search-icon

The Best New Fiction Out This March

by  | March 6
The Best New Fiction Out This March | Photo by Vadim Fomenok on Unsplash

We’re kicking off spring (yes, we know the season technically starts partway through the month) with a ton of new reads! TBH, we’re a little overwhelmed by all the fiction we want to read this March, and had a hard time whittling down our list of top picks. Which is why we ended up with thirteen books. We hope you’ll read them all! From a psychological debut novel from LOGIC (yes, that Logic) and a thriller about a couple whose relationship is grounded in team-murder sprees (you know the saying—the couple that kills together, stays together), to a new short story collection (the first in over a decade) from legendary writer Amy Hempel and a debut coming-of-age story from Candice Carty-Williams (who we definitely have a crush on)—there is something for EVERYONE! So, get to it!

Photo by Vadim Fomenok on Unsplash
Supermarket

Supermarket

by Bobby Hall

Nick’s Pick

Supermarket is the debut novel from Bobby Hall, a.k.a. Logic, that we’ve all been waiting for. The lyricism from his songs spills all over this psychological thriller. The man already can paint a picture in about three minutes; imagine what he can do in a whole novel! Whether you are part of Logic’s Rattpack (Real-All-the-Time) or just someone looking for a dark, funny psychological thriller, you need to get your hands on this one. At this point, I’m really having a hard time finding what Logic can’t do....

via GIPHY

Amazon logoBarnes & Noble logoBooks a Million logoBookshop logo
Me for You

Me for You

by Lolly Winston

Abby’s Pick #1

I love relationship stories that really tug at your heartstrings, so of course I’m predisposed to like Lolly Winston’s new novel Me for You. You might remember her bestselling novel Good Grief—and in her new book, Winston once again hits you straight in the feels. M4Y is the story of a widower, Rudy, who loves his job as the piano player at Nordstrom’s…especially when Sasha, the watch counter saleslady, comes to sit with him on his piano bench. But of course this sweet romance has to have a few bitter complications, and both characters and readers find themselves asking: how much time is the right time to move on?

Amazon logoBarnes & Noble logoBooks a Million logoBookshop logo
After (Media Tie-In)

After (Media Tie-In)

by Anna Todd

Abby’s Pick #2

If you’ve been living off the grid for the past five years, we suppose it’s possible that you don’t know about After, the One Direction fan fic that turned into an international phenomenon. But good news—you climbed out from under your rock just in time to get the new edition of the book and see the movie (check out the trailer below!) about Tessa, a “good girl” who encounters Hardin (def not Harry Styles, we swear), the baddest of bad boys, during her first days at college. We’ll let you imagine the rest, because it can only go in one direction (sorry, we had to).

Amazon logoBarnes & Noble logoBooks a Million logoBookshop logo
The Wolf and the Watchman

The Wolf and the Watchman

by Niklas Natt och Dag

Sienna’s Pick #1

Stockholm is one of the cleanest, friendliest cities I’ve ever been to. It’s orderly, the urban planning is a dream, and the people are so nice, but the whole time I was there I felt like I was going to stumble upon a murdered body on a dark corner because I’ve read so many Swedish thrillers. So, when I started reading The Wolf and the Watchman, a historical thriller that takes place in the seedy underbelly of Stockholm in the late 1700s, I thought to myself, this is more like it! I was peeling away the layers of present day Nordic order and was fully immersed in a world where mutilated corpses are pulled from lakes, a dying man is on the search for a ruthless murderer, and young women are forced to toil in workhouses for upsetting priests. All of these disparate stories collide in ways that will shock you.

Amazon logoBarnes & Noble logoBooks a Million logoBookshop logo
House on Fire

House on Fire

by Bonnie Kistler

Sienna’s Pick #2

Blending families can be challenging. I know the Brady Bunch made it look like fun, but let’s be real, there’s often much more at stake than who played ball in the house. In House on Fire, Leigh Huyett and Pete Conley were making it work. They got along AND their kids got along. But their home life begins to unravel after Pete’s son, Kip, kills Leigh’s daughter, Chrissy, in a devastating drunk-driving accident. Faced with the very real possibility of losing his spot at Duke University, Kip changes his story and says that Chrissy was the one driving, forcing the family members to take sides and get to the heart of what is really true.

Amazon logoBarnes & Noble logoBooks a Million logoBookshop logo
My Lovely Wife

My Lovely Wife

by Samantha Downing

Sienna’s Pick #3

This is a book about a couple who’s been married 15 years, have some kids, live in the suburbs, and their favorite pastime is getting away with murder. That’s right—they plan murders together! I cannot wait for this book and can already imagine bingeing the made for TV version whenever this bad boy gets optioned, because you know it will!

Amazon logoBarnes & Noble logoBooks a Million logo
Sing to It

Sing to It

by Amy Hempel

Shefali’s Pick

Amy Hempel, if you didn’t already know, is short story royalty. Sing to It (which officially releases on March 26) is her sixth collection, the first she’s published in over a decade, and it has been a thing of great anticipation for some time now. If you’ve read Amy Hempel before, then stories like “Cloudland,” “A Full-Service Shelter,” “Greed” (one of my favorites at the moment), and “The Correct Grip” (another favorite) will be recognizable in how swiftly, subtly, and suddenly they create moments of revelation and transcendence. If part of the short story craft is brevity, then Amy Hempel is truly skilled. Some of these short stories are just half a page long, but they’ll leave you wondering where the main character came from, where they are going, and wanting to go with them.

Amazon logoBarnes & Noble logoBooks a Million logoBookshop logo
Star Wars Queen's Shadow

Star Wars Queen's Shadow

by E. K. Johnston

Sara’s Pick 

When I was a little girl, my dad signed me out of school to go see Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace and it is one of my favorite memories. When I laid eyes on Padmé Naberrie, also known as Queen Amidala of Naboo, my little brain was totally blown. She was fierce and strong, regal and feminine, quick-witted and strategic—in other words, a total badass. And I was definitely not the only person who felt this way.

Queen’s Shadow is about Padmé’s journey from queen to representative for Naboo in the Galactic Senate and all the drama and intrigue within. I love that we are going to get more detail about Padmé’s life as a powerful figure in the fate of the universe, outside of her mothering of Luke and Leia. And her story is in good hands—E. K. Johnston has written lots of novels focused on fascinating, well developed women (Exit, Pursued by a Bear,and Ahsoka). This book might seem intimidating for those who have never dived into the Star Wars novels, but as the first book focusing on this integral character, it’s the perfect way to start your journey into the extended universe. Whether you’ve been waiting for this your whole life (like me) or if you’re dipping your toes in a galaxy far, far away, let Padmé show you the way and what she’s made of.

Amazon logoBarnes & Noble logoBooks a Million logo
Queenie

Queenie

by Candice Carty-Williams

Ronda’s Pick

Wow! What an amazing read this was. Queenie Jenkins, a Jamaican-British woman, is undergoing change all around her, and I even see a little bit of myself in her journey. After a very unclear breakup from her long-term boyfriend, Queenie craves love and reassurance from everyone but herself. Despite meaningless rendezvous with guys who only complicate her narrative, Queenie’s quirky friend group and rather fractured family turn this into a tale of small, yet powerful triumphs.

With heightened anxiety about nearly everything, Queenie is hilarious, raw, and complicated. If you’re like me, you’ll love this brutally honest and realistic protagonist who grows through the course of the story. Not only is Queenie living in a time period of high profile injustice for black people, she’s also grappling with her own quixotic expectations of love (which have seriously taken a toll on her mental health). Follow Queenie on her journey to self-discovery—it’s a long, but rewarding one.

Amazon logoBarnes & Noble logoBooks a Million logoBookshop logo
The Island of Sea Women

The Island of Sea Women

by Lisa See

Erin’s Pick

I'm a huge Lisa See fan. From The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane to Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, I've become enchanted by her ability to depict such beautiful and heartbreaking female relationships, whether they be between mothers and daughters or friends. Thus, I was so excited when The Island of Sea Women landed on my desk. And I definitely wasn't disappointed. The Island of Sea Women is Lisa See at her finest. Set on a small island off the coast of the Korean Peninsula, this novel follows the story of Mi-ja and Young-sook, two young girls—and best friends—training to join their island’s all-female diving collective. Beginning in the 1930s, the story weaves through World War II, the Korean War, and beyond, showing how Mi-ja and Young-sook's relationship changes as their world is torn apart by war and colonial occupation. This is, by far, the most powerful book I've read this year, and I cannot recommend it more.

Amazon logoBarnes & Noble logoBooks a Million logoBookshop logo
Gingerbread

Gingerbread

by Helen Oyeyemi

Hannah’s Pick

Gingerbread is a fantastical, weird, complex, dark, and completely unique book. I’ve loved Helen Oyeyemi since I first read her novel Boy, Snow, Bird, which is an adaptation of Snow White that layers in social and racial issues in a modern-ish world, and every time I’ve picked up something of hers since then I think, “HOW DOES SHE COME UP WITH THIS?” Her imagination is something I spend too much time thinking about. In Gingerbread, she twists the classic Hansel and Gretel fairy tale into a story about a mother, daughter, and the way race and economics can build and shape a family history. She uses different perspectives to tell a tale within the overall narrative, which transports its characters from London to a mythical country with magical gingerbread. I really don’t know how she came up with the story she has, but I do know after I finished it, I sat on my couch and thought about it, in silence, for a good long while before acquiescing to amazement and complete respect for the woman’s mind.

Amazon logoBarnes & Noble logoBooks a Million logo
Daisy Jones & The Six

Daisy Jones & The Six

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Saimah’s Pick #1

Have you ever wondered what it was like being a member of an iconic rock band in the 1970s? Step into the world of Daisy Jones! Daisy loves sneaking into clubs, hanging out with musicians, and dreams of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. Follow her musical adventures and read about how she gains the fame and attention she always desired.

If you enjoyed The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, you won’t want to miss this new novel from Taylor Jenkins Reid. Reese Witherspoon devoured this book and she’s adapting it for an Amazon TV series!

Amazon logoBarnes & Noble logoBooks a Million logo
Internment

Internment

by Samira Ahmed

Saimah’s Pick #2

Are you a fan of near futuristic novels where the world seems to be falling apart? Internment is a story set in the near future in the United States. Seventeen-year-old Layla Amin faces a terrifying reality: her family is forced into an internment camp for Muslim American citizens. Her friends on the outside can’t do anything to help. Layla and her newly made friends in the camp join forces to fight for their freedom and attempt to lead a revolt against the camp’s director and guards.

This emotional novel challenges readers to think about the horrors of our country’s past and fight for the freedoms for our fellow citizens to ensure we don’t repeat those mistakes. We need to stand together and support those who are the target of hate crimes.

Amazon logoBarnes & Noble logoBooks a Million logo

Categories // Bookish Lists

Tagged //

Love to get lit... erary? Sign up to get the latest delivered to your inbox!