Staff picks: volume 3

Spring has officially arrived at the cottage, and with it, a fresh wave of books we can't stop talking about. Whether you're reading on the dock, in the garden, or tucked into your favourite chair with a cup of tea, we've got your next great read covered.

From absurd dungeon-crawling chaos to quiet Japanese bookshops and sprawling Russian family epics, this volume has something for every kind of reader. Just look for the pink heart online and at the cottage (with removable stickers to keep those covers pristine, of course!) to find a guaranteed good read chosen by our expert booksellers.

Here's what our staff is obsessing over this spring.

Maddie's picks

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

If you've ever wondered what would happen if an alien race turned Earth into a deadly game show dungeon, this is your book. Dungeon Crawler Carl is laugh-out-loud funny, surprisingly emotional, and wildly addictive. Carl and his cat Princess Donut descend floor by floor through an absurd, high-stakes dungeon full of monsters, traps, and an intergalactic audience cheering them on. It's chaotic, irreverent, and utterly impossible to put down.

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Step right up to the most magical, treacherous game you'll ever play. Caraval follows Scarlett as she enters a legendary performance where the line between reality and illusion blurs dangerously. The world-building is lush and dizzying, the twists are constant, and the romance simmers beautifully beneath all the spectacle. If you love being swept away into a world that feels like a fever dream in the best possible way, this one's for you.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Pure warmth in book form. Linus Baker is a caseworker sent to evaluate a mysterious orphanage on a remote island — home to six magical children and their enigmatic caretaker, Arthur. What starts as a bureaucratic assignment becomes a story about found family, acceptance, and the courage to choose love over fear. It's cozy, quietly radical, and guaranteed to leave you smiling. The kind of book you want to press into everyone's hands.

Chris's picks

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

Imagine Sherlock Holmes in a biopunk fantasy world where giant leviathans threaten to breach massive living walls, and you're getting close. The Tainted Cup opens with a man found dead — a tree erupting from his body — and only gets stranger from there. The detective duo of the eccentric, reclusive Ana Dolabra and her earnest assistant Dinios Kol is electric. It's a locked-room mystery wrapped in jaw-dropping worldbuilding, and I tore through it in two sittings.

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

This one earns its reputation as one of the greatest novels ever written. Three brothers — the passionate Dmitri, the intellectual Ivan, and the saintly Alyosha — orbit their reckless father in a story that builds toward an unforgettable murder trial. Dostoevsky wrestles with faith, doubt, free will, and the nature of evil with an intensity that hits differently every time you read it. It's massive, yes, but every page earns its place. A life-changing read.

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

During the summer of 2020, Lara picks cherries with her three adult daughters and tells them the story of the great love of her young life — a charismatic actor she fell for during a production of Our Town at a small Michigan theatre. Tom Lake is Ann Patchett at her finest: warm, wise, and deeply reflective. It's a meditation on first love, regret, and the quiet beauty of the life you actually chose. Tender and utterly absorbing.

Caleigh's picks

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

The coziest read of the season, hands down. When a magical library burns, librarian Kiela rescues as many spell books as she can and flees to her childhood island home — where she opens a secret jam shop that's actually a front for selling illegal spells. Add a ridiculously charming sentient spider plant, a kind-hearted neighbour with golden retriever energy, and the gentlest slow-burn romance. It's warm, sweet, and exactly the book equivalent of a cup of tea on a rainy afternoon.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

A quiet, beautiful little novel about healing. After a devastating breakup, Takako moves into the tiny second floor of her uncle's used bookshop in Tokyo's Jimbocho district. Surrounded by towering shelves and eccentric regulars, she slowly rediscovers herself through books, connection, and the gentle rhythms of the neighbourhood. It's short, tender, and deeply comforting — the kind of story that makes you want to wander into a bookshop and never leave.

Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree