It feels like I’ve been cooped up inside too long; after a whole winter of being tucked away with all of my novels it’s beginning to get warm enough to go outdoors and take pleasure in some of the things that “real world” has to offer.

Don’t get me wrong-I’m not okay with a lot of the things the real world has going on these days. That’s why I think it’s important to read books about all the other beautiful, wonderful, wondrous things that still exist (though they may become harder to find).

That’s why I’m devoting this spring’s reading list to all of the delightful, intriguing non-fiction that I can find.

1. Love! Loss! Betrayal! Ok so maybe Peter Wohlleben’s The Hidden Life of Trees won’t play out like a botanical soap opera, but the idea that trees live in families and can even communicate with each other still has me full of suspense.
2. I walk a lot and am fortunate to live in a neighborhood by the water that’s perfect for a stroll, no mater what the season. There’s always something different to look at so I’m excited to read On Looking: A Walker’s Guide to Observation by Alexandra Horowitz for more thoughts on observing the world around us from someone who loves it as much as I do.
3. I’m more of an armchair traveler than a world adventurer but Chuck Thompson’s Smile While You’re Lying, a book promising to expose the dark side of travel industry, just might make me that much more okay with exploring other countries from the safety of a magazine.
4. I love stories about people taking on hare-brained journeys in a last-ditch attempt at changing their lives (see here and here). I’m hoping that Wild by Cheryl Strayed is exactly that- a wild adventure.
5. Going on a journey with Bill Bryson isn’t always a wild adventure but it is usually a hilarious one. Notes on a Small Island is one of my Dad’s favorite books so I think it’s about high time I got around to reading it.

Psst- wanna see which books have previously graced my bookshelves? Click here. Want even more fun reading recommendations? I’ve got some for you here. Don’t forget to find me on Goodreads so we can snoop each other’s bookshelves and dish about our favourites.