Spring is in the Air by Alison McCorkle

Spring is definitely in the air these days.  I hear the birds singing in the mornings, the icicles are dripping, snow is melting and puddles are forming.  A much-missed colleague and friend who passed away a few years ago, Catherine Gillier, often wove the weather, flora and fauna into her blogs for the library. Just by reading this over, made me immediately think of her.  Words have a way of doing that.  Words can evoke images, fragrances and memories of all kinds just with a few simple strokes of a pen, or in this case, a keyboard.

Over the past couple of years I’ve had a difficult time focusing on reading for pleasure.  I’m sure it would be lovely to get lost in a great book again and escape some of the not so great situations we have going on in the world.  I didn’t give up reading all together, but I must say I wasn’t my usual voraciously reading self!

Some of the few books I’ve read in the past year or so that have really stood out are the following:

Five Little Indians by Michelle Good is an incredibly wonderful debut novel by an Indigenous author that I highly recommend.

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley is another incredible debut novel by an Indigenous author that I highly recommend. This one is Young Adult but easily crosses over to adult fiction.

These are two standout novels that I thoroughly enjoyed and have recommended numerous times in the library.  Very timely subject matter – Residential schools and reserve life and culture for the Indigenous population in Canada.

Now to get back to my opening paragraph, here are some titles that may inspire you to get out and enjoy the weather and Mother Nature’s splendor now that spring is almost upon us!

The Last Garden in England by Julia Kelly is a compelling read, filled with lovable characters and an alluring twist of fates.

The Forbidden Garden by Ellen Herrick is a rich tapestry of family lore, dark secrets, and love.

Garden of Lamentations by Deborah Crombie has an intriguing mystery, the characters are well developed and the solution satisfies.

Garden of Lies by Amanda Quick is an engaging historical light-mystery romance with two strong leads.

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton whisks the reader into scene after vivid scene, sometimes frightening us, often perplexing us, and always providing us with a great deal of entertainment.

The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys is haunting story of love in a time of war.

The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman is beautifully crafted, shimmering with magic, this story is as unforgettable as it is moving.

The Perfume Garden by Kate Lord Brown is an intensely atmospheric read, and a hugely enjoyable one.