This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Mich chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
Like many, thereās nothing I love more than curling up with a book I canāt put down. However, during the school year and especially exam season, I can hardly find the time to read anything. With spring break coming up and a week full of free-time about to be on our hands, I wanted to share some of my favorite reads that you may not have read (or even heard about) quite yet so you have them for your spring-vacation relaxation!
- A Queen’s Fortune by Allison Pataki – This book is exceptional. I picked it up over winter break and have hardly been able to stop thinking about it since. It’s a blend of historical fiction, romance, and women’s empowerment as you follow Desiree Clay, Napoleonās first love, through her difficult journey following the turmoil of the French Revolution. To put it lightly, he did her so dirty but, as us ladies do, she rose above. I was so obsessed with this story that I finished it in three sittings.
- The Rebel and the Thief by Jan-Philipp Sendker– This is another one of my favorites as of late! This book came out in 2022 and I seriously could imagine it being an AP Lit read in the futureā¦ It was that wonderful. This one takes place in an unnamed foreign country during whatās supposedly the COVID pandemic. It explores the struggles of those who were labeled ānon-essential workersā and the damages of being left in sudden and extreme hardship. The hope in this story is the love that blossoms between an upper-echelon girl who lives in security and the newly homeless main character, and their story is somewhat of a modern day robin-hood.Ā
- My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick– Ok, here’s my only super summer-y and spring break read. This one is one of my favorite light and easy romances. Itās quite literally about a girl-next-door romance with the boy she had always longed for from the boring windows of her home. Where her own family was broken and her mother was always at work, the neighbors were interesting and dynamic, always doing something. She longed to be a part of what they had next door and, for that summer, she was. There is, of course, an unfortunate complexity and a big decision she must makeā¦
- The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy– This book is so beautifully written and I donāt say that lightly.Ā Itās another historical fiction and romance that is so hard-hitting. It begins with two young artists, Max and Bettina, who are immediately drawn to each other and right at the onset of World War II in Germany.. As they begin to fall in love and plan their futures together, Max is horrifyingly taken to a concentration camp in Dachau, separated from his love. Bettinaās devotion remains strong, and Max suffers and hangs on with impressive skill, the story being uncovered by their loving daughter years later.
- Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix– Okay I donāt even know how Iād explain the plot of this one in a blurb, but in summary it’s super involved and fast-paced. Itās about a girl who was forced out of a cult and into modern day (she thought she was living in 1840 and it was 1996) to retrieve life-saving medicine for the family she was leaving behind. If that doesnāt make you interested enough, Iām sure the 18 other plot twists will.Ā
- Pachinko by Min Jin Lee– A classic! This is also a TV series but you MUST read the book. It’s set in the 1900s in Japanese-occupied Korea, and focuses on a family who lacked everything but love. Sunja, the main character, meets and falls in love with a rich Japanese man in her youth and becomes pregnant with his child. Her being young and naive, was shocked to find out he was married and could not leave the family he already had. Little did she know, their relationship would not end there and the turmoil she faced and the growth she achieved would be incredible.Ā
I hope you add some of these to your book-list, and that you have some ideas to bring some good reads into your spring break, whether it’s in the comfort of your home, on a beach somewhere warm, or on a plane ride to an amazing destination! Happy reading!
