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2023 by Lia Leendertz gives you the tools and inspiration you need to celebrate, mark and appreciate each month of the year in your own particular way.Illustrated this year by artist Whooli Chen, this beautifully designed pocket book is ideal to carry around in your day bag for reference, to while away a few minutes or as an indispensable guide with literally everything you could need to know about each month and how the seasons affect them. As such, it’s the perfect gift for gardeners and nature-lovers, and a great way to inject natural goodness to your day-to-day life. You will find yourself referring to The Almanac all year long, revisiting it again and again, and looking forward to the next edition as the year draws to a close.