A fresh spring reading list

25 books that feel fresh and hopeful

Mar 30, 2025

I returned from a few days in Florida this week, and that old meme that makes the rounds this time every year popped into my head. "Ah," I thought, "I wasn't depressed. I just needed a few days of sunshine."

I set out each morning for a walk to the beach, soaking up the sunshine, giddily taking in the riot of colors of the plant life, and returned home with a renewed vigor.

We've officially welcomed the spring equinox and things are beginning to thaw. It might still be muddy and a bit gray here in Maine, but there are small signs of what's to come. The snow has finally melted. It is no longer dark when I log off my computer for the day. And I can feel the hope that good things are around the corner.

So, I wanted to round up a reading list of recommendations that felt this way. These books feel fresh and funny in some way. They are still full of depth but will leave you feeling hopeful. The way that a sunny day with the sun warming your skin feels after a long winter. A little giddy. A little hopeful. And I think that's a feeling we should all lean into, in whatever small way, these days.

Now, onto the recommendations…

Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny. This novel about a man who finds himself caught between two very different women when his new wife decides to befriend his ex-wife feels very Nancy Meyers-esque in the best way.

The Last Animal by Ramona Ausubel. A lovely and tender portrait of a scientist mother and her two teenage daughters as they venture across Europe to revolutionize science.

The Dog of the North by Elizabeth McKenzie. A woman on the brink of a breakdown embarks on a chaotic road trip in this delightfully whimsical read.

Family Happiness by Laurie Colwin. Colwin writes domestic life so well, and this novel about a seemingly perfect wife who discovers her own desires and identity feels like it’s straight out of a Nora Ephron film.

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler. Two exes come together for their daughter’s wedding and grapple with a secret she shares that opens old wounds in Tyler’s newest novel, which is full of her signature depth and warmth.

Search by Michelle Huneven. A witty food writer joins her church’s minister search committee planning to write a tell-all memoir but becomes unexpectedly invested in this hilarious, tender, and tasty novel.

The Clasp by Sloane Crosley. A romp of a tale about three college friends who reunite at an extravagant wedding of another college friend. With Crosley’s signature wit and humor, this one will take you on a ride.

You Think It, I’ll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld. If you’ve already devoured Sittenfeld’s newest story collection and want more, pick this up next.

The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans. I read this story collection in 2022 and not a week goes by where I don’t think about it and Evan’s sublime writing that feels fresh and inventive.

All Adults Here by Emma Straub. A fresh and quirky family drama with an eccentric matriarch at the middle, this novel is funny and nostalgic all at the same time.

Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson. If you’re looking for a more introspective read that will keep you turning pages, this story about the ripple effects of an unexpected death on a family and how history impacts us is for you.

Georgie All Along by Kate Clayborn. Spring is all for fresh starts, and Georgie’s fresh start is a delight to witness.

The Awkward Age by Francesca Segal. In the same vein of starting over, this novel is a domestic comedy of manners set in NYC about a couple who must blend their teenage kids into one happy family.

The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker. A complex, lovely, and heartbreaking story of friendship between two female animators whose success tests the limit of their friendship. If you have a Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow shaped hole in your heart, this might help fill it.

Stray City by Chelsey Johnson. A queer artist unexpectedly becomes pregnant from a one-night stand with a man, forcing her to confront her past when her daughter begins asking questions a decade later in this hilarious, joyful, whip-smart novel.

The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano by Donna Freitas. A fresh and inventive take on the idea of paths not taken, this novel explores nine alternate life paths as a career-driven woman wrestles with the decision to become a mother.

Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close. A laugh-out-loud novel about three generations of a Chicago family running a beloved neighborhood bar.

Banyan Moon by Thao Thai. A riveting tale of three generations of Vietnamese American women reeling from the death of their matriarch in a sprawling Gothic home in Florida.

The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner. A delightful ride of a book about a 30-something woman looking for her next step in life who decides to lead a long cycling trip with a group of unexpected attendees.

These Impossible Things by Salma El-Wardany. A trio of young Muslim women navigate their way from college into adulthood in this complex, fresh, and moving novel.

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson. A soapy, unputdownable saga of three women and their connection to a wealthy Brooklyn family. A smart, read-in-one-sitting type of novel.

You Are Here by David Nicholls. Spring is for getting outside and long walks, yes? In this lovely novel, two lonely souls are thrust together on a ten-day hike across the English countryside.

We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes. Moyes never fails to disappoint with her warmth, wit, and humor. This novel, about a recently divorced woman trying to hold the pieces of her life together amidst sharing a house with too many family members, is a funny and touching journey.

Pick-Up by Nora Dahlia. Rom-com gold in this recent delight from newcomer Dahlia, where a single mom and rival dad end up forced together for a work project.

The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight. If you need some armchair travel this spring, get whisked away to Scotland in this debut novel about first love and coming of age.