Top reads to put a spring in your step

If you are looking for some books to pick up for spring, here are some books that I have read recently that capture the essence of the season.

“Everything I Never Told You” by Celeste Ng

“Everything I Never Told You” is a great book for readers who want to read a story that showcases the many problems that a family may face. 

This story follows the Lee Family and how they react to the tragic death of Lydia Lee, their favorite child. This book switches from before Lydia’s death to the aftermath, and readers watch as the family breaks apart. 

This book discusses the conflicts that every child may face when they have to live up to the standards of their family members — exploring how as a child you are given expectations that you may not want, but are still responsible for carrying out. 

Celeste Ng lets things unravel as the conflict slowly grows to be more intense. This book makes you want to keep turning the page to find out what happens next, and may even reveal some truths about your own family.

“The Guest List” by Lucy Foley

“The Guest List” is a classic whodunit novel that takes place on a remote island off the coast of Ireland, at a wedding. This book presents many characters, each with an unlikeable personality. 

Foley builds a suspenseful atmosphere; at the start, readers do not know who was killed or who the murderer was, but Foley provides a strong case against each character and what their motive may have been.

While still being a serious read, this book has a good set-up and flow of the story, making for a fast-paced story. For a good, light-hearted yet interesting book, “The Guest List” is the perfect read.

“Jurassic Park: A Novel” by Micheal Crichton 

Most people already know about the iconic “Jurassic Park” movies and are aware of the plot. However, the book is worth picking up to give you more backstory that the movie may have missed. 

This science-fiction novel follows the story in which a corporation has created an amusement park where one can interact with dinosaurs that have been brought back to life. This novel explains a lot of the science behind bringing back the dinosaurs by using scientific tables and graphs; which makes the plot seem feasible.

The build-up to the climax of the book is the best part — the transition from the creation of this park to the new world that they are forced to survive in is smooth. 

One of the downfalls of the novel is how the intense dramatic scenes are pared-down by letting the dinosaurs flee the scene instead of having something action-packed set in motion. Nonetheless, Michael Crichton has written a classic novel that will forever be memorable.

“Before I Go To Sleep” by S. J. Watson 

“Before I Go To Sleep” is a suspense/thriller novel that follows Christine, who has amnesia. Due to this, Christine often forgets everything about her life as soon as she goes to sleep, so she wakes up every day not knowing where she is or who she is

This book is written as the journal of someone who forgets what happened to them the previous day, allowing for the reader to connect with Christine. It presents an array of emotions, all of which evoke empathy for her character.

The plot, at times, is predictable. The same events happen every day, and it gets boring in the middle; nothing new is brought in to make readers interested. Despite this, it is a decent book with an interesting perspective and well-thought characters that bring the story together. 

“Normal People” by Sally Rooney

“Normal People” is a romance that follows two teenagers in Ireland building their relationship throughout different times of their lives. Rooney tells this story in a way that brings the main points of their lives to the foreground, and blurs out the rest through time jumps that range from five minutes, to a week or more.

The characters often switch roles in a different point of their lives; while the girl is a loner in high school, and the boy is popular. When they get into university, they switch roles and the boy becomes lonely while the girl becomes popular. 

This idea brings the concept of what “normal” is and how things in life don’t always work out the way you want them to. 

This classic romance novel explores new perspectives on life, and is ultimately an enjoyable read.