January Reading List
Rekindle a love of reading in 2025
“You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive.”
― James Baldwin
For a community of book lovers, reading might seem too easy for a New Year's resolution, but it's only becoming more important. In an era of news and media packaged for fast-paced consumption, one of the most radical things you can do is read books. Books give complex ideas the time they deserve: reading them lends important stories the full weight of your attention.
Meet Rosie, our commercial officer. As manager of our year-round and festival bookshops, thousands of books pass through Rosie's hands each year. She's compiled her top recommendations for your next read. All purchases from our online shop help support our year-round activity, including events for children and young people.
Tree Stories
by Stefano Mancuso
Neurobiologist and philosopher Stefano Mancuso brings his signature charm and eye for unforgettable detail to tell eight stories of trees that have rooted themselves in human history - from the red spruces that were made into Stradivarius' violins to the wooden ladder that solved 'The Crime of the Century'.
Let the Light Pour In
by Lemn Sissay
For the past decade, Lemn Sissay has composed a short poem as dawn breaks each morning. Life-affirming, witty and full of wonder, these poems chronicle his own battle with the dark and are fuelled by resilience and defiant joy. Let the Light Pour In is a collection of the best of these poems, and a book celebrating this morning practice.
East Winds
by Riaz Phillips
A celebration of the lesser known Caribbean culture, rooted in tales and memories of the history and heritage of the eastern reaches of the Caribbean. The hidden Caribbean isn't a place but a legacy of the complex history, people and food that exist outside the limelight of Caribbean culture. East Winds is full of Riaz's award-winning recipes, with food and travel writing interwoven throughout, giving full focus to the both violent and vibrant stories of the indentured Indian and Chinese, Indigenous tribes and African heritage of Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, Suriname and beyond.
The Green Man of Eshwood Hall
by Jacob Kerr
A family story rooted in folk tale, The Green Man of Eshwood Hall shows us the power that the wild still holds on our imagination, and the shocking nightmares to which it can give rise.
In 1962, Izzy is thirteen and doesn't go to school. She spends her moments of freedom exploring the forest and the village beyond. The more she comes to understand the history of the place, the stranger the things she hears and sees. The most tantalising of these is the Green Man who seems to know all about her.
The Scottish Bothy Bible
by Geoff Allan
This first ever complete guide to Scottish bothies reveals the country's unique and often hidden network of bothy cabins and mountain huts. Scattered across Scotland's most beautiful landscapes, these evocative abandoned crofts and farmsteads are free to stay in and offer a chance to experience the ultimate in wild adventure living.
