Like most writers, I enjoy reading and I try to read as many different genres as I can. I find it exposes me to different writing styles and different ways of storytelling.
Along the way, I’ve discovered that some books are better read during certain seasons than others. For example, I believe summer is the best time for light-hearted romances while winter is better for thrillers and cozy mysteries. Other times it’s just the feeling you get while you read a certain book that reminds you of certain seasons. Harry Potter, for example, seems at home during the winter. Those lengthy tomes are best read by a blazing fire while sipping a cup of tea.
Below I’ve compiled my list of recommended reading for each season of the year. This is based on my own reading preferences, of course, and the feelings I get while I read these books. You might have your own preferences. (Many thanks to Genie in a Novel for sharing her seasonal favorites on Facebook.)
Summer
Summer of ’69 by Elin Hildebrand. The queen of summer beach reading takes a nostalgic look at the lives of four siblings during one tumultuous summer.
Queen Bee by Dorothea Benton Frank. This last book by Frank takes place off the Carolina coast and boasts some of the most interesting collection of characters and a most satisfying ending that put a smile on my face.
The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George. Imagine taking a trip on a traveling book shop down the Seine in Paris.
The Language of Sycamores by Lisa Wingate. Summer is a transitional time between spring and fall. It only makes sense to follow the narrator’s transition to a new life in a small town.
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. Hmmm…another book with a beekeeping theme.
Autumn
Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman (or any of its sequels). Hoffman’s magic realism seems a perfect fit for the fall.
Dead of Night by Charlaine Harris (or any of its sequels). Fall is the perfect time of year to enjoy a paranormal romance, don’t you think?
Ghost Stories by Edith Wharton. Who knew that Edith Wharton also wrote ghost stories? Her collection isn’t particularly frightening or gory, but it does lend an air of eerie magic.
Little Pretty Things or The Black Hour by Lori Rader-Day. I always think of fall when I read Lori Rader-Day. Maybe because both of these novels have an academic setting that reminds me of this time of year.
The Family Plot by Megan Collins. One of the best mysteries I’ve read in a while with a most unusual family and backstory.
Winter
Harry Potter (any book in the series). Genie in a Novel listed this in her winter selection, and I have to agree. These lengthy titles are easy to get immersed in on a cold, winter morning.
A Stranger is Watching by Mary Higgins Clark (or any of her mysteries). Winter is perfect for burying yourself in a good romantic suspense novel, and Clark is one of the best.
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah. Historical women’s fiction is another genre that is perfect for winter reading.
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. You can’t go wrong with a classic.
One by One by Ruth Ware. I read this book by Ware last winter. It only makes sense since the story takes place during the winter in the Alps.
Spring
Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella. The book that became the movie “Field of Dreams.”
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen. When I think of spring, I think of gardening, and this particular garden comes to life – literally.
Uprooted by Naomi Novik. Carrying on the nature theme, Novik shows us what happens when we don’t treat nature honestly and fairly.
The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais. One of the best descriptive food journeys you will ever take.
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarity (or any of her other books). Moriarity always comes up with a unique premise and an unpredictable story line.
Do you agree or disagree with my lists? What books would you put on your seasonal lists?
The Regal Writer 