Spring always feels like a season of contradictions, with it oscillating from warm and soft one moment to cold and stirring the next. The earth wakes slowly, then all at once. I find myself reading the same way in spring: reaching for books that crackle with energy, that pull me into strange corners and give me something new to chew on. Not everything on this list is gentle, but each of these books feels like it belongs to the season in one way or another. Here’s what I’ll be reading in the coming weeks:

Quicksilver by Callie Hart

This one is on deck for the Rochester Smut Society, which already tells you a lot. I’m expecting spice, grit, and emotional unraveling. It’s not my usual pick, but part of what I love about this book club is how it pushes me into territory I wouldn’t normally explore. I’m curious to see how dark this one gets.

Hungerstone by Kat Dunn

Voted for the sapphic discord server book club I host, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Sapphic themes, gothic undertones, and a strange, haunting atmosphere? Sign me up. I love a classic retelling of Carmilla, so I’m pretty excited to see where this goes.

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

A recommendation from my LDR, and when she says it’s her favorite, I pay attention. I already know it’s epic and massive, and honestly, that feels like a challenge I’m ready to take on. I’m anticipating powerful women, dragons, and the kind of sweeping story you fall into completely.

The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa

This is a pick for the book club I’m in with some close friends. I’ve been wanting to read Ogawa for a while, and this feels like the perfect place to start. I’m expecting quiet devastation, surreal world-building, and some existential dread. Just the thing for a breezy spring afternoon.

The Obscene Bird of Night by José Donoso

This is my personal choice, and I’ve been waiting for the right time to dive into it. I’ve read that it’s dense, strange, and completely haunting… which checks every box for me. It has the kind of literary weight I tend to crave when I want to be truly consumed by a story.

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Lesbian necromancers in space. Bones and sarcasm. I’ve heard enough to know this is going to be a ride. I keep getting reminded to read this one every time the topic of space, homicide (you’d be surprised at how often this happens), and my TBR comes up. I get it, Michaela. I’m reading it… thank you.

I’ll check back in when I’ve made some progress— but if you’ve read any of these already, feel free to yell at me about them. Or better yet, read along. I’d love the company.

— Signing off from the Literary Haven