Could there be a nicer feeling than the end of February? The bleakest part of winter is over, trees are beginning to blossom, and an excellent crop of spring books are on their way.
This March sees the return of both Tayari Jones (whose previous novel An American Marriage won the 2019 Women’s Prize) and Asako Yuzuki (author of the hit book Butter), while Liza Minnelli pens her long-awaited memoir and Dominic Gregory offers an utterly compelling account as life as RNLI volunteer.
And that’s not all. Here is our pick of the best reads of the month…
The Daffodil Days by Helen Bain
In 1961, Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes leave London for North Tawton, Devon, hoping rural life will steady marriage and ambition. Told through shifting viewpoints, this fictionalised account of the period leading up to Plath’s tragic death is utterly compelling.
Bloomsbury, £18.99
Kin by Tayari Jones
In 1950s Louisiana, childhood friends Vernice and Annie both grow up motherless. As segregation shapes their diverging paths, one is drawn into danger, forcing the other to confront loyalty, love and survival. A terrific return from the Women’s Prize winning author of An American Marriage.
Oneworld Publications, £18.99
Dandelion is Dead by Rosie Storey
Grieving Poppy logs into her late sister’s Hinge account and finds herself going on a date in her name. What begins as a bit of mischief grows complicated when sparks fly, while the wildly fun set-up of the novel raises thorny questions about love, loss and deception.
The Borough Press, £16.99
Look What You Made Me Do by John Lanchester
A long-married couple discover their private language reproduced verbatim in a hit TV drama. As suspicion falls on a young screenwriter, Lanchester orchestrates a sharp, vengeful satire of ego and authorship.
Faber & Faber, £20
Hooked by Asako Yuzuki
From the author of the hit novel Butter comes another deliciously satisfying read, this time revolving around corporate high-flyer Eriko, who becomes obsessed with a cult homemaking blog and its enigmatic author, Shoko.
Fourth Estate, £14.99
Love Lane by Patrick Gale
Harry Cane, protagonist of Gale’s acclaimed 2015 novel A Place Called Winter, returns to England seeking home and absolution, but the past refuses to loosen its grip. Probing ideas of belonging, family and escape, Gale is the kind author who doesn’t let you down.
Tinder Press, £20
The News From Dublin by Colm Tóibín
Lives lived far from home unfold with Tóibín’s trademark spare, piercing prose. As in his bestsellers such as Brooklyn and Long Island, this collection traces longing, exile and the ache of unfinished lives.
Picador, £20
The Delusions by Jenni Fagan
In the afterlife’s chaotic processing centre, Edi risks everything to reunite with her lost son as humanity edges towards extinction. Fagan – whose memoir Ootlin was longlisted for the Women’s Prize – draws on the surreal in this searing novel about defiant love.
Hutchinson Heinemann, £18.99
Good Good Loving by Yvette Edwards
As Ellen lies dying, her children catalogue her failings at her bedside. Moving backwards through decades of secrets and sacrifice, Edwards builds a tender, bracing portrait of a family bound by love and misunderstanding.
Virago, £18.99
Lifeboat at the End of the World by Dominic Gregory
After volunteering with the RNLI in Dungeness, Gregory recounts perilous sea rescues, including small boats in crisis. This is a truly unforgettable memoir of courage and the moral imperative to save lives at sea.
William Collins, £18.99
Elemental by Arthur Snell
Former diplomat Snell traces how climate breakdown fuels conflict and instability, from drought-stricken Sahel communities to the melting Arctic. Framed around Earth, Air, Fire and Water, it connects environmental crisis to geopolitics with urgent clarity.
Wildfire, £25
Honoured by Naz Shah
Sent to Pakistan at 12 and forced into marriage at 15, Shah recounts a childhood shaped by abuse and upheaval before rising to become MP for Bradford West. A forthright memoir of survival and political awakening.
Weidenfeld & Nicolson, £22
Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! by Liza Minnelli
It was only a matter of time before Minnelli reclaimed her narrative and set the record straight: in her first, long-awaited memoir, the legendary star reflects on Hollywood royalty, Studio 54 excess, turbulent marriages and battles with addiction.
Hodder & Stoughton, £25
A Rebel and a Traitor by Rory Carroll
Carroll recounts the extraordinary life of Sir Roger Casement, imperial diplomat turned Irish revolutionary, and the intelligence manhunt led by Reginald “Blinker” Hall. A gripping read from the author of Killing Thatcher.
Mudlark, £22
