Spring Reads

I know spring officially started several weeks ago, but it hasn't really felt like spring until now. The buds are all bursting, making streets glow with that early-leaf green, roadwork as started up again, sunny days are almost more prevalent than rainy ones and temperatures are staying more-or-less above 10 degrees Celsius. Those are all the normal signs of spring. For me though, I always know it's officially here because just as my work is ramping up with the weather, I realizing I'm starving for a good read. And even though I don't really have the time, I start gobbling up books left and right.

Spring reading is different than summer reading, though. In the summer - so the theory goes - we read a lot, but the books we read are generally lighter. Summertime comes with a different routine, and reading a book we don't mind putting down, or spilling something on, or filling with sand, goes along nicely with that more laid-back lifestyle. Spring reading, on the other hand, seems to grab me and push me into overdrive. If I'm not reading a book a week as well as working, I feel like I'm not taking advantage of whatever it is spring is giving me (increased daylight, the ability to read outside without a sweater, I don't know).

Although it will be a little while before my work wraps up and I'm able to unpack and prioritize all the books I want to read this season, I am giving myself some leeway. After all, reading is ultimately beneficial and should be indulged like any craving. Otherwise, I'll just keep looking fondly over at my book, thinking about where I left off instead of the task at hand, which is the least productive use of my time.

For some spring-reading suggestions (much more useful than suggestions of the cleaning variety) check out the archives of this blog, the National Post's "Spring Books Quarterly" and "The Walrus Reads."

Image shown from the cover of the National Post's "Spring Books Quarterly" (illustrated by Pascal Blanchet).