The Texas sun has decided to come back out; spring is coming and the birds are chirping. The air is starting to sound like “Brazil” by Declan Mckenna, and I swear I saw one of the campus squirrels laying out tanning last week.
It’s been getting harder and harder to lock in on schoolwork when the weather feels like you are more in need of a Sonic cherry limeade and going on a hot girl walk than sitting down and doing your assigned readings or studying for an exam. The good news is that spring break is upon us, so we can finally give in to those temptations, at least for this week!
Whether you’re heading back home to get some rest, chilling out and hanging with friends here in College Station, or sunning on a warm beach somewhere – a good book is practically a spring break necessity. Here are all the books that I would recommend you read while lying by the pool, hopefully soaking up some sun and sipping on a yummy Pina Colada. This semester has been tough, you deserve it!
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
I read this book over Spring Break last year, and it ended up being my favorite book I read in all of 2024! The book follows Clementine, a burnt out publicist living in New York, who moves into her aunt’s old apartment who has recently passed away. She comes home one day to find an unexpected roommate, a man named Iwan, who just so happens to live in the apartment, too – only seven years in the past, the timeline in which her aunt is still alive. She can only see him when inside the magical apartment, and she never knows if it will be the last time she sees him. She runs into him in the present day, and their story unfolds from there. This is such a beautiful love story and feels like sunshine in a book. I also really enjoyed all of the side characters, Clementine’s journey through grief and acceptance after losing her aunt, the fragility of time, and the importance of following your passions and living for only yourself. This is so much more than just a beautiful romance book, and I can’t recommend it enough!
This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune
I read this book with an Alani in my hand while I laid out in front of the ocean and I can’t think of a better place to read this book than that! It is set in Prince Edward Island in Canada. The author, Carley Fortune, describes the setting wonderfully, her imagery is like no other. I swear you can feel the sun baking your skin and taste the oysters when reading this book! The plot follows Lucy, a tourist who visits the island for the first time to see where her best friend Bridget grew up. While waiting to meet up with her friend, she encounters a charming and undeniably attractive local – and they end up having a night neither of them would soon forget. However, when Lucy wakes up the next day, she soon discovers that her handsome oyster-shucking island man is actually her bff’s younger brother, Felix – OOPS! The rest of the novel follows Lucy over the course of multiple summer visits through flashbacks and present time (Fortune’s specialty), as she deals with growing pains of going from a college student to an adult in the real world, knowing who she is on her own without Bridget, pursuing a career that makes her fulfilled rather than just gaining her parents’ approval, and facing her complicated attraction to Felix and the serious fallout that could occur in her life and friendship if she gives in to her feelings for him.
Done and Dusted / Swift and Saddled by Lyla Sage
If you are looking for some fun and fast paced reads to dig into over the break – these are the books for you! These are cowboy romances with an emphasis on the “found family” trope, and all of the characters live in a small town, where most of the events take place on the main family’s ranch – Rebel Blue. The first book follows the Ryder family’s only daughter, Emmy, who is a barrel racer who has returned to her small hometown after a riding injury, and runs into her older brother’s longtime best friend who now owns the local bar. This trope is childhood “enemies” (kind of) to lovers, with hilarious banter and cute romantic moments. The second book follows the Ryder family’s youngest son, Weston, and city girl Ada who ends up at the ranch for an interior design job. They have an immediate spark, but he’s her boss and she refuses to cross those professional boundaries – well, she tries at least. She lives on the ranch while she’s there, so this book has so many tropes the book girlies will eat up: workplace romance, forced proximity, and the two main characters that have such golden retriever and black cat energy. Both books are cute reads, but the second one is most definitely my favorite! They each can each be read as stand-alones, are so much fun, and easy to binge!
Sunshine by Michaela Jean Taylor
I had the privilege of receiving an advanced readers copy of this book prior to its release last August, and I’m so glad I did! This book follows Layla, a girl from a small town in East Texas, who moves away to go to college in New York. When a sudden loss has her returning to her hometown, she deals with the struggles of what she thought she knew about herself, her home, and everyone around her. This book is inspired by Yellowstone and Friday Night Lights, and there are actually many mentions of Texas A&M and Aggies in the book! (That’s a major bonus, right? Whoop!) This is one of the best cowboy romances I’ve read, but it’s so much more than that! It’s tender and emotional, beautiful, and moving. There are so many stunning moments and quotes in this book. It’s deeper than an epic romance; there’s a journey of grief, finding yourself/what you want, breaking generational curses and societal norms, and the importance of staying true to who you are rather than losing yourself in someone else. I really enjoyed the dual timeline, it was so entertaining; it kept me engaged and it added more layers to the story and characters by seeing past events first hand. I loved these characters and watching their journey was such a joy, it made my heart swell!
People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry
Emily Henry can do no wrong in my eyes; I would read her grocery list if she slapped her name and a colorful cover on it. All five of her books are incredible (and I can’t wait for her newest release coming in April!). But for lying by the poolside, People We Meet on Vacation is a must read – the vibes are immaculate. This book follows Poppy and Alex, two polar opposite best friends who met back in college. Poppy is a loud and larger than life travel writer, and Alex is her grounded, laidback sidekick who is a high school teacher, and he remains along for the ride through all of her crazy adventures and ideas. They go on vacations just the two of them every year, until one year everything goes awry, after which they lose contact for two years. Poppy, who is feeling lost in her life and having doubts about her career, reaches out to Alex and asks him to go on one final trip together. The book follows a dual timeline, giving us flashbacks and moments all throughout their decade long friendship. Because of this, I felt very connected to the characters and truly cared about how their story and relationship ended up. It is so entertaining and fun, but similar to some of my other recs, it goes a little bit deeper than just two people in a relationship; it discusses familial dynamics and how we are raised follow us into our adult lives, and the importance of feeling fulfilled in your career, and also how it’s okay to change what you thought you wanted. This book is a classic for anyone who likes opposites attract, friends to lovers trope with some heavy angst and miscommunication. In true Henry style, there is a lot of wit, hilarious awkward events, and equally swoon worthy moments of love and attraction.
THE HUNGER GAMES SERIES by Suzanne Collings
The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay & The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins. I know what you’re thinking – You want me to read about government control and rebellion over spring break? Short answer? Absolutely. The Hunger Games universe is a cultural phenomenon, and for good reason. They are wildly entertaining and greatly affect a majority of young adults today. But the specific reason I’m recommending you revisit these books is to prepare yourself for Suzanne Collins newest book release, Sunrise on The Reaping, making its debut on March 18th. This book is going to be following Haymitch’s games, who was Katniss and Peeta’s mentor in the first book in the series. I personally have been waiting to get all of the details of this story since I was eleven years old, and I want to refresh myself on all of the details before I jump back into this beloved universe, and I hope you will too!
I hope you can dig into these books and recharge this week during our much-needed time off. Happy Spring Break! And happy reading!