Our Most Anticipated Book Releases of March 2023

With Hang the Moon, Jeannette Walls brings us an engrossing novel about a young woman in Prohibition-era Virginia, her complicated family, and the fractured small town that surrounds them. Secrets and scandals swirl around her family, but with her trademark tenacity, Sallie won’t let those hold her back. Fall in love with Sallie and all her complexities and contradictions in this stunning story. Pick up our exclusive edition for an original bonus essay and special endpapers, and stay tuned for a Poured Over Podcast in April with Jeannette Walls to discuss Hang the Moon.

Sea Change tells the story of a woman trying to find her way in the world, encapsulating all the heartbreak and healing along the way. Ro’s life is marked by loss and trauma, leaving her with Dolores, a giant Pacific octopus who is the only link to her missing marine biologist father. When even that bond is threatened, Ro finds herself on a precipice. Readers will find themselves deeply immersed in this brilliant tale. Stay tuned for a Poured Over Podcast in April with Gina Chung to discuss Sea Change.

An entrancing story about New York’s elite, Pineapple Street will draw you into the drama that surrounds the young women in the Stockton family. Meet Georgiana, Sasha, and Darley in this witty and indulgent novel of first loves, the unknowability of other families, and the gap between the wealthy and everyone else. Tune into the Poured Over podcast this month as we discuss Pineapple Street with Jenny Jackson.

If you loved The Lost Apothecary, then pick up Sarah Penner’s next book, The London Séance Society. Taking us back to Paris in 1873 in an enchanting tale of truth, illusion, and the risks people will take for vengeance, this book features a spiritualist known for conjuring the spirits of murder victims and a woman trying to find answers about her sister’s death. Full of twists and turns, it will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish! With an upgraded foil jacket, full color endpapers, a stunning printed case, and an original piece about the mysterious disappearance of one of the characters, our exclusive edition is one you won’t want to miss!

Ann Napolitano returns to us with Hello Beautiful, a deeply moving novel of love and loyalty. William, Julia, and Julia’s sisters will draw readers in with their unconditional love and the rift that threatens to tear them apart. Raw and breathtaking, this is a story readers won’t be able to put down. Tune into the Poured Over podcast this month as we discuss Hello Beautiful with Ann Napolitano.

Tara Conklin’s upcoming book, Community Board, is about Darcy Clipper’s return to her hometown after her life goes awry. This big-hearted novel of unexpected community and connection is a must-read. A humorous and witty look at modern communities, Darcy’s story will leave you running to message your own community board about this book. Included in our exclusive edition is a letter to B&N readers as well as some additional community board posts.

Perfect for fans of The Godfather and Age of Vice, Lisa Scottoline’s Loyalty is a fast-paced historical thriller that will enthrall readers as they escape to Sicily during the rise of the Mafia. With a collision of characters, this story of power and vengeance is full of astonishing twists that make it an unputdownable read.

A lyrical debut that ebbs and flows with the hardship, loss, courage and friendship that comes with coming-of-age, Go as a River follows Victoria Nash as she fights to move forward despite tragedy and looming danger. With the Gunnison River threatening to swallow everything she loves in her small town of Iola, Colorado, she takes desperate measures to survive. It’s a sweeping allegory of change, destruction and renewal. Our exclusive includes a reading group guide, an original essay, and a Q&A with the author!

Massachusetts, 1846. While the men of Nantucket spend months at sea their wives have a rare independence, it comes at a cost. Daughters of Nantucket focuses on one fateful and sweltering July night as three fierce, but extremely different women fight to save their island and find that some friendships are indeed forged in fire. 

It’s all fun and gameshows until a body is discovered, a DEAD BODY that is…and everyone is a suspect in this debut by Jessa Maxwell. As with one of our Monthly Pick’s for Mystery/Thriller, The Appeal, the victim is as unknown as the suspect. Therein lies the secret ingredients to this baking competition themed mystery!

Maisie Dobbs takes a well-deserved break as she makes room for the newest of Jacqueline Winspear renegade heroines, Elinor White in The White Lady! Let’s hope this turns into a series as successful as the Masie Dobbs titles. Our exclusive edition includes an essay from Winspear about her inspiration for the book!

Cara Black’s formidable Kate Rees is back for another seat-of-the-pants adventure that’s a cat & mouse story set against an historical backdrop. With the same velocity of a contemporary thriller we assure you Night Flight to Paris and last year’s Monthly Pick title Three Hours in Paris will have you wanting to learn how to parachute behind enemy lines.

Stick with us on this one. When Santiago passes away, his mother seeks to bring him back to life. While Santiago’s mother creates Monstrilio, debut author Gerardo Sámano Córdova pens a creative, visionary, and fantastic examination of grief and love; parents and children; friends and lovers. Once you start the book, you won’t be able to un-read it. Unforgettable is the most perfect word here.

T. Kingfisher’s writing combines dread, horror, and visceral experiences that make your skin crawl. If you’ve heard the B&N Poured Over episode with Kingfisher, you will understand that she is someone who is ecstatic about being a writer and understands our desires as readers.

Jacqueline Holland’s first novel, The God of Endings, is a sensational story we can’t stop raving about — perfect for fans of The Historian and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. With brilliant prose and a deep exploration of whether life is a gift or a curse, you’ll lose yourself in this suspenseful story that will linger in your heart for as long as Collette LeSange is alive. Tune into the Poured Over podcast this month as we discuss The God of Endings with Jacqueline Holland.

This is the first in an epic fantasy trilogy that’s filled with death magic, court intrigue, and a tangled love triangle. Necromancy, morally grey characters, and forbidden romance keep the tension high in this spellbinding read.

Paris was the It Girl of the early aughts, her every move dissected and documented on the internet and social media. Now, Paris offers an unflinching and intimate memoir that reveals what it was really like to be in the middle of a changing cultural landscape, beloved and reviled at the same time.

This is Clint Smith’s latest book of poetry since 2016’s Counting Descent. Since then, many of us became familiar with his writing through the brilliant How the Word is Passed. Or maybe it’s his work for The Atlantic magazine. Smith has a way with words – to inform, inspire and push us to know the world and ourselves better. The poetry in Above Ground does all that. We are big fans of anyone who helps set our sights with compassion and an open heart to each other.

Nearly forty million in the wealthiest democracy on the planet “live” at or below the poverty line, crushed by it. Poverty, by America answers why that is. We are all culpable, witting and unwitting. How did we get here, how do we collectively perpetuate poverty’s reach and how might we be able to undo this suffering? Fierce, unflinching, and crystal clear, Matthew Desmond lays down a line in the sand and yet imagines that with some hard work, there is a path to a more accountable, equitable, compassionate nation. Tune into the Poured Over podcast this month as we discuss Poverty, by America with Matthew Desmond.

Adam Gopnik, popular mainstay at The New Yorker, is in top form here. The Real Work is a well-researched and engaging narrative that examines how experts gain their proficiency.