Women reading a book in Spring (Von Daniel - Adobe Stock)
As the winter chill begins to warm (hopefully sooner rather than later), it’s a great time to grab a book and find a cozy spot under a tree at a park or at your local outdoor café with a cup of coffee. Here are some suggestions for this month.
“Marked” House of Night, book one, by P.C. Cast (Young Adult) (2007) (Fantasy) (Romance) (Vampires)
It was recently announced that this book series, at least the first book, is finally being adapted for the big screen and my inner teenager was so excited. Don’t let the YA label fool you, even grown adults can enjoy this series. In a world where vampires have always existed, teens are marked for a four-year transformation process into a “vampyre” and then sent off to a local House of Night. 16-year-old Zoey Redbird is chosen and sent off to the Tulsa House of Night. As in all teen vampire series, best friends are made, romances bloom, betrayals abound and the protagonist, Zoey, must save the day.
“Baseball Saved Us” by Ken Mochizuki and Dom Lee (1993) (Children’s Book) (Picture Book) (Non-Fiction) (Memoir) (WWII History)
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, many Japanese Americans were forced to relocate to internment camps in the desert, including “Shorty” and his family. “One day my dad looked out at the endless desert and decided then and there to build a baseball field.” This book is all about finding dignity and self-respect in the worst of times.
“One Bigfoot in the Grave: A Jill Cooksey Mystery” by Leslie St. James (2025) (Cozy Mystery)
Jill Cooksey has returned to her small hometown of Luthersburg, Virginia, with her boyfriend Mike McCall in tow to introduce to her family. If it goes well, Jill thinks it may be time to move on to that next step. Does anyone else hear wedding bells? However, when it is suspected that Bigfoot is the culprit behind a recently found dead body, Jill and Mike end up at odds over believing in the supernatural. Can they solve the mystery before they become too divided?
“Rise Up and Sing!: Power, Protest, and Activism in Music” by Andrea Warner (2023) (Non-Fiction) (Music)
Music has always been an inspiration for people. In this book, Warner explores the ties between activism and music, particularly how “a song is never just a song, and that music does have the power to change the world.” From Bob Dylan to Nina Simone and Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga and Beyonce, Warner teaches readers about different artists who have impacted the world both on and off-stage.
“Greenfeast: Spring, Summer” by Nigel Slater (2021) (Cookbook)
With the warmer weather approaching, that means that seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables are back on the table. This cookbook is all about spring and summer recipes that celebrate the colorful and delicious plant foods.
“New Kid” by Jerry Craft (Middle Grades) (2019) (Graphic Novel) (Realistic Fiction)
Middle school is hard; Middle school is even harder when you love drawing, but your parents force you to go to a private academic school instead of your dream art school. Jordan Banks is the new kid in a school where, as one of the few kids of color and also from Washington Heights, he finds it hard to fit in.
“The Duke and I” by Julia Quinn (2000) (Historical Fiction) (Romance)
While waiting (not so) patiently for the fourth season of Bridgerton to grace our screens, why not read the book that started it all? The Duke of Hastings, Simon Basset, might be the most eligible bachelor in the entire town. However, he has hatched a plan to stay single despite the plotting of the local mothers in need of a groom for their daughters. He fakes interest in his best friend’s sister, Daphne, a plot to keep him “off-the-market” but also to help Daphne attract a good (real) marriage.
“Kindred” by Octavia E. Butler (1979) (Science Fiction) (Urban Fiction)
Dana, a Black woman living in 1970s California is suddenly transported to the pre-Civil War South and then transported back home again. This happens repeatedly, time-traveling between a world where she is a free woman to one where she must come to terms with her own complicated relationship on a southern plantation where those who look like her are enslaved.
“In the Tall Grass” by Joe Hill and Steven King (2012) (Horror) (Novella) (Fiction)
Ah, springtime: a time for the flowers, trees and grass to grow and a winter of bare fields. A young boy is crying for help, and a brother and sister hear his cries. They pull over to help, but what stands between them and the boy is incredibly tall grass. As the pair venture deeper into the grass to find the boy, they become more and more disoriented, and the boy’s cries grow louder. Will they find the boy or become lost forever in the tall grass?
“Heartstopper” Volume One by Alice Oseman (2019) (Young Adult) (Graphic Novel)
Charlie and Nick are forced to sit together one day, and sparks fly, for Charlie at least, as the two become friends. However, Charlie doesn’t think that Nick likes him, even though Nick is crushing on him too. Will love stay in the air? Also, check out the live-action Netflix adaptation of this acclaimed book.
