Spring 2018’s Biggest Books

As the season’s change, the thought on a lot of minds may be warmer weather or Spring-cleaning, but recently this time of year has also been marked by a surge in book releases. One such book is Matt Haig’s How to Stop Time. It is based on the premise of the main character being burdened with a disease that causes him to age extremely slowly, so that every fifteen years he ages roughly one year. Haig said this allowed him to delve into the topic of depression, an issue with which the author has had personal struggles. Haig has a specific interest in how mental health was viewed and treated in previous time periods and, because the protagonist ages so slowly, Haig was able to visit fourteen different time periods. He took the time to meticulously research all the settings and their stance towards mental health, so take the time to check out How to Stop Time this Spring.

A second book that will grab your attention this Spring is The Immoralists, written by Chloe Benjamin. Benjamin explores the psychology of mortality, as well as the complex nature of sibling bonds. This is just Benjamin’s second published piece, but she displays a maturity of a very experienced writer. Benjamin says the best part of the response to her book is the discussion it’s sparked among readers. She hopes it will continue to serve as a bridge to an in-depth discussion about the issues we often choose to ignore.

The final book you can’t miss out on this Spring is The Chalk Man, from the first-time author, CJ Tudor. With a backdrop of 1980’s Britain, Tudor described a group of adolescents who find themselves in a very precarious situation. The author then refocuses the reader on the same group, but now in modern times, as they attempt to fully understand what went wrong so many years ago. The thriller has been compared to recent hits, such as Stranger Things and It. Tudor chalks this up to her multiple 1980’s influences, such as The Goonies, Stephen King, and Spielberg. She makes sure to mention that her book isn’t simply another story piggybacking on the recent crime/thriller phenomenon. In fact, Stephen King himself gave the seal of approval to Tudor’s debut novel. For more information on all three books, see the links below.