Fishing as an activity offers the hobbyist an excuse to leave everyday worries on the shore; it’s an opportunity for solitude, and for deep, even meditative, appreciation of the natural world. Here, Malachy Tallack—the keen angler and author of fly-fishing memoir Illuminated by Water, selects five of the best books on fishing.

Chess is one of the most enduringly popular games in the world, transcending language barriers and teaching valuable life skills. Chess teacher and master Andrew Green recommends books (plus a few websites) to help beginners of all ages learn the game.

Contrary to its popularization in Western culture, yoga isn’t just a form of fitness: its history is rooted in a long Hindu tradition shaped by great teachers in India. Here we have the best books for those who want to learn more about yoga, recommended by Liz Derow, a longtime practitioner and teacher of yoga in India and around the world.

You don’t have to be a genius to play chess, but it helps. British journalist and chess aficionado Dominic Lawson recommends the best books on chess, focusing on some of the great players of the 20th century and including the “best novel ever written about chess players.”

The author, plantsman and rhododendron expert selects his favourite books on botanical exploration and explains his passion for plant hunting

What drives people’s passion for birds and birdwatching? For Jeremy Mynott, it’s as much about us as it is about them. He recommends the best books on birds and birdwatching.

European poker champion, author and presenter, Victoria Coren Mitchell, talks us through her library of the best books on poker.