New Books for March 2023

Lots of family drama, historical fiction and YA fiction to choose from this month

Feb 28, 2023

Hi readers,

What a week last was and wasn’t! Nothing new and exciting happened for me personally, but I’m working lots of extra hours and on weekends now. It’s hard to do something fun when I’m tired and only want to sleep.

Even though it’s not March yet, it’s just around the corner, so that’s close enough for me. Some interesting books are hitting the shelves in March that I’m excited to read. It seems like March could be “historical fiction” month for new releases, but I know everyone is not as interested in HF as I am, so I’ll refrain from sharing all of them with you. Let’s get started!

Good Night from Paris by Jane Healey (3-7-23) - I discovered Healey when I read The Beantown Girls and I was hooked. Her newest book is about a Hollywood actress who became a radio correspondent in Paris in 1939. Her radio show is used to “shake America from its apathy” concerning the impending war. It’s based on a true story, and early reviews say it is captivating, emotional, and heroic. Be sure to read the author’s note at the end, as it provides historical context about the characters. If you are a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, it is available on KU on the publication date.

Now You See Us by Balli Kaur Jaswal (3-7-23) - I loved two of her previous books, The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters and Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows, so I have high hopes for her newest one. The story follows three women who work as domestic help in the homes of Singapore’s elite. They find themselves in a mystery of their own and work together to solve it. It’s described as Crazy Rich Asians meets The Help and tackles many tough subjects such as class divide, elitism, and racism. Reviews say that it’s well-written and engaging, humorous, and sometimes difficult to read, but you come away with an understanding of this aspect of life.

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson (3-7-23) - If family drama is your jam, this sounds like the perfect book to add to your TBR. This debut novel is described as "heartwarming and hilarious,” “utterly addicting and full of delicious details,” and “with characters deliciously flawed but loveable and compelling.” The story follows the wealthy and elite Stockton family and the three daughters who are making their way in the world and have been provided everything in life until now. This character-driven novel will take the reader through the life of the rich and the choices that are made for better or worse.

All that is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay (3-7-23) - If you read and enjoyed Defending Jacob, you will love Landay’s latest thriller. This family mystery and legal drama focuses on a mother that disappeared without a trace, and the suspect is the husband, who is left to raise the couple’s three kids. Many years later, an author friend of two of the grown children is convinced to write a book about their mother's disappearance and hopefully learn more about if the father is truly responsible for it. Told in multiple POVs, the twists and turns take the reader on a thrilling story of whodunit and how the disappearance affected all the children and their lives forever. I really enjoyed reading this book, as I knew I would. I would love to see a streaming service pick up this one and make a series about it, as was made about Defending Jacob.

There Goes the Neighborhood by Jade Adia (3-7-23) - I enjoy young adult fiction but don’t read as much as I’d like to. This debut YA novel is set in South Los Angeles and tells the story of the gentrification of Rhea’s community and what she and her two friends do to combat that. After putting their “fake” scheme into play and someone is murdered, the schemers are blamed and have to prove they aren’t involved. While the actions taken by the kids are not what one would recommend, it’s admirable that they wanted to take a stand for their community. It’s on my TBR and sounds like something I’d enjoy reading; maybe you would too.

I Will Find You Again by Sarah Lyu (3-14-23) - From the publisher, “All the Bright Places meets Ace of Spades in this smart, twisty teen thriller about a girl who can’t stop pushing herself to be the best—even after losing her best friend and the love of her life.” Set on Long Island, this YA novel is a twisty thriller told through the eyes of Chase that early reviews say will keep you turning the pages to learn more about the teens and what happened. The trigger warnings say it talks about suicide and drug use, but it is well worth the read if you can handle those two topics. I’m interested in reading it because of the Asian-American characters and how their heritage affects each of them in their upbringing, and ultimately leads to the thread that travels throughout the storyline.

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto (3-14-23) - From the author of Dial A for Aunties and other fun books, follow along with the escapades of elderly Vera who lives above her teashop in San Francisco’s Chinatown, and goes downstairs one day and finds a dead body. She steals a flash drive from the hand of the dead man and sets out to discover who killed him. She decides the killer will return looking for the flash drive, so she is determined to learn more about each customer to find out which one did it. It’s described as “laugh out loud funny and heartwarming,” the best kind of book to keep you company and brighten your mood.

Strangers in the Night: A Novel of Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner by Heather Webb (3-21-23) - I’ve read a few of Webb’s previous books and a couple of books written with Hazel Gaynor and enjoyed all of them. Most of Webb’s books are historical and based on facts, showcasing her unique ability to tell the story in her own way, and that is precisely what she does in Strangers. This is a well-researched fictional account of the love story between Sinatra and Gardner. Facts are interspersed with the author's story and keeps the reader turning the page. It’s emotional, tragic, and spellbinding, making you want to learn more about their story.

Hang the Moon by Jeanette Walls (3-28-23) - This new historical fiction novel from The Glass Castle author takes the reader through a family drama set in Virginia during the prohibition era. Sallie’s mother dies when she is three, and when her father marries another woman and has a baby with her, Sallie is shipped off to live with a relative. She returns years later to a family full of conflict, secrets, and scandals and learns to navigate all the good and bad in the family. Don’t go into this thinking that it is anything like the author’s memoir, The Glass Castle, as it isn’t. However, it is described as being based on facts and is a loose retelling of a particular family. The reader is left to guess which family that might be.

Wow! That’s a lot of books, and there are dozens more that I could have mentioned. What are you looking forward to reading in March? Do any of these books sound like something you’d like to add to your TBR? I’d love to know more about it in the comments.

It’s supposed to be a nice, warm sunny week in North Texas, and I’m happy spring seems to have arrived. Unfortunately, as the weather warms, that brings thunderstorms and the possibility of a tornado or two—something I will probably never get used to dealing with. I’m reading some good books to do a couple of author interviews in the near future; I can’t wait to share more about both of these with you.

Enjoy your week and the books that keep you turning the pages; happy reading!

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