FEBRUARY READING
February’s reading feels rooted in winter, but gently looking forward. Stories shaped by cold landscapes and quiet tension sit alongside reflections on rest and seasonal living. There’s craft, countryside, long walks, family relationships, and the slow return of nature. Books to sink into on dark evenings, but also ones that carry you toward lighter days ahead, thoughtful, comforting, and full of small shifts
What we’re reading in February
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CRAFTLAND James Fox
A journey through Britain’s living craft traditions, from blacksmiths and wheelwrights to watchmakers and bell-founders. James Fox traces how hand skills once shaped communities and why, in a digital age, they still matter more than ever. Frequently recommended of late, Craftland is one I’m looking forward to exploring.
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THE LAND IN WINTER Andrew Miller
I couldn’t wait to pick this up each evening. Set during the Big Freeze of 1962 to 63, time is suspended in the cold, days stretching out under muffled blankets of snow. Within that pause, tension, conflict and catastrophe unfold gently and almost unnoticed. It’s calm, atmospheric, and completely absorbing, the kind of winter read you sink into.
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WINTERING Katherine May
When I first read this, it felt like a revelation. Wintering gives language to the quieter seasons of life, times of retreat, rest, and repair that are so often resisted. Katherine May writes with clarity and warmth about learning to stop pushing through, and instead allowing space for withdrawal and recovery. Even as the landscape thaws outside, it is ok to still be in a period of wintering within.
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YOU ARE HERE David Nicholls
For the romantics ahead of Valentine’s Day, the latest novel from David Nicholls, the writer behind modern romance classics One Day and Us. The story follows two middle-aged strangers brought together by a mutual friend, who unexpectedly find themselves walking a long-distance trail across northern England.
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DINNER AT THE HOMESICK RESTAURANT Anne Tyler
I’m a big fan of Anne Tyler’s quiet, thoughtful style and have read all of her books. Through shifting perspectives, from a difficult mother to her children, the novel traces sibling rivalry, disappointment, loyalty and longing, a slow heartache unfolding in everyday moments, unfinished meals, and the things left unsaid. It’s a book I find myself returning to every few years.
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WILDING Isabella Tree
Our 6 yo has loved discovering this beautifully illustrated introduction to rewilding. Inspired by the story of the Knepp Estate in West Sussex, Isabella Tree explores how nature can be encouraged back into landscapes. Photographs from Knepp sit alongside artwork by Notswolds-based artist Angela Harding, as well as simple activities to try at home. Winner of Children’s Non-Fiction Book of the Year at the British Book Awards.
RELATED READING
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OUT OF TOWN EATS
Some of the best ways to experience the Notswolds happen beyond the town centre. Scenic destinations that bring together landscape, good food and often a little more, whether that’s gardens, shops, wellness spaces or room simply to wander. Chosen for this point in the year, when the countryside begins to open up again.
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FEBRUARY THAW
February sits between winter and spring, defined by small but steady change. Frost clears earlier, light stretches further into the day, and water begins to move again across the landscape. It has long been recognised as the point when the year begins to turn, not through sudden growth, but through subtle release.
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WHAT'S ON IN FEBRUARY
A curated guide to what’s on across the Notswolds. Standout dates and regular happenings at some of our favourite venues, gathered to help you plan the months ahead in this corner of the countryside.