If You Only Read A Few Books This Spring, Read These
They’ll teach you about beauty and new beginnings
“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” — Cicero
Spring has sprung!
The flowers are starting to bloom. The weather is getting warmer. All that’s missing is finding the perfect book to read.
If you’re looking for books to give you that springtime feeling, look no further!
Here are seven beautiful books you should read this spring:
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
The Secret Life of Bees blew me away.
After a racist encounter, Lily Owens and her “stand-in mother” Rosaleen escape to Tiburon, South Carolina. There, Lily meets three black beekeeping sisters and learns more about her dead mother’s past.
The beekeepers obviously made me think of spring. But, I also wanted to recommend this book because it was such a delightful read. I loved the motherly friendship and Lily’s coming of age. I grew attached to each character, even with their flaws. The book is set in 1964 so it also tackles really important themes like racism and gender.
If you want a powerful story that will stick with you long after you close the book, pick up The Secret Life of Bees as soon as possible!
“Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can’t remember who we are or why we’re here.” ― Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Spring is a great time to pick up a classic, and Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility is fantastic.
The book follows two sisters who are complete opposites: Marianne is outspoken and impulsive; Elinor is reserved and cautious. In their parallel love stories, the sisters learn that love requires sense and sensibility in a world where women have to chase status and money.
As someone who comes from a big family and has a sister, I always love reading books about siblings. Austen develops each sister throughout the novel so they are much more layered and complex than they might seem at first glance.
If you’re looking for a great classic to escape reality, I recommend picking up Sense and Sensibility. It’s definitely worth the read!
“It is not time or opportunity that is to determine intimacy; — it is disposition alone. Seven years would be insufficient to make some people acquainted with each other, and seven days are more than enough for others.” ― Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
I finally picked up Anne of Green Gables this year, and I can’t believe it took me so long to read this amazing children’s classic.
The book is set in the early 20th century in Prince Edward Island, Canada. It follows Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert who want to adopt a boy to help out on the farm. So, when eleven-year-old Anne arrives instead, they are shocked. Before they can send her back though, Anne’s outspoken and imaginative personality wins them over. And for the first time in her life, Anne finally has a place to call home.
I fell in love with this book. Anne is such a sweet character, and I loved reading about her and all the adventures she gets up to. Green Gables is described in such a beautiful and lush way by Anne; it feels like you are there with her.
If you want a heartwarming story that will make you fall in love with nature, you must read Anne of Green Gables!
“Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.” ― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Taylor Jenkins Reid is most well known for her recent books, like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and the Six. But, I can’t help but feel like some of her earlier work needs just as much appreciation. Maybe in Another Life is one of my favorite books she’s written. I’m still thinking about it months after I read it.
The story follows twenty-nine-year-old Hannah as she returns to her hometown. While at a party one night, she runs into an ex-boyfriend. In two parallel storylines, we see Hannah make two decisions: one where she stays at the party with her ex, and one where she leaves.
This story explores the idea of fate and happily ever after. It’s a romance, but it’s also a celebration of female friendship and a young woman discovering who she is.
If you want an imaginative story about starting your life over again, you should read Maybe in Another Life.
“Life is long and full of an infinite number of decisions. I have to think that the small ones don’t matter, that I’ll end up where I need to end up no matter what I do.” ― Taylor Jenkins Reid, Maybe in Another Life
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
The Anthropocene Reviewed is one of my favorite books of all time.
The book is a collection of essays by John Green that talk about things in our “human-centered planet”, from the state of Indiana to Halley’s Comet and Canadian geese.
With each essay, I gained a bigger appreciation for the world and saw the beauty in even the most mundane things. I’ve gone back to reread certain essays in this collection multiple times because I love it so much.
If you want a book that will make you look at the world in a new way, you need to read The Anthropocene Reviewed!
“We all know how loving ends. But I want to fall in love with the world anyway, to let it crack me open. I want to feel what there is to feel while I am here.” ― John Green, The Anthropocene Reviewed
Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
I am so glad I read Britt-Marie Was Here.
The story is written by famous Swedish author Fredrik Backman and translated into English by Henning Koch. It follows Britt-Marie after she walks out on her cheating husband. Deciding to start her life over, she moves to a small town, Bog, and becomes a caretaker at a soon-to-be demolished recreation center. There, she slowly opens herself up to the people of Bog and learns more about herself in the process.
When I think of spring, one of the first things I think of is spring cleaning. Britt-Marie can’t stand mess and cleaning is one of the ways she works through her feelings.
The writing style of this book matches Britt-Marie’s personality really well so you feel like you are inside her head. I appreciated the ending of this story and the way that Britt-Marie changes over the course of the novel.
If you want a book with flawed characters and a powerful message, add Britt-Marie Was Here to your reading list!
“One morning you wake up with more life behind you than in front of you, not being able to understand how it’s happened.” ― Fredrik Backman, Britt-Marie Was Here
O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
I had no idea what to expect when I picked up O Pioneers! for the first time. To be honest, the title confused me and the cover looked boring. But when I actually started reading the book, I quickly fell in love.
The story is about poor immigrants from Sweden who come to the Nebraskan prairies in the 1880s to start a farm. We watch as a young girl, Alexandra Bergson, grows up on this farm and eventually takes over to make it prosper.
This book is perfect for the spring season because of the setting and nature descriptions. It’s beautifully written and easy to read in an afternoon. It also talks about women’s roles in leadership and coping with loss.
I highly recommend O Pioneers!
“I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do. I feel as if this tree knows everything I ever think of when I sit here. When I come back to it, I never have to remind it of anything; I begin just where I left off.” ― Willa Cather, O Pioneers!
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