11 Spring Break Reads Chosen by the Expert Readers at the Tattered Cover Book Store

Whether you’re heading to the mountains for a week of skiing or hopping a plane to Mexico’s beaches, spring break requires a good book. To help you—and your youngsters—find that kick-your-feet-up experience, we asked the pros at the world-renowned Tattered Cover for recommendations for your spring break reading list.

The Last Animal by Ramona Ausubel

You will fall in love with a single mother who tries to save her daughters, herself, the planet, and one wooly mammoth named Pearl. This novel is humorous, sweet, endearing, and heartbreaking—a true gem. —Kathy Baum, Tattered Cover buyer

The Fireballer by Mark Stevens

Can’t wait for Opening Day? While you’re waiting for that first pitch, Mark Stevens’ The Fireballer is the perfect read to hold you over. Frank Ryder is changing the game of baseball with the fastest pitch the game has seen, along with being haunted by a tragic event that occurred in his past. His story will sweep away baseball and non-baseball fans alike. —Josh Clark, Tattered Cover buyer 

Gangbuster by Alan Prendergast

You’ll want to pick up this true-life tale of Denver district attorney Philip Van Cise. His career as a feared gangbuster—who took on organized crime, the KKK, and corruption at the highest levels of government in the 1920s—is more relevant than ever.  —Kathy Baum

Don’t Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones

Jade Daniels, the slasher-obsessed main character from Jones’ My Heart Is A Chainsaw, is back for another adventure. In Don’t Fear the Reaper, Jade faces Indigenous serial killer Dark Mill South, who is on a killing spree where each murder is completed in gruesome fashion. Jones has written another love letter to slasher films and it’s a beautiful, yet bloody, sight to behold. —Josh Clark

Losing Music by John Cotter

Lighthouse writing instructor John Cotter’s memoir examines hearing loss, challenges with the American health care system, adaptation to disability, and questions of fate, coincidence, and making meaning from misfortune. This is a moving and vulnerable story. —Kathy Baum

A Mile at a Time by Mark “Mace” Macy and Travis Macy with Patrick Regan

A father and son compete in the World’s Toughest Race—the Eco Challenge Fiji. But this pair is unique: Travis Macy is racing with his father, legendary endurance athlete Mark “Mace” Macy, who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. A Mile at a Time recounts the victories and setbacks that many families experience as they grapple with Alzheimer’s. Travis’ inspiring account, interspersed with Mace’s journal entries, will have everyone rooting for them. —Kathy Baum

Go As A River by Shelley Read

This is a beautiful debut novel that follows the life of Victoria Nash from 1947 to 1970, as she experiences love, loss, and healing in a small Colorado town along the Gunnison River. Victoria’s teenage life is marked by rugged conditions and the caretaking of her male relatives on a peach farm when she meets a young stranger who changes the trajectory of her life. Go As A River is a story of one woman’s strength and resilience. —Kathy Baum

The Applicant by Nazli Koca

The Applicant is a riotous debut novel that follows the experiences of a young Turkish woman in Berlin as she grapples with the complex intersections of her own identity after she fails her thesis. The protagonist, Layla, is so full of life and so humanly unreliable, it makes me wonder whether this is actually someone’s diary. —Alex J. Mack, Tattered Cover bookseller 

Live Your Best Lie by Jessie Weaver

When four teens discover the dead body of influencer Summer Cartwright, they must piece together the truth behind her online persona to find out who killed her. All four teens are among the suspects—and all have their own secrets. This young adult mystery follows the saga, where the big question is: Can the murderer be pinpointed before those secrets are revealed?  —Kate Brasch, Tattered Cover buyer 

The Girl From Earth’s End by Tara Dairman

Twelve-year-old Henna lives on a tiny island called Earth’s End. This juvenile fiction novel follows her as she embarks on a journey to find a healing plant—thought to be extinct—to help her sick papa. Along the way, she finds allies and friends—which she’s never had before—to help with her search. Will she find the magic flora she seeks, and will it help? —Kate Brasch 

Last Flight by Kristen Mai Giang

This children’s picture book tells the story of the author’s family’s flight out of Saigon, just before the city fell. We see the beauty of Saigon and the strength of her family’s bond, and then we watch as that beauty and bond aid the author in her arrival and introduction to America. Hands are held tightly before, during, and after the flight, showing the strength that comes from holding on. —Kate Brasch