10 Spring Break Reads Chosen by the Experts at Denver’s Tattered Cover Book Store

Maybe you’re headed to Mexico. Maybe you’re on your way to Florida. Or maybe Steamboat Springs is more your speed. Wherever you’re going for the week off, we’ve got your reading material covered, from books that will teach you something new, scare the bejesus out of you, and test how well you really remember Shakespeare from high school. Oh, and we’ve got a few things for the kiddos, too.

Here, all the book recommendations—penned by Colorado writers—from the pros at the world-renowned Tattered Cover for your spring break 2024 reading list.

Homestead by Melinda Moustakis

Homestead offers a portrait of the hope and grit of the early Western settlers. The novel’s language, like its subject, is both essential and determined. Newly married couple Marie and Lawrence, each drawn to the promise of land and a future as much as to each other, build a life and a home in the Territory of Alaska. Their story offers a glimpse of how so much of our culture in the West began. —Kathy Baum, Tattered Cover frontlist buyer

The Memory of Lavender and Sage by Aimie K. Runyan

Fans of small towns, the unraveling of family mysteries, women finding their strength, and prose that piques the senses will want to pick up Runyan’s latest novel. In what is her eighth book, Runyan follows the life of Tempèsta Luddington, who experiences an Under the Tuscan Sun–style adventure that teaches her—and the reader—to look at the beauty that is to be found in everyday life. —Jennifer Martin, Tattered Cover backlist buyer

Perris, California by Rachel Stark

This impactful novel tells the story of Tessa, a woman living on the invisible outskirts of anonymous America and her experiences of trauma, misfortune, and ultimately, survival and healing. One of the great gifts of story—beyond the simple enjoyment of reading—is the deeper understanding and empathy for others a great narrative can impart. Readers will be thinking of Tessa long after finishing the last word. —Kathy Baum

Tannery Bay by Steven Dunn and Katie Jean Shinkle

Tannery Bay is a surreal, dystopian story that deftly blends a big heart with a wicked sense of humor. In this exquisitely garish novel, the authors tell the story of an enchanted town stuck in time through two courageous siblings who battle against greed and oppression in a way that shows there’s nothing more powerful than love and family, no matter how you define love or family. —Jill Osborn, Tattered Cover children’s book buyer

All Our Yesterdays by Joel Morris

Lady Macbeth finally gets her due as Morris reaches past Shakespeare into the annals of history, encapsulating a world of desire, betrayal, and intrigue. In his debut novel, Morris writes a story set 10 years before the events of the Bard’s famous tragedy. The tale begins in Scotland, where Morris weaves a narrative about a young woman who loses her mother, marries a violent nobleman, and must deal with a future that has been decided for her by the fates. —Jennifer Martin

The Angel of Indian Lake by Stephen Graham Jones

The Angel of Indian Lake concludes Stephen Graham Jones’ award-winning trilogy that started with My Heart is a Chainsaw. While navigating adulthood with intense focus in the way that only a deeply traumatized twentysomething Indigenous woman can, protagonist Jade makes it clear from the start that she is well and truly finished with troubles (both normal and paranormal) of years’ past. The only problem is those troubles aren’t finished with her. What follows is yet another masterpiece from one of Colorado’s finest authors, one which both makes good on the promise of the trilogy’s first two books and raises the bar for the entire genre. —Kend Mullison, Tattered Cover Aspen Grove bookseller

American Eclipse by David Baron

Boulder author and award-winning science writer David Baron lays out a suspenseful story about scientists who came to Wyoming and Colorado in 1878 to observe the first great American eclipse. I love nonfiction stories where I learn about an interesting subject through the narrative lens of historical characters. American Eclipse teaches us about the cosmos as well as the humans who contributed to our understanding of astronomy. —Kathy Baum

The Cursed Rose by Leslie Vedder

Leslie Vedder’s The Cursed Rose closes her Bone Spindle trilogy on a note both sweet and dark, a pitch-perfect final arc that pits the four main characters of books one and two against familiar foes that have only grown in strength. While you absolutely must read these books in order, I’m happy to report that The Cursed Rose is everything a final act ought to be: entertaining, compelling, and full of heart. —Kend Mullison

A Place for Rain by Michelle Schaub

In this beautiful new book, author and teacher Michelle Schaub ably demonstrates how our actions impact the environment. A Place for Rain teaches the importance of stewardship and shows young scientists how to work together to find solutions. —Jill Osborn

Sisterhood of Sleuths by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Newly available in paperback, this mystery from Jennifer Chambliss Bertman will pique the interest of young detectives. Family and friendship are key in this charming tribute to the Nancy Drew mysteries. —Jill Osborn