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Must-Read Books March 2026 |
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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The First Time I Saw Him (a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick)
by Laura Dave
Five years after her husband Owen disappeared, Hannah Hall and her stepdaughter Bailey have settled into a new life in Southern California. Together, they've forged a relationship with Bailey's grandfather Nicholas and are putting the past behind them. But when Owen shows up at Hannah's new exhibition, she knows that she and Bailey are in danger again. Hannah and Bailey are forced to go on the run in a relentless race to keep their past from catching up with them. As a thrilling drama unfolds, Hannah risks everything to get Bailey to safety--and finds there just might be a way back to Owen and their long-awaited second chance--
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Evelyn in Transit
by David Guterson
A crystalline short novel about defying expectations, hitting the road, and seeking the right way to live.
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More Than Enough
by Anna Quindlen
High school English teacher Polly Goodman can talk about everything and anything with the women in her book club, which is why they've become her closest friends and, along with the support of her veterinarian husband, the bedrock of her life. Her private school students, her fraught relationship with mother, her struggles with IVF-Polly's book club friends have heard it all. But when they give Polly an ancestry test kit as a joke, the results match her with a stranger. Despite it seeming clear that this match is a mistake, Polly cannot help combing through her own family history for answers. Then, when it seems that the book club circle of four will become three, Polly learns how friendships can change your life in the most profound ways-- Provided by publisher.
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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Sparks Fly
by Zakiya N. Jamal
When Stella Renee Johnson's roommate invites her to a sex club party only to bail, Stella decides to use the opportunity to finally cash in her V-card. But just when things are heating up between Stella and a sexy stranger, the fire alarm goes off and Stella, taking it as a sign this wasn't meant to be, flees. Frustrated in more ways than one, Stella is shocked to learn that the digital media website where she works is partnering with an AI company. She's even more shocked when the alluring man from the previous night walks in. Max Williams is the CEO's brother and the creator of the AI program now threatening her job. Despite the conflict of interest, Stella and Max can't resist their magnetic attraction towards each other, and agree to keep their personal lives separate from what's happening at work. But the more similarities they discover at home-both Black, booksmart, and bisexual-the more they butt heads at work. Stella and Max must decide whether to think with their heads and walk away from their budding relationship, or follow their hearts and take a chance on love, no matter the cost--
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| 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. |
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| Kings and Pawns: Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson in America by Howard BryantSports journalist Howard Bryant's affecting history details how trailblazing Black actor Paul Robeson and Major League Baseball player Jackie Robinson's differing political ideologies often put them at odds with each other, culminating in Robinson's 1949 appearance at the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), where he testified against Robeson. For fans of: The Sword and the Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. by Peniel E. Joseph. |
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Lessons from Bobby: Ten Reasons Robert F. Kennedy Still Matters
by Chris Matthews
From the host of Hardball with Chris Matthews (now on Substack) and acclaimed Kennedy biographer comes a centennial tribute about why Robert F. Kennedy's revolutionary vision offers the roadmap America needs today. 100 years after his birth, Bobby Kennedy matters more than ever. That is because he led us in pursuit of America's ideals. He took risks for peace and united a fractured country. He showed moral courage and political bravery. In today's bitterly divided nation, his message has the power to help us reimagine a better future. On the historic occasion of Bobby Kennedy's centennial, Chris Matthews, one of America's foremost political commentators and Kennedy biographers, gives us ten electrifying lessons for today drawn from Bobby's life. Take them as a guide. America is great when it tries, at its best, to be good. This special anniversary book also includes a selection of Bobby Kennedy's greatest speeches, which, when read today, offer a renewed and inspiring vision for America.
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Queens at War: England's Medieval Queens Book Four
by Alison Weir
The fifteenth century was a violent age. ... Alison Weir chronicles the five queens who got caught up in wars that changed the courses of their lives: the Hundred Years' War between England and France, and the Wars of the Roses between the royal Houses of Lancaster and York. Against this tempestuous backdrop, Weir describes the lives of five Plantagenet queens, who occupied the consort's throne from 1403 to 1485. Joan of Navarre was happily married to King Henry IV but was accused of witchcraft by Henry's heir and imprisoned. Paris-born Katherine of Valois's political marriage to Henry V was meant to bring between England and France. It didn't, and Henry died during the Hundred Years' War without ever seeing his newborn heir, Henry VI, who was wed to another French princess, Margaret of Anjou, in 1445. In the Wars of the Roses, Margaret staunchly supported her husband and son. Henry's successor, Edward IV, became embroiled in scandal after he fell in love with and married Elizabeth Widville, mother of the tragic Princes in the Tower. The notorious Richard III usurped Edward's throne and married Anne Neville, who died after losing her only child, forsaken by her husband--
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| 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. |
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The Last Ember: The Aerimander Chronicles Book 1
by Lily Berlin Dodd
A New York Times Bestseller Impossible Creatures meets The Mysterious Benedict Society in this epic, fast-paced upper-middle grade fantasy full of dragon-like creatures, heroic hijinks, battle-forged friendships, and sharp humor. Expert worldbuilding with a rip-roaring plot. Publishers Weekly, starred review Reminiscent of The Golden Compass. Booklist, starred review Fans of The Princess Bride and Terry Pratchett's work will devour this series opener. --Kirkus Reviews, starred review New York Public Library Best Book of the Year - Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year - Junior Library Guild Selection - New York Times Bestseller Aerimanders are extinct. Or so the government would have you think. Centuries ago, the Kingdom of Glaucus decreed the destruction of these dangerous, dragon-like creatures whose deadly flame could level entire cities and upend world orders. But when twelve-year-old Eva Alexander, a wealthy chemistry student in the city of Porttown, walks into a fashionable department store and walks out (accidentally) with the world's last aerimander egg, everything changes. Suddenly, Eva is the target of unwanted attention--including from the Thieves' Union, a mysterious organization with a rebellious streak and fingers in every pie in Porttown. The Union orders its youngest member, the orphaned dairy delivery boy Dusty St. Ichabod, to steal the egg from Eva. Which is far easier said than done. When Eva and Dusty meet one autumn night under extraordinary circumstances, an epic game of cat and mouse unfolds across the Kingdom. Initially at odds, the unlikely pair must come together to navigate a maze of sinister crime syndicates, elite boarding schools, and an incredibly slow getaway pony named Gourd--all while fighting to keep the egg out of the hands of power-hungry Eoin Parnassus, Director of Kingdom Secrets. As the duo races against time, their fates and that of the whole world are at stake. Because there's one question no one dares to ask: What happens when the egg hatches? The Last Ember is the first installment in an action-packed fantasy adventure about a powerful creature, those who seek to exploit it, and those who are willing to protect it at all costs. With stained edges, a map, and 6 x 9 trim, the book's package is as lush as its storytelling. The First Flame: Aerimander Chronicles Book 2 takes flight in Fall 2026
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| 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.” |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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New Carlisle-Olive Township Public Library
408 S. Bray St.
New Carlisle, Indiana 46552
(574) 654-3046ncpl.lib.in.us |
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