Kick back this spring break with three recent releases

Photo courtesy of Dom J via Pexels

By Honora Quinn ’27

Staff Writer

Midterms are on the horizon, which means spring break is just around the corner. Whether you’re looking for a quick trip into another world, to dwell a while amongst dragons, or even to explore a searing personal history, here are three recent book releases you might have missed to add to your spring break To-Be-Read list.

“The River Has Roots” by Amal El-Mohtar

In her debut solo novella and first release since the Hugo Award-winning “This Is How You Lose The Time War,” co-written with Max Gladstone, El-Mohtar retells “The Two Sisters,” a 17th century folk murder ballad. Along the way, El-Mohtar explores the bonds and dangers of magic and sisterhood through siblings Esther and Ysabel as they test whether even death can keep them apart.

“This Ends in Embers” by Kamilah Cole

Kamilah Cole returns to the world of her “Divine Traitors” duology for the final time in “This Ends in Embers.” In Cole’s fantastically-crafted, Jamaican-inspired world, we find another pair of sisters, Faron and Elara, who discover themselves on the opposite sides of a brewing war after the jaw-dropping conclusion of the first book, “So Let Them Burn.” Come for the dragons, stay for the drama and the magic and watch as the “lines between hero and villain are blurred.”.

“Bibliophobia” by Sarah Chihaya

In “Bibliophobia,” Chihaya explores the books that ruin us — that “annihilate, reveal and provoke” — by weaving her own tale of personal loss, ruin and resurrection. The memoir is both about Chihaya’s journey preceding and following her “nervous breakdown” and her relationship with literature such as “Anne of Green Gables,” “The Bluest Eye,” “The Last Samurai” and more, which all come together to craft a raw story of survival.

2025 is bound to be a great year for books, but between assignments, exams and extracurricular commitments, it can be hard to keep up with them all. So, this spring break, if you’re looking for your next read — whether in the mood for fantasy, memoir or a lyrical retelling — don't forget these stunning works that have been released thus far. Happy reading!

Karishma Ramkarran ’27 contributed fact-checking.

What did Mount Holyoke students read over winter break?

Are you stuck in a reading slump? Is doom-scrolling through ten consecutive BookToks about “A Court of Thorns and Roses” getting you down? 

Refresh your To-Be-Read list this semester with Reads of MoHo, a compiled list of books that Mount Holyoke College students read over winter break. Gathered from survey responses, the eclectic range of books these students read spanned countless genres in true liberal arts fashion. So whether you enjoy historical fiction, romance, non-fiction or classics, there is sure to be something for every reader in this list.

‘Ugh As If!’: New book tackles the ‘female gaze’ and ‘Clueless’

The “female gaze” is a term found everywhere in modern pop culture. From the creations of women directors, authors and artists, to the themes they explore in those works, this small part of feminist theory has greatly impacted how we interact with art centered on or made by women, past or present. Debut author Veronica Litt views art seen through this “feminine” lens, or as she refers to it, “girly art,” as a necessary endeavor. These “girly” works, Litt posits, can help us rest and restore amidst an overwhelming world. As Litt puts it in her book, “Girly art is here to help you enjoy a deserved reprieve.”  The “girly” work she chose to focus on in her first book? The 1995 film “Clueless.”

Transgressive identity and society in Han Kang’s “The Vegetarian”

Transgressive identity and society in Han Kang’s “The Vegetarian”

The works of South Korean author Han Kang, including her acclaimed novels “The Vegetarian,” “Human Acts,” “The White Book” and “Greek Lessons,” are now available as English-language translations at the Odyssey Bookshop. Han Kang, a 2024 Nobel Laureate, is celebrated for exploring complex human experiences in her works. Han Kang was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature "for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life," according to the award’s official description on the Nobel Prize website. 

Common Read kick-off event delves deep into political partisanship

Common Read kick-off event delves deep into political partisanship

Amid a controversial election season and several ongoing global conflicts, it has been a contentious year for college campuses in the United States. In an attempt to navigate these challenges, author Mónica Guzmán and President Danielle R. Holley delved into some of the issues that divide college students and American culture at large during the 2024 Common Read Talk on Nov. 19, focusing on political partisanship.

A mix of mystery, murder, fact and fiction set at the Seven Sisters

A mix of mystery, murder, fact and fiction set at the Seven Sisters

2023’s “Killingly” by Katharine Beutner brought the dark academia vibes of “The Secret History” right to Mount Holyoke, as the book was inspired by the institution's own history. The following trio of books, centered around the Seven Sister colleges, includes recommendations for fans of the more cut and dry murder mystery, as well as those interested in the secrets hidden within the walls of higher education. 


Sally Rooney’s latest novel is released at the Odyssey Bookshop

Sally Rooney’s latest novel is released at the Odyssey Bookshop

Sally Rooney released her latest novel, “Intermezzo,” on Tuesday, Sept. 24. In celebration, the Odyssey Bookshop held a launch event for those who preordered the book. Along with the novel, readers were treated to refreshments, themed collectible items and a raffle for a larger giveaway.

Transgender literature class offered in fall semester

Transgender literature class offered in fall semester

The 2024-25 academic year marks the tenth anniversary of transgender and gender-nonconforming inclusive admissions at Mount Holyoke College. In celebration, a number of events dedicated to the trans, gender-nonconforming and nonbinary community are happening around campus under the name TGNC10. Also held on campus this semester is a class on transgender literature taught by Visiting Assistant Lecturer in English Dr. Jude Hayward-Jansen. Although Hayward-Jansen’s class was not created with TGNC10 in mind, its course goals are in line with the project’s mission: uplifting trans voices and celebrating trans stories. 

The month at a glance: September events at the Odyssey Bookshop

The month at a glance: September events at the Odyssey Bookshop

In the coming weeks, the Odyssey Bookshop will host numerous literary events open to the public. With five in-person author appearances, two storytime events, an on-campus talk at Mount Holyoke, a book club, and a book launch party, there are plenty of events for readers of all sorts to enjoy.


Author Kate Beutner returns to discuss novel ‘Killingly,’ set at Mount Holyoke College

Author Kate Beutner returns to discuss novel ‘Killingly,’ set at Mount Holyoke College

In June 2023, author Katharine Beutner published “Killingly,” a historical fiction novel set at Mount Holyoke College based on the real-life disappearance of Bertha Mellish in 1867. Mount Holyoke News has previously interviewed Beutner, and the author signed books at The Odyssey Bookshop during Reunion last year.

Former BOOM presenter Schuyler Bailar releases debut nonfiction book

Former BOOM presenter Schuyler Bailar releases debut nonfiction book

Author and activist Schuyler Bailar has answers to your questions about gender. With anti-trans bills proposed by legislators across the United States, discussions of gender identity are at the forefront of politics today. Bailar’s debut nonfiction, “He/She/They: How We Talk About Gender and Why It Matters,” breaks down society’s views on the topic and its importance to the present and the future.

Mount Holyoke hosts the 101st Glascock Intercollegiate Poetry Competition

Mount Holyoke hosts the 101st Glascock Intercollegiate Poetry Competition

Every year, Mount Holyoke College hosts an event to celebrate student poetry. “It's so exciting to get to share my work, and to meet all these great people from different universities and hear everyone's work,” Mount Holyoke contestant Aderet Fishbane ’25, said, speaking about the College’s 101st Annual Glascock Poetry Competition. 

Glascock is traditionally composed of three events. The first event, on the afternoon of Friday the 29th, was a conversation with the judges of the contest: Jennifer Tamayo, Samuel Ace and Margaret Rhee, all poets and authors themselves. Attendees gathered in the Stimson Room on the sixth floor of the Williston Memorial Library to listen to the poets discuss topics ranging from the role of transformation in the judges’ work, their work with other media in connection to their poetry and to understand how they seek out community. 

‘This site cannot be reached’: College community loses access to Odyssey Bookshop

‘This site cannot be reached’: College community loses access to Odyssey Bookshop

For 15 days, the Mount Holyoke College community lost online access to Odyssey Bookshop, the bookstore closest to its campus and one of the few businesses located in the Village Commons. Mount Holyoke News’ staff has followed this situation closely, even as both the problem and its eventual resolution appeared to be hidden from view. 

The problem was first addressed in early February attempts to reach the Odyssey Bookshop’s website online would result in an error message displaying that connecting to the site had taken too long and had now timed out. This could be caused by any number of issues, such as poor connection to the internet — the site crashing  — or the Odyssey site being down for maintenance by the store. Eventually, Odyssey Bookshop addressed the connectivity issue. 

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