March 2024 truly is shaping up to be an exceptional month of new book releases. Here are the 14 titles I’ve added to my TBR.
March 5
Bye, Baby // Carola Lovering (St Martin’s Press)
From the author of the Hulu sensation Tell Me Lies comes an obsessive, addictive novel about female friendship, a missing baby, and the toxic, secret history between two women.
Being single is like playing the lottery. There’s always the chance that with one piece of paper you could win it all. A gripping, emotional, passionate, and (yes) heartbreaking novel about what it means to be single, what it means to find love, and ultimately how we define each of them for ourselves.
From the New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years and One Italian Summer comes the romance that will define a generation.
An electric contemporary reimagining of the myth of Persephone and Demeter set over the course of one summer on a lush private island, about addiction and sex, family and independence, and who holds the power in a modern underworld.
A humane and darkly comic workplace caper that shines a light on the odds low-wage workers are up against in today’s economy, Help Wanted is a funny, moving tale of ordinary people trying to make a living.
An unlikely man enters the picture—the forbidden one, the one she shouldn’t want but can’t seem to resist. She’s lost it all before and refuses to repeat her mistakes. Can she trust him? Can she trust herself?
Book 2 in the Skyland series that begins with Before I Let Go though both books can be enjoyed as stand alones.
There’s a fine line between bending the truth and telling bold-faced lies, and Javier Perez is willing to cross it. Victim is a fearless satire about a hustler from the Bronx who sees through the veneer of diversity initiatives and decides to cash in on the odd currency of identity.
Vulture Capitalism: Corporate Crimes, Backdoor Bailouts, and the Death of Freedom // Grace Blakeley (Atria)
In the vein of The Shock Doctrine and Evil Geniuses, this timely manifesto from an acclaimed journalist illustrates how corporate and political power brokers have used planned capitalism to advance their own interests at the expense of the rest of us—and how we can take back our economy for all.
The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church // Sarah McCammon (St Martin’s Press)
An intimate window into the world of American evangelicalism. Fellow exvangelicals will find McCammon’s story both startlingly familiar and immensely clarifying, while those looking in from the outside can find no better introduction to the subculture that has shaped the hopes and fears of millions of Americans.
A brilliant, action-packed reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and ferociously funny, told from the enslaved Jim’s point of view.
The award-winning author of The Leavers offers a visionary novel of friendship, art, and ambition that asks: What is the value of a meaningful life?
Moving from the predigital 1980s to the art and tech subcultures of the 1990s to a strikingly imagined portrait of the 2040s, Memory Piece is an innovative and audacious story of three lifelong friends as they strive to build satisfying lives in a world that turns out to be radically different from the one they were promised.
Rainbow Black // Maggie Thrash (Harper Perennial) {Read my review}
For readers of Donna Tartt and Ottessa Moshfegh comes a brilliant, deliriously entertaining novel from the acclaimed author of Honor Girl. Rainbow Black is part murder mystery, part gay international fugitive love story—set against the ’90s Satanic Panic and spanning 20 years in the life of a young woman pulled into its undertow.
A Great Country // Shilpi Somaya Gowda (Mariner) {Read my review}
From the New York Times bestselling author, a novel in the tradition of Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere, exploring the ties and fractures of a close-knit Indian-American family in the aftermath of a violent encounter with the police.
Frances Ha meets No One Is Talking About This in a debut that follows two siblings-turned-roommates navigating an absurd world on the verge of calamity—a Seinfeldian novel of existentialism and sisterhood.
I don’t know if you’ve checked your weather app lately or been outside (I hope not!) but (assuming you’re located in the U.S.) temperatures are quite frigid right now. Friday brought warnings, watches, and advisories for the entire contiguous United States and now that the blizzard producing system is moving out a polar vortex has moved in bringing extremely cold temperatures from sea to shining sea.
While I don’t like to be out in the winter, I do like to stock up on wintery reads, stories that transport me to chilly places, books that feel like winter. My favorite way to experience winter is from the comfort of my home, cozied down with a book that pairs well with the season.
Here are 7 backlist recommendations:
Beartown by Fredrik Backman (2017)
When I think winter, I think Beartown. Hockey rinks and wintery forest, a violent act and a mystery that upends this small town filled with memorable characters. Beartown is the first in a trilogy that could hold you rapt all winter.
The Drift is a backlist book, but just barely, published in January of last year. This gripping horror thriller is essentially 3 locked-room survival mysteries set against the backdrop of a snowy viral apocalypse. I could not turn the pages fast enough!
This historical fiction offers a story within a story within a story featuring a brother and sister in 1950 England, references to the children’s classic The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (also an excellent wintery read!), and interweaves real events from author C.S. Lewis’s life. A supremely cozy story centering the magic of storytelling.
Literary CliFi set in a near future world where most of the animal kingdom is wiped out due to human interference. A young woman boards one of the last deep sea fishing vessels to follow what is predicted to be the last migration of Arctic Terns, birds who have an unfathomably long migration route, traveling between the North and South Poles each year. Atmospheric, tense, layered, and gorgeously written.
An Irish neighborhood in NYC is hit by a blizzard. Amidst heavy snows and power outages, Malcolm, proprietor of a local bar, struggles under the weight of his business and a deal gone sour, grapples with the news that his wife, Jess, who recently left him, is now dating a fellow lawyer. Jess is wrestling with disappointments of her own after years of infertility struggles. Just as everything shuts down Malcolm and Jess hit an inflection point which will determine their path forward. An emotional story about small town life and community, dreams and the realities that come after the happily ever after.
These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant (2021)
A man and his young daughter live alone together in a remote cabin in the woods. They have no outside contact with the world save for an old army buddy who owns the property and stops by on the same day once a year to restock them with food and other essentials. One year he doesn’t show, threatening their existence in unforeseen ways. I inhaled this atmospheric suspense story.
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherin Arden (2017)
An enchanting fairytale inspired by Russian folklore. Set in the medieval Russian wilderness in the deep of winter about a young woman able to communicate with and derive powers from traditional mythological creatures at a time when the Orthodox Church was trying to end paganism. This incredibly atmospheric historical fantasy is the first in a trilogy, but can be appreciated as a stand alone.
I read about 80/20 fiction vs. non-fiction and my format of choice is print with about 1/3 of my reading being audiobooks.
2023 Standouts & Shoutouts
I find it very challenging to choose favorites always and with all things, books are no exception! I read 268 books last year across many genres, it’s hard to select just a few favorites! I prefer to review my year of reading with the goal of identifying two categories:
Standout books (Basically favorites by any other name.) These are stories and characters that have really stayed with me, excellent overall reading experiences, books I continue to recommend often.
Shoutout books: Reads that I really enjoyed and think deserve more attention than they received!
On The Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel
Loosely inspired by a series of unsolved murders in Chillicothe, Ohio On the Savage Side is the beautifully tragic story of twin sisters, beginning in 1979, navigating a world ravaged by poverty, addiction, violence, and loss as told with author Tiffany McDaniel’s trademark prose.
A poignant, compassionate, and deeply touching family saga beginning in 1969 and spanning four decades including cultural touchstones along the way. An intimate look at family, motherhood, and the beginning, middle, and end of a marriage. A story about love, forgiveness, and transformation woven with little stories and human moments the way real life is. I was utterly captivated by this achingly beautiful novel.
A brilliant work of autofiction centering two sisters who are carrying pregnancies and not at different points in the story incorporating the experiences of other women they encounter lending a sort of interconnected short story format. Hogland’s characters show pregnancy is anything but black and white, it’s an experience painted in every shade of gray imaginable, the most intimate and extraordinary and common experience to be lived.
An extraordinary story of a very ordinary woman from a small town in Indiana whose life spans much of the 20th century. An enchanting novel with an outsized impact (161 pages in length) Zorrie’s story, one of tragedy and bliss, survival and resilience, love and loss, as most are, infuses beauty and grace into the mundane.
An exceptional family saga spanning 1908-2038 and 4 generations of the Greenwood family whose roots are inextricably entwined with the forests which sustain them. From an empire built on clear cutting forests to a dendrologist living among some of the last surviving old growth trees, Greenwood is a story of interconnectedness and rebirth.
A teenaged servant girl flees 17th century Jamestown for the surrounding wilds with little more than the clothes on her back. The Vaster Wilds is a survival story in the traditional sense whose themes explore ideas of feminism and faith, colonization in various forms, the stories which shape our understanding of the world and our reality, and the ways keepers of those stories also contour our perception.
The story of a couple and a marriage, yes, but it’s really the story of the evolution of our culture, and really our very reality, over the last 20 years; what it is to live in modern times. Information constantly streaming, stories we tell to and about ourselves, a society always striving for more, new, better, best. Well written and an incredibly fascinating mix all packaged up within characters and a story that are compelling and recognizable.
This manifesto posits poverty in America, something impacting more than 1 in 9 of us, is not an unfortunate byproduct of our system or a choice made by individuals who just won’t bootstrap harder, but rather a reality by design: some are intentionally kept small so that others can prosper. In other words, ours is a system of exploitation. Desmond outlines how the structure is skewed and what can be done about it.
A town an its people are consumed by a delicious apple with a long and deadly legacy. A delicious and complex read not unlike the apple at its core. Rich with historical and social commentary, relevant to past and current events, a mysterious and suspenseful plot that moves quickly thanks to multiple points of view, and bonus gift with read: a lot of actually interesting facts about apples.
Centuries of history as told by the various inhabitants of a single house standing in the remote north woods of Massachusetts from its 17th century construction by young Puritan lovers absconding from their settlement right up to near present day. Well knit interconnected stories spanning hundreds of years shape the narrative.
You Have to Be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live: Ten Weeks in Birmingham that Changed America by Paul Kix
Narrative non-fiction detailing the 1963 direct action campaign to desegregate Birmingham, Alabama during which Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested, jailed, and penned the now infamous “Letter From Birmingham Jail.” The events of these 10 days changed the trajectory of history forever and Kix’s account brings this history to life.
An epic speculative CliFi dystopia following a cast of characters who intersect at various times and in various ways as they navigate the fallout of climate change. Spanning more than 3 decades and impressive in scope alone The Deluge is also well researched and crafted with developed characters and remarkably believable speculative elements.
Set in a near and familiar future where humanity is bearing the weight of darkness in many forms a new pandemic called “The Grey,” a sort of deadly depressive malady, is spreading and no one knows how to stop or reverse it. A climate change scientist finds herself on an unexpected quest through time and space where she will discover the secret to survival. A unique blend of genres, an entertaining and approachable adventure, and a philosophical exploration of existence, connection, happiness, and finding hope amidst darkness.
An emotional romance about two people who meet as teens. Will and Rosie have undeniable chemistry and the beginnings of a blossoming romance until tragedy strikes, tethering them together and pushing them apart for decades as they come of age while grappling with grief and life. Beautiful, melancholy, and deeply affecting.
A quiet yet gripping saga about a working class Boston family. Complicated relationships, complex dynamics, particularly the relationship between mothers, daughters, and sisters, and the ties that hold us. A poignant look at the impact of growing up beneath the specter of mental illness.
The Rachel Incident is told from an adult Rachel’s present day perspective about a 2009 incident that happens as she’s graduating college featuring a complex romantic entanglement involving Rachel, the college professor she has a crush on, her roommate, James, her college professor’s wife, and eventually a man Rachel begins dating. But truly the narrative swirls around the intense and platonic friendship between Rachel and James, the real love story at the center of this novel; a kind which can only exist at a certain time in your life. Brilliantly crafted, compelling, and oddly nostalgic.
A multigenerational saga chronicling three generations of one Californian family from the founding of a 50s/60s matriarchal Commune in the woods turned cult to seeking a more traditional life in 80s/90s LA and coming full circle in the new millennium. Told with elements of magical realism and a hint of dark fairytale.
When his sister goes missing a sports journalist Harper tracks her to a small island off the coast of Wisconsin inhabited by a tiny, insular community perplexingly stuck in the 90s. The eerie and accessible narrative is enhanced by “found footage” containing diary entries, text threads, interviews, and articles throughout. An excellent balance of horror, humor, suspense, and deeper themes.
A multigenerational family story spanning many members and across time, even offering glimpses back to their patriarch in late 18th century Senegal who is captured, enslaved and brought to America. Throughout all and central to the story are the family’s talisman: monkeys carved from a peach seed. I appreciate the bits of history incorporated throughout the story.
The Dunnes don’t just visit the Jersey Shore, they live there year round and run a vacation rental business using their properties to make other people’s vacation dreams come true, but this year, as the season winds down, the family is in tumult as their patriarch descends further into illness with a terminal brain tumor. His business partner/wife and their two teenaged daughters are trying to juggle the family business, caretaking, the impending loss of their husband/father, and, for the girls, being teenagers with very adult responsibilities. Inspired by experiences of author Katie Runde’s life and very well done.
Hannah, a successful horror novelist struggling with new motherhood. Those around her think she may be in the midst of a challenging transition, but Hannah’s anxiety is so immense she starts experiencing blips where it seems to her as though her baby is missing. When he disappears from his crib one night and she’s not the only one to experience the loss, she knows she must find him, even if that means testing the bounds of the universe as we know it.
An incredible blend of literary/speculative sci-fi/suspense thriller, motherhood, multiverse, heroine’s quest, Jewish representation, written by a Jewish author with a background in parent-focused psychotherapy. I just adore the way Goldstein-Love applies a sci-fi lens to explore the disorientation and multitudes of motherhood.
An actress rapidly approaching middle age is desperate to be pregnant. Just as her star is rising so too does Anna succeed in getting pregnant after an arduous IVF journey, but her dreams soon turn to nightmares beginning with a stalker breaking into her apartment and later strange pregnancy symptoms: Is Anna hysterical, or is something seriously wrong?
A feminist update to Rosemary’s Baby I just loved this sinister exploration of pregnancy as well as the all too real horror of rampant misogyny in pregnancy care; layered and thoughtful and so well done.
A few weeks into motherhood, Alice, a young Mohawk woman, is struggling despite appearing to have it all. She can’t seem to do anything right when it comes to caring for her baby, is haunted by her mother’s recent death, and then begins hearing voices.
A bold, smart blend of horror and speculative sci-fi incorporating so many layers: motherhood, mental health, indigenous culture and experience, racism, and traditional storytelling. The writing style is almost conversational, irreverent and funny at times, heartbreaking at others.
A rich, engrossing, layered, multigenerational family saga about parents and children, liberation and legacy. Three generations of one Black family are seeking home and community, freedom, and self-determination in a variety of ways. Author Ayana Mathis interweaves fictionalized versions of history into the story with a Black owned town in Alabama as well as a commune in Philadelphia.
The Chaos Machine: The Inside Story of How Social Media Rewired Our Minds and Our World by Max Fisher
A very compelling look at the negative implications of social media from the way it taps into our psychology to make us slaves to our feeds to the way these platforms have been used to foment genocide and other violence with no responsibility taken or changes made on the part of the private companies who own them. The division and extremism bred by social media algorithms are not merely an unfortunate byproduct but are instead features upon which these companies’ profit models are predicated upon. One of the scariest books I’ve ever read and one I can’t stop thinking about.
A breathtaking page turner about star-crossed lovers Leah and Charlie whose relationship is messy, codependent, and exhilarating. Leah is a MFA student leaving behind complicated family dynamics and Charlie struggles with drug addiction. I couldn’t put this book down.
Set five years after a microplastics storm caused a mass extinction Katie is holed up in her apartment with her son born after the storm. But Katie’s health is deteriorating forcing them to leave the safety of their apartment on a cross country trek and the hope they may be able to reunite with Katie’s fiancé, once thought lost to the storm. A quietly captivating apocalyptic novel, a deeply character driven meditation on motherhood, hope, love, and resilience.
That Bookish Life 