spring things | my spring 2025 tbr, watchlist, & bucketlist

Hello again, dear friends! I hope you are all well, and if not then I hope brighter days head your way soon! Well, friends, I’m happy to report that spring has officially sprung here in the Washington, D.C. area! We’re seeing warmer temperatures on the daily and the cherry blossoms even recently hit their peak! And you know what the arrival of spring means, right? It’s time to make loose plans for what to read, watch, and do this season!

my spring 2025 tbr

I’ll start off with my current read, which, of course, I’d like to finish this spring: Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid. I’m about 20% into this book now and so far I’m really enjoying it! I haven’t read YA dystopian since the around 2014, and I thought I was so over the genre that nothing and no one would ever be able to drag me back to it, but Ava Reid’s done it! The interesting (and spooky) thing about Reid’s dystopian novel is just how rooted in our current reality it feels. Reid leans into our current burning planet’s trajectory of being a capitalist hellscape which is also a burgeoning climate nightmare to craft an eerie picture of a future which feels all too possible and too close for comfort. I’d even go so far as to say that Fable for the End of the World is the first YA dystopian I’ve come across since Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games which has anything meaningful or insightful to say about our current society (rather than just using the aesthetics of dystopia to craft a generic narrative, as I think many other YA dystopian novels did). All in all, this book has been a stellar kickoff to my spring reading season and I’m anticipating finding out how the rest of the book goes down.

Continuing with my theme of “political SFF,” the next book on my TBR is The Will of the Many by James Islington. I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews about this book and I am so eager to finally get to it! The Will of the Many is apparently a Roman-inspired high fantasy with political themes. It’s also got an “academy” setting, which I am known to love, but it doesn’t necessarily strike me as “dark academia,” which is an interesting twist. After coming off reading Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang, I guess I’ve just got the bug to read more academic fantasy with heavy political themes. This seems to be a great option, as I’ve seen many fans of fantasy giving it positive reviews while also saying it’s a relatively easy read.

Last but not least on my “political SFF springtime” TBR is Babel by R.F. Kuang. I’ve only ever heard positive things about this dark academia fantasy by beloved author R.F. Kuang. That said, I’ve always been a little intimidated by Babel as it is a tome, and I’ve also heard it’s quite academic in tone. Nonetheless, after having such a great time with Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang—which is a dark academia fantasy that’s been frequently compared to Babel—I think I should be able to handle Babel. Plus, I’m very interested in the themes I’ve heard it contains about how translation is an act of colonization, as linguistics is a field of anthropology (although not my specialization) which intersects with translation. Anyhoo, I’ve heard so, so, soooooo many amazing things about Babel, and I’m hoping my expectations are met if not exceeded.

my spring 2025 watchlist

First up, I will of course be watching The Wheel of Time Season 3! I’ve never read the book series this show is adapted from, so I can’t comment on it as an adaptation, but as show in its own right I absolutely love The Wheel of Time! It’s about a group of friends, one of whom may be “the chosen one,” who are taken under the wing of a member of a powerful order of female magic users. Of course, adventures and intrigue ensue as they try to figure out who the prophesied chosen one is, as well as fighting against an ancient evil which is returning to their land. This show is so much fun and I’m so excited to see how the third season goes, especially after the explosive events of the second season!

I’m also hoping to finish up watching XO, Kitty Season 2, which released in mid-January and which I watched most of but had to set aside to focus on my coursework. I’m hoping that this spring I’ll be able to finish up the last bit of the season, especially because I loved what I’ve watched of it so much! I’ve always had a soft spot for the youngest Song-Covey sister since I read Jenny Han’s To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before way back in 2015 (can you believe that was ten years ago?!), so I’ve adored seeing her come to life onscreen and have her own romantic adventures. This season focuses on Kitty coming into her bisexuality and more romantic hijinks, along with a K-Pop competition subplot—all of which is so much fun to watch! I can’t wait to see how this season wraps up and where it leaves Kitty and her friends!

Next up, I want to continue watching Blue Eye Samurai Season 1. I had heard about this show before but decided to take the plunge on watching it this past January—which was definitely the right decision!! Everything about this series is perfection, from the animation to the characters to the plot. Unfortunately, I haven’t watched much of this series since then (again due to having to focus on coursework), which is just a travesty! Blue Eye Samurai follows a mixed race Japanese/White samurai in feudal Japan, who seeks vengeance against their White father for making them a mixed race “abomination.” As someone who is mixed race myself, I always find it fascinating to learn about how different cultures react to mixed race folks, so this series is very interesting in that regard. It’s also just a great, action-packed adventure that’s beautifully animated and fun to watch. I can’t wait to hopefully continue with this series and to see where it goes!

I’m also looking forward to watching Netflix’s “adaptation “reimagining” of Judy Blume’s Forever. I’ve actually never read a Judy Blume novel, although I know her books were quite popular and are considered some of the classics of the YA demographic. Nevertheless, I’m excited to see Netflix’s modern take on Forever. It looks sweet but also seems like it might be quite emotional.

I recently cancelled my Hulu subscription and so I’ve been looking for a series to fill the Only Murders in the Building shaped hole in my heart. Luckily, it would seem that Netflix’s A Man on the Inside is a good candidate! After all, it too has elderly people solving crimes (is that, like, a growing trend or something?). I actually wasn’t aware of this series until recently, but it looks so fun!

Speaking of mystery series, Netflix’s The Residence is another one that I’m adding to my list! I think this series is from Shondaland? If so, I’m excited to see Shonda’s return to the world of mystery and politics—although The Residence looks a little hokier than Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder. Nonetheless, it also looks super fun! I also love that it seems to focus on the serving staff of the White House, rather than all out focusing on the politicians. I think it’s a nice way to ground the series and draw attention to folks who don’t typically get much.

The final series I’m interested in watching this spring is Netflix’s Ransom Canyon.* Apparently, this series is based on a western romance book series? I’m especially excited to see Minka Kelly’s return to the “modern Texan western romance” subgenre—I haven’t seen her in anything since I watched Friday Night Lights (omg how does she look practically the same over a decade later???). Anyhoo, I’ve been craving some good ol’ romance stories in my life lately, and who doesn’t love a cowboy?

*NOTE: Since I initially started writing this post, I have watched the entirety of Ransom Canyon and can confirm that it is *chef’s kiss*

my spring 2025 bucket list

First up, this spring I’d love to have some outdoor arts and crafts sessions. I’ve been loving indulging in some cozy arts and crafts lately, and I think the experience would be so elevated by taking things outdoors, especially given the lovely springtime weather! I’d especially love to work on my crochet outside, as lately I’ve been learning how to crochet a retro daisy granny square, and I’m considering making a scarf or blanket out of the squares I complete!

Next, I’m considering trying to get more involved in gardening this spring. I’ve never been much of a “plant person,” as a matter of fact, historically I’ve been quite the opposite, but recently my mom got me a pothos plant and I’ve been doing good taking care of it. The whole experience has made me more interested in gardening in general, especially as I feel like it’s a useful skill to have. I’m hoping this spring I can maybe help my mom out with the giant garden she keeps and maybe learn a thing or two about gardening from her!

I’d also like to spend some time making over my space this spring. I’d at least like to do some spring cleaning around my room and maybe refresh the decor a bit. This past winter and autumn, I was able to cross off some bigger items off of my “bedroom makeover” list (like getting a new mattress and box spring—both of which I was in desperate need of), but I still feel like my bedroom need just a bit more pizzazz! I’d love it to feel like a sanctuary, like a place where I can go to get some peace of mind. I know getting it to feel that way will probably involve a lot of work that’ll take longer than just a season, but I’d like to continue the process this spring.

spill the beans, friends!

What’s on your spring 2025 TBR? Are you planning on watching any TV series this spring? Do you have any fun seasonal plans that you’re looking forward to?

Learn more the author of this post:

Lila @ Hardcover Haven

Lila is a 30 year old anthropology student and lover of literature who's been book blogging for an eternity. Her hobbies include reading, singing, writing, arts and crafts, and snuggling her two cats, Snoopy and Clementine.