‘The Fullness of Time’ by Cathy Haunes

Hbk, Bloomsbury, £22

Subtitled: ‘Marking the Day by Birdsong, Blooms, Shadows and Stars’; this is the perfect read for nature lovers and season followers, a wonderful place to start to retune to the rhythms of the natural world.

A journey into the forgotten art of marking time through signs in the world around us – from the slow sliding of sunbeams to the wheeling of the stars. Past generations would tell time by shadows shrinking, the midday glow over a mountaintop, the crowing of the rooster in the darkness.

They noticed the flowers that close at noon, sensed how the quality of light changes at dusk, and marked time at night by the motion of the stars. Today, in our clock-bound, digital world, time is machine ordered, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Roaming from ancient downland to city streets, accept the invitation to discover the simple, sensory joys of truly paying attention.

‘Mare’ by Emily Haworth-Booth

Hbk, Grants, £16.99

Debuting with an award-winning novel is no mean feat, but this captivating story of love, longing, nurturing and mothering - in all its forms is a triumph. The author has written award-winning children’s books previously but now begins her journey into adult fiction.

Written in a distinctive self-observational style, it has the feel of an intimate personal diary revealing the inner workings of the protagonist’s mind. There is a sense of personal melancholy that pervades the pages.

Shifting from feeling completeness with her husband and dog, with no intentions of having a child of her own, a roller coaster of emotions unravel as the dog dies and she is confronted with the medical reality of never being able to birth a child. Into the story strides the mare, a new focus for attention, verging on obsessive love and finally acceptance and a sense of fulfilment.

Both titles are available at the bridge bookshops in Ramsey and Port Erin