There’s something about springtime that makes me feel like reading more books, and I don’t know if it’s just my imagination soaring after a long Wisconsin winter indoors, or if it’s just the time of year, but either way it inspired me to make this list today. So let’s jump into my official Springtime Reading List of 2022.
Watership Down
Watership Down by Richard Adams just feels like springtime to me. Rabbits just seem like an animal to think about in the spring, and this adventure story has everything you’d need in an animal story and more. Don’t get me wrong, I have never been a huge fan of stories about talking animals, but somehow this one just seems to be able to pull it off.
The God of the Garden
The God of the Garden by Andrew Peterson is another book that screams new growth and greenery at me. It is a nonfiction book about creation, and when I see buds of trees and flowers blossoming and can smell the dirt beneath me and pollen on the wind, it’s hard for me to not think about the glory of God and His amazing creation. This book made me not only notice more beauty in the trees, it also gave me a longing for the New Creation that I haven’t felt from a book in a long time.
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin is one of those classic books that I normally struggle with reading, but something about this book and springtime goes together well. If you aren’t a classic book kind of person, I suggest watching the 2005 adaption of the movie. I’ve always loved the soundtrack. If you aren’t familiar with this story, it is a romance by (in my opinion) one of the world’s best romance novel authors.
Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery is another springtime feel read. The descriptions of nature such as blooming flowers and crystal lakes and giant trees in this book make you wish springtime would stay forever. If you have only heard of this story through a film adaption, I highly recommend reading the actual book, because it contains all of Anne’s splendor without an ounce of extra Hollywood nonsense, plus it is the original story as Montgomery wrote it.
Little Pilgrim’s Progress
Little Pilgrim’s Progress by Helen Taylor is a wonderful children’s animal adaption of the original Pilgrim’s Progress. It is clearer to read and easier to understand than other versions of this story, and I must say that the illustrations by Joe Sutphin are beautiful. The drawings alone make this book glow with signs of new growth in the Spring, and the story itself is meaningful and well written.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis is just one of those books that makes you long for adventures of your own, and springtime is just the time to start. This list would not be complete without one of the fantasy giants of the writing world, and this book is a classic in my home. Definitely a great choice for a pre-summer read.
The Green Ember
The Green Ember by S. D. Smith concludes the Springtime reading list. As I have said before, I am not a fan of most talking animal stories, but Smith was able to pull it off. This book is the first of a series, and the sibling relationship with action and adventure mixed in with the great message makes it a contender for a possible Shatter Book of the Month. This book is yet another story about rabbits in springtime, and I must say that this was a family favorite.
There you have it, the seven books of my Springtime reading list. If you haven’t read them before I highly recommend this selection. If you have read these books before, what’s wrong with a reread? I hope that you have a great Spring, and that this list inspires many great reads for you this season.