24 March Releases We're Excited About

And what you can read in the meantime

Reading ahead

Our TBR piles may be taking over every available surface, but we keep finding new books we want to add. From artistic literary fiction to thrilling finales to novels based on real-life history, March's most anticipated list is especially packed with must-reads! Here are 24 upcoming releases across a mix of genres. These titles are available for pre-order, but in the meantime, peruse our recommendations for similar reads that you can enjoy now.

Contemporary fiction

Anita De Monte Laughs Last by Xóchitl González (Mar. 5)
1985. Anita de Monte, a rising star in the art world, is found dead in New York City. By 1998 Anita's name has been all but forgotten as Raquel, a third-year art history student, prepares her final thesis. Moving between these two storylines, this novel is a propulsive, witty examination of power, love, and art.

What to read first: Olga Dies Dreaming by Xóchitl González

The Extinction of Irena Rey by Jennifer Croft (Mar. 5)
Eight translators arrive at the home of world-renowned author Irena Rey, located in a primeval Polish forest. They are here to translate her magnum opus. But within days of their arrival, Irena disappears without a trace. This beguiling debut novel comes from an International Booker Prize-winning translator.

What to read first: Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk

Memory Piece by Lisa Ko (Mar. 19)
In the early 1980s, teens Giselle Chin, Jackie Ong, and Ellen Ng are drawn together by their desire for creativity and individuality. As adults, their dreams become murkier. From the award-winning author of The Leavers comes a visionary novel of friendship, art, and ambition that asks: What is the value of a meaningful life?

What to read first: Severance by Ling Ma

James by Percival Everett (Mar. 19)
Pulitzer Prize Finalist Everett's Erasure is the basis for the Oscar nominated film American Fiction. With this novel, he offers a brilliant, action-packed reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and wildly funny, told from the enslaved Jim's point of view.

What to read first: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Mystery, thriller, and suspense

The Inmate by Frieda McFadden (Mar. 5)
As a new nurse practitioner at a maximum-security prison, Brooke Sullivan is taught three crucial rules: Treat all prisoners with respect. Never reveal personal information. And never become too friendly with the inmates. But one of those inmates knows all too well that Brooke has already broken the rules.

What to read first: Final Girls by Riley Sagar

The Hunter by Tana French (Mar. 5)
Cal Hooper is a retired Chicago cop who came to rural Ireland looking for peace. He's taken local teen Trey Reddy under his wing. But when Trey's absentee father returns with a cunning scheme, everything is thrown off balance. This nuanced tale explores themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and revenge.

What to read first: The Searcher by Tana French

Murder Road by Simone St. James (Mar. 5)
July 1995. April and Eddie have taken a wrong turn. They're looking for the small resort town where they plan to spend their honeymoon. When they stop to pick up a hitchhiker, they find themselves caught up—and implicated—in a string of gruesome murders along that deserted stretch of road. A ghostly thriller!

What to read first: The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner (Mar. 12)
Frankie Elkin is an expert at finding the missing persons that the rest of the world has forgotten. Serial killer Kaylee Pierson is on death row for slitting the throats of eighteen men. Now, with only three weeks to live, Kaylee is asking for Frankie's help to find her long-lost sister, who was kidnapped twelve years ago.

What to read first: Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner

The #1 Lawyer by James Patterson and Nancy Allen (Mar. 18)
Stafford Lee Penney is a small-town lawyer with a big-time reputation for winning every case he tries. In his sharp suits and polished Oxford shoes, Penney is Biloxi, Mississippi's #1 lawyer and top local celebrity. But then his wife is the victim of a shocking murder and suddenly he's the nation's #1 suspect.

What to read first: The Jailhouse Lawyer by James Patterson and Nancy Allen

Sci-fi, fantasy, and horror

The Sunlit Man: A Cosmere Novel by Brandon Sanderson (Mar. 5)
The final installment in Sanderson's four secret standalone Cosmere novels, this is the story of Nomad. After barely staying ahead of The Night Brigade for years, Nomad finds himself trapped on a deadly planet and caught up in the desperate rebellion to overthrow a heartless tyrant.

What to read first: Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson

The Prisoner's Throne: A Novel of Elfhame by Holly Black (Mar. 5)
In this stunning conclusion to the Stolen Heir duology, Prince Oak is paying for his betrayal. Imprisoned and bound to the will of a monstrous new queen, he relies on charm and calculation to survive. Now he must decide whether to attempt regaining the trust of the girl he's always loved or to remain loyal to Elfhame.

What to read first: The Stolen Heir: A Novel of Elfhame by Holly Black

Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff (Mar. 12)
Gabriel de León has saved the Holy Grail from death, but his chance to end the endless night is lost. Drawn into an uneasy alliance with the mysterious vampire Liathe, Gabriel must now deliver the Grail to ancients of the Blood Esani, and learn the truth of how Daysdeath might be finally undone. Another thrilling sequel.

What to read first: Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff

The Angel of Indian Lake by Stephen Graham Jones (Mar. 26)
It's been four years in prison since Jade Daniels took the fall for her loved ones. Since then, a lot has changed in her hometown of Proofrock, Idaho. But one thing hasn't changed. The curse of the Lake Witch is waiting, and now is the time for the final stand. The last installment in a terrifying trilogy.

What to read first: My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

Historical fiction

Can't We Be Friends by Eliza Knight and Denny S. Bryce (Mar. 5)
1952: Movie star Marilyn Monroe needs help with her singing. Wanting only the best, she asks renowned jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald for lessons. Ella initially declines. She's not a music teacher. But then the two women meet and become fast friends. This heartwarming novel explores their enduring bond.

What to read first: The Queen of Sugar Hill by Reshonda Tate Billingsley

The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay (Mar. 5)
1980s CIA code breaker Luisa Voekler is frustrated to be stuck in the past and not working on thrilling Cold War assignments like her peers. But when she discovers a secret cache of letters written by the father she has long presumed dead, she learns the truth about her legacy and embarks on a bold mission.

What to read first: A Shadow in Moscow by Katherine Reay

The Woman With No Name by Audrey Blake (Mar. 12)
After surviving the bomb that destroyed her home, Yvonne feels untethered from her life. Estranged from her husband, daughter grown and gone, her life seems to have lost purpose. But then she's recruited as Britain's first female sabotage agent—a chance to remake herself entirely. Based on a true story.

What to read first: Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon

Becoming Madam Secretary by Stephanie Dray (Mar. 12)
When activist Frances Perkins meets a young lawyer named Franklin Delano Roosevelt at a tea dance, she finds him arrogant and entitled. He sees her as a priggish and insufferable do-gooder. But over the next twenty years, they form a historic partnership that will carry them both to the White House.

What to read first: The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray

Romance

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle (Mar. 5)
Every time Daphne meets a new man, she receives a slip of paper with his name and a number—the exact amount of time they will be together. She keeps waiting for a man with no expiration date. But when Jake finally shows up, there's a problem. She knows the secret that would break his heart.

What to read first: One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle

Never Too Late by Danielle Steel (Mar. 5)
After the death of her husband, Kezia moves from San Francisco to New York to make a fresh start and be near her adult daughters. As she settles into her new apartment, she connects with her movie-star neighbor, Sam. Just a few weeks after she arrives, however, a devastating crisis strikes New York City.

What to read first: Neighbors by Danielle Steel

The Love Remedy by Elizabeth Everett (Mar. 19)
When Lucinda Peterson's formula for a salve to treat croup goes missing, she's certain it's the dirty work of a rival apothecary. Outraged and fearing financial ruin, Lucy turns to grumpy private investigator Jonathan Thorne for help. As the two work side by side, Lucy begins to penetrate Thorne's tough shell.

What to read first: Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore

Harmony by Helen Hardt (Mar. 26)
Rocker Jesse Pike's drummer is out of commission and he's kicking himself. If he'd been with his friend instead of shacking up with Brianna Steel, none of this would be happening. Then a surprise admission from a trusted friend upends everything. Get into the groove of the newest installment of the Steel Brothers Saga.

What to read first: Melody by Helen Hardt

Kids and YA

Ferris by Kate DiCamillo (Mar. 5)
It's the summer before fifth grade and Ferris Wilkey's family is in disarray: Her little sister, Pinky, wants to become an outlaw. Uncle Ted has left Aunt Shirley. And Charisse, Ferris's grandmother, has started seeing ghosts. A hilarious and achingly real middle-grade love story from the two-time Newbery Medalist.

What to read first: Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Infinity Kings by Adam Silvera (Mar. 12)
After the ultimate betrayal, Emil must rise up as a leader to stop his brother before he becomes too powerful. Meanwhile, Brighton learns about an ancient weapon that will make him unstoppable. In this epic conclusion to the YA Infinity Cycle, two brothers find themselves fighting a heartbreaking war.

What to read first: Infinity Son by Adam Silvera

Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder by Dav Pilkey (Mar. 19)
After being sprayed by a skunk, Dog Man is dunked in tomato juice. Now the stink is gone but the scarlet color remains. Will he rise up to save the citizens who shunned him? Our canine superhero returns in the hilarious new graphic novel from the author of Captain Underpants.

What to read first: Dog Man by Dav Pilkey

Hopefully there's something here that you want to add to your TBR list! Let us know which new books you're most excited about this month.

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon