After another long, New England winter, we’re seeing signs of spring. Crawl out of hibernation mode and embrace a new season both IRL and on the page of some seriously great new releases by female authors. And, if a spring getaway is on the agenda, bring one along.

Book List

Photo courtesy of Penguin Random House

Ruth Reichl’s memoir comes complete with recipes, of course.

Book: Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir
Author: Ruth Reichl

For foodie readers, Ruth Reichl’s new book is a delicious look into the food world. The memoir follows the former editor-in-chief of Gourmet, from her start as a Berkeley hippie through her stint in corporate life and the on to her rise through the editorial food world. Reichl’s journey is complete with a heavy smattering of recipes, because what kind of food writer would she be if it wasn’t?

Local: Reichl appears April 18 at the Brattle Theatre. Reserve tickets and book in advance.

Book: Why Don’t You Write My Eulogy Now So I Can Correct It?: A Mother’s Suggestions
Author: Roz Chast and Patricia Marx

Nothing gets those springtime endorphins going like laughter. This collaboration between Patricia Marx and cartoonist Roz Chast, famed writer and cartoonist, respectively, of The New Yorker, highlights the comical maternal witticisms we all grew up with. Hilarious and sometimes secretly wise, this book is a mood boost and, also, a great Mother’s Day gift.

Local: Chast and Marx appear April 4 at Coolidge Corner Theatre. Reserve tickets in advance.

Photo courtesy of WW Norton

Historian and Harvard professor Jill Lepore tackles U.S. history in one volume.

Book: These Truths: A History of the United States
Author: Jill Lepore

Historian and Harvard professor Jill Lepore tackles the good and the bad of American history in an ambitious single volume. The New York Times bestseller poses probing questions about American success and depicts poignant portraits of the country’s lesser-known trailblazers. Lepore focuses in particular on characters like Frederick Douglass and Phyllis Schlafly who led protest movements that still run deep in our current moment.

Local: Lepore appears April 11 at the Boston Public Library’s West Roxbury branch. Arrive early.

Book: I Still Did It: Stories of Resilience
Author: Nakia Hill

Utilizing her background in writing, education and urban programming, 2018 Boston artist-in-residence Nakia Hill has put together this intergenerational anthology of stories of resilience by girls and women of color in Boston. In a challenging political time, these stories of strength, from local writers aged 10 to 88, can make all the difference.

Local: Hill appears April 10 at Brookline Booksmith.

Photo courtesy of Delphinium Books

Immerse yourself in this new novel by Jennifer Acker.

Book: The Limits of the World: A Novel
Author: Jennifer Acker

If you read to escape reality, immerse yourself in this new fiction piece by Jennifer Acker. The plot follows the Chandaria immigrant family from the Indian-enclave of Nairobi. The family has worked hard to put together a stable existence in the U.S., but an unexpected accident forces them back to Nairobi and reveals a slew of family secrets along the way.

Local: Acker appears May 8 at Harvard Book Store.