Spring Time - Books to get you in the mood

 

A lot of us are probably still dealing with cold weather, or random days of coldness.  I am, and although it disappoints me each time the thermometer drops back to the 30s, I don't let it get me down.  I am determined to enjoy the arrival of Spring, to prepare for the arrival of this beautiful season and to not let anything else get in the way of that joy.

 

With that said, I often do a few things to get me in the mood, so to speak.

 

If you've been on YouTube for a while, you may have seen some videos floating around about this very thing.  A lot of wonderful, visually stunning videos giving us recommendations of books to read, shows to watch or movies to enjoy during Spring, and the days leading up to it.

 

I thought, why not share what I will be reading or watching in the upcoming weeks.

 

Are you ready?

 

Spring for me, has always been a season of growing, of reemerging and renewing.  

 

After the long, cold, dark days of Winter, we see the first flash of green in the garden.  We hear the birds, we see the plants coming alive.  It's almost like getting a new chance at life, of redoing things and maybe fixing or making better something already in place.

 

 

First things first......Books!  

Nothing can quite get you in the mood for Spring, like a good book, the type that talks about Spring or cottages, little forest animals and beautiful gardens.  

One of the best authors that I have to start with, and just wouldn't do it justice if I didn't, is Louisa May Alcott.  Aside from Jane Austen, I will say she is one of my absolute favorites, along with L.M. Montgomery who penned Anne of Green Gables (yes, that's on the list too, just sit tight).

When you hear the name Louisa May Alcott, you no doubt immediately think of one of her most famous books, Little Women, which I have along with Little Men and Jo's Boys, both of which are on my bookshelf as well.  One that is not as well known, maybe because it's a children's story, is Under the Lilacs.

I received this beautiful copy, just last week, when I found it on Paperbackswap.  It is in perfect condition and just so absolutely beautiful.  The cover itself is gorgeous and then of course, you open the pages and are met not only with a delightful story but gorgeous illustrations.

I don't know about you all, but I still very much love illustrated children's books.

 

Under the Lilacs by Louisa May Alcott

 

A delightful children’s story that revolves round the antics and exploits of Bab and Betty Moss, their neighbour Miss Celia, a circus runaway called Ben Brown, and his dog, Sancho. This heart-warming and timeless story is perfect for bedtime reading, and would make for a worthy addition to any family collection.

 

 

Anne of Green Gables.  We can't have a Spring reading list without including this classic.  I am going to assume that you've read the book and watched the series, but if you haven't, you are in for a treat.  I fell in love with Anne of Green Gables when we were stationed at Mountain Home AFB in Idaho.  My kids were little, like 7 and 3 years old.

 

From that moment, I became obsessed with anything to do with Anne, Prince Edward Island, and so on.  I read the books, I watched series, though I have to say, I did not enjoy the Anne with an E series on Netflix, it just wasn't for me.

 

Anyway, if you don't know about Anne here is a brief summary.  Oh and if you enjoy audio books, you can actually listen to the whole book on YouTube, just follow this link.

 

 

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

 

Anne Shirley, an eleven-year-old orphan, has arrived in this verdant corner of Prince Edward Island only to discover that the Cuthberts—elderly Matthew and his stern sister, Marilla—want to adopt a boy, not a feisty redheaded girl. But before they can send her back, Anne—who simply must have more scope for her imagination and a real home—wins them over completely.  

 

Next on the list is another favorite and this one I think you all have heard about.  The Wind in the Willows.  Ahhhhh another gorgeous book with a sweet tale to tell.  Picnics, rivers, little sweet homes in the forest, flowers, it's just a compilation of everything that will get you in the mood for the season.

 

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Friendly Rat, mild-mannered Mole, wise Badger, and kind—but conceited—Toad all live on the banks of the Thames. While Mole and Rat are content to go out in a row boat or travel the roads in a caravan, Toad prefers the excitement of motor cars. He’s already wrecked seven! While his friends try to keep him out of trouble, his passion for cars eventually results in his being caught and kept prisoner in the remotest dungeon of the best-guarded castle in all the land. Somehow, he has to escape and get home but what will he find when he gets there?

 

The Secret Garden.....what to even say about this classic other than you have to read it.  Not just for Spring, anytime of the year, but especially during Spring time.  Luscious gardens, Yorkshire landscapes and of course a beautiful colonial house.

 

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

On the grounds of Misselthwaite, her Uncle Archibalds estate near the Yorkshire moors, nine-year-old Mary Lennox finds a walled-in garden that has been locked securely for years. With the help of Dickon Sowerby, a young local boy who can charm animals, Mary cultivates the garden, an experiences that both improves her health and raises her spirits. Ultimately, the secret garden proves beneficial not only to to Mary, but to her sickly cousin Colin, whom her estranged uncle has locked away in solitude following the death of his beloved wife, Colins mother. Nurtured with love and tenderness, the secret garden proves it has the power to heal the heart.

 

We also can't think of Spring without immediately thinking of Beatrix Potter and her cute, quirky stories.  The Tale of Hill Top Farm is the first in the Susan Wittig Albert Series The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter.

If you love talking animals, woods, cute little critters scurrying about and even some mystery, then you need this series in your life.  I have started collecting, and only have 4 of the series, but I am always on the lookout for the remaining books.

 

The Tale of Hill Top Farm by Susan Wittig Albert

In this first Cottage Tale, Albert introduces Beatrix, an animal lover and Good Samaritan with a knack for solving mysteries. With help from her entourage of talking animal friends, Beatrix sets out to win over the human hearts of Sawrey, where she’s just bought an old farm–and plans to stay.

 

Now I wouldn't be me, if I didn't add in a Jane Austen book or two.  Not really actually written by Jane Austen this time, but about her per say.  The Man who loved Jane Austen, is not exactly spring related but I'm including it anyway.  

If you're a huge Jane Austen fan like I am, I think it's best not to go into this one thinking that it will do her writing justice, after all it is a fiction book written by someone else.  But if you enjoy a quick, funny, witty romance then this will be it.  

 

The Man who loved Jane Austen by Sally Smith O'Rourke

Aftering discovering a letter to Jane Austen from Fitzwilliam Darcy--a supposedly fictional character--in the back of her antique vanity's mirror, New York artist Eliza Knight, deciding to research this mystery from the past, searches for the only man who knows the truth.

 

 

And finally, Willoughby's Return, again not specifically Spring related, but it's one I've been waiting to read for a long time, and I think it deserves to be on my list for the next month.

 

Willoughby's Return by Jane Odiwe

In Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, when Marianne Dashwood marries Colonel Brandon, she puts her heartbreak over dashing scoundrel John Willoughby in the past.

 

Three years later, Willoughby's return throws Marianne into a tizzy of painful memories and exquisite feelings of uncertainty. Willoughby is as charming, as roguish, and as much in love with her as ever. And the timing couldn't be worse—with Colonel Brandon away and Willoughby determined to win her back, will Marianne find the strength to save her marriage, or will the temptation of a previous love be too powerful to resist?

I hope this list gave you some ideas, or maybe inspires you to gather your favorite Spring books and start reading.