|
|
|
|
Must-Read Books March 2026 |
|
|
|
| Cleopatra by Saara El-ArifiCleopatra tells her own story, starting with her teen years when her father the pharaoh died, through power struggles with siblings and others, her relationships with her children and lovers, and on to her death and beyond. Sometimes directly addressing the reader, this richly detailed, well-researched novel presents a unique portrait of a strong woman. Try this next: Natasha Solomons' I Am Cleopatra; Malayna Evans' Neferura.
|
|
| One & Only by Maurene GooForty-year-old matchmaker Cassia Park must learn to follow her heart when she's forced to choose between 28-year-old Ellis Yang-Cohen, with whom she recently had a fling, and Daniel Nam, Ellis' boss and the person she's fated to marry. YA author Maureen Goo's moving and magical realism-tinged adult debut will appeal to fans of In Five Years by Rebecca Serle. |
|
| The Belle of Chatham by Laura FrantzIn 1777 New Jersey, as their brothers fight for liberty in the Continental Army, two sisters find themselves on opposite sides of the American Revolution: loyalist Coralie is secretly engaged to a British lieutenant stationed in New York, while Mae falls for an American officer billeted in their home. Then events lead Mae to suspect Coralie of gathering information for the British. For fans of: well-researched, faith-filled historical romances; Kimberley Woodhouse's The Patriot Bride. |
|
| This Is Not About Us by Allegra GoodmanThis "unsparingly frank, wryly funny" (Kirkus Reviews) linked story collection is narrated by three generations of the Rubenstein family as they navigate 74-year-old Jeanne's death, a feud between her older sisters over apple cake, and various get-togethers for holidays, divorces, a bat mitzvah, and more. Read-alikes: The Family Izquierdo by Ruben Degollado; Underburn by Bill Gaythwaite. |
|
| The Midnight Taxi by Yosha GunasekeraNew York taxi driver Siri Perera loves true-crime podcasts, so when she picks up public defender Amaya Fernando, they bond over this and their shared Sri Lankan heritage. This connection comes in handy when Siri's next customer is somehow murdered during the ride. Arrested, Siri has five days to clear her name with help from Amaya and the childhood best friend who pays her bail. Witty and clever, this debut will please fans of Mia P. Manansala, Gigi Pandian, and Definitely Maybe Not a Detective by Sarah Fox. |
|
| The Everlasting by Alix E. HarrowSir Una Everlasting's legend as a courageous knight has been memorialized in story, but her life itself has been forgotten. Centuries later, Owen Mallory's love of her tale suddenly takes him back in time to Una herself, where they will be entangled in a story bound to repeat over and over again unless they rewrite history. For fans of: knighthood fantasy with compelling characters and intricate storytelling, such as Lev Grossman's The Bright Sword and Charlotte Bond's The Fireborne Blade. |
|
| A Gift Before Dying by Malcolm KemptThis atmospheric debut follows divorced cop Elderick Cole, who's been exiled to a troubled small town in the Canadian Arctic after mishandling a missing child case. When a young Inuit woman is found dead by hanging, Cole realizes she didn't get there on her own in this haunting, immersive story. Booklist raves, "If you only read one mystery this year, this should be it." For fans of: Peter Høeg's Smilla's Sense of Snow. |
|
| In Her Defense by Philippa MalickaA London libel trial becomes a psychological chess match in this debut novel. As celebrity chef Anna Finbow battles her daughter’s controversial therapist in court, the truth emerges through the unreliable testimony of Anna's former assistant -- revealing obsession, manipulation, and the uneasy power dynamics binding three women at the center of a public scandal. |
|
| Fundamentals of Being a Good Girl by Julie Murphy and Sierra SimoneLooking for a fresh start after her politician boyfriend dumps her, Madelyn "Maddie" Kowalczk moves to small-town Mount Astra, Kansas, where she picks up nannying as a side hustle. The only problem? Maddie's first client is single dad Bram Loe, with whom she had a steamy one-night stand on her first night in town. Featuring explicit and mildly kinky sex scenes, this latest collab between the bestselling authors of A Merry Little Meet Cute will appeal to fans of The Nanny by Lana Ferguson and readers who like their romance on the spicier side. |
|
| This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby PageWhen her new husband Joe dies of cancer, grief-stricken London book editor Tilly learns from their local bookseller that Joe has arranged for her to receive a book -- along with a note -- every month for a year. As the weeks pass, Tilly becomes friends with struggling bookstore owner Alfie and tries new things with Joe's literary encouragement in this charming read. For fans of: Mikki Brammer's The Collected Regrets of Clover. |
|
| Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna EverhartIn 1940s North Carolina, unmarried 24-year-old Ruth is unjustly accused of promiscuity by the sheriff and incarcerated at the State Industrial Farm Colony for Women. When 15-year-old Stella is raped and gets pregnant, her parents take her to the same place. There, Superintendent Dorothy Baker reigns, forcing medical treatments and more. This moving, eye-opening novel is based on a real government program. Read-alikes: Ellen Marie Wiseman's The Lies They Told; Meagan Church's The Last Carolina Girl; Dolen Perkins-Valdez's Take My Hand.
|
|
| Hearts on the Fly by Toni ShilohProfessional hockey player Jabari Hall takes a hit that makes an eye condition worse, greatly affecting his vision and ending his career. Knowing he's feeling down, his teammates set him up on a date with Val Elliott, who turns out to be his ex's sister. Though Val has strong family loyalty, she knows Jabari needs a friend, plus he isn't exactly how her big sis described. If you like this Christian romance, try: If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair. |
|
| Paper Cut by Rachel TaffLucy Golden, infamous for escaping a murderous California cult as a teenager, thought her past was behind her. But when a high-profile documentary threatens to unearth long-buried secrets, she must confront the desert, her family, and online critics, navigating fame, memory, and danger in a darkly addictive, twist-filled suspense debut. |
|
|
|
Football
by Chuck Klosterman
A hilarious but nonetheless groundbreaking contribution to the argument about which force shapes American life the most. For two kinds of readers: those who know it's football and those who are about to find out--Provided by publisher.
|
|
|
|
Black Dahlia: Murder, Monsters, and Madness in Midcentury Hollywood
by William J. Mann
Illuminating and captivating, New York Times bestselling author of Tinseltown and Bogart offers the first definitive account of the Black Dahlia murder--the most famous unsolved true crime case in American history--which humanizes the victim and situates the notorious case within an anxious, postwar country grappling with new ideas, demographics, and technologies. The brutal murder of Elizabeth Short--better known as the Black Dahlia--in 1947 has been in the public consciousness for nearly eighty years, yet no serious study of the crime has ever been published. Short has been mischaracterized as a wayward sex worker or vagabond, and--like the seductive femme fatales of film noir--responsible for and perhaps deserving of her fate. William J. Mann, however, is interested in the truth. His extensive research reveals her as a young woman with curiosity and drive, who leveraged what little agency postwar society gave her to explore the world, defying draconian postwar gender expectations to settle down, marry, and have children. It's time to reexamine the woman who became known as the Black Dahlia. Using a 21st-century lens, Mann connects Short's story to the anxious era after World War II, when the nation was grappling with new ideas, new demographics, new technologies, and old fears dressed up as new ones. Only by situating the Black Dahlia case within this changing world can we understand the tragedy of this young woman, whose life and death offer surprising mirrors on today. Mann has strong opinions on who might've killed her, and even stronger ones on who did not. He spent five years sifting through the evidence and has found unknown connections by cross-referencing police reports, District Attorney investigations, FBI files, court documents, military records, and more, using the deep, intense research skills that have become his trademark. He also spoke with the families of the original detectives, of Short's friends, and even of suspects, and relied on advice from experienced physicians and homicide detectives. Mann deftly sifts through the sensationalized journalism, preconceived notions, myths, and misunderstandings surrounding the case to uncover the truth about Elizabeth Short like no book before. The Black Dahlia promises to be the definitive study about the most famous unsolved case in American history.
|
|
| The Mighty Macy by Kwame Alexander; illustrated by Kitt ThomasAfter her school library is shut down, third-grader Macy is tapped to speak up for it at a big public meeting. But with a violin recital looming, plus homework and family pressure, Macy worries that she won't find her voice in time. Told in short, easy-to-read poems, this inspiring chapter book will keep you turning pages. |
|
| Loops by Jashar AwanSolid-colored backdrops and bold, chunky artwork invites readers to focus on the sole character in this story: a child who's determined to tie the laces on his first pair of big-kid shoes. For fans of: Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic's Touch the Sky, another upbeat tale of persistence in the face of frustration. |
|
| Call of the Dragon by Natasha BowenWhen the corrupt king of Kwa offends the dragon gods, they revoke their blessings, allowing malicious shadow spirits to threaten the land. Now Moremi, her crush Nox, and her bully Zaye must locate the gods and reestablish their protection. This fast-paced Afrofantasy explores the role of the “chosen one.” |
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
|
|
|