You’ve booked your spring break vacation. You’ve got the right luggage and the cool outfit for the plane. Swimwear, sunglasses and tote. Now all you need is reading material! Here’s our edit of what to pack to read over spring break vacation this year, including the best new novels and nonfiction books of the season.
what should you pack to read during Spring break 2024?
Where did the time go? We’ve got spring on our minds, and no – it’s not just because of the unseasonably warm weather. Believe it or not, it’s almost time for everyone’s favorite part of the year: spring break. Time to close our computers, take those bathing suits out of storage, and hop on a plane to somewhere warm and beautiful. But before we pack our bags, we want to make sure we have the perfect reading material.
What to pack to read over spring break vacation, including the best new novels and nonfiction books of the season.
What makes a great spring break book? While your mileage may vary, we have a few ground rules: a spring break book should be a five-star reading experience that holds your attention without too much struggle. That doesn’t mean it all has to be light and fluffy – substance is okay – but this is not a time when we want to be fighting to keep our eyes on the page. Spring break should be a vacation for our minds, too – and that means letting our imaginations run wild.
Here are some of the best new novels and nonfiction books to pack and read on spring break vacation this year. Order today, so you can tuck one into your carry-on before your next big vacation.
10 novels and books perfect to read during Spring break 2024
1. Do I Know You? by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka.
Do I Know You? is not your typical, predictable romance novel. Graham and Eliza are not two single people who meet on vacation and fall madly in love – instead, they are two people in a long-term relationship, who decide to take a trip to celebrate their five-year anniversary. (And while you’re on a magical getaway, what better to read than a book set on a magical getaway?) The only problem is, Graham and Eliza’s relationship seems to have lost some of its spark. But when someone at their hotel mistakes them for strangers, they find themselves pretending not to know each other – and loving the way it feels to meet again for the very first time. We are super intrigued by this buzzy new romance, and we love the way it offers a twist on one of our favorite genres.
BUY NOW – $10.39.
2. Maame by Jessica George.
We love the recent trend of coming-of-age stories about people in their twenties, and this novel from Jessica George has been getting rave reviews. When Maddie’s mother returns from Ghana, Maddie finally has the chance to move out of her family home – where she’s been living, taking care of her sick father – and get out of her comfort zone. For the first time, she’s living on her own, going on dates, and finding friends at work – until an unexpected tragedy puts everything into perspective. We want our spring break books to have a compelling main character, and Maddie sounds like the perfect person to bring on vacation. If you want a book that’s fun and funny, but also has some depth, this is the spring break book for you.
BUY NOW – $16.20.
3. The Sweet Spot by Amy Poeppel.
If you’re searching for a book with charm of a situation comedy, the fuzzy feels of your favorite sitcom, then The Sweet Spot is your ideal read. It tells the story of three women – more or less strangers to each other – who are drawn together when a baby is found on their doorstep. Though it doesn’t seem like there’s any way they can help each other, maybe this baby will be exactly what they all need. Fans of Three Men and a Baby will breeze through this warmhearted new novel, which is sure to hit the sweet spot.
BUY NOW – $12.29.
4. The Survivalists by Kashana Cauley.
Now, doomsday and vacation may not seem like a perfect match – but they are. At least, they are when your book-of-choice is this new novel from Kashana Cauley. We just finished reading it, and we’re giving it two thumbs up. Aretha is a successful lawyer who finds herself falling for an entrepreneur named Aaron. Soon they move in together, and she discovers that Aaron’s roommates are a little… eccentric. They’re doomsday preppers, and their prep involves stockpiling guns and building an underground bunker in the backyard. Before she knows it, Aretha is dragged into their upside-down world, and asking herself questions that she’d never before considered. Funny, sharp, and so timely you won’t be able to take your eyes away.
BUY NOW – $17.95.
5. The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest.
If to you, a good vacation is any vacation that includes a good book, then you will fall head over heels for the premise of this new romance novel. Lily is a voracious reader whose shyness has made it hard for her to find a romance partner. When she needs a date for her sister’s wedding, she asks her cute new neighbor to set her up with someone… and doesn’t realize that he’s her favorite fantasy author, with whom she’s had a longtime email correspondence. The situation sounds like every bookworm’s dream come true, and we can’t wait to live vicariously through Lily this spring break.
BUY NOW – $15.30.
6. A Thousand Miles to Graceland by Kristen Mei Chase.
There’s nothing quite as readable as a road trip book. In this delightful winter release from Kristen Mei Chase, Grace is stunned when her husband tells her he wants a divorce. She has two choices: stay home and feel sad… or go with her mother on a trip to Graceland. If you like mother-daughter stories, Elvis, or road trip tales, then this wonderful new novel is the perfect spring break book for you.
BUY NOW – $11.99.
7. I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai.
Rebecca Makkai is the author of the bestselling novel The Great Believers, and this is the next great book. When Bodie is invited to teach a class at her old boarding school, you’d think she might refuse – after all, when she was a senior, her roommate Thalia was murdered. But on the contrary, Bodie feels a certain pull toward the place; maybe because the circumstances of the murderer’s conviction still seem a bit murky… and maybe because, deep down, Bodie knows she herself holds the key to solving the case. For real, this time.
BUY NOW – $16.15.
8. Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock by Jenny Odell.
If you’re a nonfiction fan, you’ll definitely want to pick up this book from Jenny Odell. The author of the ever-popular How to Do Nothing, Odell is back with a new premise that sounds just as compelling. Saving Time is all about – what else? – time. Our relationship to it, and how we never seem to have enough of it – enough to rest, or to spend with the people we love. But don’t worry, because this is a hopeful book; Odell presents us with solutions to the problem of time, and helps us all to see how we can live better, happier, and more fulfilled lives.
BUY NOW – $16.24.
9. The Body Liberation Project: How Understanding Racism and Diet Culture Helps Cultivate Joy and Build Collective Freedom by Chrissy King.
Spring break is bathing suit season, and that makes it the perfect time to realize that the “beach body” is not all it’s cracked up to be. In fact, dieting and fitness culture are both based in white supremacy, and this book from Chrissy King helps readers to understand how problematic those ideas really are. The goal is not to love your body – it’s to understand that your body is only one small part of who you are.
BUY NOW – $15.99.
10. Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in An Anxious Age by Katherine May
This spring break, you may find that it’s difficult to unwind. After all, many of us are trapped in a nonstop cycle of anxiety, fear, and fatigue. Well, this book from Katherine May offers us a way out – wonder. Enchantment will help you to awaken your long-lost sense of awe, and find joy even amidst a sea of constant change. This is the book we all need right now.
BUY NOW – $13.62.
11. The Summer Book Club by Susan Mallery
The Summer Book Club is a heartfelt emotional book about love, friendship, and taking chances. It is about friends who start a book club with one simple rule: no pressure, no sad books, and yes to wine! Through these book clubs and discussions, these friends navigate through life decisions by laughing and crying.
BUY NOW – $20.28.
12. In a Not So World by Neely Tubati Alexander
In a Not So Perfect World is a must-read this Spring. The protagonist, Sloane Cooper, is interviewing for her dream job at a top video game company and during this interview, she promises that she will remain single and give 100 percent to her job. At first, this is okay for Sloane as she and her boyfriend just broke up until her attractive neighbor invites her on an all-inclusive trip to a Turks and Caicos resort. The catch? Her neighbor was supposed to go with his girlfriend who is no longer with him. The question is what will happen on this island?
BUY NOW – $17.99.
recommended reads for Spring break 2024
There you have it! Our edit of what to pack to read over spring break vacation this year, including the best new novels and nonfiction books of the season. Wherever you’re going, we wish you an excellent trip, dear reader.
