10 Books That Will Make You Long for Spring

Spring, sweet spring – abuzz with sound, filled with the scents of nature awaking and spreading the warm glow of a friendly sun. Sure, winter also has its charm, especially when you are curled up with a good book in front of a crackling fire while sipping on hot chocolate, but one can't help but miss the great outdoors. Here are some books that will remind you of your favorite season and make you long to once again feel the fresh spring breeze.

1. The Member of the wedding

by Carson McCullers

With only 163 pages, this gorgeously-written book is a good one day read that will have you transfixed. Our heroine, the 12 year old Frankie, is utterly bored with life until she gets the news that her brother is getting married. With her lively personality and unbridled imagination, Franky becomes very actively involved in the wedding – hoping to even go along on the honeymoon. This book is a marvelous portrayal of what it is to go through adolescence and will bring back a lot of memories from the Spring of your own life. The book showcases Carson McCullers at her best.

2. The Principles of Uncertainty

by Maira Kalman

A book unlike any other, this gorgeous book is a work of art that will make you think. Filled with small visual treasures, the Principles of Uncertainty is a book that gives us a peek at a year in the life of the illustrator, Maira Kalman. The beautiful, whimsical illustrations are complemented by thought-provoking , quote-worthy text. The images at first appear very random, but if you take a closer look, you will see that they actually depict the artist's view of the world as a whole in an interesting, idiosyncratic way. She asks tough questions we all tend to wonder about: Why do people fight wars? What is happiness? Where do you find your identity? The book also contains candy, love and death – much like spring.

3. The Last Summer of the Camperdowns

by Elizabeth Kelly

A lovely story of mystery, suspense, secrets, murder and family conflict in a sunny setting. It is 1972 and the 12 year old Riddle James Camperdown's very idealistic father is running for office from his family's compound in Massachusetts. Both her father, and her manicured, razor-sharp mother are very eccentric and Riddle has her hands full with them. When she becomes an accidental witness to a crime, Riddle decides not to tell anybody. But her silence has consequences...

4. The Secret Garden

by Frances Hodgson Burnett

 If you haven't read this timeless classic yet, you are missing out. The Secret Garden will leave you inspired and ready to bring that winter garden of yours to life. When Mary, a lonely orphan, arrives at her new home, a Yorkshire mansion, she is at first terrified by the gloomy place. She meets a local boy, Dickon, who has a love for life and nature and the invalid Colin, a very unhappy boy who is terrified of life. Together, they discover a mysterious, abandoned garden. It is a book about life, the changing of seasons and new beginnings.

5. Ladies’ Night

by Mary Kay Andrews

Ladies Night is the perfect cocktail of love, betrayal and fun – all the ingredients needed for a good book. It is a light and fun read, but with serious undertones and plenty of life lessons. Lifestyle blogger Grace Santon's life takes an unexpected turn when she discovers her husband is cheating on her. In an act of revenge she takes his pricey sports car for a swim, but then suddenly finds herself locked out of her home, her checking account and even her life's work. Out of options, she moves in with her mother, and ends up living above a rundown bar called The Sandbox. When her “divorce therapy” coach starts acting suspiciously, Grace and a couple of other ladies decide to start their own “Ladies' Night” therapy sessions at the Sandbox. With a lot of humor, heartache and some mystery, Ladies' Night is the perfect book to get you in the mood for spring.

6. Gift From the Sea

by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Gift From the Sea is a book that won't only make you long for Spring, but also make you want to go on vacation straight away.

Anne Morrow Lindbergh shares her musings and meditations on life, love, marriage and youth, as she penned them down during vacations by the sea. It is a book that makes you want to simplify your life, away from all the gadgets and craziness of modern life and get back to what really matters.

7. Can You Keep a Secret?

by Sophie Kinsella

Hilarious and fresh like spring, “Can You Keep a Secret” by Sophie Kinsella will brighten your day. Emma Corrigan is a woman with a lot of secrets that she is keeping from her boyfriend, her parents and her friends. Secrets such as how she lost her virginity, what she thinks of certain people and things she does and doesn't know about life. But one day, on a plane, she has a moment of weakness and spills all of her secrets to a total stranger. That is – until she meets him again and discovers that the man who knows every embarrassing detail about her life is actually the company's CEO... An hilariously funny book, “Can You Keep a Secret?” will leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling.

8. Seveneves

by Neal Stephenson (Morrow).

This absolutely epic sci-fi book will make you wish you could just curl up on an outdoor daybed and to read until you get to the very last word. The story follows the human pioneers who manage to escape an apocalypse and their descendants, who return to Earth 5,000 years later. But Earth has changed radically. Will they manage to make it work? Seveneves a very fascinating read about life, survival and new beginnings.

9. My Sunshine Away

by M.O. Walsh

My Sunshine Away is set in 1989 in Baton Rouge, a place known for its passionate football fans, cookouts on warm summer afternoons and delicious spicy crawfish. The spirited 15-year old Lindy Simpson, track star and belle of the block however soon comes to realize that this idyllic place also has a dark side. It is a book about memories, our ability to forgive and the meaning of family.

10. Summer Sisters

by Judy Blume

Summer Sisters is a beautiful story about love and and a friendship that spans over many summers. From their first summer in 1977 when the 12 year old Caitlin chooses Vix to be her guest on their family holiday at Martha's Vinyard to 1995, when they celebrate their thirtieth birthdays. Summer Sister has a love story at its core, but also speaks of a friendship that outlasts many love affairs.

These books are all available from Amazon. If you want to be notified when any of them go on sale, be sure to sign up for our newsletter. We keep track of all the specials on the web and send the best ones to our subscribers.