My Mix of Respite and Empowerment This Spring

My spring reads stretch across geographies from Portugal to Morocco to South Carolina to London to England’s Lake District to Los Angeles to Mexico to Colorado to Ireland to France to Italy to Denmark. These five historical and contemporary novels are not so much coming-of-age but coming-of-power stories filled with evolving characters, vivid settings, and great loves.

The Librarians of Lisbon by Suzanne Nelson (February 4, 2025) From Amazon: “The romance of Casablanca meets the spy world of Ian Fleming in this WWII love story for the ages.”

Southern by Design by Grace Helena Walz (February 11, 2025) From Amazon: “Sweet Magnolias meets Fixer Upper in this delightfully refreshing debut about a woman bravely chasing her dreams, building a life on her own terms, and maybe even discovering a second chance at love.”

The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry (March 18, 2025) From Amazon: “Inspired by a true literary mystery, New York Times bestselling author of the mesmerizing The Secret Book of Flora Lea returns with the sweeping story of a legendary book, a lost mother, and a daughter’s search for them both.”

The Anatomy of Magic by J.C. Cervantes (March 11, 2025) From Amazon: “A young woman learns to embrace all the messy imperfections of life and love with some help from her magical family.”

The Wandering Season by Aimie K. Runyan (April 1, 2025) From Amazon: “Unraveling the tangled roots of her family takes her places she never expected.”