As the days start to warm up, thoughts of vacation planning, and that always means finding time for books. Whether you are going to get away this spring or summer or creating a staycation, here are some choices to warm your heart, comfort your soul, and challenge your mind.
Children’s Choice
Lola and the Troll (2024) by Connie Schultz
Schultz is a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist and author of multiple books. This is her first children’s book. Lola and her dog Tank stand up to the neighborhood bully with grace and humor.
Young Adult Fiction
What the Fireflies Knew (2022) by Kai Harris
Named a “Most Anticipated Teen Book” by Teen Vogue and NBC News and Book Riot, this debut novel follows KB as she traverses life following the untimely and unexpected death of her father.
Novels
The Whalebone Theatre (2022) by Joanna Quinn
A Jenna Book Club choice, follow Cristabel Seagrove and her siblings through this historical fiction as they navigate English from the end of World War I to the end of World War II.
The Murmur of Bees (2019) by Sofia Segovia
Set among the backdrop of the 1918 pandemic in Mexico, this uncannily gifted young boy can see the future–just by closing his eyes.
The Island of Missing Trees (2021) by Elif Shafak
From Booker shortlisted author Shafak comes a story of magical realism that follows a young girl’s search for identity and connection is witnessed by a fig tree who grows roots wherever she is planted.
The Women (2024) by Kristin Hannah
Set in the 1960s, Hannah weaves a tale around twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath. It’s an intimate portrait of a coming-of-age story in a time of conflict in generational divides.
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell (2018) by Robert Dugani
Sam Hell can see; he just looks different to everyone else. With his red pupils–technically, ocular albinism, Sam preserves with his mother’s faith and his two best friends. You’ll cheer him on from the beginning to the end.
Nonfiction
Between Two Trailers (2024) by J. Dana Trent
Due for publication mid-April, Trent chronicles her early life as a pre-school drug dealer to her arrival at Duke University as she acknowledges the past she cannot avoid.
The Year I Met My Brain (2023) by Matilda Bosley
As an adult, Bosley is diagnosed with ADHD. This begins a journey into discovering the why of ADHD and creating a guide life to fit the brain.
When Breath Becomes Air (2016) by Dr. Paul Kalanthi
A New York Times bestseller and Pulitzer Prize finalist, this is Kalanthi’s memoir as he, a Stanford-trained neurosurgeon, discovers at the age of 36 that he has stage IV lung cancer. Yes, it’s about dying; it’s also about how to live the life you have to its fullest.
When you go looking for your book, please consider supporting your local indie booksellers. Shops like MacArthur Books in the Village of West Clay, 4 Kids Books on Michigan Road, Loudmouth Books on East 16th Street and Kids Ink on Illinois Street in Indianapolis. The Yosha Snyder Group believes in the importance of supporting local businesses. While you are there, you might end up leaving with more than one book to read!
Supporting Indy Reads
In addition to supporting your local indie bookstores, there’s another wonderful way to contribute to the community. You can support Indy Reads, an adult literacy organization, by purchasing books through their Bookshop.org page here. Located in Fountain Square, Indy Reads not only provides valuable literacy resources but also operates an independent bookstore. They welcome used book donations on the first Friday of every month. Your support helps further their mission and makes a significant impact. Thank you for considering this great cause!