That time of the semester has finally come ya’ll—Spring Break! A week with no classes and (hopefully) no homework. The weather has been smiling on us favorably, and we can at last do the one thing we’ve been wanting to do all semester—nothing. Or, if you’re like me, nothing but curling up with a good book enjoying a gorgeous respite from school. Here’s a list of some of my recommendations for you to read during spring break.
First of all, spring to me somehow screams “historical romance,” so that is where we shall begin. Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore is the first book in a series of historical romances titled “A League of Extraordinary Women.” In this installment, you follow Annabelle Archer, the daughter of a vicar, after she has earned her spot as one of the first female students at the University of Oxford in 1879. She has won a scholarship, but to keep it she must assist with the women’s suffrage movement by recruiting men of influence to help champion their cause. In her attempt to do just that, she meets Sebastian, Duke of Montgomery. Locked in battle with matching wills and passions that neither want, Annabelle must learn how to bring down a duke.
Keeping to the historical idea but removing the romance, pick up The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry. This fun, middle-grade murder mystery follows the students of St. Etheldreda’s School for Girls face the most inconvenient and perplexing dilemma of their sour faced headmistress and her brother being poisoned at Sunday dinner. Unless the seven proper young ladies can convince the town that nothing is amiss the school will close, and they will be sent home. But with a murderer on the loose, will the girls be successful in covering up the crime?
Sticking to the mystery theme, I recommend The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, the first in a fantastic YA series. Avery Grambs is just trying to survive high school, get a good scholarship to college, and get out. So when her life is turned upside down by billionaire, Tobias Hawthorne, leaving her practically his entire fortune upon his death, you would think she’d be thrilled. Only she never knew the man and has no idea why he left her his legacy. Dealing with the Hawthorne family, especially the old man’s grandsons, is another part of the equation she never would have guessed, but to truly claim her fortune, his will requires her to live with them in Hawthorne House for a whole year. Filled with puzzles, riddles, codes, and danger at every turn, Avery has to play to survive.
To keep enjoying the mystery roll I seem to have sent myself on (unintentionally, I swear) but throwing in some fantasy, read the fast-paced YA, Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte. When Quadara’s most skilled thieves and liars happens to steal something she shouldn’t from her complete opposite, somehow the four queens of the land end up dead. Now the two must work together to try to discover who killed the queens and save their own lives in the process. Their reluctant partnership blooms into an unexpected and tenuous romance, but before anything can go too far, they must stay alive, unravel the secrets of the nation, and overcome their own secrets.
Lastly for this recommendation list is one of the most adorable and wholesome fantasy novels I have ever read, The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. Linus Baker likes his quiet, solitary life, and his job as a Case Worker at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. Unexpectedly, Linus is given a mysterious assignment to travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six extremely dangerous magical children reside, one of whom is quite literally the Antichrist. He’s thrown for a loop by both the children and their caretaker, the enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, and the secrets the island seems to keep. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, Linus must choose between watching the world burn or destroying a home.
I can’t necessarily tell you why these books feel like spring to me, but if you read them, I hope you’ll figure it out. Let us know what you think over on our Instagram, @susqulib, in the comments of this blog’s post. Enjoy your spring break and happy reading!
You must be logged in to post a comment.