PEOPLE’s picks for the best books of March 2024.
A twisty thriller, a memoir of survival, an impactful historical novel— plus the Pope’s life story. Here are PEOPLE’s picks for the best books of March.
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Buckle up: This psychological page-turner is no ordinary whodunit. When beloved daughter Nina goes missing, her boyfriend Simon becomes the prime suspect. But did he do it? No matter, because McTiernan’s focus is on a deeper, more shocking tragedy, pitting Nina’s grieving folks—frantic to find Nina and attain justice—against Simon’s privileged parents, desperate to protect their son, no matter what. A tense read with a stunning ending. —Caroline Leavitt
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This meditative memoir travels the Pope’s own eight decade journey alongside the history of the world he’s observed and participated in. The pope’s eventful life story, his calling to the priesthood and rise to the highest office in the church is interwoven with his involvement with world events from sports to politics.
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In Cana, an 18th-century puritan utopia, two men fall in love. But one’s a minister, the other is, well, another man and so their bond is deeply illicit. A heart-wrenching story that explores what happens when two people fall in forbidden love, what it can do to their families and the role spirituality plays in it all.
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A glittering portrait of the woman who was a muse to Emerson, friends with Thoreau and Poe and rubbed elbows with a veritable who’s who of global history. Historical fiction fans will enjoy spotting all of the familiar faces.
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Haidt, a social psychologist, examines the effects of the “great rewiring of childhood” — how technology has shaped today’s youth, the ways it interferes with neurological and social development, and how to take action moving forward.
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Spencer, the younger brother of the latePrincess Diana, gives an honest, and heartbreaking, look athis experienceat the elite boarding school Maidwell Hall.
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Each time Daphne meets a new beau, a slip of paper appears with the time they have before they part ways. There’s comfort in predictability, until she meets Jake, who, for the first time, doesn’t come with an expiration date. But Daphne has a secret that keeps her from committing, and as their relationship unfolds, she must decide whether to break his heart— or her own. A passionate story about love and trust that will have you sniffling long before the twist.
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When Lois Saunders’s marriage fizzles, her wealthy father sends her to a so-called divorce ranch in Reno. There she whoops it up at the casinos with a gaggle of other soonto-be-single women—forming a close but complex friendship with one. A rollicking thriller and poignant coming-of-age story. —Claire Martin
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In a dystopian near future, Silvia investigates her once-grand building and its enigmatic residents. As she learns more about the people who surround her, their lives and the city they all inhabit, secrets about her own past and family emerge. A touching, inventive novel about belonging and loss.
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A robot girlfriend grows more and more human, bringing up complex questions about intimacy, autonomy and AI in this fun, unsettling novel. Perfect for anyone with misgivings about artificial intelligence and its impact on our world.
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Dey Street Books
The Emmy Award-winning host ofRuPaul’s Drag Racedelves into the ups and downs of his storied life, from his childhood in San Diego to the birth of his drag persona. An intimate look at an icon.
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Simon & Schuster
When Luke Perry died in 2019, theBeverly Hills 90210andRiverdaleactor left a lasting impact on his many fans. Wappler interweaves the loss of her own father with that of Perry, in this moving tribute to the beloved star.
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W. W. Norton & Company
Life behind the scenes of big-box retail is plumbed with wit, wisdom and humanity in this fresh workplace drama. When rumors swirl of an opening at the top of the heap in the team who restocks the store overnight, the secret dreams of some of the workers become crafty schemes. Waldman’s depiction of the routines, backstories and relationships among a group of wonderfully believable characters could not be more fascinating or more fun. —Marion Winik
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Gallery Books
In early 2020, when a pediatric surgeon’s N.Y.C. hospital is overrun with COVID-19 cases, she decides to live separately from her own young children while caring for patients. A riveting take on the sacrifices and heroism of those on the front lines of a historic crisis. —Claire Martin
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Doubleday
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Knopf
In three interwoven stories of blackmail, subterfuge and suspicion, Banks dredges the undercurrent of darkness that can lie beneath small-town life. An unsettling page-turner with lyrical intensity.
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Park Row
Inheriting an N.Y.C. apartment in a coveted luxury building sounds like a dream. But when a neighbor turns up dead and things start to seem a little off, the new tenants find themselves living a nightmare. Spine-tingling fun.
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Berkley
Buckle up for a grisly ride: When a couple pick up an injured hitchhiker who later dies, they’re suddenly murder suspects. But there’s more going on than meets the eye. Pro tip: Read this one with the lights on.
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Rogers, aNew York TimesWhite House correspondent, examines the role of the First Lady in this in-depth book — and gives aninside lookinto their lives as well.
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Art history student Raquel is struggling to find her place as a Latina in a predominantly White university. When she learns of Anita de Monte, a Cuban artist with a tragic past, she discovers there may be more to both their stories. Unflinching and thought-provoking. —Carly Tagen-Dye
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When a pharmaceutical company CEO hires wayward camp counselor Cory, 18, to nanny on his private island, she leaps at the chance. But her mom, Emer, smells danger brewing and sets off to find her. This unsettling novel about addiction, sex and desire, power dynamics and control is a reimagining of the myth of Persephone and Demeter, but still delightful for the myth-averse.
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When author Irena Rey disappears into a Polish forest, eight translators must use its clues—and Rey’s own—to find her. Absolutely bizarre in the best way, it’s a fever dream of deception and desire.
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Lucy didn’t kill Savvy. Or she doesn’t think she did. But when true crime podcaster Ben takes on the case and Lucy is forced to return to her hometown, long buried secrets come to light. It’s a sleekly satirical novel perfect for true crime podcast fans and haters alike.
source: people.com
