Night Wherever We Go by Tracey Rose Peyton

I delayed reading this e-galley due to the Harper Collins strike. Now that the union has a fair contract, I am planning to read this book.

Synopsis: A gripping, radically intimate debut novel about a group of enslaved women staging a covert rebellion against their owners.

Publication Date: January 3, 2023

Central Places by Delia Cai

This is a book I have intended to read the last two months. I will absolutely get to it in March.

Synopsis: A young woman’s past and present collide when she brings her white fiancé home to meet her Chinese immigrant parents in this vibrant debut from an exciting new voice in fiction.

Publication Date: January 31, 2023

Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton

I thought this premise quite intriguing. Combined with the fact that Eleanor Catton’s last novel won all the literary rewards, I thought I would give this a go.

Synopsis: A gripping psychological thriller from the Booker Prize–winning author of The Luminaries in which a landslide has closed the Korowai Pass on New Zealand’s South Island, cutting off the town of Thorndike and leaving a sizable farm abandoned. The disaster presents an opportunity for Birnam Wood, an undeclared, unregulated, sometimes-criminal, sometimes-philanthropic guerrilla gardening collective that plants crops wherever no one will notice. 

Publication Date: March 7, 2023

The Sweet Spot by Amy Poeppel

I have been ordering from Aardvark Book Club since it debuted in October. And I am embarrassed to admit that I have yet to read any of the books. So I am determined to start and not accumulate a big Aardvark backlist.

Synopsis: In the heart of Greenwich Village, three women form an accidental sorority when a baby—belonging to exactly none of them—lands on their collective doorstep. A wise and joyful novel that celebrates love, hate, and all of the glorious absurdity in between.

Publication Date: January 31, 2023

I Will Find You by Harlan Coben

Harlan Coben is one of my favorite authors, and consequently, this is one of my most anticipated books of the year. I am excited for a stand alone novel after he has published a few in series the last few years.

Synopsis: Five years ago, an innocent man, David, began a life sentence for murdering his own son. Today he found out his son is still alive. David plans a harrowing escape, determined to achieve the impossible – save his son, clear his own name, and discover the real story of what happened.

Publication Date: March 14, 2023

Our Best Intentions by Vibhuti Jain

Although I did not love Ask Again, Yes like so many people, I am really looking forward to this book.

Synopsis: A pulsating debut about an immigrant family that gets caught in the middle of a criminal investigation, perfect for readers of Everything I Never Told You and Ask Again, Yes.

Publication Date: March 14, 2023

Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen

I have not decided whether I will be reading Lunar Love or The Cartographers this month. I am hoping to knock out one of these two previous BOTM picks.

Synopsis: This sweet, enemies-to-lovers debut rom-com filled with Chinese astrology will undoubtedly prove to be a perfect match with readers of Helen Hoang, Jasmine Guillory, and Helena Hunting.

Publication Date: January 10, 2023

Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai 

I loved this author’s debut novel The Mountains Sing, from which I learned so much. As a result, this is another one of my most anticipated books of the year.

Synopsis: A suspenseful and moving saga about family secrets, hidden trauma, and the overriding power of forgiveness, set during the war and in present-day Việt Nam.

Publication Date: March 14, 2023

It Ends at Midnight by Harriet Tyce

I discovered Harriet Tyce a few years ago and have loved her other books, particularly The Lies You Told. I jumped at the opportunity to request this from NetGalley.

Synopsis: From the acclaimed author of Blood Orange, comes a thriller of a party spiraling into murder, when one guest’s plan to right old wrongs ends in blood, told with Tyce’s signature dark and propulsive twists.

Publication Date: February 21, 2023

Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash

Synopsis: A sweeping, tenderhearted love story, Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash tells the story of two families living through World War II on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, and the shy, irresistible young woman who will call them both her own.

Publication Date: March 21, 2023

Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin

Synopsis: After the last American troops leave Vietnam, siblings Anh, Thanh, and Minh begin a perilous journey to Hong Kong with the promise that their parents and younger siblings will soon follow. But when tragedy strikes, the three children are left orphaned, and sixteen-year-old Anh becomes the caretaker for her two younger brothers overnight. 

Publication Date: March 21, 2023

On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel

Despite my intention to read Tiffany McDaniel’s previous book, Betty, for several years, I still have not. I planned to read this in February, but it is rolling over to this month.

Synopsis: Six women—mothers, daughters, sisters—gone missing. Inspired by the unsolved murders of the Chillicothe Six, this harrowing novel tells the story of two sisters, both of whom could be the next victims, from the internationally best-selling author of Betty.

Publication Date: February 14, 2023

River Sing Me Home by Tiffany McDaniel

This was one of my February BOTM selections. I am trying to catch up and read the ones I have received so far this year.

Synopsis: A debut novel of the strength and perseverance of a mother’s search for her five children, all of whom had been taken from her during her time as a slave on a sugar cane plantation in Barbados.

Publication Date: January 31, 2023

Queen of Thieves by Beezy Marsh

This was one of my January BOTM selections, which I delayed reading due to the Harper Collins strike. It sounds like a fun, unique hist fic read.

Synopsis: An electrifying historical adventure about a ring of bold and resourceful women thieves in post-World War II London.

Publication Date: January 3, 2023

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson

This is one of my March BOTM selections. It is supposed to be a lighter, or at least funny read. So I thought I would add it to the mix this month

Synopsis: A deliciously funny, sharply observed debut of family, love, and class, this zeitgeisty novel follows three women in one wealthy Brooklyn clan.

Publication Date: March 7, 2023

Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls

Synopsis: From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Glass Castle, comes a riveting new novel about an indomitable young woman in Virginia during Prohibition.

Publication Date: March 28, 2023

Best Served Hot by Amanda Elliot

I absolutely adored Amanda Elliot’s debut novel, Sadie on a Plate. I intended to read Best Served Hot when it was released last month, but it has rolled over into March.

Synopsis: Two restaurant critics learn their opposing tastes might make for a five-star relationship in the next foodie romantic comedy from the author of Sadie on a Plate.

Publication Date: February 21, 2023

Madame Restell: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Old New York’s Most Fabulous, Fearless, and Infamous Abortionist by Jennifer Wright

I did not get a chance to read this book in February, and this will make a great Women’s History Month read.

Synopsis: This is the story of one of the boldest women in American history: self-made millionaire, a celebrity in her era, a woman beloved by her patients and despised by the men who wanted to control them.

Publication Date: February 28, 2023

Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation by Linda Villarosa

I planned to read in February for Black History Month. However, I could not quite fit it in. I am actually happy I waited to read it until after I finished Black Women Will Save the World.

Synopsis: From an award-winning writer at the New York Times Magazine and a contributor to the 1619 Project comes a landmark book that tells the full story of racial health disparities in America, revealing the toll racism takes on individuals and the health of our nation.

Publication Date: June 14, 2022

The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd

As noted above, I will either be reading this past BOTM selection or the more recent Lunar Love.

Synopsis: From the critically acclaimed author of The Book of M, a highly imaginative thriller about a young woman who discovers that a strange map in her deceased father’s belongings holds an incredible, deadly secret—one that will lead her on an extraordinary adventure and to the truth about her family’s dark history.

Publication Date: March 15, 2022

Newsroom Confidential: Lessons (and Worries) from an Ink-Stained Life by Margaret Sullivan

I won this book through a Goodreads Giveaway. Due it its somewhat political nature, I have been putting off reading it. I think it will be a book I listen to on audio this month.

Synopsis: With her celebrated mixture of charm, sharp-eyed observation, and nuanced criticism, Sullivan takes us behind the scenes of the nation’s most influential news outlets to explore how Americans lost trust in the news and what it will take to regain it.

Publication Date: October 18, 2022

The Measure by Nikki Erlick

A local, in person book club chose this book for its March read. I would really like to attend a meeting and already have this book unread on my shelf.

Synopsis: Everyone who is 22 years or older receives a box containing a string that accurately predicts your lifespan. The book centers around a number of “normal” people and the unexpected ways the box touches their lives.

Publication Date: June 28, 2022

Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu

Another BOTM backlist! I put off reading this last year to take the perfect picture. Now that I have that picture and it will be spring, it is time to dive in!

Synopsis: A novel about war, migration, and the power of telling our stories, Peach Blossom Spring follows three generations of a Chinese family on their search for a place to call home.

Publication Date: March 15, 2022

The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker

I thought that this book would be the perfect read for the actual first day of spring since it it already on my bookshelf.

Synopsis: A debut psychological thriller about a neglected girl who commits an unspeakable crime and, as an adult, wonders if she can find redemption. 

Publication Date: May 18, 2021

Girlhood by Melissa Febos

This book is among my NetGalley backlist and seems like the perfect read for Women’s History Month.

Synopsis: A gripping set of stories about the forces that shape girls and the adults they become. A wise and brilliant guide to transforming the self and our society.

Publication Date: March 30, 2021