This spring’s roundup reveals just how varied my reading life has been lately. With only two book club picks among the mix, the rest are personal selections—chosen on a whim, sparked by a recommendation, or driven by pure curiosity. Below, I’m sharing what drew me in and how each book landed.
I first heard of the Nevermoor series from Fiction Matters. It's a fun and whimsical middle grade novel with wonderful world-building. This one is the second in the series and it will scratch that Harry Potter itch!
Trust by Hernan Diaz (2022; 402 pages) // Historical Fiction🎧
On lots of "best of" lists, plus heard it was great on audio. Impeccable writing and I love how it all unfolds...it won the Pulitzer for a reason!
On lots of "best of" lists, plus heard it was great on audio. Impeccable writing and I love how it all unfolds...it won the Pulitzer for a reason!
All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker (2024; 597 pages) // Mystery+Thriller
This book was on my college roommate's favorites list for 2024, which was reason enough to pick this up. In short, I hated the content warnings component of this book (which are essential to the plot) but couldn't help but love the cast of characters and story-telling. It helped me realize how much I love closing a book on a chunky, character-driven saga. A hard one for me to recommend, yet so good!
This book was on my college roommate's favorites list for 2024, which was reason enough to pick this up. In short, I hated the content warnings component of this book (which are essential to the plot) but couldn't help but love the cast of characters and story-telling. It helped me realize how much I love closing a book on a chunky, character-driven saga. A hard one for me to recommend, yet so good!
Dinner for Vampires by Bethany Joy Lenz (2024; 303 pages) // Memoir🎧
I had seen this cover but wouldn't have picked it up if it weren't for my Seattle Book Club. While it was hard to hear all that happened to her, it was a quick listen and compelling story. The end made the book for me, when she compares being in a cult to being in an abusive relationship...and how it can happen to smart ambitious women. I love when a book helps me cultivate empathy—this one certainly did!
I had seen this cover but wouldn't have picked it up if it weren't for my Seattle Book Club. While it was hard to hear all that happened to her, it was a quick listen and compelling story. The end made the book for me, when she compares being in a cult to being in an abusive relationship...and how it can happen to smart ambitious women. I love when a book helps me cultivate empathy—this one certainly did!
Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks (2025; 224 pages) // Memoir
I'm always intrigued when a novelist publishes a nonfiction book (a la John Green...see below!) especially when it explores one of my niche topics: grief. This is the account of a wife remembering and mourning her husband's unexpected death, told in dual timelines—a favorite format of mine. It is lovely and sweet and reminds you of the "big things" in life. Similar to The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, but I preferred this one.
I'm always intrigued when a novelist publishes a nonfiction book (a la John Green...see below!) especially when it explores one of my niche topics: grief. This is the account of a wife remembering and mourning her husband's unexpected death, told in dual timelines—a favorite format of mine. It is lovely and sweet and reminds you of the "big things" in life. Similar to The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, but I preferred this one.
Emma by Jane Austen (1815; 474 pages) // Classic🎧
This book has been on my list for years now! A few things pushed me to finally pick it up: covered on Novel Pairings, earmarked it as a "massive" book to read in March-May, and a friend of mine also picked it up around the same time. And 2025 marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth! It wasn't as propulsive as I had hoped, but I'm glad to know the storyline and to have encountered more of Austen's work. I liked Emma more than Sense & Sensibility, but less than Pride & Prejudice. This movie adaptation was very true to the book!
This book has been on my list for years now! A few things pushed me to finally pick it up: covered on Novel Pairings, earmarked it as a "massive" book to read in March-May, and a friend of mine also picked it up around the same time. And 2025 marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth! It wasn't as propulsive as I had hoped, but I'm glad to know the storyline and to have encountered more of Austen's work. I liked Emma more than Sense & Sensibility, but less than Pride & Prejudice. This movie adaptation was very true to the book!
Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green (2025; 208 pages) // Nonfiction
I loved The Anthropocene Reviewed, so when I saw John Green published another work of nonfiction, I was ready to dive in! I grabbed this off Seattle’s ‘Peak Picks’ shelf and finished this in a few sittings. I love how he touches on the beauty and pain in this world while also teaching you something. One of my favorite kinds of reading experiences. I thought this was wonderful!
Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout (2024; 326 pages) // Fiction🎧
I've enjoyed Strout's other fiction with its emphasis on everyday relationships, vivid descriptions, voicy characters, and peculiar plot points. So when I heard this novel combined her two most famous protagonists, Lucy Barton and Olive Kitteridge, I was intrigued! Overall though, this fell flat and I just wasn't as engaged with the story or happenings. There's a lot of dialogue and the legal case "mystery" didn't drive the story enough for me to care all that much. It was fine—I could have skipped this one.
I had never even heard of this until my UT Book Club selected it for our spring read. I wanted to re-read the first pages again after I finished, which I think is a sign of a good book! Not a stand-out favorite, but the storytelling is unique and thought-provoking—it certainly touches on the age-old question: ‘What does it mean to be human?’ Excited to discuss this one with friends!
The Measure by Nikki Erlick (2022; 353 pages) // Science Fiction🎧
Not quite sure where I first heard of this, but I'm a sucker for anything "thought-provoking" and was intrigued by the "what-if" premise. Appreciated the interconnected stories, but most of all, I loved that this one surprised me—both in the direction the story took and by surpassing my expectations! The audiobook is narrated by the all-star Julia Whelan <3
Always reading,
- SJW
