When I think about spring, I think about two things: nature and new beginnings. So, while compiling this list, all by women writers, I wanted to find some books that channeled one or both of these ideas—love of the world around us—and also maybe trying something new.
Something about each of the books captured part of spring for me, and I hope they can for you, too!
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
When I happen into a conversation with another person who has read Tom Lake, one or both of us eventually end up saying, “Isn’t it just so lovely?” and then we both agree and sit silently remembering how lovely this book is.
Tom Lake is the story of a former actress, Lara, telling the story of her youthful whirlwind romance with an extremely famous actor to her daughters as they pick fruit at their family’s cherry orchard while in COVID lockdown during the early pandemic.
World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil and illustrated by Fumi Nakamura
World of Wonders is a perfect little gem of a book for people who love fun facts, but also love beautiful writing.
Each essay highlights a distinct species of animal, but the author Aimee Nezhukmtathil (an award-winning poet), applies these animal facts to remembrances of her own life, creating a sort of National Geographic article/memoir that is captivating.
Also, there are stunning illustrations of select creatures, which is a huge bonus.
The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Sophie Blackall
I am an adult person who thinks everyone can learn something from reading children’s books. This book, by the brilliant Kate DiCamillo, is a medieval tale of a young girl named Beatryce, who is found at a monastery with little to no memory of who she is, but knowing she has a mission that the reigning king does not want her to succeed in.
The nature link in this one? A hard-headed, fearsome goat named Answelica with a heart of gold who protects our hero on her journey. My mother and I read this book together and talked about it for days.
Weaving Sundown in a Scarlet Light: Fifty Poems for Fifty Years by Joy Harjo, with foreword by Sandra Cisneros
Poetry always makes me reflective, so I love to read a collection in the spring, a season of renewal and rebirth.
This Joy Harjo collection gathers poetry from across 50 years of her writing, often pulling from nature’s effect on life. If poetry scares you a bit, great news! This collection includes notes from Joy on the inspiration for each piece.
Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby
"Quietly hostile" is how I would describe Oklahoma spring as a person with seasonal allergies. It is also how author Samantha Irby describes herself in this book.
With essays that range from non-ironic impassioned praise of Dave Matthews Band to lists of every place that the author has accidentally peed her pants, Irby’s writing feels like if your most foul-mouthed, dryly witty friend wrote a book of every thought they had at 2 in the morning.
To Boldly Grow: Finding Joy, Adventure, and Dinner in Your Own Backyard by Tamar Haspel
I am not a gardener, but I come from a family of gardening types, so I find people talking about gardening very comforting.
Enter Tamar Haspel, a journalist who decided, alongside her husband, to start growing their own “first-hand” food, despite having no prior gardening knowledge.
Part memoir of the experience and part helpful tips, this book is great for anyone who has thought about growing their own food and super-relatable and humorous for those who have tried to and failed, then tried again.
Shark Heart by Emily Habeck
Oklahoma author Emily Habeck’s debut novel, Shark Hearts, takes the idea of becoming one with nature to the next level.
Weeks after Wren and Lewis get married, Lewis gets some unfortunate news: he has a rare genetic disease that is causing him to turn into a great white shark. The novel uses short, poetic vignettes to follow Wren and Lewis’s lives, together and separately, as they reel from this inexplicable, fantastical hurdle in their marital bliss.
If you are wanting to try something totally new this spring, this may be the one. (Bonus: Emily is from my hometown of Ardmore!)
Traci Young is a librarian with the Pioneer Library System, Norman Public Library West.
