According to The Economist, the average reader can only read 770 books in a lifetime. 335 in warm seasons and 167 and a half during Spring. Seasonal reading is a real thing, and now that we’ve transitioned from dark autumn and winter literature, what books are iSchoolers reading this spring?
Reading has become a less needed source of knowledge and entertainment in the 21st century. There are now other ways to learn such as growing online sources and films, but reading is still an important skill.
“For me, it’s like I very often find myself selecting a book to read based on my overarching mood and the moment and I think that the seasons and the weather deeply affect my mood in any given moment,” says iSchools English teacher Ms. Gray. Whether people get into the habit of seasonal reading to encourage more reading or to romanticize the season, (spring is undoubtedly the most romantic season of all,) it’s still a real habit. Let’s get into the best spring books of the century!
A personal favorite of mine is A Little Princess, which is a children’s novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett that was later on turned into a film in 1995. The story follows a little girl, Sara, who is sent by her loving father to a boarding school in
London. The evil Miss Minchin takes her, and all her wealth, in as her favorite student warmly but when Sara faces tragedy and loses her fortune she is forced to work as a maid in the attic. Sarah enraptures everyone around her with her thrilling tales and dreamy doll, Emily. Through her mourning and sadness she finds resilience and hope, and claims “if I am a princess in rags and tatters, I can be a princess inside.” Though fairytale-like stories are often meant “only for children,” I believe in what CSS Lewis said, that “some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.”
If you’d like friendship and romance with a murderous twist, the most popular recommendation is Suzanne Collins dystopian novel: The Hunger Games. This popular 2008 novel features a strong, witty, and sarcastic female heroine,
Katniss Everdeen. The book series was adapted into movies shortly after its success. The novel takes place in the future of America. The first book follows 16 year old Katniss Everdeen as she volunteers her life away to save her sister. In the Hunger Games only one person can survive, and Katniss is set on coming home. Throughout the games she makes friends, enemies, and lovers, and all of a sudden coming home might be harder than she thought. iSchool student, Bonita, says, “If you take it back to the real world you can see all the comparisons. There’s so many things politically and ethically that are so similar in the book and where we live now.”
Jane Austen is the epitome of spring literature. One of her most popular books is Emma, which follows a girl on her journey to womanhood in her twenties. “Spring feels very light, romantic maybe,” says 9th grader Aylun. Emma is
precisely this, a comical novel following a romantical matchmaker, Emma Woodhouse. Though she is indifferent to her own romantic prospects, she finds purpose in matchmaking. Emma befriends a poorer girl and attempts to help her fit into a wealthy society. Through her attempts at this she begins to see her own flaws in her conformist outlooks. During her matchmaking journey, she finds what she least expected, her own true love. The story talks about issues of social class, societal expectations, true love, and the journey of a woman who never yearned for love— until she found it.
The chick-lit genre has been claimed by spring with its aspects of humor and femininity. A chick-lit cult classic is Jacqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls. The novel made its first appearance in 1966 and is still relevant today. The novel tells the story of fame and fortune, and the downfall of three beautiful women in the entertainment industry:
Anne Welles, Jenifer North, and Neely O’Hara. The story follows the successful girls’ descent into madness, drugs, and suicide after the climb to Hollywood. The novel satirized what it was like to be a woman in the 60’s, and the limited opportunities for success which are now much less degrading on women. Back then the only means of financial success were reserved for beautiful or married women.
In addition to these novels, some poems that feel just as romantic as the season are: “A Dream Within A Dream” by Edgar Allen Poe, as well as Emily Dickinson’s poems with their dreamy yet rich imagery. A poetry book recommendation is Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass by Lana Del Rey.
Some book recommendations from iSchool students and teachers are: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, City of Thieves by David Benioff, The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule, Italian Neighbors by Tim Parks, Summer Moonshine by P.G. Wodehouse, Summer’s Lease by John Mortimer, The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoffing, My Life in France by Julia Child, and The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch.
Springtime is a time of rebirth, creativity, poetry, and romance. The romanticization of things can be harmful in many ways, especially in times of social media, but it can be a sweet way to pick your next read for the upcoming season. Whether you want a picnic or beachside read, a poetry reading on Hanging Rock, or simply a book to match your outfit, these reads are perfect for every occasion. Gray says, “There’s something to me about this time of growth and renewal that really reflects a lot about the cycle of a woman’s life and sort of the creation, birth, flowers; they all feel very feminine to me.”
