Six Books to Ring in the Spring
As the sun glistens overhead and the snow melts into soft raindrops tapping at our window sills, we find ourselves in the first touch of spring. After a blistering winter, the subtle spring breeze brings with it a palpable hope, caressing our anxieties with the comforting melodies of songbirds. To celebrate the end of another brutal Ithaca winter, here is a list of six stirring books to breathe spring into your finals season.
1. The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali
The Stationery Shop effortlessly pulled me out of my last prolonged reading slump. Kamali skillfully crafts a tale of budding young love amid political turmoil in 1953 Tehran, Iran. Roya and Bahman share an endearing love story in their local stationery shop despite societal expectations for their chastity. On their wedding day, the two agree to meet at the town square before tying the knot at the courthouse. Instead, Roya found herself amid a coup d’état and was left abandoned by Bahman. Sixty years after moving to California and embracing a fresh start with her new family, fate leads her back to him to ask the question eclipsing her heart for decades: Why did Bahman leave her?
The narrative beautifully depicts themes of pure love and fate. This soul-quenching read’s simplistic yet riveting writing entangled and absorbed me in Roya and Bahman’s multidecadal tale. I still feel the novel’s parting words reverberate through me. Trust me, this is an absolute must-read.
2. As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh
Zoulfa Katouh’s writing will enrapture you in intense hope as the spring blossoms bud and the trees grow fruitful. As Salama struggles with PTSD while volunteering at a hospital in Homs during the Syrian Civil War, she finds herself battling between the desire to save lives and escape with her pregnant sister-in-law, Layla. This dilemma grows more complicated as she falls for Kenan, an ambitious boy with a burning passion for his country — and for Salama.
Katouh interweaves a beautiful narrative of Syrian pride, pure young love, sisterhood and mental health. This engrossing story, filled with jaw-dropping revelations, sociopolitical commentary and the fragrant flowers of an innocent romance, kept me entwined with the book and characters’ lives long after I put the physical copy down.
3. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
I simply had a moral obligation to include Khaled Hosseini’s iconic masterpiece, The Kite Runner, on this list. By this point, I hope everyone has read this gripping, emotive tale of friendship between a wealthy Afghan boy and his servant’s son. The novel follows the unfiltered life of protagonist Amir — highlighting the potential of redeeming past mistakes, forgiveness and self-compassion.
The Kite Runner brilliantly portrays the beauty of Afghanistan while acknowledging the reality of power dynamics in the country. While this book will inevitably leave your vision blurred with tears, it will open your eyes to the truth that no mistake is beyond redemption — like the flowers that bloom on severed tree branches. I promise you — like me — will not be able to turn away.
4. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
After the mysterious disappearance of her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, thirty years ago, now-widowed Tova Sullivan finds herself befriending Marcellus, an octopus at the aquarium. Despite his resentment toward his human captors, Marcellus grows fond of Tova and reckons with understanding the events of the night her son disappeared. While sounding obscure, Remarkably Bright Creatures is a heart-wrenching read that explores the struggle of vying with the past to uncover the potential of a vibrant future, just as the spring recolors a bleak Ithaca annually.
Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel has me dying to read more of her eloquent storytelling. Initially skeptical of this read, I was surprised by this book’s evocative narrative, which invites readers to sympathize with Tova’s grief and self-discovery. Overall, this intimate glimpse into the characters’ emotional journeys makes this book perfect to read under the cherry blossom trees slowly overtaking the Arts Quad.
5. This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi
Somedays, when you just need to escape reality, a Tahereh Mafi novel is the way to go. Even as an avid hater of most fantasy books, This Woven Kingdom is the perfect mystical escape. This book is a unique ode to Persian mythology, taking place in the mythical city of Ardunia, where Clay and Jinn live side-by-side. Alizeh, a lowly Jinn servant, soon discovers she is the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom. The slow-burn storyline gradually unveils hints of forbidden romance between Alizeh and Kamran, the Clay Crown Prince. Through a methodical third-person narrative, Mafi allows readers to follow both Alizeh and Kamran’s self-discovery and a dashing dual-perspective love story.
Any work by Tahereh Mafi is bound to reel me in. This Woven Kingdom is part of an unfinished romantasy series, with the sequels These Infinite Threads and All This Twisted Glory already out. I cannot wait to delve deeper into the world of Ardunia.
6. Circe by Madeline Miller
If you have always questioned why you cannot get into reading Greek mythology like myself, pick up this Madeline Miller book to step into the world of Circe. Threatened by her unique capability for witchcraft, Zeus banishes Helios’ daughter to a desolate island. Miller fiercely reclaims the story of Circe, a side character villainized in popular Greek myths, like The Odyssey, where she deceives Odysseus’ men and turns them into pigs.
This novel distinctly draws a striking portrayal of Circe that redefines the myth. Miller’s storytelling ensnared me in Circe’s magical realm. Fortunately, this book is accessible to anyone, whether you geek out over mythology or are averse to it. It is a page tuner which may even help you discover a hidden interest in mythology.
As you do your spring cleaning, I hope you will not neglect your spring reading — even if it means you overlook some of your priorities as you immerse yourself in the boundless pages of these books.
Ava Tafreshi is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at ant63@cornell.edu.
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