I’m going to blame Josephine Nuese for my latest reading goal/obsession.
In her book, The Country Garden (1970), Josephine takes the reader through her garden starting in January and continuing month by month to December.
Which reminded me that the author of another book I’m currently reading, Seed to Dust by Marc Hamer, also starts with January in a garden.
See where this is going?
The next thing I know, I’m going through my library rounding up all the books that appear to start with January and end with December. Then I found a few more books that start in another month, like September, but end a year later, and decided to include them on my list.
Then I was on the internet looking for other books that follow this same pattern so I could buy them and start reading them this month and read them all year, one month at a time.
As one might imagine, things were starting to get a bit out of control as I began to pull books of my shelves and continued diving deeper into this rabbit hole looking for books that fit my criteria.
So I paused, got my wits about me, and came up with some rules, some guidelines “because-who-wants-rules”, to shorten my growing stack of books.
I decided to eliminate books of letters between two gardeners, even if they started in January and went for a year. I actually had two such books on the stack but decided to set those aside for now. I’ll save letters for another reading project.
I also eliminated diaries that went on for more than a year.
Then I eliminated a couple of books because though they had “A Year of” in the title, they didn’t have a clear distinction in the chapter headings for each month.
Here’s the list I’ve come up with so far.
| This Hill, This Valley by Hal Borland (1957) – I read this book last year, but it’s quite good and worth a re-read. |
| A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold (1948) – I listened to this book in the fall of 2021, but this time I’ll read it. |
| Diary of a Modern Country Gardener by Tamsin Westhorpe (2020) – I’ve had this book in my library for a while and though the author doesn’t start with January, I can skip to January and then come back to the beginning. |
| The Country Garden by Josephine Nuese (1970) – This is the book that got me thinking I should find a bunch of January to December books. Of course it’s included! |
| A Year Unfolding: A Printmaker’s View by Angela Harding (2022) – This is the only book from this list on my Kindle. I almost set it aside (electronically) because the months aren’t specifically noted, but I can figure out which season she’s in. |
| A Year in the Maine Woods by Bernd Heinrich (1995) – I think this one will work. I ordered a “good used copy,” as they say, for not too much. We shall see when it arrives. |
| A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle (1989) – I also ordered a good used copy of this one and am waiting for it to show up. |
| Seed to Dust: Life, Nature & a Country Garden by Marc Hamer (2021) – So far this is a lovely book. I think I was up to March when I decided to do this little reading project. I’ll pause and let the months catch up to wherever I was. |
| Seasons of Wonder by Bonnie Smith Whitehouse (2022) – This is not a gardening book or nature study, but otherwise fits the “rules” I decided on, so it’s on the list. I’ve ordered it. |
| Mrs. Greenthumbs by Cassandra Danz (1993) – I pulled this one off my shelf and was delighted to see it is month by month because I haven’t read it in quite some time. It will be fun to re-read. (Yes, I realize I could have re-read it at anytime, but now it’s part of a fun reading project!) |
| Birds, Art, Life: A Year of Observation by Kyo Maclear (2017) – I found this one via some online searching because I wanted to include a book about birding. I like to be well-rounded that way. I’m waiting for a good used copy to arrive. |
| The Nature of Oaks by Douglas Tallamy (2021) – I read this one last year and remembered it started in September but I can start with January and read from that point. |
That’s twelve books. I should really stop there.
My plan is to read all the January chapters in January, February chapters in February, etc. You get the idea!
I’m still open to suggestions for other books written this way, with chapter headings that are the months of the year, ideally. So if you know of any other such books that would be worth reading, leave a comment or send me an email. (But be quick about it. We are at the half-way point of January as I write this. I’ll need time to find a copy of your most excellent suggestion, whatever it is.)
At some point in my book search, I decided it might be interesting to add a book of fiction to the list, one that starts the story in January and ends it in December. Try finding that in an online search! I’ve done several searches, which usually came up with lists of books published in January, lists of best books of the year. In other words, nothing even close to what I’m looking for, but I’m still searching.
Earlier today, I went to my local Barnes & Noble bookstore and was looking at books in general when someone asked if I needed help finding anything.
“Yes, do you know of any fiction books where the story starts in January and ends in December?”
She answered, “Oh, you mean a planner?” As though I didn’t know the word for a planner.
No, I mean a fiction book where the story starts in January and ends in December. Does such a book exist? She had no idea.
(Let me know if you know of one!)
Even without a work of fiction, I think I’ve got a pretty good list of books for my little month-by-month reading project. I’ve even gone so far as to make a spreadsheet listing all the books and the months of the year so I can keep track of my reading.
And then I made a little graphic to go with my project because that was just a fun thing to do.
If you want to read along with me month by month, pick out a couple or all of my suggestions, and do it! And let me know if you do.
Regardless of whether or not anyone follows me down this rabbit hole of January through December books (is there an official term to describe them?), I promise (threaten) periodic updates!
I have been doing this for years with 2 Henry Mitchell books One Man’s Garden and On Gardening. There is also Karel Capek’s The Gardener’s Year. I too recently reread Mrs Greenthumb and realized how much I missed Cassandra Danz! I think one of the Miss Read books-Village Diary- is in Jaunuary-December format. And all her books are wonderful to read on a winter’s day. Thank for your writing!
Yes! The Gardener’s Year by Karel Capek! Not sure if Henry Mitchell is arranged by months.
Thank you, Diane. I just added Miss Read’s Village Diary to the list and ordered a used copy. Now I have a fiction book!
By golly, Henry Mitchell’s On Gardening is organized by month (I didn’t even think to check it) so I’ve pulled it off my shelf…along with Karel Capek’s The Gardener’s Year.
A Year at North Hill by Wayne Winterrowd and Joe Eck will fit your criteria and give you an understanding of the more challenging northern climate. Although they are slightly warmer than my original garden and can grow some things that I can’t. Tovah Martin’s book The Garden in Every Sense and Season goes by seasons, not months, but I heartily recommend it to anyone who is not following Carol’s strict rules. I read both of those books every year, starting with the season Winter or the month January, as the case may be.
Kathy, Good suggestions! I also recommend Tovah’s book but will set it aside for now since I read it a few years ago. A Year at North Hill is also worth consideration… I thought I had a copy of that around here so I’ll look for it. Thank you!
Just to let you know-I ordered The Country Garden ( and a couple other gardening books not in year order) and am going to look for some of the others on your list. Once again, thank you for writing-I am so happy I found your website last year!
I just found another book. Through the Garden Gate by Elizabeth Lawrence, edited by Bill Neal, is also organized by months.
An Amish Garden: A year in the life of an Amish Garden.
Amazon has it.
I have read A year in Provence. Loved it
This looks fun
https://www.amazon.com/Voices-Earth-Year-Life-Garden/dp/0393336476
Heidi, thanks for the suggestions. I’ll add them to the list! Thank you!
Your plate is full, but I just have to add Monty Don’s Gardening at Longmeadow and My Garden World. David Culp’s A Year at Brandywine cottage is also organized by months. I’m resisting the urge to go through my whole library to see what else I can find!
Kathy,
Yes, the list of books organized by months is getting longer with each suggestion, but that’s okay. I won’t read every suggestion this year but I’m making a list of all the books I discover that follow this pattern. So feel free to send me more suggestions!
I enjoyed Dear Friend & Gardener by Christopher Lloyd & Beth Chatto. They exchanged letters for a year about their gardens and lives. Their affection for each other is charming and both are excellent writers. Also, The Curious Gardener by Anna Pavord.
Great suggestions, Amy. I have Dear Friend & Gardener but set it aside for now. I think I have The Curious Gardener around here somewhere too. I’m adding it to the list! Thank you!
A Way to Garden by Margaret Roach. Her chapters are two months at a time: January/February, March/April etc.
Kathy,
A good book to add. I should have remembered it. I think I wrote a review of it for American Gardener when it came out as a revised edition. Thank you!
Carol:
I think you might enjoy The Shape of a Year By Jean Hersey published in 1967. It such a peaceful, beautifully written book. I pull it out, on occasion, and read the month that I happen to be in. It always brings a smile.
Love your podcast and blog! Thanks for all the energy you pour into sharing your love of gardening! Hope it brings a smile to you knowing that someone in Minnesota appreciates your efforts.
Carol, I see you already have one Miss Read book suggested, I have one more to add that is arranged monthly: The Year at Thrush Green. With a title like that, why was I surprised to find it monthly?
I enjoy the quotes at the beginning of each chapter- Jan: Snow had fallen, snow on snow, Snow on snow. (Christina Rossetti) which was so apropos after our 20” of snow this last week! And Feb: And in green underwood and cover Blossom by blossom the spring begins. ( A. C. Swinburne) I am coming to the bitter end of Miss Reads’ books, so I am dragging them out slowly!
Donna, Thanks for the suggestion. I’m going to add it to the list!