Here are the 25 Indie Next List and 6 Now in Paperback picks on the March 2026 Indie Next List flier.
The March title list is also viewable as a collection on Edelweiss and on the Indie Next List page as an Excel file alongside PDFs for the month’s flier and shelf-talker templates. Learn more and visit Matchbook Marketing’s program page to sign up to send the free Indie Next List e-newsletter to customers.
Additionally, to mark the start of the new month, the February Indie Next List picks are available as a flier, along with past lists, on the Indie Next List page on BookWeb.org.
The 25 March Indie Next List Picks
#1 Pick: And Now, Back to You (Heartstrings #2)
By B. K. Borison
(Berkley, 9780593953143, $19, Feb. 24, Romance)
“B. K. Borison totally nails it again! Jackson and Delilah are so different on the outside, but deep down, they both want to be needed and hope to care for someone else. Enjoyable and super entertaining!”
—Michelle Whittaker, Fonts Books, McLean, VA
Brawler: Stories
By Lauren Groff
(Riverhead Books, 9780593418420, $29, Feb. 24, Short Stories)
“Lauren Groff continues to bat a thousand. I am urging everyone to pick up these stories, you will feel every emotion possible. Every story’s ending is pitch perfect. Destined to be a book of the year.”
—Chelsea Bauer, Union Avenue Books, Knoxville, TN
Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter
By Heather Fawcett
(Del Rey, 9780593973257, $29, Feb. 17, Fantasy)
“I loved Agnes, her cats, and her discomfort (and growth) with magic. She was kind, with the right amount of quirks to get you to root for her and her menagerie. I enjoyed the journey and the Howl’s Moving Castle vibes!”
—Krista Carlton, The Bookies Bookstore, Denver, CO
Kin: A Novel
By Tayari Jones
(Knopf, 9780525659181, $32, Feb. 24, Fiction)
“Annie and Vernice, both motherless, have been best friends since early childhood. When they finally leave their small Louisiana town, their lives take very different paths as they search for love and belonging in an unjust America. An incredibly rich novel.”
—Chantel McCray, Rainy Day Books, Fairway, KS
The Red Winter
By Cameron Sullivan
(Tor Books, 9781250362766, $29.99, Feb. 24, Fantasy)
“From the romance and magic to the mythology and historical fiction, this is a pure delight. Prepare to become engulfed in this bloody saga, set across 15th–18th century France, featuring the origin of the werewolf.”
—Miriam Roskam, Mountain Shire: Books & Gifts, Winter Park, CO
A Far-flung Life: A Novel
By M. L. Stedman
(Scribner, 9781668219614, $30, Mar. 3, Historical Fiction)
“I felt as if I were living on this enormous sheep station in Western Australia, with the animals, the huge sky, the weather, and the hard work. Like the land, the novel is vast and sweeping. It pulled me in and did not let go.”
—Yvette Olson, Magnolia's Bookstore, Seattle, WA
Lady Tremaine: A Novel
By Rachel Hochhauser
(St. Martin's Press, 9781250396341, $29, Mar. 3, Fiction)
“Rachel Hochhauser does not upend Cinderella’s story so much as shatter it and completely rebuild it. Full of twists, historical plausibility, and nuanced characters, you will root for Lady Tremaine and her daughters.”
—Keith Glaeske, East City Bookshop, Washington, DC
So Old, So Young: A Novel
By Grant Ginder
(Gallery/Scout Press, 9781668051771, $30, Feb. 17, Fiction)
“I loved the premise of this book — following a group of college friends for 20 years through the lens of multiple social gatherings. Getting to know these characters as a fly on the wall was truly unique.”
—Bobbi Irving, Penguin Bookshop, Sewickley, PA
Whidbey: A Novel
By T Kira Madden
(Mariner Books, 9780063289680, $30, Mar. 10, Fiction)
“I can’t express how excellent this novel is. You’ll experience the propulsiveness of a thriller while marveling at the literary and psychological genius of every page — then you’ll want everyone to read it.”
—Christie Olson Day, Gallery Bookshop & Bookwinkle's Children's Books, Mendocino, CA
Evil Genius: A Novel
By Claire Oshetsky
(Ecco, 9780063466487, $28.99, Feb. 17, Fiction)
“I'm obsessed with Oshetsky’s fiction like Celia Dent is obsessed with finding her way to a better life, and just like her mission, I’m always pining for the next tale Oshetsky will spin. She’s a masterful writer of literary fiction.”
—Chelsia Rice, Montana Book Company, Helena, MT
Star Shipped: A Novel
By Cat Sebastian
(Avon, 9780063429581, $18.99, Mar. 3, Romance)
“I’m glad Cat Sebastian wrote a contemporary romance — the emotional depth of the characters and development of their relationship was just right! It’s an especially great pick for people who like celebrity romances.”
—Kacey Hruby Wyttenhove, Cream & Amber, Hopkins, MN
Wait for Me: A Novel
By Amy Jo Burns
(Celadon Books, 9781250399304, $28.99, Mar. 3, Fiction)
“Burns is an auto-buy author for me. She never disappoints! Wait for Me is a music-filled women supporting women tale that I won't soon forget. I loved the Appalachian setting and ‘70s/‘90s time frame.”
—Elizabeth Barnhill, Fabled Bookshop & Café, Waco, TX
Where the Wildflowers Grow: A Novel
By Terah Shelton Harris
(Sourcebooks Landmark, 9781464229220, $29.99, Feb. 17, Fiction)
“You will be wholly moved by Leigh’s journey, gaining an intimate understanding of her soul and appreciation for those around her who help her see the truth and beauty in herself. Yes, her trauma informs her, and still she grows like the wildflowers.”
—Shay Carey, Roundabout Books, Bend, OR
Weavingshaw (Indies Introduce)
By Heba Al-Wasity
(Del Rey, 9780593982570, $30, Feb. 24, Fantasy)
“Fantastic worldbuilding, a slow burn romance to die for, and a ghostly mystery. What more could you ask for? A STUNNING debut. The writing was superb.”
—Lauren Nopenz, Curious Iguana, Frederick, MD
Once and Again: A Novel
By Rebecca Serle
(Atria Books, 9781668025918, $27, Mar. 10, Fiction)
“Three generations of women in one family get a single ticket to turn back time just once. I love the careful examination of what knowing you have that chance does, and what happens to your life once you've used it.”
—Anna Brown, Katy Budget Books, Houston, TX
Now I Surrender: A Novel
By Álvaro Enrigue, Natasha Wimmer (Transl.)
(Riverhead Books, 9780593084076, $30, Mar. 3, Historical Fiction)
“Stunning history made fiction, fiction made history. A portrait of a time and lost way of life. Mournful, yet vibrant; violent and daring, yet compassionate. Enrigue writes with such wonder about the past, and concludes with an exceptionally woven conclusion.”
—Adam Waterreus, Lost City Books, Washington, DC
The Reservation: A Novel
By Rebecca Kauffman
(Counterpoint, 9781640097483, $27, Feb. 24, Fiction)
“Aunt Orsa’s restaurant is about to welcome its most famous guest yet, and 22 rib eye steaks have just gone missing. Following a cast of utterly normal but deeply memorable restaurant employees navigating a chaotic day!”
—Bronte Lebo, The Bookshop, Nashville, TN
Lake Effect: A Novel
By Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
(Ecco, 9780063377684, $30, Mar. 3, Fiction)
“Fans of The Nest will be thrilled to have Sweeney back with an equally riveting family saga. New readers to Sweeney’s rich prose and unforgettable characters will come away with lessons on facing up to and letting go of the past.”
—James Conrad, The Golden Notebook, Woodstock, NY
200 Monas: A Novel
By Jan Saenz
(Little, Brown and Company, 9780316595889, $29, Mar. 3, Fiction)
“This book was a trip. Try to keep up with main character Arvy as she desperately tries to find a way to sell 200 pills she discovered in her recently deceased mother’s closet. The story is fast paced, raunchy, and sprinkled with notes of humanity.”
—Kyra Tatlow, Book Love, Plymouth, MA
The Disappointment: A Novel
By Scott Broker
(Catapult, 9781646222858, $28, Mar. 3, Fiction)
“This campy, humorous novel is a breath of fresh air. This book was equally fun and emotional. In a story that could easily get weighed down, this book allows humor to permeate hard times. A true pleasure to read.”
—Brady Parkin, The King's English Bookshop, Salt Lake City, UT
The Blood Countess: Murder, Betrayal, and the Making of a Monster
By Shelley Puhak
(Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781639732159, $32.99, Feb. 17, True Crime)
“For history lovers and true crime lovers alike, The Blood Countess provides a new and excellently researched view on the story and myth of Elizabeth Báthory. A detailed glimpse into Báthory’s life that contradicts the usual narrative.”
—Delaney McFadin, Copperfield's Books, Sebastopol, CA
The Irish Goodbye: Micro-Memoirs
By Beth Ann Fennelly
(W. W. Norton & Company, 9781324117407, $22.99, Feb. 24, Memoir)
“Micro-memoir is my new favorite genre. Imagine the gut-punch and juicily crafted lines of poetry as the guiding template for the intimate disclosure of memoir. All I wanted to do with this book was savor it.”
—Mallory Moyer, Barrett Bookstore, Darien, CT
Field Notes from an Extinction: A Novel
By Eoghan Walls
(Seven Stories Press, 9781644215340, $19.95, Mar. 3, Fiction)
“Walls is a brilliantly inventive writer whose careful research transcends itself, leaps off the page and whisks the reader into the heart of the danger. Action-packed, hair-raising, visceral storytelling at its finest, for lovers of The Wager and Island of the Blue Dolphins.”
—Kristen Iskandrian, Thank You Books, Birmingham, AL
A Wheelie Awkward Romance: The Love Story of a Girl Who Is Definitely Not Touchy-Feely and a Quadriplegic Guy Who Most Assuredly Is (Indies Introduce)
By Tess Campbell, Corby Campbell
(Shadow Mountain, 9781639934690, $27.99, Mar. 3, Memoir)
“A quirky, fun story about falling in love with your opposite in every way. Often laugh-out-loud funny and always sweet, you will love Tess and Corby Campbell’s love story navigating disability and neurodivergence.”
—Claire Bone, Wild Sisters Book Company, Sacramento, CA
Ashland
By Dan Simon
(Europa Editions, 9798889661672, $26, Feb. 17, Fiction)
“A sweeping family saga told in multiple voices and set in a dying town in New Hampshire, at once a lyrical ode to life in working class America and the power of storytelling. Sharp, brilliantly told and unforgettable.”
—Cody Morrison, Square Books, Oxford, MS
March 2026 Indie Next List Now in Paperback
Deep Cuts: A Novel (Indies Introduce)
By Holly Brickley
(Crown, 9780593799109, $18, Mar. 3, Fiction)
“This book is a love song. It’s a love letter to music, to connection, to friendship and romance and collaboration and connection and talent and pain. I wish I could have written this book. I’m jealous of people who haven’t read this book yet.”
—Jamie Thomas, Women & Children First, Chicago, IL
The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War
By Erik Larson
(Crown, 9780385348768, $22, Mar. 10, History)
“Larson vividly depicts Fort Sumter’s untenable position, the ineptitude of the Buchanan administration, and the impossibility of a remedy from Lincoln, exposing Southern planters who linked slavery, secession, and war in a corrupted Code of Honor.”
—Mike Hare, Northshire Bookstore, Saratoga Springs, NY
The Lamb: A Novel
By Lucy Rose
(Harper Perennial, 9780063374614, $18.99, Paperback; 9780063489530, $18.99, Indie Exclusive Signed Edition Paperback, Feb. 17, Horror)
“A coming-of-age story meets the cabin-in-the-woods cannibalism trope. The senses are engaged for a moody, atmospheric ride spattered in blood and rot as Margot makes sense in a world of neglectful trauma and relative isolation.”
—Danielle Smith, Auntie’s Bookstore, Spokane, WA
Raising Hare: A Memoir
By Chloe Dalton
(Vintage, 9780593689004, $21, Feb. 24, Memoir)
“Dalton’s prose is as light and quick-footed as the hare who lives with her. She captures everything I love about good nature writing: observations that leave you with a new sense of astonishment and appreciation for the small lives interwoven with our own.”
—Shannon Guinn-Collins, Bookworks, Albuquerque, NM
Stag Dance: A Quartet
By Torrey Peters
(Random House Trade Paperbacks, 9780593446355, $18, Mar. 10, Fiction)
“Filled to the brim with visceral and liberatory queer writing. I found two of these stories years ago and they molded me into the reader I am today. To say I’m over the moon that people will finally read these stories is an understatement. Flawless!”
—Grace Sullivan, Fountain Bookstore, Richmond, VA
The Story She Left Behind: A Novel
By Patti Callahan Henry
(Atria Books, 9781668011881, $19, Mar. 3, Fiction)
“The Story She Left Behind transports us across the Atlantic along with these characters. Patti Callahan Henry’s gorgeous writing grips our hearts and won’t let go as she weaves a story of mothers and daughters full of mystery and imagination.”
—Theresa Decker, Book Love the Bookshop of Senoia, Senoia, GA