Books on Deck: March 2024

March has something for everyone from unclaimed dead bodies to basketball musings and a lot more!

March has already been called out as a huge month in books. Two of my most anticipated books for all of 2024 come out this month (the Everett and the Abdurraquib). The list below features the books I’ve already read from March that I loved and want you to read (the ones in bold) and the things that are topping my TBR.

• I Finally Bought Some Jordans: Essays by

  Michael Arceneaux
  (March 12)
  A collection of essays from one of my favorite comedic essayists out. This new one is all about what it’s like to find success as a Black queer writer and still have so far to go.

• Lessons for Survival: Mothering Against "The Apocalypse" by Emily Raboteau (March 12)
  What does it take to mother in the midst of *gestures wildly*? Raboteau tries to answer that question as a Black woman figuring out what justice and safety can look like for our kids.

• The Unclaimed: Abandonment and Hope in the City of Angels by Pamela Prickett and Stefan Timmermans (March 12)
  Be honest, do you have any idea what happens to the unclaimed dead in your city? Did you even know there was such a thing us unclaimed dead people? How about who does the claiming in the first place? Welp, this expertly researched book has all those answers and more answers to the morbid questions you didn’t even know you had.

• Victim by

  Andrew Boryga
  (March 12)
  In this debut satire, Javier is a hustler from the Bronx who is an identity cynic. He crafts a version of himself to cash in on the lust for trauma plots from communities of color. Only problem, some of his friends recognize his story isn’t really him at all.

• You Get What You Pay For: Essays by Morgan Parker (March 12)
  Whew, this collection is hard at work. Parker talks about her experiences of existing as a Black woman using history, humor, and cultural criticism. There is an essay on therapy as reparations, one about Serena Williams, and another on slave ships. Parker is not holding back here, thank goodness.

• James by Percival Everett (March 19)
  Masterpiece. That is what everyone who has read this retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is calling this book. It is the same old two dudes on a raft story, but told from the perspective of Jim (aka James). You already know I love Percival Everett. I do not need convincing. Let’s go.

• Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball by Keith O’Brien (March 26)
  The first sport I ever loved was baseball. And if you’re even a little familiar with the history of the sport you’ve heard about Pete Rose, degenerate gambler and stain on the game. However, I don’t really know any more than that when it comes to Pete Rose. Enter: Charlie Hustle.

• There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib (March 26)
  Hanif. Ohio. Basketball. Enough said.

Which March books are you most excited about? What from this list are you planning to read? What am I missing here that I must add to my TBR assatpually?

You can see all the forthcoming books I’m looking forward to on my #teampreorder list over on bookshop.org!

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