Spring Reading: theSkimm on Turning a Clean Page

Spring Forward. Not just for clocks. This season, we're saying 'bye' to stress and 'hi' to the things we love most: books. These reads will help you find perspective, refresh, and re-set. Stress-free zone ahead.

For when your own drama is too hard to follow...

Take joy in someone else’s. Enter: Julie Langsdorf’s “White Elephant.” It's centered in a small town where tensions are running high. There’s neighbor v neighbor drama plus a lawyer with a pot problem, a teenage prank gone wrong, and more. Think: “Little Fires Everywhere” meets “Big Little Lies."

For when you realize Earth Day is around the corner...

Here’s your homework. David Wallace-Wells’ “The Uninhabitable Earth" is the real life version of “The Day After Tomorrow” meets “Silent Spring.” All about Global Warming and Climate Change. It’s based off of Wallace-Wells’ 2017 piece for New York Magazine. If you’re looking for a reason to start caring about the world, this one will do it for you.

For when you're in a funk...

Queenie feels you. "Queenie" by Candice Cart-Williams is all about a British Jamaican woman working at a newspaper in London. Post-breakup, she struggles to answer casual questions like "what am I doing with my life?" Relatable.

For when you or a friend is struggling with mental health...

You’re not alone. “The Collected Schizophrenias” by Esmé Weijun Wang is a personal and nuanced collection of essays all about schizoaffective disorder, PTSD, and Lyme disease. Wang, who was a former lab researcher at Stanford, weaves her personal essays on diagnosis and psychosis, with notes on the medical industry and treatment practices. It’s eye-opening, honest, and a book you’ll want to share.

For when you want to put a spring in your step...

Insert: Spring. "Spring" by Ali Smith is the third novel in her seasonal quartet. Translation: they're separate but interconnected stories, tied to times of year. 'Tis the season to spring for it.

For when you want to take a walk in someone else's shoes...

Take a walk all the way to Houston. "Lot: Stories" by Bryan Washington is about Houston's diverse neighborhoods and the different people who live there. Affairs, hustlers, and hurricane survivors included. You might be sick of us saying spring is all about reflection but...time to reflect.

For when you’re in the mood for historical fiction...

"Lost Roses" by Martha Hall Kelly—the author of "Lilac Girls"—follows three women from Russia to Paris and New York during WWI. As the war threatens the safety of two of the women, one is forced to try and save them from all the way across the Atlantic. Frequent flier miles sold separately.

For when you need a wake-up call...

Alex Kotlowitz’s “An American Summer” will reframe what you think you know about the city of Chicago and the people who live there. It’s a compressed look at one summer in Chicago and the gun violence, heartbreak, loss, and resilience that comes with it. This one’s nonfiction and will make you think… a lot. You might also need tissues. Crying is good for your head right?

For the person who deserves an applause...

Cheers to them. Maurice Hannigan is an 84-year-old man sitting in a hotel bar. Anne Griffin’s “When All Is Said” takes place entirely over the course of one night as he toasts the five people who’ve made the most impact on his life. Think: "The Five People You Meet In Heaven” meets a trip down memory lane. Through his toasts, you’ll learn all about his secrets, his loves, his joys, and regrets. This one’s a soul-bearing novel that will make you think twice about the people in your life and the choices you make daily.

For the person who loves making a list…

Maybe don’t check it twice. "I Miss You When I Blink" by Laura Philpott is what happens when you live life according to a piece of paper. It's a memoir about following the rules and what happens when you veer off track. Spoiler: happiness ahead.

PS: *These are editorially selected, but if you purchase, theSkimm may get something in return. Thanks.

Want to continue to Spring Forward with us? We got you covered.