4 min read
Welcome to the It List Spring Guide, where we share our picks for the best in entertainment. Catch the weekly It List here for the latest releases that we can’t wait to watch, stream, listen to, read and binge.
Though reading more is a popular New Year’s resolution, there’s something about springtime that inspires people to pick up more hobbies. For me, that’s always meant reading.
I read a lot all year round, but cool spring weather (and upbeat spring attitudes) bring all sorts of new opportunities to curate the exact vibe that elevates the mood of whatever you’re reading.
I combed through the buzzy new releases of March, April and May to recommend your next read, along with my plans to get that reading done.
Fiction
Emily Henry. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)
Stag Dance: A Novel & Stories by Torrey Peters
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What to know: Torrey Peters dominated book discourse in 2021 with Detransition, Baby, and now she’s finally back with a novel about a group of restless lumberjacks who plan an unusual dance. That and the three other stories included in this book take on the complexities of gender.
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Where I’ll be reading it: At a picnic with an extravagant bowl of fresh fruit.
The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose
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What to know: When I need a twisty tale about powerful women to get me out of a reading slump, I turn to Jeneva Rose. This one’s a follow-up to her smash hit The Perfect Marriage and follows the same protagonist — a lawyer who’s now navigating a breakup and an unsolved murder.
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Where I’ll be reading it: All around my house, listening via audiobook while spring cleaning.
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
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What to know: Two very different writers compete to pen the biography of a former tabloid princess and fall in love along the way in the latest book from the queen of earnest love stories, Emily Henry.
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Where I’ll be reading it: On the beach in a sweater.
The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
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What to know: Ocean Vuong is responsible for some of the most gorgeous strings of words ever put to page, so I have high hopes for his forthcoming novel, which follows a teenager who becomes the caretaker of an older woman.
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Where I’ll be reading it: At a cafe with an iced coffee.
Never Flinch by Stephen King
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What to know: Stephen King has never failed to scare the daylights out of me in the past, so I expect his new novel will deliver too. This one’s about a detective working to stop a serial killer before they murder 13 innocent people and one guilty person.
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Where I’ll be reading it: Somewhere well-lit.
Nonfiction
Tina Knowles. (Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images)
The Art of the SNL Portrait by Mary Ellen Matthews
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What to know: You know those whimsical portraits that Saturday Night Live hosts and musical guests always get? Mary Ellen Matthews is the photographer responsible for them, and she’s graciously turned some of the best into a book complete with delicious gossip and backstories.
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Where I’ll be reading it: At my coffee table, where the gorgeous book now lives. I’ll be flipping through it slowly and gleefully over the course of the next three months.
Authority by Andrea Long Chu
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What to know: Pulitzer winner Andrea Long Chu writes some of the most perceptive criticism about books, TV and video games. This collection is a must-read for people who take their pop culture seriously.
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Where I’ll be reading it: At my desk with a pen in hand, ready to underline at least half the book.
Matriarch: A Memoir by Tina Knowles
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What to know: Tina Knowles is best known for bringing Beyoncé and Solange into the world, but she’s had a fascinating journey of her own.
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Where I’ll be reading it: On my couch with a Beyoncé album on the record player.
Uptown Girl by Christie Brinkley
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What to know: Model Christie Brinkley has had a seriously intriguing life, from being discovered outside a phone booth to getting romantically involved with A-list celebrities who name songs after her, as the title references. I expect this one to be dishy.
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Where I’ll be reading it: Curled up in bed under a cozy blanket pretending I’m at a sleepover with a friend.
