Beware! The books coming out this month are not for the easily frightened. If you’re in the mood for some lighthearted Spring Break and beach reads, you better wait ’til April for those to start trickling into bookstores. The ones hitting the shelves this March will give you chills and have you anxious to see what happens next. From a vanishing twin sister to a moody hipster and even a woman who can’t remember if she killed someone or not, the 11 books on this list will keep you up at night — in the most enjoyable way ever. And if you need a pageturner that will inspire instead of terrify you, may we recommend Homemakers? ;)
1. Know Your Beholder by Adam Rapp ($19): Francis Falbo hasn’t had much motivation to shower lately. The combined events of his mom dying, band breaking up and wife leaving him have completely broken him. As a coping mechanism, he becomes obsessed with the tenants he rents rooms to. But surprisingly, his extreme interest transforms into a way to heal. (out March 3)
2. Small Mercies by Eddie Joyce ($20): This layered narrative follows various siblings 10 years after their firefighter father dies in the 9/11 attacks. The untimely death has colored their lives in very different ways. This novel will really make you think more deeply about what it means to be a family. (out March 10)
3. At The Water’s Edge by Sara Gruen ($21): The best-selling author of Water for Elephants returns with another page turner, this time about a young socialite named Madeline living in Philadelphia. With the backdrop of World War II looming, Madeline’s marriage takes some unexpected turns, and she soon develops some unlikely friendships. (out March 31)
4. We All Looked Upby Tommy Wallach ($14): This debut novel already has reviewers at highbrow publications such as Salon, Tin House and McSweeney’s singing its praises, even though it’s dubbed a YA book. With a dystopian theme, it explores what would happen if teens shed each other’s “labels” and lived in a new way they never thought possible. (out March 24)
5. Forgiveness 4 Youby Ann Bauer ($20): The protagonist in this novel is an ex-priest turned bookseller who is just trying to start his life over, quietly. But when he befriends an advertising exec who convinces him to turn the whole idea of forgiveness into a money-making enterprise, it doesn’t take long for him to see that secrets and business don’t mix. (out March 17)
6. Selfish, Shallow and Self-Absorbed edited by Meghan Daum ($19): Sixteen big-name writers such as Kate Christensen, Geoff Dyer and Danielle Henderson share why they’ve chosen not to have kids. It’s refreshing that men’s essays are included in this anthology, giving a fuller voice to an important social issue. (out March 31)
7. The Pocket Wife by Susan Crawford ($19): Dana finds herself in the middle of a murder trial after her next-door neighbor dies. Combine this with a nagging suspicion that her husband is having an affair and bouts of memory loss due to her bipolar disease and you have one page-turning psychological thriller on your hands. (out March 17)
8. B & Me by J.C. Hallman ($19): Twenty-five years after writing U & I about his literary relationship with John Updike, Hallman is back, this time opening up about how reading works by Nicholson Baker changed his life. As a book lover, you’ll totally relate to Hallman’s persistence on how a book can make a profound impact on one’s life. (out March 10)
9. Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver ($14): If you read Lauren Oliver’s book Rooms, you know how bone-chillingly haunting she can be. Her latest novel is about two sisters, Dana and Nick, who experienced the same car crash but were effected very differently. Once inseparable, they become estranged after their parents divorce. And then Dana, the once “popular one” and now disfigured, friendless sister goes missing, leading Nick on a tireless search to find her. (out March 10)
10. The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma ($13): This Young Adult novel is being dubbed Orange Is The New Black meets Black Swan. Paying attention now? The plot ties two totally different girls together: one is a ballerina, one is locked up in juvenile detention. (out March 24)
11. Mosquitoland by David Arnold ($13): In this coming-of-age-book, teen Mim Malone leaves her dad and stepmom behind and hops a bus across the country when she learns her mom is seriously sick. In a true case of being all about the journey (not the destination), you’ll enjoyher road trip and the eccentric characters she meets along the way. (out March 3)
What’s on your March reading list? Tell us in the comments below.
