by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books)
There are SO many releases in March that I'm looking forward to (my TBR just burst wide open). I tried to limit myself to one book per release day, but you'll see that I cheated just a bit...
March 7
Balli Kaur Jaswal's Now You See Us (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm)
Description from Publisher:
"Corazon, Donita, and Angel are Filipina domestic workers--part of the wave of women sent to Singapore to be cleaners, maids, and caregivers.
"Corazon: A veteran domestic worker, Cora had retired back to the Philippines for good, but she has returned to Singapore under mysterious circumstances. Now she's keeping a secret from her wealthy employer, who is planning an extravagant wedding for her socialite daughter.
"Donita: Barely out of her teens, this is Donita's first time in Singapore, and she's had the bad luck to be hired by the notoriously fussy Mrs. Fann. Brazen and exuberant, Donita's thrown herself into a love affair with an Indian migrant worker.
"Angel: Working as an in-home caregiver for an elderly employer, Angel is feeling blue after a recent breakup with the woman she loves. She's alarmed when her employer's son suddenly brings in a new nurse who may be a valuable ally...or meant to replace her.
"Then an explosive news story shatters Singapore's famous tranquility--and sends a chill down the spine of every domestic worker. Flordeliza Martinez, a Filipina maid, has been arrested for murdering her female employer. The three women don't know the accused well, but she could be any of them; every worker knows stories of women who were scapegoated or even executed for crimes they didn't commit.
"Shocked into action, Donita, Corazon, and Angel will use their considerable moxie and insight to piece together the mystery of what really happened on the day Flordeliza's employer was murdered. After all, no one knows the secrets of Singapore's elite like the women who work in their homes...
Why I want to read it:
Kaur Jaswal wrote Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows (an Unabridged Podcast Book Club pick that I just loved), and this new book sounds fantastic. I've also heard some passages from the book on From the Front Porch podcast, and the writing drew me in right away. I'm excited to read this one!
March 14
Patrick Ness and Illustrator Tea Bendix's Different for Boys (Bookshop.org)
Description from Publisher:
"Friendship, masculinity, sex--Anthony Stevenson has a lot of questions. Is it different for boys who like boys? A poignant and frank story filled with meta-humor by renowned author Patrick Ness.
"Anthony 'Ant' Stevenson isn't sure when he stopped being a virgin. Or even if he has. The rules aren't always very clear when it comes to boys who like boys. In fact, relationships of all kinds feel complicated, even with Ant's oldest friends. There's Charlie, who's both virulently homophobic and in a secret physical relationship with Ant. Then there's drama kid Jack, who may be gay and has become the target of Charlie's rage. And, of course, there's big, beautiful Freddie, who wants Ant to ditch soccer, Charlie's sport, and try out for the rugby team instead. Ant's story of loneliness and intimacy, of unexpected support and heart-ripping betrayal, is told forthrightly with tongue-in-cheek black-bar redactions over the language that teenagers would actually use if, you know, they weren't in a story. Award-winning author Patrick Ness explores teen sexuality, friendship, and romance with a deft hand in this structurally daring, illustrated short novel."
Why I want to read it:
Patrick Ness is a reliably great author for me, so I put this one on my list as soon as I saw his name. The description sounds fantastic, and I'm intrigued by the fact that it's illustrated—and that cover is gorgeous!
Bonus
I can't resist shouting out Jesse Q. Sutanto's Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). After Dial A for Aunties, I'm all-in for her work!
March 21
Robin Gow's Dear Mothman (Bookshop.org)
Description from Publisher:
"A moving middle-grade novel in verse, about a young trans boy dealing with the loss of his friend by writing to his favorite cryptid, Mothman
"Halfway through sixth grade, Noah's best friend and the only other trans boy in his school, Lewis, passed away in a car accident. Lewis was adventurous and curious, always bringing a new paranormal story to share with Noah. Together they daydreamed about cryptids and shared discovering their genders and names. After his death, lonely and yearning for someone who could understand him like Lewis once did, Noah starts writing letters to Mothman, wondering if he would understand how Noah feels and also looking for evidence of Mothman's existence in the vast woods surrounding his small Poconos town. Noah becomes determined to make his science fair project about Mothman, despite his teachers and parents urging him to make a project about something 'real.'
"Meanwhile, as Noah tries to find Mothman, Noah also starts to make friends with a group of girls in his grade, Hanna, Molly, and Alice, with whom he'd been friendly, but never close to. Now, they welcome him, and he starts to open up to each of them, especially Hanna, who Noah has a crush on. But as strange things start to happen and Noah becomes sure of Mothman's existence, his parents and teachers don't believe him. Noah decides it's up to him to risk everything, trek into the woods, and find Mothman himself."
Why I want to read it:
Mothman has long been one of the stories that intrigues me most, both as a WV native and because The Mothman Prophecies film scared me beyond all reason. (Seriously: it is deeply creepy.) The idea that Mothman could provide comfort to someone is therefore so appealing, and I think this story sounds tender and beautiful.
Bonus
I'm also so excited about Alisha Rai's While You Were Dreaming (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), her YA debut!
March 28
Clint Smith's Above Ground (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm)
Description from Publisher:
"A remarkable poetry collection from Clint Smith, the #1 New York Times bestselling and National Book Critics Circle award-winning author of How the Word Is Passed.
"Clint Smith's vibrant and compelling new collection traverses the vast emotional terrain of fatherhood, and explores how becoming a parent has recalibrated his sense of the world. There are poems that interrogate the ways our lives are shaped by both personal lineages and historical institutions. There are poems that revel in the wonder of discovering the world anew through the eyes of your children, as they discover it for the first time. There are poems that meditate on what it means to raise a family in a world filled with constant social and political tumult. Above Ground wrestles with how we hold wonder and despair in the same hands, how we carry intimate moments of joy and a collective sense of mourning in the same body. Smith's lyrical, narrative poems bring the reader on a journey not only through the early years of his children's lives, but through the changing world in which they are growing up--through the changing world of which we are all a part.
"Above Ground is a breathtaking collection that follows Smith's first award-winning book of poetry, Counting Descent."
Why I want to read it:
With only two works—How the Word Is Passed and Counting Descent—Smith has become one of my favorite authors. Poetry isn't always my go-to read, the latter collection is accessible and powerful and just beautiful. This is an auto-read author and a must-read release.
Bonus
Mark Oshiro's Into the Light (Bookshop.org) is one more upcoming release I can't resist shouting out!
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