The Almanac: A seasonal guide to 2022

by Lia Leendertz

*THE ORIGINAL & BESTSELLING ALMANAC*'Lia Leendertz's classic almanac never fails to delight' - The Herald'It's a perfect Christmas present' - Allan Jenkins, The ObserverA perfect toolkit for connecting with the world around us and the year ahead as it unfolds - all in a compact and pocket size guide that just begs you to pick it up and browse.The A seasonal guide to 2022 reinvents the tradition of the rural almanac for a new audience. It gives you the tools and inspiration you need to celebrate, mark and appreciate each month of the year in your own particular way. Divided into the 12 months, a set of tables each month gives it the feel and weight of a traditional almanac, providing practical information that gives access to the outdoors and the seasons, perfect for expeditions, meteor-spotting nights and beach holidays. There are also features on each month's unique nature, such as the meteor shower of the month, beehive behaviour, folklore, seasonal recipes and charts tracking moon phases and tides.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.The geographical scope of The Almanac is Britain and IrelandPRAISE FOR THE 'The perfect companion to the seasons' - India Knight'Indispensable' - Sir Bob Geldof'This book is your bible' - The Independent'An ideal stocking filler' - The English Garden'I love this gem of a book' - Cerys Matthews

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Reference, Astrology, Animals

268 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 2, 2021

About the author

Lia Leendertz is a gardener and writer. She writes about gardening, growing food and cooking, and her work has appeared in for the Telegraph, the Guardian, Gardens Illustrated, The Garden, and Simple Things magazine. She publishes an annual garden almanac.

Reviews

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautiful book to read each month. I especially loved the folklore, the focus on different birds and what to look out for in the night sky. Lots of interesting information about traditions, songs, recipes, tides, sunrises, moon phases and gardening. As a nature lover, this book was perfect to read throughout the changing seasons!

[bibliodufi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely hardbound little book filled with fascinating month-by-month information about the natural world, to help you keep in touch with what is going on around you, such as tides, moon phases, things to look out for on the night skies, birds, plants and animals. Also includes folklore information this year.
My only complaint is that I want even more! Brilliant companion to the year ahead.

[Harry Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much. Full of folklore, recipes, and information about the natural world. Makes me want to be a pagan and live my life by the moon and the birds.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made me feel like a hot witch

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely book. Lia puts together a lovely almanac each year. I enjoy reading at the beginning of each month. Here are some of my favourite sections:

Sky At Night - Allows me to keep track of the moon phases and when the meteor showers occur. We actually caught the Perseids this year.

Dressing up - This year, she does a section on traditional festivals requiring costumes, for instance, the Wren Boys (December) and the Pearly Queens (September). I love reading about the traditions that make these islands amazing.

Folk Song of the month - My favourite.

As well as recipes, planting schedules, what is fresh locally, and pictures by Harry Brockway. What a lovely guide. I would definitely recommend it.

[Angela Moore Garden Tea Cakes and Me · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the folk stories, recipes and gardening advice in this almanac

[Sue Cartwright · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Almanac provides astronomical and meteorological data for any given year including the rising and setting times of the sun. An Almanac also includes moon phases, positions of the planets, schedules of low and high tides, and a calendar of special days, seasonal events and historical information.

A Farmer's Almanac lists nautical, astronomical and astrological data used for navigation and forecasting. It uses an exclusive mathematical and astronomical formula that relies on sunspot activity, tidal action of the moon, planetary positions and other factors, making it the oldest form of weather forecast for those working on land or sea.

Whilst 'The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2022', is not a Farmer's Almanac per say, it contains much of the above information and more. Set out with key dates at the beginning of each month followed by sections including charts for movements of the sun, moon and tides, and helpful information on gardening, growing, foraging, recipes and folklore.

The theme for this edition is folklore celebrations with stories, songs, events and recipes for every month of the year. No better way to get closer to nature and find out more about local and traveller traditions that have created the most memorable and enjoyable occasions for communities over the centuries.

It's never too late to buy an Almanac such as this to start tuning into the cycles of nature and the abundance of our natural world. A really helpful go-to guide that becomes essential to follow the seasons and connect with nature throughout the year.

[Kristina the Book Forager · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this guide, but somehow found each month little less interesting than the one before. Story of the month was always interesting and new cookie recipes too. I feel some information on plants was lacking.

[Heather Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this little guide. It was a surprise gift last Christmas and I read it in advance of every month, not something I would have thought to buy for myself. The 2023 guide is on my list for this Christmas.

[Shan S · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a magical and fun way to learn about the seasons - I read each chapter in nature each month and it was wonderful, loved the traditional folk tales and cant wait to use it again and again through the years

[Tom Greenhill]

-99assisted I p.

[Amy Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some bits were very very interesting, I really enjoyed the recipes and folktales. Some bits were really boring.

[Nicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read each chapter to monthly. I enyoyed the sections on folklore and customs most as I don't have a garden.

[Richard Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always a moment of great satisfaction when I read the final chapter-month of the almanac. But there's also a little bit of sadness as I see yet another year go by.
Well, I'd better go and get next year's then.

[Gabriela Y · Rating 5 out of 5]

I looked forward to reading this gem every month!

[Susan Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful as ever. One of my annual treats

[Angela Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, informative, gentle book that helped me track the year. Providing nuggets of information about nature, culture and mythology.

[Freya Mortimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read monthly as usual!

[Umide Sacoor Ahnemann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have all the almanacs since 2018, always a good companion throughout the year. This year's illustrations are my favourite.

[Maria Balos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice stories, music and knowledge for every month of the year. Actually I bought the one for 2023 too