Library staff Brianna and Miranda gave recommendations for the Spring Into Reading Adult Challenge on Instagram! Below is what they recommended. All titles can be found in our catalog or on Libby.
Book with a pastel cover:
Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
When reading this series, Miranda recommends suspending your disbelief a lot. Once you suspend your disbelief, you will have so much fun with this series.
Finaly Donovan is not killing it. She is stressed out, her ex-husband is the worst, her kids are a handful, and the novel she is supposed to be writing refuses to be written. One day she is in a Panera with her agent talking about killing a character when a woman overhears and mistakes Finaly for a hitman. She tries to hire Finlay to kill her terrible husband. Finlay is, of course, confused and tries to tell the woman she doesn’t actually kill people. Through a series of insane events the husband winds up dead in the back of her minivan. Here’s the thing: Finlay did not kill him. But she has a dead body to deal with. What follows is hijinks, trying to figure out who did kill him, trying not to get blamed for his death, and somehow the mob gets involved- it’s a crazy ride. Again, suspend your disbelief.
Finlay Donovan is Killing It kicks off a fun and heartwarming series. This is one of Miranda’s favorite series and it is now six books long. Finlay just keeps finding herself in the craziest situations, but they are such fun rides. Despite the crazy circumstances, the characters feel very real. Vero, Finaly’s new nanny with a past, is her partner in crime. There’s Finlay’s ex-husband- the actual worst, the nosy neighbor, the agent, the hot cop who is hot on Finlay’s trail, and the young lawyer. This whole cast is full of big personalities and a lot of heart. Finlay Donovan is Killing It is good for you if you like an almost light thriller. It has thriller elements and is definitely not cozy but it’s not too gritty.
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
Keiko, a woman in her thirties, has never quite felt in step with the world around her. When she starts working at a convenience store, she finally feels like she’s found something perfect for her. Enjoying the simple rules and reliable customers, Keiko is happy– despite what her loved ones might think as they start to urge her to consider a serious career and pursue marriage.
This is an engaging, original novel originally translated from Japanese. Keiko is relatable and endearing, and Murata’s writing style is fresh and, at times, unexpected. From this book, Murata has become an author Brianna follows– she really enjoys all of her works and seeing the world through her eyes.
Chesapeake Blue by Nora Roberts
The last book in a quartet, the premise of this world is that as their adopted father dies, 3 brothers come back together to their small hometown, only to end up staying to take care of the latest child their father had adopted. Around 20 years later, that boy– Seth– is now a world-renowned artist and successful in his own right.
Returning home for reasons of his own, Seth enjoys catching up with family– and getting to know the new florist in town, Dru Whitcomb Banks. A romance through and through, seeing Seth and Dru fall in love with a charming town and support system in the background is guaranteed to make the reader fall in love, too!
Book with flowers on the cover:
Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean
Izumi Tanaka grew up in a small, mostly white neighborhood in Northern California. She has her group of friends, and it has always been her and her mom against the world. When Izumi discovers a clue about her unknown father, namely that he is the crown prince of Japan, she discovers that she is quite literally a princess. Izumi decides to fly to Japan to meet her dad, The Prince. What follows is a lot of self-discovery and learning. Back home, Izumi never felt American enough and in Japan she has to prove she is Japanese enough. She runs into many obstacles- learning court etiquette, her mean cousins she calls The Shining twins who make it their mission to embarrass her, and a very handsome but prickly bodyguard.
This book explores identity and cultures meeting in what feels like a real- despite the very unreal circumstances- way. Izumi is a character you connect with immediately and root for whole heartedly. This is a contemporary YA novel with some romance but can be enjoyed by adults. If you loved the book or the movie The Princess Diaries, you will love this book. The situations are similar, but Mia Thermopolis and Izumi Tanaka are distinctly different people.
A genre new to you:
Miranda chose this book because classics were a new genre to her. When she heard that the song Tolerate It by Taylor Swift was inspired by Rebecca, she decided to pick it up.
In Rebecca, a young woman- our unnamed narrator- meets Maxim de Winter and after a whirlwind romance in Monte Carlo, they marry and more to his home, Manderley. The unnamed narrator becomes the second Mrs. de Winter, but the first Mrs. de Winter- Rebecca- is still a haunting presence in Manderley. The second Mrs. de Winter is not very confident and is trying to fulfill her duties in running Manderley all the while Rebecca remains a shadow cast over the house. To make matters worse, the housekeeper, Mrs. Dancers, is still devoted to the dead Rebecca and hates the new Mrs. de Winter and sabotages her at every turn.
Rebecca is haunting and atmospheric with distinct characters. This book was written almost 100 years ago but still feels modern and accessible. Though in many ways it feels modern, it is still a product of its time, so check trigger warnings before picking up.
Every Day I Read: 53 Ways to Get Closer to Books by Hwang Bo-reum
Translated from Korean, this nonfiction book is both cozy and motivational, encouraging the reader to fall in love with reading itself. With sections on everything from reading during commutes to the debate of reading several titles at once, this is a warm-hearted book that explores the profound, yet soothing impact reading has in our daily lives.
Brianna enjoyed this book because the author was relatable, nonjudgmental, and clearly had a passion for reading while encouraging others to do the same. This book is recommended both for people who love reading and those who want to but aren’t quite sure how to.
A book published in March or April of 2026
Publishing: April 7, 2026
Miranda was able to get an advanced reading copy (ARC) of this book from Netgalley. This review is in no way sponsored but thank you to Netgalley and the publisher.
Meg Shaffer weaves actual magic in her stories, and this book is no different. We follow our main character Rainy March- which is her name, a bad pun, and a weather forecast- a Book Witch, on the adventure of her life. A Book Witch can hop in and out of stories to save them from all threats fictional or not, but especially Burners who want to destroy books. Rainy broke the rules when she fell in love with her first fictional crush on what should have been a routine mission. After a yearlong romance, they are forced apart until Rainy’s grandfather goes missing, and her dead mother’s favorite book is stolen. Can the two solve the case?
This book is a love letter to writers, book lovers, readers, librarians, booksellers, truly anyone who loves stories. You can put The Book Witch on hold now.
Leave Your Mess at Home by Tolani Akinola
Publishing: April 14, 2026
This debut features the Longe siblings as eldest daughter Sola returns to her hometown of Chicago. Recently reeling from the end of a relationship and her influencer career, Sola isn’t the only sibling struggling. Anjola, Karen, and Ola are all dealing with their own tumultuous lives and everything explodes at their Nigerian immigrant parents’ Thanksgiving table.
Released next month, this promising debut promises to leave an impression, exploring a family, their secrets, and the love that binds them together.
Spring-themed craft book or gardening book:
How to Make Your Houseplants Love You by Joe Bagley
Perfect for those who have recently purchased houseplants or who are interested in doing so, this is a beginner friendly book all about how to take care of plants in your home. With chapters from how to know if you’re watering too much or too little to an entire section dedicated on how to choose the right plant for your aesthetic, this is an engaging book that makes owning and caring for houseplants approachable and accessible.
Book about the environment:
Awake in the Floating City by Susanna Kwan
Set in near-future San Francisco, this book explores what a world ravaged by climate change might actually look like. Our protagonist, Bo, lives in a flooded city where it hasn’t stopped raining for seven years. Suffering from depression and grief– as her world has changed, including her own mother being swept away in the water a few years prior to the start of the book– Bo befriends an elderly Mia who lives in her building. These two women form an unlikely friendship.
This is a wonderful, emotionally resonant read for those who tend to like dystopian fiction and those who enjoy when the setting is just as important a character as any person. An imaginative read, Kwan builds a rich world and invites the reader to explore.
Book written by or inspired by William Shakespeare (his 462nd birthday is on April 23rd!)
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
The year is 1926 and “in glitter Shanghai, a monster awakens.” This monster is spreading a madness through the city that causes people to claw their eyes and throats out. At this time, Shanghai is- in most part- controlled by the Cai-led Scarlet Gang or the Montagov-led White Flower Gang. Juliette Cai has only just returned to Shanghai from New York when Roma Montagov approaches her about the mysterious deaths around the city. Yes, Roma and Juliette- heirs to their respective gangs- must work together to stop madness.
This is very much the story we all know of Romeo and Juliet but so much more. In These Violent Delights, Roma and Juliette have a past. They were in love before an unspeakable act of betrayal ended their very secret relationship. Juliette Cai is not Juliet Capulet in that Juliette Cai is a gangster, a hardened menace, heir to one of the biggest criminal organizations in all of China at the time. Because this is Romeo and Juliet, Roma and Juliette do die, but Gong wrote this so well it is still a gut punch even knowing it’s coming.
This is a YA novel but an upper YA novel that can be enjoyed by adults as well.
