There’s something delicious about grabbing a blanket and curling up with a book in your favorite park. If you’re a seasonal reader or returning reader I want to recommend seven book genres for spring that you’ll want to dive into to achieve the maximum spring vibes.
Best Book Genres for Spring with Recs
Cozy Romance
If you’re a hopeless romantic I can think of no better way to celebrate this season than by curling up with a sweet love story on an enchanting picnic in the park complete with pink champagne and a charcuterie board. If you need an idea for the perfect book to dive into may I suggest two romances that I’m looking forward to reading this spring.
When I Think of You by Myah Ariel
This sweet second-chance romance set in Hollywood features Kaliyah Wilson and Danny Prescott two ex-lovers reconnecting to work on a film project providing Kaliyah the leg-up she needs in the industry. As their walls come down the opportunity for a second chance at love arises.
The Strawberry Patch Pancake House by Laurie Gilmore
The fourth installment of the Dream Harbor series follows single-dad Archer looking for help with caring for his young daughter Olive as he runs the Strawberry Patch Pancake House. Restless Iris decides to become his nanny as she’s in-between jobs. As the two adapt to each other feelings begin to develop leading to a potential romance.
Cozy Fantasy
Reading low-stakes fantasy books is a great way to delight in the light, airy atmosphere of spring. While these books feature adventure it’s not akin to high or epic fantasy books featuring complex world-building and can be anxiety-inducing. These books are more heartfelt and feel like a warm hug. Here are a couple of cozy fantasy books that are on my TBR this spring.
A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall
nThis enchanting story features the mysterious disappearance of two pen pals E and Henerey as their siblings are left to piece together what happened as they review their written correspondence to determine what happened and what it all could mean.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
In this heartwarming tale, we learn of Arthur Parnassus a caregiver for a band of orphans deemed dangerous due to their magical abilities. When case worker Linus Baker is put in charge of his case to determine their safety and discovers long-hidden secrets and is faced with the troubling decision of destroying a home or saving the world.
Magical Realism
While steeped in the modern-day world books in this genre flirt with fantastical elements blurring the line between fantasy and reality. This vibe feels so fitting for the ethereal aspects common with the spring inviting the reader to wander in their imagination while remaining tethered to reality. Here are two books I’d recommend to experience the beauty of this genre.
The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown
In this poignant novel, we explore themes surrounding the complexities of grief, the cyclical nature of trauma, and the responsibility demanded of great power. We follow Cassie after she’s gifted the Book of Doors a magical book that turns every door into a new destination. Later Cassie and her roommate Izzy discover it is not unique and one of many magical books with people willing to pay top dollar for them and in some cases even kill. Thrust into a dangerous situation Cassie must rely on the mysterious stranger Drummond to help her navigate this strange new world before it costs her everything.
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chonski
This enchanting story follows a mysterious bridegroom as he recounts falling in love and marrying the secretive Indigo and promising to never question or look into her past. He soon finds keeping this promise impossible when faced with the temptation of walking the halls of the House of Dreams where he uncovers Indigo’s childhood friend Azure a friendship she’s kept secret from him. The deeper he digs and the more he uncovers the more he’s at risk of losing his marriage. There’s so much mystique and intrigue steeped into the pages of this novel. Not only is it beautifully written in this lush lyrical style giving it the feel of a modern-day fairy tale. But, it explores themes regarding toxic friendships between young women, the darker and more costly elements of fairy tales, and the obsessive qualities of love and marriage in a relationship shrouded in secrecy.
Speculative
This genre is rapidly becoming one of my favorites and I feel it’s such a fun genre to explore during the spring as we’re transitioning away from the colder reclusive months and are open to exploring new ideas and perspectives. These are a couple of my favorite novels from this genre.
All The Water in the World by Eiren Caffall
Set in a world struggling with ecological collapse following the melting of the world’s glaciers creating climate instability and flooding. We see Nonie, her family, and a group of survivors that have made the National Museum of History in New York the homestead they’ve nicknamed “Amen”. One night their home is destroyed after a superstorm known as a hypercane barrels through causing the entire building to become submerged. Left with no other options they flee via the Hudson River to a farm in upstate New York and encounter perils and dangers along the way. This story wrecked me. I bawled and cried multiple times. I love this book so much and highly recommend it for anyone that enjoys complex stories about climate change, and explorations of grief and its part in the human experience.
In Our Likeness by Bryan VanDyke
This novel was quite interesting as it explored the misuse of A.I. We meet Graham who works at a tech startup and has a crush on the lead developer Nessie. She asks him to help break the algorithm for a project she’s working on and he discovers that he can alter reality when he makes changes to the algorithm. This discovery quickly spirals as Warren his boss begins to make demands of Graham to continue making changes to the algorithm increasing the threat of potentially altering truth and reality forevermore. I enjoyed the theme regarding the ethical use of technology and the sexism that exists within the tech space.
Personal Growth
Spring is the ideal time for renewal and checking in on those yearly goals and resolutions. So, it’s definitely a fortuitous oppurtunity to check out some self-help books to guide you in channeling that main character energy and fostering a character arc in your own story.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Is it cliche of me to recommend this book? Perhaps but if you want to achieve goals, create structure and routine in your life to become the best version of yourself this book is the one for you. It’s quite simple and he takes you step by step through the habit-building process while informing you on the psychology of habit-building. Super helpful!
Killing Comparison by Nona Jones
In this faith-based self-help book, we learn about the destructive nature of comparison and how it negatively impacts mental health and self-esteem. Jones uses biblical passages to help reframe your mind and get to the root cause of your need to compare yourself to others. She then provides the tools and encouragement to heal these parts of yourself and transition to a new way of thinking and being killing the desire to continually compare yourself to others and instead celebrate your individuality and uniqueness.
Women’s Fiction
I love that there’s a genre centered around topics centered on the female experience sharing complex, heartfelt stories that have a little drop of romance. And for this reason, I feel it’s perfect for spring, especially during Women’s History Month!
Maybe In Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I love this novel as it explores how the choices we make can lead us to drastically different outcomes. Hannah Martin is struggling to get her life back on track and has decided to move back to her hometown of Los Angeles. She’s staying with her best friend Gabby temporarily and upon getting settled in, they go out and run into her high school boyfriend Ethan. At the end of the night, she’s given the choice to either go home with Ethan or Gabby. Via concurrent timelines, we see what happens when she says yes to each of these decisions. Throwing the idea of destiny and fate on its head.
Short Story Collections & Poetry
Books filled with short stories or poetry align perfectly with the spring vibe as they’re fast and digestible. They can be enjoyed in small increments allowing the reader to enjoy this cozy pastime without sacrificing the impulse to enjoy the beautiful weather and uptick in social engagements. I’m working on including short stories this spring and I have my eyes on this thought-provoking collection.
I’m Waiting For You by Kim Bo-Young
These cerebral reflections explore the concept of love and its enduring resilience. While also dabbling into the philosophical questioning of free will and self-realization when exploring one’s identity and purpose.
Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman
I started this collection in February but put it on pause for a time when I could devote my full attention to immersing myself in the words and truly creating an enriching profound reading experience. And something about the spring feels like the right time to find a cozy spot in the park curl up and get lost in this collection.
