Looking Forward to March

Since I've been going through the books I have for March and growing more and more excited, I thought I'd do a highlight post of the four I'm most looking forward to. At least so far! I'm hoping to be able to read them all, although they may not all fit into March--don't forget about Left Coast Crime!

The first book on my radar is Brad Parks' next Carter Ross mystery, THE PLAYER. The series has only continued to get better, so I'm excited to delve into the new installment that has Carter investigating strange illnesses in a small neighborhood. This one sounds like a creative twist on environmental poisoning stories. THE PLAYER comes out March 4th from Minotaur.

The next book is a non-fiction. And it's a memoir. Those who know me well know I usually run screaming at the mention of a memoir, but the basis for this young man's story is a cause near and dear to my heart: education. So I'm intrigued and looking forward to THE PROMISE OF A PENCIL. Adam Braun, the book's author, has been named to Forbes's list of 30 under 30 because of his work creating this non-profit that builds schools and trains teachers in impoverished areas around the world. So, I have high hopes for this memoir from Scribner. THE PROMISE OF A PENCIL comes out March 18th.

The third gem for March is the second book for Orest Stelmach. THE BOY WHO STOLE FROM THE DEAD is the follow-up to his 2013 debut THE BOY FROM REACTOR 4. Despite the boy titles, Stelmach's continuing character is Nadia Tesla. In THE BOY WHO STOLE FROM THE DEAD, Nadia has to take on an international investigation when a mysterious young hockey phenom is accused of murder in New York City. An added bonus on buying this book is Stelmach's continuing donation to Chernobyl Children International. I'd be excited to read it without the charity connection, but it sure is nice to see someone reaching out for others, isn't it? THE BOY WHO STOLE FROM THE DEAD comes out March 11th from Thomas & Mercer.

Then a book I've been waiting for! Louis Bayard isn't as prolific  as some writers (in novel-writing, he does quite a bit of additional writing, though) so whenever something new comes out, it's cause for celebration. This March his book ROOSEVELT'S BEAST will be out from Henry Holt. If you visit his website, he has a short audio clip about his writing of the book. Bayard is so fascinating and I'm psyched about this book. This is an alternate history story of Teddy and Kermit Roosevelt's Amazon voyage in 1914. The two Roosevelts are kidnapped by a native tribe. I've come to learn that a book from Louis Bayard is absolutely worth the wait. ROOSEVELT'S BEAST comes out March 18th.

O.k. so those are the books I'm most looking forward to in March. What has caught YOUR eye?