Spring Into a New Chapter at Wickson

March 20th will be the first official day of spring; a time of year associated with rebirth and newness and fresh starts. We start to get more daylight in the evenings, the snow (hopefully) changes to rain, and little pops of green begin to show in the landscape beds. The air begins to change – even on chilly days the outdoor air is softer, less harsh when we breathe in, almost more welcoming.

The combination of these elements engenders a sense of new beginnings. Not only are the plants and animals waking up to start anew, but people are, too. How nice it is to walk out of the house and see your neighbors again! Writers have always viewed spring as inspiration and rebirth as a theme; the world begins anew, just as people can create new lives for themselves.

If you would like to embrace the theme of spring and rebirth this March, here are just a few selections you can find at Wickson Library.

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman captures the theme of new beginnings in the life of its title character. Overnight, Nina’s quiet life as an only child and bookstore employee morphs into one with the death of a father she never knew and the apparently large family she is now part of. The normally introverted and steady Nina learns to navigate this new life and find joy. This book is a fun, relatable read that reminds us to be open to the surprises that may come our way.

While Waxman’s protagonist did not really get to choose the change in her life, Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library takes the opposite approach. The main character Nora finds herself in a fantastical, infinite library, but the books are stories of different realities, of her other lives. And she must decide, after “reading” many of the books, what life she truly wants to live. Another title that follows this same theme is The Measure by Nikki Erlich, in which everyone in the world receives a box on their doorstep on their 22nd birthday. The box, if you decide to open it, reveals the length of your life. I found both of these books thought-provoking and fascinating.

I have personally read these three books. However, I would like to add some to my TBR list. One that grabbed my attention is The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan. Anthony has been gathering lost items and writing stories about them for decades, and he passes this and his mansion on to his assistant, Laura, when he dies. This is a fresh start for Laura, in which she finds friends and a new mission to reunite owners with their lost objects. New beginnings in our lives often come with a purpose that takes us in a fresh direction and provides unexpected opportunities.

Frankenmuth Wickson District Library has a host of new beginnings this spring as well, including a new catalog system and a new app as well as the upcoming Seed Library. As always, stop in to grab one of the titles mentioned here and learn more about what is growing this spring at the library!