Last month, Team R29 dove headfirst into romance with Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson, a tale chronicling young Black British people falling in love in south London. There was also Olivia Sudjic’s highly anticipated Asylum Road, a story discussing female identity and how it is forever linked to romantic relationships. And who could forget Joan Didion’s new collection of essays, Let Me Tell You What I Mean?
Moving into March, the team are turning their attention to a slew of newly released titles, including a terrifying psychological thriller and a guide to enjoying your own company. Covering subject matter ranging from the gentrification of London brothels to one mother’s battle with alcoholism, there are plenty of page-turners to sink your teeth into.
To take a look at everything R29 staff are reading this month, click through the slideshow ahead…
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
Book Title: Milk Fed by Melissa Broder
Why is it your March read? Tipped as one of the ‘must read’ books of March, Milk Fed is about Rachel, a woman with disordered eating and a stressful job working in a Hollywood talent agency. Her strict calorie-controlled approach to life, however, all goes out the window when she falls in love with an Orthodox Jewish woman who wants nothing more than to (literally) feed her. Reviews so far waver between shocked and delighted at some of the more graphic scenes, with the New York Times giving it props for bravely questioning “the particularly female lionization of thin and loathing of fat, landing on fresh explanations”.
Melissa Broder Milk Fed, $, available at Bookshop
Book Title: The Last House On Needless Street by Catriona Ward
Why is it your March read? I’ve never been a big horror/thriller fan and am increasingly wary of Missing Girl narratives but I’d heard promising things about this and so gave it a cautious go. I’m so glad I did because I can’t champion this novel enough – it’s quite decisively become one of my favourite books I’ve read in a very long time. It’s tense and heartbreaking and written so beautifully.
Described as a psychological thriller, The Last House On Needless Street follows a man named Ted who lives at the end of Needless Street with his daughter Lauren and cat Olivia and their lives in the years after a young girl, Lulu, disappears from a nearby lake. It sounds like it’s a crime thriller, which it is in a way, but it’s really a story about time and perception and abuse and what we do to survive. I stayed up into the early hours to finish it and the ending left me breathless.
Catriona Ward The Last House on Needless Street, $, available at Bookshop
Book Title: Hot Stew by Fiona Mozley
Why is it your March read? The follow-up to Mozley’s gorgeous debut Elmet (read it if you haven’t!) sounds like quite the change of pace. Hot Stew joins the residents of a Soho brothel as they fight its billionaire owner’s evil machinations to tear it down and replace it with – urgh – luxury flats. Having recently quit the capital for the Northern Irish countryside, I’m eager to lose myself in what one reviewer has described as a “steaming, fuming mix of life, lust and London”.
Fiona Mozley Hot Stew, $, available at Bookshop
Book Title: Alonement by Francesca Specter
Why is it your March read? The concept of being lonely and alone, as well as single and alone, has largely been negative for women. Think back to all the times when you’ve wanted to see a film on your own but were scared to through fear of looking like a loser or, in my case, taking myself out for a pizza after an interview only to be made a heart-shaped pizza by the chef, indicating that I was too lonely to have a partner to dine with.
None of the above should be shameful, which is what Francesca Specter, journalist, author and founder of the podcast Alonement, wants everyone to know. Her debut book of the same name explores the need for alonement, which she defines as finding joy and value in solitude. After the year we’ve had, Francesca proves that we can still find happiness in our own company without shame, guilt or embarrassment, and why it’s so important to hold space for ourselves.
Francesca Specter Alonement, $, available at Bookshop
Book Title: Bright Burning Things by Lisa Harding
Why is it your March read? As someone who spent the majority of their teen years running around on stage, a novel about a once-loved actress and her new life as a mother is exactly what I’m looking for. Telling the story of an ex-theatre star and her young son, Bright Burning Things discusses the complexities of motherhood, incorporating alcoholism, strained family ties and the fear of inadequacy as a parent. From the glowing reviews it appears this book delves into territories which are as devastating as they are illuminating and I for one can’t wait to read it.
Lisa Harding Bright Burning Things, $, available at Bookshop
Book Title: Skin by Kerry Andrew
Why is it your March read? I’ve not read Kerry Andrew’s first novel, Swansong, but her follow-up, Skin, sounds like the immersive escape I could do with right now. Kicking off in 1985, 11-year-old Matty’s father, Joe, has gone missing. Starting a journey to find his dad, Matty is led to the solace of the men’s pond at Hampstead Heath the following summer and, 14 years later, to the wild swimming spots of Ireland. It sounds compelling enough to lose myself in and scenic enough to inspire some swimming trips of my own come summer.
Kerry Andrew Skin, $, available at Bookshop
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Books By Black Women We Can’t Wait To Read In 2021