Top new literary-fiction books in March 2025
Last updated:
March 31, 2025
March 2025 featuring new releases by Emma Donoghue, Charlotte McConaghy, Georgia Hunter, Chris Bohjalian, Amy Melissa Bentley, Brianna Labuskes, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Natasha Brown, Bob the Drag Queen, Laura Anthony, Abdulrazak Gurnah and many more.
-
The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue
Emma Donoghue, the “soul-stirring” (Oprah Daily) nationally bestselling author of Room, returns with a sweeping historical novel about an infamous 1895 disaster at the Paris Montparnasse train station...europe · western-central-europe · france · urban · historical-fiction · fiction · historical · audiobook · mystery · literary-fiction -
![Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy]()
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
A family on a remote island. A mysterious woman washed ashore. A rising storm on the horizon.Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. Home to the world’s largest seed bank, Shearwater was once full of researchers...fiction · mystery · literary-fiction · outdoors · contemporary · suspense · family · sci-fi · female-mc · book -
![One Good Thing by Georgia Hunter]()
One Good Thing by Georgia Hunter
From the New York Times–bestselling author of We Were the Lucky Ones, an unforgettable story of hardship and hope, courage and resilience, that follows one young woman’s journey through war-torn Italy1941, Emilia Romagna. Lili and Esti have been best friends since meeting at the University of Ferrara; when Esti’s son Theo is born, they become as close as sisters...historical-fiction · fiction · ww2 · historical · war · romantic-love · literary-fiction · 20th-century · violent-conflict · book -
![The Jackal's Mistress by Chris Bohjalian]()
The Jackal's Mistress by Chris Bohjalian
In this Civil War love story, inspired by a real-life friendship across enemy lines, the wife of a missing Confederate soldier discovers a wounded Yankee officer and must decide what she’s willing to risk for the life of a stranger, from the New York Times bestselling author of such acclaimed historical fiction as Hour of the Witch and The Sandcastle Girls...romance · historical-fiction · fiction · civil-war · historical · audiobook · war · literary-fiction · western · american-civil-war -
![The Boxcar Librarian: A Novel by Amy Melissa Bentley, Brianna Labuskes]()
The Boxcar Librarian: A Novel by Amy Melissa Bentley, Brianna Labuskes
🎧Run Time = 13 hours and 20 minutesA brand-new 2025 release from an author whose writing “historical fiction fans will adore” (New York Times bestselling author Madeline Martin): The stories of three women converge in 1936 Montana when editor Millie Lang arrives from DC to work on a series of travel books — only to find a town riddled with mystery, corruption, and secrets...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · mystery · audiobook · drama · lgbtq · western · crime · literary-fiction -
-
![Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie]()
Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A publishing event ten years in the making—a searing, exquisite new novel by the best-selling and award-winning author of Americanah and We Should All Be Feminists—the story of four women and their loves, longings, and desires.Chiamaka is a Nigerian travel writer living in America. Alone in the midst of the pandemic, she recalls her past lovers and grapples with her choices and regrets...fiction · literary-fiction · contemporary · historical-fiction · audiobook · feminism · poc-mc · female-author · romance · book -
![Universality by Natasha Brown]()
Universality by Natasha Brown
Remember—words are your weapons, they’re your tools, your currency: a twisty, slippery descent into the rhetoric of truth and power from a "powerful new voice in British Literature” (The Sunday Times).Late one night on a Yorkshire farm, in the midst of an illegal rave, a young man is nearly bludgeoned to death with a solid gold bar...europe · british-isles · united-kingdom · england · fiction · literary-fiction · mystery · contemporary · audiobook · poc-mc -
![Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert: A Novel by Bob the Drag Queen]()
Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert: A Novel by Bob the Drag Queen
“It’s a knockout.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) From RuPaul’s Drag Race winner, Traitors contestant, and host of HBO’s We’re Here comes an inventive, wondrous novel about American hero Harriet Tubman that remixes history into a fresh, dynamic novel about love, freedom, salvation, and hip-hop...fiction · audiobook · historical-fiction · lgbtq · fantasy · magical-realism · historical · literary-fiction · poc-mc · humor -
![The Women on Platform Two by Laura Anthony]()
The Women on Platform Two by Laura Anthony
In 1970s Dublin, all forms of contraception are strictly forbidden, but an intrepid group of women will risk everything to change that in this sweeping, timely novel inspired by a remarkable and little-known true story.Dublin, 1969: Maura has just married Dr. Christy Davenport and they look forward to growing their family...europe · british-isles · ireland · historical-fiction · fiction · feminism · historical · audiobook · social-commentary · friendship -
![Theft by Abdulrazak Gurnah]()
Theft by Abdulrazak Gurnah
In his first new novel since winning the 2021 Nobel Prize, a master storyteller captures a time of dizzying global change. At the turn of the twenty-first century, three young people come of age in Tanzania. Karim returns to his sleepy hometown after university with new swagger and ambition. Fauzia glimpses in him a chance at escape from a smothering upbringing...fiction · historical-fiction · literary-fiction · contemporary · audiobook · journey · poc-mc · family · realistic · action-adventure -
![Hot Air by Marcy Dermansky]()
Hot Air by Marcy Dermansky
A joyfully unhinged story of money, marriage, sex, and revenge unspools when a billionaire crashes his hot air balloon into the middle of a post-pandemic first date.Joannie hasn’t been on a date in seven years when Johnny invites Joannie and her daughter to dinner...romance · fiction · literary-fiction · humor · audiobook · contemporary · marriage · comedy · family · dark-humor -
![The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry]()
The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry
Inspired by a true literary mystery, New York Times bestselling author of the mesmerizing The Secret Book of Flora Lea returns with the sweeping story of a legendary book, a lost mother, and a daughter’s search for them both.In 1927, eight-year-old Clara Harrington’s magical childhood shatters when her mother, renowned author, Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham, disappears off the coast of South Carolina...north-america · usa · south-carolina · romance · historical-fiction · fiction · mystery · audiobook · historical · family -
![Goddess Complex by Sanjena Sathian]()
Goddess Complex by Sanjena Sathian
From the author of Gold Diggers, a biting examination of millennial adulthood, the often fraught conversations around fertility and reproduction, and the painful quest to forge an identitySanjana Satyananda is trying to recover her life... -
![Flesh by David Szalay]()
Flesh by David Szalay
From Booker Prize finalist David Szalay, a propulsive, hypnotic novel, about a man whose future is derailed by a series of events that he is unable to control. Teenaged István lives with his mother in a quiet apartment complex in Hungary...europe · western-central-europe · hungary · england · urban · fiction · contemporary · literary-fiction · 21st-century · coming-of-age -
![The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami]()
The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami
From Laila Lalami—the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist and a “maestra of literary fiction” (NPR)—comes a riveting and utterly original novel about one woman’s fight for freedom, set in a near future where even dreams are under surveillance...sci-fi · fiction · dystopia · literary-fiction · mystery · horror · poc-author · politics · book · adult -
![Stop Me If You've Heard This One by Kristen Arnett]()
Stop Me If You've Heard This One by Kristen Arnett
From the New York Times bestselling author of Mostly Dead Things, a sparkling and funny new novel of entertainment, ambition, art, and love.Cherry Hendricks might be down on her luck, but she can write the book on what makes something funny: she’s a professional clown who creates raucous, zany fun at gigs all over Orlando...north-america · usa · florida · fiction · lgbtq · literary-fiction · contemporary · audiobook · wlw · humor -
![Unwritten Laws by Greg Iles]()
Unwritten Laws by Greg Iles
product...fiction · mystery · male-author · gothic · southern-gothic · suspense · literary-fiction · contemporary · book · adult -
![Paradise Logic by Sophie Kemp]()
Paradise Logic by Sophie Kemp
A hilarious, surreal, and devastating journey into the mind of Reality Kahn, a young woman on a quest to be the greatest girlfriend of all time.It was decreed from the moment she was born. Twenty-three-year-old Reality Kahn would embark on a quest so great, so bold. She would become the greatest girlfriend of all time...fiction · contemporary · literary-fiction · audiobook · humor · magical-realism · satire · lgbtq · romantic-love · comedy -
![Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley]()
Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley
Date night goes off the rails in this hilariously insightful take on midlife and marriage when one unhappy couple find themselves at the heart of a crime in progress, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise...romance · fiction · contemporary · mystery · audiobook · literary-fiction · humor · satire · family · action-adventure -
-
![Shy Girl by Mia Ballard]()
Shy Girl by Mia Ballard
Lonely, broke and depressed with a serious case of OCD, Gia finds herself at a crossroads when financial troubles lead her to Nathan, a mysterious and affluent man she encounters on a sugar dating website. Desperate for a solution, Gia is intrigued by Nathan's unconventional offer: in exchange for living as his devoted pet, all of her debts will be erased...horror · fiction · literary-fiction · contemporary · mystery · feminism · dark · mental-illness · body-horror · season-spring -
![The Warbler by Sarah Beth Durst]()
The Warbler by Sarah Beth Durst
From the author of The Lies Among Us comes a magical tale about mothers and daughters, choices and consequences, and the real meaning of home when every place feels like a cage.Ten months. That’s the longest Elisa has stayed anyplace, constantly propelled by her fear that if she puts down roots, a family curse will turn her into a tree...fantasy · magical-realism · fiction · gothic · mystery · contemporary · paranormal · magic · urban-fantasy · romantic-love -
![Red Dog Farm: A Novel by Nathaniel Ian Miller]()
Red Dog Farm: A Novel by Nathaniel Ian Miller
An atmospheric coming-of-age story about a young man's transformative year on his family’s struggling Icelandic cattle farm as he falls in love, discovers the purpose he’s been missing, and seeks to connect with his stoic father, who remains haunted by a tragic past...fiction · coming-of-age · literary-fiction · contemporary · audiobook · family · realistic · historical-fiction · small-town · dog -
![Stag Dance by Torrey Peters]()
Stag Dance by Torrey Peters
In this collection of one novel and three novellas, the bestselling author of Detransition, Baby pushes trans-genre to its limits to explore who gets included—and excluded—from the possibilities of gender...fiction · lgbtq · contemporary · literary-fiction · trans-mc · horror · anthologies · 21st-century · adult -
![Lucky Night by Eliza Kennedy]()
Lucky Night by Eliza Kennedy
Two people, one hotel room, and all the choices and complications that make up a life.After six years of a stolen hour here, another there, tonight is going to be different—very different—for Nick Holloway and Jenny Parrish. They’ve booked a room in a new luxury hotel in Manhattan, where they’ll spend the entire night together for the first time...urban · new-york-state · romance · fiction · literary-fiction · contemporary · audiobook · mystery · humor · psychological -
![Spoilt Creatures by Amy Twigg]()
Spoilt Creatures by Amy Twigg
They thought they knew everything about us. The kind of women we were. It was a place for women. A remote farm tucked away in the Kent Downs. A safe space...europe · british-isles · united-kingdom · england · fiction · contemporary · feminism · literary-fiction · season-summer · lgbtq -
![Counting Backwards by Jacqueline Friedland]()
Counting Backwards by Jacqueline Friedland
Inspired by true events revealing America's troubling past involving Pre-War eugenics practices, this emotionally riveting dual timeline novel brings together the lives of two inspiring women while exploring the timely and important themes of immigration, fertility, and motherhood...north-america · usa · virginia · urban · new-york-state · historical-fiction · fiction · audiobook · contemporary · literary-fiction -
![Counting Backwards by Binnie Kirshenbaum]()
Counting Backwards by Binnie Kirshenbaum
A married couple deals with the husband’s decline from Lewy body dementia in a profound and deeply moving novel shot through with Kirshenbaum's lacerating humor.It begins with of a man on stilts, an acting troupe, Ghandi. At first, these seem benign, almost comical, and are likely connected with an ocular issue. It’s something he and his wife can make jokes about...fiction · audiobook · literary-fiction · medical · contemporary · horror · death · marriage · dark-humor · satire -
![The Serendipity by Emma St. Clair]()
The Serendipity by Emma St. Clair
He’s a no-nonsense businessman. She’s a free-spirited baker. But the magical building they live in seems to think they’re a perfect match… When billionaire Archer Gaines needs to escape his father’s corrupt shadow and a related scandal, he purchases The Serendipity, a historic apartment building far from New York City... -
![The Trouble Up North by Travis Mulhauser]()
The Trouble Up North by Travis Mulhauser
An atmospheric, haunting novel about a family of bootleggers, their troubled history, and the land that binds them. The Sawbrooks have lived on prime real estate on the lakes of Michigan since before there was prime real estate... -
![Our Beautiful Boys by Sameer Pandya]()
Our Beautiful Boys by Sameer Pandya
When the star players on a high school football team are accused of violence by another student, their secrets—and the secrets of their parents—threaten to shatter their entire community in a gripping novel of race, class, and privilege from the author of Members Only.Vikram Shastri has always been a good kid. He’s got a 4... -
![O Sinners! by Nicole Cuffy]()
O Sinners! by Nicole Cuffy
A journalist investigates a seductive and mysterious cult and its leader, an enigmatic Vietnam War veteran, in this not-to-be-missed novel.Faruq Zaidi, a young journalist reeling from the recent death of his father, a devout Muslim, takes the opportunity to embed in a cult called The Nameless...fiction · horror · literary-fiction · contemporary · cults · fundamentalism · historical-fiction · audiobook · mystery · religion -
![The Sirens by Emilia Hart]()
The Sirens by Emilia Hart
A story of sisters separated by hundreds of years but bound together in more ways than they can imagine2019: Lucy awakens in her ex-lover’s room in the middle of the night with her hands around his throat. Horrified, she flees to her sister’s house on the coast of New South Wales hoping Jess can help explain the vivid dreams that preceded the attack—but her sister is missing...fantasy · historical-fiction · fiction · historical · magical-realism · mystery · literary-fiction · mermaids · female-mc · family -
![Misfortune and Mr. Right by Savannah Scott]()
Misfortune and Mr. Right by Savannah Scott
When your nemesis is your next-door neighbor, falling for him is not part of the plan … but fate may have other ideas.Olivia Pennington has spent her whole life competing with Logan Alexander—and losing. From spelling bees to science fairs, he’s always been one step ahead, snagging the trophies, titles, accolades, and now … he’s after the promotion she desperately wanted...romance · contemporary · enemies-to-lovers · fiction · magic · dogs · animals · small-town · multi-pov · workplace -
-
![This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead]()
This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead
From the bestselling author of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and Midnight is the Darkest Hour comes a chilling, compulsive story of five amateur sleuths, whose hunt for an elusive killer catapults them into danger as the world watches.It's the most famous crime in modern history. But only she knows the true story...north-america · usa · idaho · mystery · fiction · suspense · crime · contemporary · psychological · thriller -
![Liquid: A Love Story by Mariam Rahmani]()
Liquid: A Love Story by Mariam Rahmani
The Marriage Plot meets The Idiot in this brilliant debut, which tells the story of a young Muslim scholar stuck in the mire of adjunct professorship in Los Angeles who decides to give up her career in academia and marry rich, committing herself to 100 dates in the course of a single summer. By midsummer reality hits, taking her—and her project—to Tehran...romance · fiction · literary-fiction · contemporary · lgbtq · audiobook · womens-fiction · season-summer · female-author · family -
![A Girl Within a Girl Within a Girl by Nanda Reddy]()
A Girl Within a Girl Within a Girl by Nanda Reddy
A girl takes on a series of identities to survive, shrouding herself in layer upon layer of secrets, until one morning years later when she is forced to reckon with her past."This debut is a beautiful, if sometimes harrowing, exploration of one woman’s journey. . . to a life built by her own grit and determination." -Library Journal, Starred Review... -
![The Fisherman's Gift by Julia R. Kelly]()
The Fisherman's Gift by Julia R. Kelly
The Light Between Oceans meets The Snow Child in this novel set in a Scottish village in the weeks after a young boy mysteriously washes up on shore, causing the buried secrets of the insular community to come to light and rekindling an old love story.It’s 1900 and Skerry, a small Scottish fishing village, is destined for an unyielding winter. During a storm, a young boy washes up on the shore...europe · british-isles · united-kingdom · scotland · romance · historical-fiction · fiction · historical · mystery · audiobook -
![A Room Above a Shop by Anthony Shapland]()
A Room Above a Shop by Anthony Shapland
When two quiet men form a tentative connection neither knows where it might lead. M has inherited his family's ironmongery business and B is younger by eleven years and can see no future in the place where he has grown up, but when M offers him a job and lodgings, he accepts...europe · british-isles · united-kingdom · wales · romance · fiction · lgbtq · historical-fiction · literary-fiction · historical -
![Russische Spezialitäten by Dmitrij Kapitelman]()
Russische Spezialitäten by Dmitrij Kapitelman
Eine Familie aus Kyjiw verkauft russische Spezialitäten in Leipzig. Wodka, Pelmeni, SIM-Karten, Matrosenshirts – und ein irgendwie osteuropäisches Zusammengehörigkeitsgefühl. Wobei, Letzteres ist seit dem russischen Überfall auf die Ukraine nicht mehr zu haben. Die Mutter steht an der Seite Putins...fiction · audiobook · war · contemporary · politics · literary-fiction · violent-conflict · book · adult -
![The Expert of Subtle Revisions by Kirsten Menger-Anderson]()
The Expert of Subtle Revisions by Kirsten Menger-Anderson
A thrilling historical mystery about a young woman searching for her father, a young man trying to solve an impossible problem, and the quest for the power to transcend time.In Half Moon Bay, California, 2016, a young woman waits for her father's sailboat to arrive at port. They have agreed to meet on this day and time. Yet he never shows.He has told her this event might come...north-america · usa · california · urban · austria · historical-fiction · fiction · time-travel · mystery · sci-fi
