Browns Best New Books for March 2024
1st March 2024
Every month we carefully select our favourites from the fabulous new titles on offer. March is a busy month; Easter is at the end of the month on Sunday March 21st but before that it’s one of our favourite days at Browns - World Book Day on Thursday March 7th. World Book Day is a chance to celebrate the magic and wonder of books and reading and helps to get books into the hands of readers through the special World Book Day books and vouchers. Many schools also encourage children to dress up as characters from literature for World Book Day; if you need some ideas and tips for low and no-cost book-themed costumes then check out the advice here World Book Day On A Budget (brownsbfs.co.uk) There are some great new books published in March and here are our picks for this most bookish of months.
Check back next month for our picks of the new books April has to offer.
Adult Non-Fiction
How Westminster Works . . . and Why It Doesn't
Dunt, Ian
Paperback / softback
With speculation growing about when the next UK General Election will be held and politics never far from the headlines, many of us will be thinking more and more about our political system and what we want to see from our elected representatives in the future. Whether you are a long-standing Westminster-watcher or will be voting for the first time in the next general election, How Westminster Works… And Why It Doesn’t is an illuminating, fascinating and frequently surprising look at UK politics and how and why it seems so broken.
Ian Dunt walks the reader through the UK political system and all its issues in an engaging and approachable way whilst maintaining neutrality throughout. A clear if shocking assessment of how the UK government works and a great read for not only those who think they know UK politics or want to expand their knowledge but those who are new to political thinking as well.
More DetailsAdult Fiction
Romantic Comedy
Sittenfeld, Curtis
Paperback / softback
Curtis Sittenfeld is an author whose readers are never sure what topic or genre she will tackle next. Her fabulous debut Prep was a clever and compelling look at teenage life and social class in an exclusive Massachusetts boarding school and the brilliant American Wife won her many fans with a fictionalised account of the life of former First Lady Laura Bush. Her latest book Romantic Comedy focuses on Sally Milz, a successful writer on a legendary late-night comedy show (closely modelled on Saturday Night Live). Sally has long-abandoned her search for love and when one of her fellow writers begins dating a glamourous actress, she pens a sketch poking fun at the ‘social rule’ that interesting but average-looking men can date beautiful and accomplished women but the same never happens in reverse. But when Sally meets pop idol Noah her views on love begin to change…
Romantic Comedy is a clever, funny and compassionate read and a feel-good book which manages to convey the complexities of love and attraction in an authentic and smart way. With a love story at its heart, it is the rest of the characters and situations in Sally’s life that really make this book; the world of TV writing for a massively successful live show is brilliantly shown and hugely enjoyable. I always look forward to a new novel from Curtis Sittenfeld and Romantic Comedy delivered everything I love about her writing.
More DetailsChildren’s Non-Fiction
One Life, One Planet: One Bee in Billions
Ridley, Sarah
Hardback
As spring finally approaches, many of us will be keen to get out and about and learn about the wonders of nature. One Bee in Billions explores how the life of one bee is connected to countless other living things and looks at why biodiversity is so vital. Part of the fantastic Why Biodiversity Matters series this book is produced in association with The Natural History Museum and helps younger children to understand, appreciate and explore conservation without being alarmist.
With beautiful illustrations, fascinating facts and looking at topics such as pollination and why bees play an important part in our eco system this is a great book for KS1 aged children. Perfect for Minibeasts topics, supporting discussions on conservation or for those wanting to find out more about the brilliant little bee, this is a great addition to any classroom.
More DetailsChildren’s Fiction
Where the Heart Should Be
Crossan, Sarah
Hardback
Let’s start by saying that I am biased, and that Sarah Crossan is one of my absolute favourite authors, and I have never read a novel of hers that I didn’t think excellent (or that didn’t make me weep, for that matter!) Whilst her new novel Where the Heart Should Be is written in her characteristic precise and poetic style it is her first historical novel, and one that is deeply personal to the author and this shows. The story centres around Nell Quinn, who starts work as a kitchen maid at the nearby landlord’s stately home to bring home a small salary for her family whose potato crop is failing. Unlike her peers she loves learning and poetry. She meets John Browning, reluctant heir to the estate and even against the romeo-and-juliet odds they fall in love - when everything around them is falling apart.
Where the Heart Should Be shows the impact of the Irish Famine and the impact of colonial rule in Ireland, but ultimately the focus is always on the characters, and this is a story of people and how they live through a disaster of the worst kind. Crossan’s portrayal of Nell and her story is again written in free verse and it seems almost like a little bit of magic in how she is able to convey so much nuanced emotion in so few words. This brilliant novel would make a fantastic KS3/4 history resource, and also recommended to those not-so-keen-readers who want the accomplishment of reading a chunky book from start to finish.
If you’re not that familiar with Sarah Crossan’s novels you can also purchase our 4 book collection here - at a very special price!
