10 noteworthy debut books you should read this March

Debutiful’s Adam Vitcavage recommends noteworthy debut books for readers to discover each month.

Guatemalan Rhapsody by Jared Lemus (March 4)

From the publisher: A vibrant debut story collection–poignant, unflinching, and immersive–masterfully moving between sharp wit and profound tenderness, Guatemalan Rhapsody offers a kaleidoscopic portrait of an ever-changing country, the people who claim it as home, and those who no longer do

This collection is already one of my favorites since starting Debutiful. They’re fresh but timeless. Lemus writes about place – both America and Guatemala – with precision and care. He writes with utter compassion. Reading this collection was an absolute delight.

Optional Practical Training by Shubha Sunder (March 4)

From the publisher: An elegantly inventive debut novel that offers a sharp new take on the immigrant story in post-9/11 America

I’ve been a fan of Sunder’s stories and am very excited to dive into her full-length novel debut. 

We Pretty Pieces of Flesh by Colwill Brown (March 4)

From the publisher: An exuberant and ribald debut novel about three adolescent girls, as sweetly vulnerable as they are cunning and tough, coming of age in a gritty postindustrial town in nineties Yorkshire, England

If you couldn’t tell by now, I love coming-of-age stories set in small towns and I love the 1990s. This book does everything exceedingly well. It’s full of emotion.

See Friendship by Jeremy Gordon (March 4)

From the publisher: Culture critic Jeremy Gordon makes his literary debut with this whip-smart novel about a young man who learns the devastating truth behind his friend’s death, propelling him on an odyssey of discovery into the nature of grief in the digital age, the limits of memory, and the meaning of friendship.

I’ve rarely seen male friendship portrayed as strong as in this book. The beauty of the struggle to find and maintain friendship in modern times is fully displayed. Gordon gets humanity and writes subtle moments with gorgeous prose.

Mothers and Other Fictional Characters by Nicole Graev Lipson (March 4)

From the publisher: In this intimate and riveting memoir, Best American Essayist Nicole Graev Lipson breaks through the ready-made stories of womanhood, rescuing truth from the fiction that infiltrates our lives.

An emotional, beautiful, and rewarding read. Lipson provides an earnest memoir that all mothers, children, partners, parents, and everyone in between will be able to read and shed light on the relationships that shaped them.

Just Want You Here by Meredith Turits (March 11)

From the publisher: An intimate and deeply moving coming-of-age novel about second chances and the inextricable bonds between lovers and friends.

I love steamy books that don’t overtly scream that they are steamy. Turits writes exquisitely about lust and friendship.

Luminous by Silvia Park (March 11)

From the publisher: A highly anticipated, sweeping debut set in a unified Korea that tells the story of three estranged siblings–two human, one robot–as they collide against the backdrop of a murder investigation to settle old scores and make sense of their shattered childhood, perfect for fans of Klara and the Sun and We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves.

It’s a cold stunner of a novel. Park masterfully balances complex characters in a very creative world. The family dynamics in this future-tinged novel are brilliantly written. 

We Contain Landscapes by Patrycja Humienik (March 18)

From the publisher: To whom do we belong, and at what cost? Patrycja Humienik’s debut poetry collection, We Contain Landscapes, is haunted by questions of desire, borders, and the illusion of national belonging

A collection of uniquely written poems that made me think a lot about my relationship with my parents and family. 

Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa, translated by Polly Barton (March 18)

From the publisher: A bombshell bestseller in Japan, a provocative, defiant debut novel about a young woman in a care home seeking autonomy and the full possibilities of her life–“a darkly funny portrait of disability” (Japan Times)

This being a “bombshell bestseller” in Japan would already make this highly anticipated, but it also being about a character with a physical disability solidified my desire to read it.

The Expert of Subtle Revisions by Kirsten Menger-Anderson (March 18)

From the publisher: A thrilling historical mystery about a young woman searching for her father, a young man trying to solve an impossible problem, and the quest for the power to transcend time.

Open up and hold on for a sharp history filled with twists and secrets. It’s a propulsive novel with expert craftsmanship. Menger-Anderson knows how to hook a reader’s attention and keep it page after page.