Books to Welcome Spring
The metaphorical calendar page is about to turn over to March, and the signs of early spring are visible in France: the first daffodils are up, the Japanese cherry blossoms have opened on their spindly branches, and the sun has been shining almost all week. It really lifts the spirits after the grey and rainy winter, and I started thinking about books that remind me of spring. The stories that first came to mind are:
The Secret Garden* by Frances Hodgeson Burnett
Revitalizing a garden, and the new life blossoming in Colin and Mary make it the perfect choice for the season of re-birth and resurrection.
Anne of Green Gables* by L.M. Montgomery
I think any of the Anne books would make a good springtime read, because of Montgomery’s effusive descriptions of the flowers that bloom and Anne’s delight in them.
All Creatures Great and Small* by James Herriot
I mention this series all the time, but what says spring more than lambs frolicking in the Yorkshire Dales?
Love Among the Chickens* by P.G. Wodehouse
The first three books are classics to me that I’ve read often. These last two come from me scrolling through my Goodreads Read shelf to see if any other books gave me a springtime feeling. Maybe it’s the association of Easter with eggs, but either way, Wodehouse is always a source of joy, and I remember laughing aloud at several moments in this story of a man who convinces his wife to move and start a chicken farm, convinced it will make them a fortune. Hijinks ensue.
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry* by Gabrielle Zevin
I haven’t read this one for several years, so the details are fuzzy, but I remember being charmed by this story of bookish love and starting over after loss.
*I use affiliate links for Bookshop.org.
