Top Five Wednesday was created by Lainey. Every Wednesday there’s a new topic, and you get to list your top 5 books that apply to that topic. For more information, or to join in on the fun, check out the Goodread’s Group.

Today’s Top Five Wednesday theme is Spring Reads, and I had a difficult time deciding what direction I wanted to take this post. There isn’t a genre of book that screams Spring to me, especially because Spring is like the middle child that is overpowered by Winter and Summer. I also couldn’t think of a lot of books that specifically take place in the Spring, which meant that I couldn’t make a list talking about those titles. After a bit more thought, I decided that Spring is a time for new beginnings, fresh starts, and growing as a person, and I decided to write a list of books that centre around those themes.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell: I decided to include this book on my list because Cath goes through a lot of changes in this book. She moves away from home, starts college, and meets new people. This new beginning gives her the opportunity to transform, and she ends up becoming a better person in the end.

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch: When Lina’s mom passes away, and she finds out that she has a father in Italy, her world is turned upside down. She doesn’t want to leave the home she’s always known to go to a new country to meet her new family, but she doesn’t have very much choice in the matter. On this journey, Lina learns a lot about herself and her mother, and she gets to experience a fresh start with new people who love her.

One Brother Shy by Terry Fallis: Alex MacAskill is incredibly socially awkward, and his world is turned upside down when his mother passes away. Her death leads him on a journey to London and Moscow where he discovers a family he didn’t know he had. Along the way, he faces the darkest part of his past, and in the end, he gets a fresh start and a new beginning that he never saw coming.

The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe: For Norris Kaplan, a black French Canadian, moving to Austin, Texas is like moving to a new planet. To say that it’s a new beginning for him is an understatement; the weather makes it seem like he’s living in an oven, he can’t figure out the obsession with football, and no one knows what a Montreal Canadiens is. Against all the odds, Norris starts to grow as a person and realizes that Austin isn’t all bad.

Chaotic Good by Whitney Gardner: I included this book on my list because Cameron experiences a few new beginnings and fresh starts in this book. She moves to a new city, which forces her to experience something new. She also gets a fresh start at the comic book store when she shows up pretending to be a guy. Throughout the book, she learns a lot about herself and she gains the confidence to tell everyone what she’s been going through.