Wondering what to read now? If you’re looking for book suggestions, look no further! Here are all the hot new March 2019 book releases for you. I’ll let you know what I’ve read, what I can’t wait to read, and what’s getting all the attention this month.
In January, we polled our newsletter readers asking whether we should write about new releases at the beginning or the end of the month.
Posting at the beginning of the month is better for promotional reasons. People rarely want to click on a pin saying the best new books to read now … when “now” is really last month.
However, by posting later in the month, we knew we had a better chance of actually having read the books. It’s way better to say “this book is great” or “Skip this one.” instead of just describing each book as intriguing.
Our solution: it was time for us to access Advance Review Copies. In the mail, on our kindle, through Book of the Month and Amazon First Reads. In all, we were able to read 7 of the March new releases. That’s why we can say with confidence at the beginning of the month – these are the best new books to read now.
We can’t promise we’ll have this luck every month – but we’ll sure try. As it is, we hope you enjoy our March new releases list a bit earlier than normal this month.
March 2019 Releases – Advance Review Copies
The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in this One
Amanda Lovelace
Among the best new books to read now would has to be The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in this One. Two-time Goodreads Choice Awards winner in poetry Amanda Lovelace is back with the 3rd entry into her Women Are Some Kind of Magic series. I rarely read poetry, so I struggled at first with the eccentric format of this collection. Nevertheless, I came to love her unconventional method. Considering how few words she uses, I’m amazed at the depth of feeling Lovelace conveys about the highs and lows, doubts, and fears of sexual assault. I hope her collection does indeed help other women find their voices.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Andrew McNeels Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 5 March 2019
Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
Where the Forest Meets the Stars
Glendy Vanderah
For Amazon Prime members, each month on the Kindle app, you can choose one of six free Kindle books – a month before they release. How cool is that? This month, I choose Glendy Vanderah’s debut novel, Where the Forest Meets the Stars, and I was not disappointed. While working on her graduate research in rural Illinois, Joanna Teale returns one night to find a little girl outside her cabin. But not just any little girl. Ursa claims to be an alien who needs to witness 5 miracles before she can return to her planet. This charming little story had me guessing the whole time. Was it a science fiction novel? Or was Ursa just an abused and neglected little girl.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 1 March 2019
Amazon | Goodreads
The Island of Sea Women
Lisa See
On the island of Jeju just off the Korean peninsula, lives a society where women are the breadwinners – sea divers risking untold hazards to provide for their families from the ocean. Among them are best friends Mi-ja and Young-sook, two girls just entering their village’s diving collective. Telling the account of their lives from the Japanese occupation in the 1930s, through World War II and the tumultuous aftermath up to the present, Lisa See’s latest historical fiction novel is a beautifully written account. If you love reading historical fiction about different cultures, this is one that you don’t want to miss.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Scribner through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 5 March 2019
Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
Girl, Stop Apologizing
Rachel Hollis
Following her 2018 bestseller Girl, Wash Your Face, Rachel Hollis is back with a followup Girl, Stop Apologizing. While Girl, Wash Your Face was aimed at reminding women not to hold themselves back, her latest book release is more geared toward achieving goals. The weakest part of the book is the beginning where Hollis lists excuses that hold you back – I don’t have time, good girls don’t hustle, etc. This section feels like a lesser copy of her previous book. The book finds its stride in the second half when Hollis describes the specific behaviors and skills you need to achieve your goals. If you approach the book with a specific goal in mind, you have a much better chance of enjoying it. Overall, I would say this book is not as good as Girl, Wash Your Face, and probably only worth 3 stars.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from HarperCollins Leadership. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 5 March 2019
Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
Least Favorite March 2019 Book Releases
Outer Order, Inner Calm
Gretchen Rubin
What do you get when the author of The Happiness Project (which I loved) tackles minimalism – one of my favorite subjects? I expected to get a fun, well-researched book like her previous works. Instead, I received a collection of tips, quotes, and sayings with little depth or research placed together in not the most orderly fashion. I appreciate that she was trying to keep the book minimal, but the whole thing felt half-baked, tired and far from original.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harmony. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 5 March 2019
Amazon | Goodreads
The Last Year of the War
Susan Meissner
I seem to be ever in the search for the next great WWII historical fiction worthy of the best new books to read now, so I was extremely excited at the chance to review Susan Meissner’s latest book. Elise Sontag is a typical American teenager – until her family is moved to an internment camp because her German father is falsely accused of being a Nazi sympathizer. There she forges an undying friendship with Mariko Inoue, a friendship that will forever change the trajectory of her life. Unfortunately, The Last Year of the War didn’t live up to my expectations. The author seemed to rely too heavily on plot. She told, told, told all the things that happen to Elise without really showing any emotional depth. A well-researched take that just fell flat for me.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 19 March 2019
Amazon | Goodreads
Book of the Month – March 2019 Book Releases
I just joined The Book of the Month Club this year, and I’m so excited to start getting books every month. Here’s how it works – each month, they pick 5 books and you get to choose one book. If you want to add any extra books, then you get them at a discounted price. Each month is usually a mix of new releases and advance copies of unreleased books.
Join Book of the Month and get a discount on your first book!
A Woman is No Man
Etaf Rum
In February for my very first Book of the Month selection, I chose Etaf Rum’s debut novel, A Woman is No Man. Following three generations of Palestinian women, Rum’s powerful story highlights the dangers of beliefs that view women as inferior. The tale begins with the arranged marriage of Isra, forced to move to America where she knows no one. Years later, Isra’s daughter Deya herself faces an arranged marriage in Brooklyn. This raw account of the oppression of women in an extremely strict family is depressing and at the same time beautifully written. Certainly worth a read, and easily one of the best new books to read now.
Daisy Jones & The Six
Taylor Jenkins Reid
Already snapped up by Reese Witherspoon’s company to become an Amazon miniseries, Daisy Jones & The Six is making waves this month. After her highly successful novel The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid is back with an addictingly fun read about the rise to fame in rock and roll. With sex, drugs, and plenty of drama, you’ll feel like watching a biopic on VH1. Selected by Book of the Month club for March, Daisy Jones & The Six is one of the best new books to read now.
Before She Knew Him
Peter Swanson
I wanted to highlight just one more Book of the Month selection for this month. Most every month, the Book of the Month selections include a thriller, and this month is no different. For years, Hen has been dealing with bipolar disorder, but she finally seems to have gotten her condition under control. Until her new neighbor moves in, a neighbor she becomes convinced is a killer. Is she on to something, or is she having another psychotic break? A fun new psychological thriller perfect for anyone who loves a good mystery.
The Most Anticipated March 2019 Book Releases
Gingerbread
Helen Oyeyemi
Recently, I’ve seen Gingerbread listed by many publications among the best new books to read now. The premise certainly sounds imaginative. Perdita Lee and her mother Harriet may seem like your average Londoners, but if you look closely something is amiss. In reality, they are famous for their gingerbread, a secret family recipe that is popular in Druhástrana, a faraway fairy tale land of Harriet’s childhood. I’m intrigued to see if Oyeyemi’s imagination can draw me in, or if it will fall flat.
The Path Made Clear
Oprah Winfrey
I have literally seen nothing on this book – no reviews, no mentions, nada. But it’s Oprah Winfrey! How could I not consider it one of the best new books to read now? Everyone has a purpose in life. By sharing lessons from her own life as well as wisdom from others, Winfrey sets out to help you discover what your purpose is and help you live it. I’m thinking we are in for a Girl, Wash Your Face, Oprah Winfrey-style, and I can’t wait.
What March 2019 Book Releases are You Most Excited to Read?
What books can you not wait to get your hands on this month? Did I miss any March 2019 book releases that you are anticipating? As always, let me know in the comments!
More New Book Releases:
