Can’t Wait Wednesday: March 2021 Book Releases

 

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Can’t Wait Wednesday is hosted by Wishful Endings. I get to show off the interesting new books that are coming out soon. Here are the March book releases I’m excited to get in my hot little hands.

 

 

March 2021 Book Releases

 

 

 

 

BURNING GIRLS AND OTHER STORIES BY VERONICA SCHANOES

 

Adult Short Story Collection

March 2, 2021

 

Emma Goldman—yes, that Emma Goldman—takes tea with the Baba Yaga and truths unfold inside of exquisitely crafted lies. In “Among the Thorns,” a young woman in seventeenth century Germany is intent on avenging the brutal murder of her peddler father, but discovers that vengeance may consume all that it touches. In the showstopping, awards finalist title story, “Burning Girls,” Schanoes invests the immigrant narrative with a fearsome fairytale quality that tells a story about America we may not want—but need—to hear.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: This author is often compared to Karen Russell. Someday, I will find another Karen Russell because the real Karen Russell doesn’t write quickly enough to fulfill my cravings for weird, magical stories. Veronica Schanoes has won awards for her short fiction. Her stories are supposed to be genre-defying and focus on characters at the edges of society. I’m intrigued.

 

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BRIDGE OF SOULS BY VICTORIA SCHWAB

 

Middlegrade Paranormal Fiction

Series: Cassidy Blake #3

March 2, 2021

 

Where there are ghosts, Cassidy Blake follows. Unless it's the other way around?

Cass thinks she might have this ghost-hunting thing down. After all, she and her ghost best friend, Jacob, have survived two haunted cities while traveling for her parents' TV show.

But nothing can prepare Cass for New Orleans, which wears all of its hauntings on its sleeve. In a city of ghost tours and tombs, raucous music and all kinds of magic, Cass could get lost in all the colorful, grisly local legends. And the city's biggest surprise is a foe Cass never expected to face: a servant of Death itself.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: Victoria Schwab is one of my favorite authors. I’ll read anything she writes. The Cassidy Blake series is fun and creative. Each book introduces the reader to the haunted history of a different city. I would have adored these books as a kid because they blend two of my favorite things: history and spooky stuff.

 

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THE LOST APOTHECARY BY SARAH PENNER

 

Adult Historical Fiction

March 2, 2021

 

One cold February evening in 1791, at the back of a dark London alley in a hidden apothecary shop, Nella awaits her newest customer. Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose—selling well-disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. But when her new patron turns out to be a precocious twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning, an unexpected friendship sets in motion a string of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose the many women whose names are written in her register.

In present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, reeling from the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. When she finds an old apothecary vial near the river Thames, she can’t resist investigating, only to realize she’s found a link to the unsolved “apothecary murders” that haunted London over two centuries ago. As she deepens her search, Caroline’s life collides with Nella’s and Eliza’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: Goodreads says this book has “crackling suspense, unforgettable characters and searing insight.” I hope so. It sounds promising! There’s a historical serial killer and a modern woman who may uncover her secrets. There’s a twist ending. Yeah, this is a “me” book for sure. The early reviews have been positive. This novel is near the top of my must-read list.

 

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LATER BY STEPHEN KING

 

Adult Horror / Mystery

March 2, 2021

 

The son of a struggling single mother, Jamie Conklin just wants an ordinary childhood. But Jamie is no ordinary child. Born with an unnatural ability his mom urges him to keep secret, Jamie can see what no one else can see and learn what no one else can learn. But the cost of using this ability is higher than Jamie can imagine—as he discovers when an NYPD detective draws him into the pursuit of a killer who has threatened to strike from beyond the grave.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: It’s a Stephen King book. Of course I have to read it! I’m slowly working my way through everything he’s written. Someday I’ll catch up with him.

 

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BONES OF A SAINT BY GRANT FARLEY

 

Young Adult Historical Fiction

March 16, 2021

 

Fifteen-year-old RJ Armante has never known a life outside his dead-end hometown of Arcangel, CA. The Blackjacks still rule as they have for generations, luring the poorest kids into their monopoly on petty crime. For years, they’ve left RJ alone . . . until now.

When the Blackjacks come knocking, they want RJ to prey upon an old loner. But RJ is at his breaking point. It’s not just about the gang who rules the town. It’s about Charley, his younger brother, who is disabled. It’s about Roxanne, the girl he can’t reach. It’s about the kids in his crew who have nothing to live for. If RJ is to resist, he must fight to free Arcangel of its past.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: Does it remind you of The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton? I was obsessed with that book when I was a teen. It sounds like Bones Of A Saint is about found families and kids with too many responsibilities and no good options. Goodreads says: “Set in Northern California in the late 70s, this timeless coming-of-age story examines the nature of evil, the art of storytelling, and the possibility of redemption.” I love reading about morally gray characters. I never know what they’re going to do.

 

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FIREKEEPER’S DAUGHTER BY ANGELINE BOULLEY

 

Young Adult Mystery / Thriller

March 16, 2021

 

As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. Daunis dreams of studying medicine, but when her family is struck by tragedy, she puts her future on hold to care for her fragile mother.

The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team. Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, certain details don’t add up and she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into the heart of a criminal investigation.

Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, but secretly pursues her own investigation, tracking down the criminals with her knowledge of chemistry and traditional medicine. But the deceptions—and deaths—keep piling up and soon the threat strikes too close to home.

Now, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she'll go to protect her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: This book is everywhere. The cover is gorgeous, and the early reviews are glowing. Bookworms can’t wait to get their hands on this story. It sounds like it’s a mystery/thriller with depth. I haven’t read many novels that are written by Native American authors about Native American characters. I’m interested in broadening my reading horizons and seeing how traditional medicine is used to solve a murder.

 

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Which March book releases are you looking forward to reading?