My Reading Terrain This Spring
My eclectic mix features interior and physical landscapes with richly drawn characters and nuanced relationships.
Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench (April 23, 2024) From the publisher: “For the very first time, Judi opens up about every Shakespearean role she has played throughout her seven-decade career, from Lady Macbeth and Titania to Ophelia and Cleopatra. In a series of intimate conversations with actor & director Brendan O’Hea, she guides us through Shakespeare’s plays with incisive clarity, revealing the secrets of her rehearsal process and inviting us to share in her triumphs, disasters, and backstage shenanigans.”
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (April 7, 2026) From the publisher: “A traditional American woman, a ‘tradwife’ influencer, suddenly awakens in the brutal reality of 1855 — where she must unravel whether this living nightmare is an elaborate hoax, a twisted reality show, or something far more sinister in this sensational debut novel.”
The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham (September 16, 2025) From the publisher: “It’s move-in day at Tiffin Academy and amidst the happy chaos of friends reuniting, selfies uploading, and cars unloading, shocking news arrives: America Today just ranked Tiffin the number two boarding school in the country. It’s a seventeen-spot jump — was there a typo? The dorms need to be renovated, their sports teams always come in last place, and let’s just say Tiffin students are known for being more social than academic. On the other hand, the campus is exquisite, class sizes are small, and the dining hall is run by an acclaimed New York chef. And they do have fun — lots of parties and school dances, and a piano man plays in the student lounge every Monday night.
“But just as the rarefied air of Tiffin is suffused with self-congratulation, the wheels begin to turn — and then they fall off the bus.”
Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune (May 5, 2026) From the publisher: “Frankie and George have been best friends since they were eight years old. Both passionate, impulsive, and headstrong — they’ve always clashed . . . and come back together. Until now. It’s the eve of Frankie’s wedding weekend, and she doesn’t know where they stand or even if George will show up as her best man.
“Then, at the start of the festivities, in walks George. For one glorious evening, surrounded by her loved ones, Frankie’s life is finally perfect. But it all comes crashing down when her fiancé dumps her the next morning, leaving only a note as an explanation.
“Crushed and confused, Frankie returns to her family’s home to wallow. But George has a different idea and a plan for healing Frankie’s broken heart. He wants her to go on her honeymoon. With him. For one week, to the lush rainforests and misty beaches of Tofino.
The Life Impossible by Matt Haig (September 3, 2024) From the publisher: “When retired math teacher Grace Winters is left a run-down house on a Mediterranean island by a long-lost friend, curiosity gets the better of her. She arrives in Ibiza with a one-way ticket, no guidebook and no plan.
“Among the rugged hills and golden beaches of the island, Grace searches for answers about her friend’s life, and how it ended. What she uncovers is stranger than she could have dreamed. But to dive into this impossible truth, Grace must first come to terms with her past.
“Filled with wonder and wild adventure, this is a story of hope and the life-changing power of a new beginning.”
Missed Connections by Aimie K. Runyan (May 26, 2026) From the publisher: “Sabrina Sorensen is 37, single, and just lost a fabulous job as manager of a posh Parisian restaurant. She heads home to California for her younger sister’s engagement party, and it's an open door for her mother and siblings to chide Sabrina for her inability to commit to any of her previous jobs and relationships. What they don't know is that Sabrina, for fifteen long years, has been building her résumé in hopes of becoming an inspector for the famed MICHELIN guides — a path that has required keeping her ambitions hidden, even from her family. And, with the job loss, all she’s worked for is in jeopardy. After her mother's final clumsy attempt to fix her up with the charming ‘boy next door,’ Sabrina leaves the party and retreats to the Burbank Airport.
“The problem? She has nowhere to go.
“She arrives at the airport, resolved to put the family conflict behind her and focus on her work, but now her mother's critical voice fills her with doubts. Has she been wasting her life? Faced with the enormity of her next decision, Sabrina breaks down at the ticket counter. The ticket agent pulls her aside and offers her the life-altering opportunity to revisit some of her key life choices, both personal and professional. Sabrina suddenly is given the rare chance to answer the burning question: has she been foolish to sacrifice so much for her dream of becoming a Michelin inspector? And will a spark with an aspiring Danish chef change her priorities altogether?”