Shopping at the bookstore without a game plan isn’t quite as dangerous as a hangry trip to the grocery store. But it does help to have a list. Since not everyone has time to scan the shelves or scroll the endless sprawl of Goodreads forums, we’re here to help with five preselected titles worthy of your reading adventures this month.March is making good on its “in like a lion, out like a lamb” reputation with a varied crop of new releases. From a sci-fi romance graphic novel to a nonfiction homage to some of history’s most influential writers (think: Susan Sontag, Maurice Sendak, and Sigmund Freud), these books are sure to satisfy every curiosity. In need of more picks? Take a spin through February’s recs. And be sure to stay tuned for a new batch next month. Until then, here are five titles worthy of your bookmark, right up ahead.
What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours, Helen Oyeyemi
Out March 8
With five critically acclaimed titles under her belt, British author Helen Oyeyemi, who published her first novel at the tender age of 19, tries the short story on for size in this imaginative new collection. Drawing from the enchanting voice she solidified with her last book, Boy, Snow, Bird(a loose retelling of Snow White), Oyeyemi weaves together nine tales fixated on the idea of keys. (It’s a motif she’sfascinated by in real life as much as in her fiction.) The result: a book that is sure to unlock the imagination of anyone who follows along.
Innocents and Others, Dana Spiotta
Out March 8
If you’ve ever binged on MTV’s Catfish, then you’re sure to find something familiar in Dana Spiotta’s new novel, which centers on a woman named Jelly who abuses her landline privileges to get into the ears of Hollywood’s most powerful players. (You can listen in on one of those calls inthis excerpt, recently published in TheNew Yorker.) When two filmmaker friends get wrapped up in Jelly’s story, things start to get, well, fishy. Fans of mold-breaking novels like A Visit From the Goon Squad will have fun with this pop-y exploration of friendship, loneliness, and moviemaking.
The Violet Hour, Katie Roiphe
Out March 8
Self-reflecting writers often have a meditative way of processing the concept of death. In The Violet Hour, author Katie Roiphe heavily researches and recounts the “final days” of six influential writers — Susan Sontag, John Updike, and Maurice Sendak, to name a few — as they confront the inevitable fate of their lives coming to an end. This is a book about death, but it doesn’t feel morbid. Rather, it’s an homage to creative writers with ongoing legacies, whose lives are worthy of honor and celebration.
Patience, Daniel Clowes
Out March 21
If graphic novels are more your speed, look no further than the long-awaited Patience, a new psychedelic sci-fi thriller from the creator behind cult fave Ghost World. In this epic 180-pager, our hero Jack seeks answers (and revenge) with regards to his late wife’s murder. He figures out how to time travel into the future and the past, hoping to find a way to prevent the killing from happening at all. Rest assured, this graphic novel is not entirely a brutal murder mystery — there’s also a super-heartwarming love story omnipresent throughout the colorful pages.
The Nest, Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
Out March 22
The fate of a hefty, joint trust fund called “the nest” — shared by four adult siblings — is unexpectedly thrown into question after the eldest brother is involved in a drunk driving incident. Faced with the possibility of losing the promise of financial stability, the Plumb kids are forced to reevaluate themselves (and each other). Fans of dark comedy are sure to appreciate the twisted humor and compassion found in this novel, which explores the ever-binding relationship between brothers and sisters. The Nestis gripping family drama at its best.
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