It List spring reading guide: Fantastic books and where to read them
Though reading more is a popular New Year's resolution, there's something about springtime that inspires people to pick up more hobbies. For me, that's always meant reading.
I read a lot all year round, but cool spring weather (and upbeat spring attitudes) bring all sorts of new opportunities to curate the exact vibe that elevates the mood of whatever you're reading.
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I combed through the buzzy new releases of March, April and May to recommend your next read, along with my plans to get that reading done.
Fiction
Emily Henry. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)
Stag Dance: A Novel & Stories by Torrey Peters
What to know: Torrey Peters dominated book discourse in 2021 with Detransition, Baby, and now she's finally back with a novel about a group of restless lumberjacks who plan an unusual dance. That and the three other stories included in this book take on the complexities of gender.
Release date: March 11
Genre: Literary fiction
Page count: 304
Where I'll be reading it: At a picnic with an extravagant bowl of fresh fruit.
The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose
What to know: When I need a twisty tale about powerful women to get me out of a reading slump, I turn to Jeneva Rose. This one's a follow-up to her smash hit The Perfect Marriage and follows the same protagonist — a lawyer who's now navigating a breakup and an unsolved murder.
Release date: April 15
Genre: Thriller
Page count: 288
Where I'll be reading it: All around my house, listening via audiobook while spring cleaning.
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
What to know: Two very different writers compete to pen the biography of a former tabloid princess and fall in love along the way in the latest book from the queen of earnest love stories, Emily Henry.
Release date: April 22
Genre: Romance
Page count: 432
Where I'll be reading it: On the beach in a sweater.
The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
What to know: Ocean Vuong is responsible for some of the most gorgeous strings of words ever put to page, so I have high hopes for his forthcoming novel, which follows a teenager who becomes the caretaker of an older woman.
Release date: May 13
Genre: Literary fiction
Page count: 416
Where I'll be reading it: At a cafe with an iced coffee.
Never Flinch by Stephen King
What to know: Stephen King has never failed to scare the daylights out of me in the past, so I expect his new novel will deliver too. This one's about a detective working to stop a serial killer before they murder 13 innocent people and one guilty person.
Release date: May 27
Genre: Horror
Page count: 448
Where I'll be reading it: Somewhere well-lit.
Nonfiction
Tina Knowles. (Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images)
The Art of the SNL Portrait by Mary Ellen Matthews
What to know: You know those whimsical portraits that Saturday Night Live hosts and musical guests always get? Mary Ellen Matthews is the photographer responsible for them, and she's graciously turned some of the best into a book complete with delicious gossip and backstories.
Release date: March 4
Genre: Photography
Page count: 272
Where I'll be reading it: At my coffee table, where the gorgeous book now lives. I'll be flipping through it slowly and gleefully over the course of the next three months.
Authority by Andrea Long Chu
What to know: Pulitzer winner Andrea Long Chu writes some of the most perceptive criticism about books, TV and video games. This collection is a must-read for people who take their pop culture seriously.
Release date: April 8
Genre: Essays
Page count: 288
Where I'll be reading it: At my desk with a pen in hand, ready to underline at least half the book.
Matriarch: A Memoir by Tina Knowles
What to know: Tina Knowles is best known for bringing Beyoncé and Solange into the world, but she's had a fascinating journey of her own.
Release date: April 22
Genre: Memoir
Page count: 432
Where I'll be reading it: On my couch with a Beyoncé album on the record player.
Uptown Girl by Christie Brinkley
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