Jette’s Spring Reading List Is a Breath of Fresh Air

So far, 2022 has actually been a great year for reading. January started off with quite the bang and, yes, we’re slowing down a bit now but still feeling good. This got me thinking and planning my Spring reading list.

Looking back at my autumn TBR blog post I only read two of the five books. Oops! But I’m feeling optimistic! Maybe it’s the time change or the fresher air. So let’s open the windows and feel the breeze and dive into some springtime reads.

5 Refreshing Books on Jette’s Spring Reading List 

1. Hawkeye: The Saga of Barton and Bishop by Matt Fraction, David Aja, Annie Wu, Javier Pulido, and Matt Hollingsworth

This compilation has been on my radar for ages. The Disney+ show was amazing, so I have to read this now! It’s 24 collected issues that take you on a wild ride with Clint Barton, Kate Bishop, and everyone’s favourite pup, Pizza Dog, while they battle the Tracksuits and more. The Fraction run of Hawkeye is a gritty take on the Avenger archer, addressing his hearing impairments and more. If you’re a fan of Hawkeye, or anything Marvel really, you won’t be disappointed with this one.

2. Siddhartha by Herman Hesse

I’m not usually into “the classics” but after the past couple of years taking a journey with Siddhartha just feels right. Searching for wisdom and enlightenment while experiencing friendship, love, and more is where my mind dwells right now. Is it cliché to talk about the search for meaning always leading you back to yourself? Probably. But what better place to start than inside yourself?

3. Consider This: Moments In My Writing Life After Which Everything Was Different by Chuck Palahniuk

I’ve been quite devoted to Palahniuk’s work over the years. I devoured eight of his books in a very short amount of time, then kind of stalled on Doomed. But when I found out he had a book that was a memoir about writing, I knew I had to dive back into his world. 

Jedidiah Jenkins was reading this recently and you know how much we love him. Anything about the creative writing process is fascinating to me. The narrative is woven through postcards from his travels, anecdotes, and real advice for storytellers. 

4. Becoming Andy Warhol by Nick Bertozzi and Pierce Hargon

You had me at “graphic novel about Andy Warhol.” I’ve always been a fan of Warhol’s art. The first time I went to the Art Gallery of Ontario (years before I worked there) – it was to go to a Warhol exhibit. Seeing his soup cans in real life at The MoMA in 2020 was truly an awe-inspiring moment. 

This book is a biography that focuses on a career-changing moment in Warhol’s life in 1964. He battled with planners and the government at the World’s Fair for his work Thirteen Most Wanted Men. Some believe this was the moment that made him into one of the most significant artists of the century.

5. Walden by Henry David Thoreau

Leaving the city and running off to the woods to be alone? I think a lot of us have been thinking about this recently! In opposition to Siddhartha which is about the people you meet, Walden is about solitude and nature and self-sufficiency. 

While falling down a rabbit hole of a certain celebrity’s YouTube videos (if you know, you know LOL), I came across the Transcendentalists and have been intrigued ever since. Heading into nature near Boston? It’s all I want right now. I’m definitely looking into how to get to Walden Pond on my next trip to Massachusetts.

Spring Reading Realness

This list is certainly a weird mix. Graphic novels, non-fiction, and a lot of contemplative literature. It’s been a wild ride these last few years and I think that maybe, just maybe, I’m starting to come out onto the other side. That’s also Spring for you, right? Fresh starts, nature coming back to life, not having to wear a parka outdoors 

We used #IcedCoffeeReads for summer reading but I think we need to find one for Spring. #FreshAirReads or maybe #SpringThawReads?

And what’s on your Spring Reading List to complement the warmer temperatures?