We’re finally in spring, and I, for one, couldn’t be happier! Reading-wise, I came up with nine books to read this spring, which should improve your mood!
As I get older, I find winters hard to deal with, so I look very much forward to longer days, warmer temperatures, and dry roads! If you live in Canada, you understand what I’m talking about! Winters can be brutal, especially on aging bodies.
Therefore, I celebrate the beginning of the season with a few books. The following nine books are the ones I’m attempting to read this spring.
Most of these, with the exception of only a couple of them, have been on my shelves for quite a while. The newest one, Sunshine Nails, will be published on July 4th, 2023.
Nevertheless, I’m hoping to read them all in the next couple of months. It’s very doable, but life always seems to get in the way.
Let’s see which nine books I’m looking forward to reading this spring.
9. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
This book was very lauded by many of my fellow Instagrammers, so of course I immediately went out and bought it. But, not surprisingly, it’s still sitting unread on my shelves. I’m very determined to read it this season, so keep your fingers crossed for me!
This book is a great portrayal of a marriage that most can relate to. She attacks the subject with a style that is her own. Didion’s writing is poignant and powerful yet flawless, and I’m looking forward to getting acquainted with it.
8. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abby Waxman
This is another book that I’ve been meaning to read ever since it was published. It has all the elements of a book that screams my name. Yet, I still haven’t prioritized it. Probably because I want to devour it but I just haven’t found the right moment yet.
The book is about bookworm Nina, who works in a bookstore and has no social life. Until the father she never even knew existed dies, and she gains a whole family. The whole lot, which includes a series of brothers, sisters, cousins, and so on, can’t wait to meet her. They bring a lot of loudness and excitement to introverted Nina. Funny and quirky, I think it’s a very spring-appropriate book to finally read!
7. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022, but never got around to reading it. I actually started it, but only got a couple of chapters in. So, what better time to add it back to my most anticipated reads of spring? Hopefully this time it will stick.
Elizabeth Zott, a 60s single mother, is very avant-garde. She studied chemistry, but nobody really takes her seriously at work. Since it’s an exclusively male workplace, she doesn’t fit in. So she starts her own TV show, teaching women how to cook. But her way of doing it, by including her chemist background in all the recipes, gains instant popularity and makes it a great success. Funny yet revolutionary, I’m looking forward to this book.
6. All Adults Here by Emma Straub
Emma Straub is a new author to me, but I currently have two books in my possession. My goal is to read them sooner rather than later. This one is from a few years ago, plus her newest work I’ll mention shortly. Published in May 2020, this book became popular right at the beginning of the pandemic. It was a much-needed reprieve from the depressing, worrisome days that we were all faced with. The effects of birth order on siblings, as well as aging, are among some of the points the author touches upon in this literary novel. I’m hoping to enjoy it!
5. This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub
This book came out last year, and it is written with the same insight and sense of humor the author became noticed for. Time travel and a love story like no other are at the basis of this novel. We all thought that if given the chance, we would redo things with the experience we have as adults. But would you want to really go back in time? How do you think that would impact the way you perceive things? Although a work of fiction, this book promises to make you think about some philosophical questions we all had at some time or another.
4. A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult
A spark of light is written in the author’s enraptured style that she became well-known for. She has a way of making you connect to the characters that not many authors manage to do. This novel revolves around the events that take place at a reproductive health clinic one fall day. A hostage situation and women’s reproductive rights are heavy topics that the author embarked upon, but she does it with ease. Yes, the book is not a light read, but one I’ve been meaning to read for a while.
3. Mad Honey by Jody Picoult
Picoult’s latest novel tackles another heart-wrenching topic in her typical thought-provoking way. This story is about two women raising their teenage children alone. They both returned to New Hampshire for a fresh start, but when one of their kids turns up dead, the accused mother’s wondering if her son could really be guilty.
She’s one of those authors that know exactly how to bring out all the emotions in you. That’s why some people really love her books, while others do not. From the couple of books I read by her, I can consider myself a fan. I can’t wait to read this one!
2. Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen
A debut novel by Canadian award-nominated journalist Mai Nguyen, I chose this book because it seems like a light version of Olga Dies Dreaming. Or so it was presented.
The story follows Vietnamese couple Debbie and Phil Tran, and the struggles they are faced when a chain salon opens across the street from their family-run nail salon. It is a tale about gentrification, community ties, and immigrants who are trying their best to fit in.
This book is coming out in July, so let me know if it’s something you’d like to read. Then maybe we can discuss it afterward.
1. I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai
Powerhouse Rebecca Makkai, a Pulitzer prize nominee for her novel The Great Believers, brought us this latest book earlier this year. I absolutely loved the intricate way she weaves a story, so I’m hoping her newest work lives up to the hype.
Bodie Kane, a successful podcaster and film professor returns to her old boarding school where she spent four miserable years, to teach a summer class. Old wounds and insecurities resurface, and the murder of her old college roommate is revisited by one of her students. Called a compulsive page-turner by some, Makkai has a writing style that will captivate you for sure. If you get your hands on this one, I’d like to know what you think.
This is my list of the nine books I choose to read this spring. What book are you most looking forward to this season?
