Crib Notes: Books to Beat the Winter Blues

Reading in the margins of motherhood.

When I walked down the hill from my eldest son’s nursery on Friday morning, the sun was shining and the recent chill had dissipated. Spring is coming, I thought, thank god. I have always found the beginning of the year hard. It does not have the promising ‘new pencil case feeling’ of September (a term coined by my friend Abbie) or the magic of late Autumn and December. Nor does it have the carefree ease of Summer, with its light evenings and low-effort trips to the park. For me, this time of year is best characterised by its grey skies: flat, bleak and empty. I try to be kind to myself as I see out the Winter, and in this issue of Crib Notes I am encouraging you to do likewise. I have chosen five gorgeous books to get you through to Spring. As always, I have tried to consider every reading mood, but what these titles share are notes of tenderness and empathy: qualities that I think we need to show ourselves during these months. I hope you find something here that you love. 

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