We might be in the middle of winter, but March books are on the horizon – and that means spring is on its way, too. Here are five new titles that you can add to your to-be-read piles, and usher out winter in true library style: with a good book!
Tangerine, by Christine Mangan (March 20): There is a ton of buzz surrounding this psychological thriller, so be sure to add it to your holds list before it becomes the Next Big Book – especially because it has already been optioned for film by none other than George Clooney and Scarlett Johansson. Set in the 1950s, it’s the story of college roommates who meet up in Morocco after a mysterious estrangement. And when one woman’s husband disappears, it sets off a terrifying chain of events that dredges up old secret, lies, and possibly murder between friends.
Perfect if you love: Old Hollywood suspense a la Alfred Hitchcock (think an ultra-glamorous Grace Kelly in Dial M for Murder). Try the recent staff favorite The Confusion of Languages, by Siobhan Fallon, or In the Kingdom of Men, by Kim Barnes, for tales of friendships abroad that turn tragic.
Stray City, by Chelsey Johnson (March 20): This book is one of my personal favorites for the year (so far) – it’s a funny, warm coming-of-age novel about a twenty-something woman who, rejected by her own family, creates her own family (and her own identity) with a ragtag group of friends and lovers in hip, artistic Portland. It’s absolutely charming, and it will definitely warm your heart!
Perfect if you love: ’90s nostalgia. This is a must-read when you find yourself longing for the good old days of late ’90s grunge, bustling coffee houses, and friends who form their own family. Until Stray City is available, why not check out a copy of Friends on DVD?
Sometimes I Lie, by Alice Feeney (March 13): Do you like novels where the narrator is unreliable? Do you like novels where nothing is as it seems? How about novels that will keep you guessing until the very (unexpected, possibly bitter) end? Sometimes I Lie is that novel, and you absolutely must read it this spring! As unreliable narrators go, Amber Reynolds takes the prize: she is telling her story from her hospital bed (how did she get there?), from a coma (how did it happen?), and has one important thing to tell readers: sometimes, she lies…so, how much can you trust her?
Let Me Lie, by Clare Mackintosh (March 13): That’s right: two books with “lie” in their titles for March! But we don’t have to convince you to read this one – after all, you’ve read Clare Mackintosh’s two other stellar thrillers, I Let You Go and I See You (both former LibraryReads selections, right)? If you haven’t, you’ll want to catch up on all of Mackintosh’s novels after you read this one, in which a woman, still grieving the deaths of her beloved parents within months of each, receives an anonymous note suggesting they were murdered. Dun dun DUN!!
Perfect if you love: I’m combining my “lie” read-alikes, because if you’re a fan of psychological suspense, there are so many authors I highly recommend! Definitely snag copies of Mackintosh’s previous works, available here and here, but be sure to check out these authors, too, because you simply cannot go wrong with any of their novels! Try B.A. Paris, Shari Lapena, and Paula Daly.
The Italian Teacher, by Tom Rachman (March 20): I loved Rachman’s last novel, The Rise & Fall of Great Powers (about the strange, Dickensian upbringing of lonely bookshop employee), and now I can’t wait for his new novel, in which the young son of a renowned painter (and the painter’s long-forgotten muse), spends his life trying to measure up to his father – but can only find success after his father’s death. A must-read and a can’t-miss for fans of historical fiction!
Perfect if you love: Coming of age stories, European locales, and complicated family dynamics. Try Beautiful Ruins, by Jess Walter or The Rocks, by Peter Nichols.
Get more reading recommendations from our staff: find our booklists for adults and teens online, or subscribe to our Recommended Reads e-newsletter for a monthly delivery of staff picks!
