March is known for many things, including International Women’s Day, National Read Across America Day, St. Patrick’s Day, and the first day of spring. It’s an exciting month packed full of national holidays and observances.
We had a hard time curating our list this month, because March is also an impressive month in publishing. With new book deals being signed and sealed every day, and more talented authors taking the route of self-publishing, it seems there’s a never-ending stream of must-read books.
After much consideration, we’ve narrowed it down to 13 books being released this month that we think should be on your TBR list. As always, we’ve blended a mix of debut authors with notable bestselling writers.
One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle
A gorgeous love story that takes place against the backdrop of Positano on the Amalfi Coast in Italy, One Italian Summer follows Katy Silver who is grieving after the death of her mother, Carol. She decides to take a solo trip to Italy, a trip the two of them were supposed to take together. When Katy arrives, she’s surprised to find Carol is already there, in the flesh, healthy, sun-tanned, and 30 years old.
Serle’s prose is richly atmospheric, wildly imaginative, and beautifully captivating. Reading this novel, I could almost taste the pizza alla napoletana on my tongue and the Pinot Grigio on my lips. This is a story about love, life, and loss, with a memorable cast of characters that will stay with readers long after they have finished. Serle proves yet again to be a master of blending fantasy, realism, and romance.
Tell Me an Ending by Jo Harkin
We didn’t have to wait long for debut British author Jo Harkin to tell us the ending, because we devoured this book in under a day. A thrilling dystopian masterpiece, Tell Me an Ending follows four characters connected to Nepenthe, a memory removal clinic. Into their lives comes Dr. Noor Ali, a psychologist who works at the clinic and quite a complex character who develops intelligently as the storyline builds.
Harkin ensured each character had a distinct voice and that each of their stories was unique. Her debut is unputdownable, and we can see the potential for this one to be scooped up for TV or film adaptation.
In the Margins: On the Pleasures of Reading and Writing by Elena Ferrante
One of the most anticipated books of 2022, In the Margins is a departure from writer Elena’s other novels like My Brilliant Friend and The Lost Daughter. In four new essays, acclaimed author Elena Ferrante offers readers a look at her influences, her struggles, and her formation as both a reader and a writer. The book is a candid, yet subtle look at Ferrante’s adventures in literature, both in and out of the margins.
In a starred review from Publishers Weekly, they stated, “The collection’s strength comes from Ferrante’s beautiful prose, as well as the fascinating look at where she finds inspiration. The author’s legions of fans are in for a treat.”
Smile and Look Pretty by Amanda Pellegrino
Best friends Cate, Lauren, Olivia, and Max are overworked and underpaid in their roles as executive assistants to some of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry. They decide that enough is enough, and start an anonymous blog called Twentysomething detailing their experiences, which soon snowballs into others coming forward and sharing their experiences. It’s an intelligent, and oftentimes realistic, character-driven debut by New York City-based writer Amanda Pellegrino.
The Beauty of Dusk by Frank Bruni
New York Times columnist and bestselling author Frank Bruni has blessed us with another book. This one is a poignant memoir about aging, affliction, and optimism after partially losing his eyesight. It was in 2017 when a rare stroke cut off blood to one of Frank’s optic nerves, leaving him forever blind in that eye.
In The Beauty of Dusk, Bruni recounts his adjustment as this unsettling new reality sets in and calls on lifelong friends and acquaintances who have navigated their own traumas and hardships. It was named the most anticipated book of 2022 by Oprah Daily, who stated, “With compassion and grace, Bruni guides us along a literal pilgrimage between light and darkness.”
The Night Shift by Alex Finlay
Early reviewers are calling Finlay’s The Night Shift “a compulsively readable thriller” and “a plot-driven, twisty mystery.” The book is set on New Year’s Eve 1999, and as you might remember, the year 2000 is expected to end in chaos. None of that happens, of course. However, at a nostalgia-inducing Blockbuster in Linden, New Jersey, four teenage girls are attacked. Only one survives.
The book fast forwards 15 years, and in the same town, four girls are working in an ice cream shop where another attack takes place. With a recurring theme, only one makes it out alive. The survivor of the original attack is stitched back into the picture, along with the brother of the original suspect, and an FBI agent, and yet again, not everyone will make it out alive.
Love by Maayan Eitan
Maayan Eitan’s provocatively moving debut novel, Love tells the story of a young sex worker who goes by the professional name of Libby. Her life is blurred by the boundaries between violence and intimacy, objectification and real love. She goes about her work in a nameless Israeli city, which may or may not be Tel Aviv, riding in cars, seeing clients, meeting and befriending other sex workers and pimps. Eitan’s novel is a compulsive read, one that will grip you for an entire afternoon.
French Braid by Anne Tyler
Anne Taylor is the acclaimed author of more than 20 novels. Her eleventh, Breathing Lessons, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1989, and her 20th, A Spool of Blue Thread, was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2015.
French Braid is Taylor’s latest offering, and it’s a brilliant and insightful journey deep into one Baltimore family’s shortcomings. Meet the Garretts. They hardly ever leave their home, but in some ways, they have never been farther apart. There are the parents, Mercy and Robert, with their teenage daughters Alice and Lily, and their youngest son David. Together, they form the foundation of this heartwarming and hilarious novel. Trust us when we say you won’t want to miss this one.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Garmus announced she was going to be a novelist when she was five years old, but waited until now, at age 64, to make her debut, which is tremendous. When asked in an interview with The Observer what advice she would give aspiring authors, she said, “Never, ever, ever give up. You cannot quit – that’s the death of it, right there.”
Set in California in the early 1960s, Elizabeth Zott is the protagonist in Bonnie’s Lessons in Chemistry. She’s the only woman working on her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute. Zott finds herself becoming a single mother, and also reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Hilarious, uplifting, and a stellar debut. The book, which took six years to complete, has already been optioned by Apple TV+, with Brie Larson attached to star.
The Resting Place by Camilla Sten, translated by Alexandra Fleming
Named one of the most anticipated books of 2022 by Bustle and one of the best thrillers by Library Journal, Camilla Sten’s latest work of fiction is pulse-raising and unforgettable. Protagonist Eleanor lives with prosopagnosia, the inability to recognize a familiar person’s face.
Eleanor walks in on the scene of her grandmother Viviane’s murder, coming face-to-face with the murderer. However, it means nothing to her, with her condition. Soon after, a lawyer calls to tell Eleanor that Vivian has left her a house deep in the Swedish woods, a place she’ll go looking for answers. Once she gets there, though, she wishes she’d never gone in the first place.
When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo
Set against the backdrop of Trinidad & Tobago, Ayanna Lloyd Banwo’s illuminating debut is a beautifully rich and alluring love story. The epic tale introduces two unforgettable outsiders, Darwin and Yejide, brought together by their connection with the dead. When We Were Birds is a mesmerizing work of fiction, embedded with timeless, mythic magic and wisdom. A stunning new voice in fiction, Banwo’s tale is a standout from the crowd.
The Heights by Louise Candlish
Louise Candlish is the Sunday Times bestselling author of 14 novels. Her latest, The Heights, is an addictive, spine-chilling thriller packed full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very last page.
With haunting prose, Candlish grips the reader’s attention as she sets each unsettling scene in a tall, slender apartment building set among warehouses in London. The rooftop is so discreet, you almost wouldn’t see it unless you were at the flat directly opposite. You are, and one day you recognize a man up there, and you’re sure it’s him. But it can’t be, because he’s been dead for two years. You know, because you killed him.
The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd
Written by Peng Shepherd, the critically acclaimed author of The Book of M, The Cartographers is an imaginative thriller about a young woman named Nell Young, whose whole life and greatest passion is cartography, the science or practice of drawing maps. Nell’s father is an expert in the field, but she hasn’t spoken to him since he fired her and destroyed her reputation.
Young’s father, Dr. Young is later found dead in his office at the New York Public Library with a map in his possession. Nell can’t help but investigating its significance, which takes her on an unforgettable journey. Shepherd’s novel, which has already received advanced favourable reviews, is a remarkable story about an ancient craft and places still undiscovered.
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