If you’ve been here awhile, you’ll probably remember that at the close of each “season” (on or near the solstice or equinox), I choose the “top five” books that I’ve read during that season, and I share them with you. Usually, I cut-and-paste parts of the reviews I’ve written and posted on Goodreads, and that’s pretty much it.

I’m starting to think that . . . it’s time I switch things up a little bit. At least in what I share about my favorites. Like . . . if you want to read my reviews, you can read them on Goodreads (I’ll even provide the links for you), but in these “top five” posts from now, I’ll just give you the highlights. Kind of like sharing what I liked about a book with a friend over coffee, y’know?

So here goes . . . the books I read during the spring . . . that I liked best. (Note: the book title links will take you to the publisher’s sites, not Amazon or Goodreads.)

One of my favorite reads of spring was Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer (author of Less, which I’ve also read and loved). A bit of info about the book: it’s short (less than 300 pages), it’s set in Italy (Tuscany), and it’s a coming-of-age story about a young American archivist who travels to Tuscany on the pretext of a summer job.

What I liked about it, and why I recommend it: quirky characters, a lovely setting, and Greer’s signature writing style (which I call “playful sincerity”). The book made me smile a lot, and isn’t that welcome in these times? I did find it a bit muddled in the beginning, so if you pick it up and are not immediately charmed, well . . . maybe hang in there and keep reading for a while. It all sorts out.

(If you want to read my full review on Goodreads, click here.)

Another book I’ve been recommending to friends lately is Sex in the Midwest by Robin Ryle. Some info about the book: it’s very short (just over 200 pages) (and if you read it, I’ll bet you’ll wish there were more pages . . . ), it’s set in a post-Covid Southern Indiana town, and it was published in 2025. My library didn’t have a copy, so I purchased it for my Kindle and think it was worth the $9.99 (I’ll read it again).

What I liked about it, and why I recommend it: great writing, complex characters, a lovely series of interconnected stories (think Olive Kitteridge). Also a surprising lack of sex, given the title and all. (Maybe that’s a plus, maybe a minus for you . . . ) I found this a delightful read and a lovely antidote to the news of the day.

(If you want to read my full review on Goodreads, click here.)

Now here’s a book I haven’t recommended to any of my friends, but it is a book I really liked . . . Transcription by Ben Lerner. Some information about the book: It’s super short (144 pages), set in three separate locations, and is . . . a book about concepts and ideas rather than plot details.

Which is really why I recommend this one carefully (or, with caveats). Ben Lerner is one of my favorite authors. Everything he writes makes my head explode a little bit, so . . . this was not a light read for me. But it did make me think. The prose is brilliant, the characters are complex (although not much . . . happens, if that’s important to you), and surprises abound. Short enough and chewy enough that I read it twice, back to back – and I’m still thinking about it.

So why am I including this one here in my list for you? Because it definitely falls into my “top five.” And maybe you’ll be intrigued enough to check out Ben Lerner for yourself. (If you want to read my full review on Goodreads, click here.)

Then, for fans of Elizabeth Strout, I recommend her latest novel, The Things We Never Say. (I say “for fans of” here because I wouldn’t really recommend this one as a “first” Elizabeth Strout read.) A little info about the book: It’s another short one (224 pages), set in coastal Massachusetts (a new setting for Strout, who usually opts for Maine), and it introduces a whole new set of characters (Strout usually sticks to the same cast in her novels).

What I liked about it, and why I recommend it: I always love the intensity and intimacy Strout creates in her novels (she is another of my drop-everything-and-read authors), these characters are complex and gritty and very, very “real.” Strout really brings it here — what it’s like to be a decent human living in these unsettling times. It’s a gut punch, though. It really is — and I still feel  a little sad and very melancholy just thinking about this novel.

(If you want to read my full review on Goodreads, click here.)

Lastly, I’ve got a book that you won’t be able to read until the end of the month . . . Beginning Middle End by Valeria Luiselli (I read the ARC version from NetGalley). Some information about this book: it’s a bit longer (368 pages), it’s set in Sicily, and follows a recently-divorced mother and her daughter as they travel the country, trying to piece together a new life for themselves.

What I liked about it, and why I recommend it: this novel is a tightly-woven adventure story of a mother-daughter duo looking to make peace with their past and move forward into a new future together. It’s got an interesting framework: The Classics (and particularly the writings of Pliny the Elder) — but don’t let that freak you out, because it works well and you’ll learn something new (I did!). The novel is compelling and thought-provoking, and I think it would make a more interesting text-read than audio-read (because of the photos and visual structure of the book).

(If you want to read my full review on Goodreads, click here.)

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And . . . there you have it! My Top Five Books from Spring 2026. (And if you want to see my other Top Five lists – going back to 2019(!) – you can click here.)

How about you? What have been some of your favorites lately?

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And I’ll look forward to seeing you in the Read With Us LOUNGE on Monday.
Enjoy your weekend!