For the past several years, I’ve written quarterly “most anticipated” book lists for The Everygirl, an online media company for women. (Here’s my most recent winter reading list, as an example.) Sadly, I didn’t get the opportunity to write one for spring this year, and all these great novels have been burning a hole in my mind. So, I decided I would share them with you! And, because this is my blog and I can do what I want, I decided not to limit myself to 10 books for the entire spring. Instead, you get 13 books just for March! (Whew. Maybe I should be more judicious next time…) Anyway, enjoy!
Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi
March 2
A past-and-present novel set between 1978 Kabul and 2008 New York City? This sounds right up my alley! Plus, I loved The Pearl That Broke Its Shell, and I’d like to read more by Hashimi.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my free advance copy of this book.
Home is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo
March 2
Elizabeth Acevedo, one of my favorite YA authors and audiobook narrators, blurbed this book: “Nothing short of magic…One of the best writers of our times.” When I saw Home is Not a Country was also a YA novel in verse (like Acevedo’s books), I knew I had to listen to the audiobook, and that was a fantastic decision. I recommend you listen to it, too! (You all know I love the library app Libby, but I also love subscribing to Libro.fm for $14.99/month to support independent bookstores. If you don’t have Libro.fm, use my referral link and get 2-for-1 audiobooks!)
Thanks to the publisher and Libro.fm for my free advance copy of this audiobook.
Voices of the Lost by Hoda Barakat
March 2
One of my reading goals this year is to read more translated fiction, so I’m especially excited about this Lebanese book told in letters (epistolary novels are also a favorite of mine), which is translated from Arabic and won the International Prize for Arabic Fiction.
The Arsonists’ City by Hala Alyan
March 9
Alyan’s debut Salt Houses is one of my all-time favorite novels, and I am thrilled to report her sophomore novel is another stunning family saga. In the present day, three Arab-American siblings (living in New York City, Austin and Beirut) are attempting to fend off their mother Mazna’s requests to return to Beirut for the summer to sell their father’s childhood home. In the past, we see Mazna coming of age in Syria and Lebanon during the tumultuous 1970s. Life in this book is messy, heartbreaking and beautiful, and though almost all the characters said or did things that were nearly unforgivable, I couldn’t help but love them. This will be one of my top books of 2021!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my free advance copy of this book.
How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue
March 9
This was another highly anticipated sophomore novel of 2021 for me. I still regularly recommend Mbue’s 2016 debut Behold the Dreamers, and I think this book was even better. (Although they are completely different!) Set in a fictional village in an unnamed central African country (Mbue is from Cameroon), How Beautiful We Were alternates between choral narration from the village’s children and chapters from multiple individual perspectives. The story begins when the villagers take drastic measures to fight against Pexton, an American oil company that has destroyed their land, their water and their health through years of environmental degradation.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my free advance copy of this book.
Black Girl, Call Home by Jasmine Mans
March 9
You may already know Jasmine Mans as a spoken word poet and performer, but even if you are unfamiliar with her work, you are sure to find poems that speak to you in this beautiful collection. In a note from the author, Mans writes: “May this book champion a narrative of home for the Black Girl. May girls of all races and ethnicities know her story, and love her—love her well enough to call her home.”*
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my free advance copy of this book.
The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson
March 16
I love a good thriller, but my favorite authors in that genre all seem to be white women from the U.S. or the U.K. So, I am always on the hunt for great thrillers by Women of Color, and this one has gotten a lot of good buzz from librarian groups I belong to! I don’t know anything about it because I refuse to read marketing copy for thrillers due to my extreme aversion to spoilers, but I got a copy on pub day and look forward to digging in.
Silence is a Sense by Layla AlAmmar
March 16
I’m also always on the hunt for amazing Arab fiction, so I was very excited to get this advance copy from Kuwaiti author Layla AlAmmar about a Syrian refugee in Britain, who no longer speaks after her harrowing journey and finds her voice through writing instead.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my free advance copy of this book.
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
March 16
As if I wasn’t already excited enough about this young adult indigenous thriller, while working on this list, I saw news that the Obamas are adapting it for Netflix. What?! Definitely order your copy now; it’s going to be a hot one. (I’m reading this one now, so hopefully I’ll share my thoughts on Instagram soon.)
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my free advance copy of this book.
Red Island House by Andrea Lee
March 23
I’m a sucker for books with strong senses of place, preferably somewhere overseas I’ve only dreamed of going, and this novel featuring an American professor who moves to Madagascar with her Italian husband fits the bill. Author Andrea Lee is known for the evocative settings of her past books, including Italy and Russia, and I’m excited to travel to Madagascar with her new novel.*
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my free advance copy of this book.
Wild Women and the Blues by Denny S. Bryce
March 30
I am not ashamed to say that I absolutely judge books by their covers, and this one drew me in immediately. So glamorous! Chicago during the Jazz Age? Count me in. This is another past-and-present novel alternating between 1925 and 2015, so I’m excited to see which details Bryce includes about the different eras.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my free advance copy of this book.
Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge
March 30
Yet another highly anticipated sophomore novel? That category could have been a book list on its own! This one is historical fiction inspired by the life of one of the first Black female doctors in the United States, and I’ve seen it on just about every “most anticipated” list since the beginning of this year.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my free advance copy of this book.
Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia
March 30
I have a soft spot for multigenerational fiction (did I mention that already?), so I was very excited to hear about this family saga set in the U.S., Cuba and Mexico. Recently, I saw this thoughtful review from Tasteful Rude that mentions problematic aspects of the book. I did not read the review too closely because I still plan to read the book, but I definitely will be re-visiting it afterward to inform my experience, and I wanted to share the link for anyone else who read/will be reading this book and is interested in reading another perspective.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my free advance copy of this book.
What March releases are you looking forward to reading? Did any of these catch your eye? (Also, would you be interested in reading more preview posts like this in the future? Let me know in the comments!)
*Note: Versions of some descriptions were originally published on TheEverygirl.com in my article “12 Books by Black Women We Can’t Wait to Read This Year.“
