The 10 Most Popular Reads of March

A book about books and a Jane Austen retelling, this book has it all. An English professor struggling for tenure discovers that her ex-fiancé has just become the president of her college—and her new boss. Funny, smart, and full of heart, this modern ode to Austen’s PERSUASION explores what happens when we run into the demons of our past . . . and when they turn out not to be so bad, after all. 

Set in the mid-1500s, this historical fiction novel follows the life of Lady Jane Grey, who was the queen of England for only nine short days. Her father and his allies crowned her queen instead of the Catholic Mary Tudor, who quickly gathered an army and conquered the throne before locking Jane in the Tower of London. Anyone who has read Philippa Gregory knows that her books are extremely well researched, and THE LAST TUDOR is no exception! 

Caution: this book is so thrilling will completely knock you off your feet. It is narrated by an unnamed girl known as “The Girlfriend” and is about her trip with her boyfriend, Jake, to meet his parents. When he takes a sudden detour at an abandoned high school, things get INTENSE. The ending of this book left us absolutely in shock, and reminded us why we love psychological thrillers. 

This tender and moving novel is about Aristotle, an angry teen with a brother in prison, who meets Dante, a know-it-all with an unusual way of looking at the world, at the local swimming pool. They don’t have much in common, but the two loners end up spending a lot of time together and form an intimate, life-changing connection. The ending of this book is so perfect, emotional and touching. It will leave crying from the sheer splendor of it all.  

This book is a fan favorite for a reason. Marie-Laurie is a blind French girl whose father works in the Museum of Natural History. But when Nazis invade France, she and her father are forced to flee, bringing with them the museum's most valuable jewel. Back in Germany, Werner Pfennig is left as an orphan with his younger sister. As he grows, Werner becomes infatuated with a radio, and soon learns how to fix and manipulate the hardware. Becoming an expert in radios, Werner is enlisted to track down the resistance. ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE beautifully intertwines these two complex characters’ lives. If you are a fan of historical fiction and looking for a great book to hunker down with, look no further than this story. 

We dare you not to love Faith Frankel. After returning to her suburban hometown at age 32, Frankie finds some mysterious artifacts in the attic of her new house on Turpentine Lane. Is anything in life as it seems? This is a screwball romantic comedy complete with love trouble, family disarray, a murder investigation, and a heroine you'll easily champion. 

From Liz Nugent, the internationally bestselling author of UNRAVELING OLIVER, comes a sinister slow burn about a woman who will go to devastating ends to keep her darkest secrets hidden. Lydia Fitzsimons believes everything in her life is finally perfect with her husband’s career a success and her loving son almost grown. But when her son discovers the lingering traces of a secret she’s tried to keep buried, she must take drastic measures to keep what’s important to her safe. It’s a must-read for any Nugent fan, and a must-read for all of those who haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading her work. 

Evoking the appeal of small town life in West Virginia, THE TRUTH ACCORDING TO US is the story of an inquisitive young girl, her beloved aunt, and the alluring visitor who changes the course of their destiny forever. With long-buried family secrets, delightfully eccentric characters, and a plot that will have you rapidly turning pages, what's not to love? PLUS it's written by Annie Barrows, author of the beloved novel THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL SOCIETY. 

Languoreth is a young woman of Strathclyde, a kingdom in ancient Scotland, who falls in love with a young warrior but is sent off to marry the son of the High King. This romantic triangle is conflicted even further by the divides in religion—Christianity is beginning to overtake the old ways and Languoreth is determined to keep them in place. It’s a beautiful, deeply atmospheric, magical novel about a forgotten queen, her power, and the conflict between love and duty. 

This book tells the extraordinary story of Rachel, the mother of the famous painter Camille Pissarro. As she grows up in a Jewish refugee community in St. Thomas in the early 1800s, Rachel’s life has never been her own. To save her father’s business, Rachel is forced to marry an old widower with three children, even though she doesn’t love him. But when her husband suddenly dies and Rachel meets the young and handsome Frédérick, Rachel seizes her own life and begins a defiant and passionate love affair that sparks a scandal affecting her whole family—even her favorite son, who will become one of the greatest artists in France.