Distract yourself from the prolonged cold and snow with a book that takes you out into nature! Whether it’s a safari in Kenya, a poor girl’s wanderings on the moors in England, or one farmer’s reflections from the Midwest, transport yourself.
For exotic climates try either Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen or The Grass is Singing by Doris Lessing. Dinesen’s autobiographical book was adapted for the screen in 1985 and stars Robert Redford and Meryl Streep.
E.M. Forster captures the romance of the Italian countryside in his story about a young girl who finds love on holiday–also available as a film . The heroine, Lucy Honeychurch, loses herself amidst the sights of Florence, Italy and the scenic descriptions are sure to sweep up the reader as well.
Pick up one of three biographies on children’s author and artist Beatrix Potter. Potter is famous for her watercolor illustrations and the tales of Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny, and friends.
Wander the moors of northern England with Jane Eyre (Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte) and Catherine Earnshaw (Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte). Both are well-known for their dark, romantic settings. You can also find numerous film adaptations of both.
For poetry-lovers, try a collection of poems by Englishman Gerard Manley Hopkins. His poems were influenced by his extensive travels around the United Kingdom.
For nature a little closer to home–Wendell Berry is a farmer and outspoken advocate for simple living from America’s Midwest. In his nonfiction, stories, and poems Berry tries to capture his love and respect for the land and people who work it.
Photo by Meneerke bloem (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons