4 book picks for spring

William Boyd: 'Sweet Caress'

Berlin is only one of several settings in William Boyd's latest novel. It tells the story of the photographer Amory Clay through different stages of her career and her love life.

Covering both world wars to the Vietnam War and finally landing in a Scottish castle, the author once again cleverly combines fictional memoirs with historical events, which has become a specialty of the British author, who was born in Ghana in 1952.

His 13th novel might not be his best, but, as always, his writing remains highly entertaining.

J. Meade Falkner: 'Moonfleet'

Even if this novel was first published 118 years ago, entertainment is also guaranteed in the adventure classic, "Moonfleet," by British author J. Meade Falkner. It definitely stands its ground with more famous highlights of the genre, such as "Treasure Island" and "Robinson Crusoe."

The adventures of the 15-year-old John Trenchard still feel as fresh as ever. Falkner also built in a mythical treasure, years of imprisonment and a deep friendship in his story. On top of Trenchard's thrilling journey, it's his relation with the gruff innkeeper Elzevir Block that makes the novel so touching.

In 1955, the German filmmaker Fritz Lang directed a movie adaptation of this novel in Hollywood.

David Garnett: 'Lady Into Fox'

This is another surprising rediscovery. Garnett's novel, written in 1922, is a brilliant demonstration of what modern literature can achieve. It tells the story of a couple, the Tebricks, leading a comfortable life in the countryside in the south of England until Mrs. Tebrick suddenly turns into a fox.

Garnett establishes this metamorphosis without any logical explanation - just like Franz Kafka. What follows is, however, even more surprising. The couple sticks together, until Mrs. Tebrick also stops behaving like a human, but rather like the fox she appears to be.

This whimsical book is easy to read and will amaze readers who think they've seen it all.

Naomi Wood: 'Mrs. Hemingway'

This is US author Naomi Wood's second novel. Fans of Ernest Hemingway will delight in this book, as it offers insight into a few key events in the life of the author, who won the Nobel Prize in 1954.

However, the legendary womanizing and bohemian writer is not at the heart of the book; Wood rather focuses on his four wives. The emotional ups and downs experienced by these women may repeat themselves, but Wood's way of describing them is never boring, as she offers a truthful portrayal of the eternal rollercoaster of love.