The 52 Book Club: 2025 Challenge discussion

6. Genre One: Set in Spring

The next four prompts on our 2025 challenge may require a bit of extra planning, as they’re connected. The book you choose for prompt six, will influence your choices for prompts seven, eight, and nine. For the next four prompts, we’re asking you to tackle four DIFFERENT genres and four different seasons.

For prompt six, we’re looking for a book set in spring (any genre). Keep in mind that for the next three prompts, we’re asking you to choose different genres than the one you chose for this prompt.

For example, you might decide to read:
– a historical fiction novel set in spring (prompt 6)
– a thriller set in summer (prompt 7)
– a fantasy novel set in autumn (prompt 8)
– and a horror story set in winter (prompt 9).

You can choose any genre you like for each prompt, as long as they’re four different genres. It is up to you whether you consider sub-genres to be the same or different genres. (For example: You may choose a historical mystery, a cozy mystery, a locked-room mystery, and a police procedural. Even though they’re all mysteries (larger genre) they are each also unique sub-genres.)

For prompt six, we’re specifically looking for a book set in Spring. Spring is the season after Winter and before Summer. The book that you choose should be set in Spring but that might look different depending on the setting of the book. (In the northern hemisphere, it is from March to May and in the southern hemisphere from September to November.) It may be fully set in spring or only partially.

Spring may feature within the story (for example: descriptions of flowers blooming, a spring-based holiday, etc.) or not at all (for example: a story set in space but takes place in the month of April.)

It may also take place on another planet, alternate reality, or fantasy world and may look vastly different to what we’re used to but still feature “a time or season of growth or development.” (Miriam-Webster.)


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I think I have these 4 set at least for now:
The Enchanted April
Or
The House of Mirth

Genre: classic

What about books that cross genres?

Thomas wrote: "What about books that cross genres?"

Most books cross genres so there will definitely be some overlap, but you can go with the predominant genre, or the genre listed second, or really whatever you want.

I'm doing the challenge in only fantasy books so my 4 genres will look something like fantasy-adventure, fantasy-horror, fantasy-romance, and fantasy-scifi

I've not really decided what I'll read yet but I think a book about the Kentucky Derby might work since the race is held in spring, such as Horse Racing's Holy Grail: The Epic Quest for the Kentucky Derby

Springtime at Hope Cottage by Annie Rains

Middlemarch - George Eliot

The genre: Japanese literary fiction

The book: Mishima Yukio – Spring Snow

Would love recommendations for a romance set in spring

Looking for Alaska by John Greene.

Thanks Kim

Serious question.....how are we to determine what season the book is set in??? I am going through the listopia and the couple of books that I have on my TBR I don't know if they are set in the SPRING....

Example: Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail is on the listopia for SPRING....but she doesn't start walking the PCT until June (which would be SUMMER)

Am I just wrong?? Overthinking this??

Are some people going by the BOOK TITLE??

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

Here are the three I am considering.
I have decided to focus on Mystery for Spring
1) All the Little Raindrops
2) Spring Break Murder (Small Town Minnesota Cozy Mystery)
3) The Last Murder at the End of the World

Horrorstör opens on the first Thursday of June so this will work for horror set in spring. Hope that helps someone!

The Enchanted April

I read "Haru: Book 1: Spring" by Joe Latham

I chose the novel Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. My library includes it as a historical fiction novel!

Lisa Marie wrote: "Serious question.....how are we to determine what season the book is set in??? I am going through the listopia and the couple of books that I have on my TBR I don't know if they are set in the SPRI..."

Summer doesn't officially start until the 20th of June according to the astrological calendar....

I was going to use Tim Lake, but when I read a review by a very trusted reader (Anne Bogel from What Should I Read Next) she mentions that it is set in summer. I guess I will read it and put it whichever season I decide is where it belongs.

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett.

I read Spring for this prompt

I did a search and it looks like Tom Lake takes place in Spring 2020 although there are conversations a that describe incidents in the past that are in the summer.

Nora Roberts the Mirror for spring light mystery romance not sure of exact genre lol
Also ocean, red hair, found family, Maine oh and Ghosts! I think they float does that count as flying and def non human protagonist

Does anyone know if Beartown by Fredrik Backman is set in Spring?

I read Rites of Spring by Anders de la Motte (Read Feb 15th; 3*) I'm classifying this book under Mystery genre

Phil wrote: "I read Rites of Spring by Anders de la Motte (Read Feb 15th; 3*)"

Thank you for reminding me about this series! I've read two of them, the summer and the autumn book. So you gave me a really good suggestion! ◉⁠‿⁠◉

I would really like to read Cursed Princess Club, Vol. 4, but it never explicitly says it's in Spring. The cover looks very Spring-ish with all the flowers in bloom. One of the characters makes a comment about being ready for a concert next Spring, and if I treat their private schooling and referencing of final projects being due, it would be akin to school wrapping up, so possibly April or May. There's also a big rain scene 2/3 of the way through, which makes me think of the saying "April showers bring May flowers." The book is very obviously not in Winter or Fall, but based on everything else, would this graphic novel be okay to count as Set in Spring?

Thanks!

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is My America by Kim Johnson
4 stars. Genre: Young Adult.

MURDER ON A SPRING DAY: A light-hearted English whodunit mystery

11/52

Another book from TBR list will read more by Jon Harris

I read The Plague Charmer by Karen Maitland (historical fiction)

I read Crushing on My Billionaire Best Friend by Jolie Day. The genre was romance.

The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science is coming up soon in my Libby queue and I need some nonfiction in my life, so I'm choosing to interpret this at a metaphorical "spring" of scientific thought. Genre: history of science.

I was stuck for this one, but I saw that this book takes place April 26th so that's good spring time. Tragic event though.


Chernobyl: The History of a Nuclear Catastrophe

I read The Queen of Thieves. It is the second book to week 4's book The Night Raven.

I read Spring at The Cornish Garden Café by Rachel Griffiths (an sweet romance without love triangules and mature characters. I really like that the main conflit is about healing for their past and not comunication problems).

I reread a favorite for this one, The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. Genre I would consider Classic/Literary. It takes place over about a week during a dreadfully hot/muggy May.

I read Women of the Irish Rising: A People's History by Michael Hogan. It's about the Easter Monday Rebellion in Ireland in April 1916. Genre is history (non-fiction).

I read Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross.

“The Grey Beginning” by Barbara Michaels takes place in Florence, Italy during the Spring. I was a little disappointed because Michaels writes some amazing horror novels but this one was boring until the end. It does fit the genre.

byElizabeth von Arnim. This was a book I did not know I needed to read. Beautiful, lush settings and charming characters. 4 Stars.

Just finished Lyrebird by Jane Caro. Mystery for this one and has a great description of Australian springtime.

Historical Fiction - When the Jessamine Grows by Donna Everhart

Run For The Hills by Jodi Burnett is set in both spring and summer

Horror - The Long Walk by Stephen King

I read “Godkiller” by Hannah Kaner. It is a fantasy that takes place in the spring.

Kent State - graphic novel set in early May

The Poppy Fields, Nikki Erlick ⭐️⭐️