Best books of March 2025, as chosen by the Amazon Editors
Beware the Ides of March, but not the books on our best-of list this month, which include highly anticipated releases from Charlotte McConaghy and Karen Russell, a fun, behind-the-scenes peek at NPR, a fascinating look into the even dirtier than you’d expect trash trade, and more.
Shot from a cannon in the dark, Wild Dark Shore is a novel that hooks you from the start and doesn’t let you go until the last page; it will leave you breathless, wide-eyed, and in awe of the extraordinary power of fiction. Charlotte McConaghy first hit the literary scene with her novel Migrations, which we named the best fiction book of 2020—and, just like her debut, her third novel ensnares you in a brilliant vortex of family, grief, climate change, and nature. With taut pacing that ratchets up the tension with every chapter, McConaghy unfurls the mystery of why a father, his three children, and a strange woman battered from a shipwreck find themselves on a remote island off the coast of Antarctica, where the air “is thick with the spirits of the dead.” They are alone, and they stay in this inhospitable place: “When I think about leaving...I almost can’t breathe, but staying here is killing us.” By turns haunting and tender, the story is narrated by each of the island’s inhabitants, revealing heart-breaking betrayals, sacrifices, violence, kindnesses, and the madness and comradery that isolation can bring. McConaghy’s exquisite gift is that she creates characters that you know you shouldn’t trust with your whole heart, but you do anyway. The result is a gutting, magnificent story of the lengths individuals will go for the people, and causes, they care about. —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
A love letter to music, and songwriters, and love itself, Deep Cuts is a novel that reverberates in your chest like the bass of your favorite song with the volume cranked all the way up. Percy and Joe first bond over music, begin collaborating on songs for Joe’s band, and quickly become best friends. The desire for more is there, but can the person you care about most also be your artistic ally and your lover? If you’re Percy and Joe, the answer is: It’s complicated. As Percy searches for her authentic voice in the cacophony of self-doubt, self-centeredness, jealousy, and expectations, it’s the music—the songs—that are her guideposts and her guardian angels. This authentic, song-filled, soulful, coming-of-age love story made me remember my own messy, passionate twenties with bittersweet nostalgia. Cue up the playlist of your life now, because when you’ve finished this novel (and probably well before), you’re going to want to settle in and relive your own soundtrack of memories. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
If you’ve ever received an email claiming to be from an African prince who wants nothing more than to transfer his fortune to you, then you’ve encountered the work of the Burner Boys of Agbogbloshie, one of the most poisonous places on earth. There, between smoldering piles of plastic and flimsy tents, a “den of identity thieves and cat fishers” eke out a living extracting data from the phones and computers casually tossed out by the thousands every day. How did your old iPhone end up in Ghana and implicated in countless crimes, despite you responsibly disposing of it? Welcome to the shocking, multibillion-dollar global garbage trade: a shady world of bribery, murder and the mob, scheming politicians, and brand name companies who strike deals to spread toxic sludge around the world, destroying communities and embedding plastic in the most unlikely places (like the icebergs of Antarctica). Yes, this is a book about trash, but it’s also about so much more. It’s about how we as consumers have been lied to about recycling, it’s a detective story about corruption and power, and it’s proof that the world is inextricably connected, for better or worse. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
Karen Russell (Swamplandia, Vampires in the Lemon Grove) abandons the sunshine state in favor of America’s unforgiving Dust Bowl in this provocative and atmospheric epic that will make you howl with the wind and want to hunker down with its beguiling characters. Centered around the memories we have, the memories we hold, and the memories we abandon, The Antidote follows the lives of a prairie witch, the town sheriff (on the hunt for a killer), a WPA photographer, an orphaned basketball star, a Polish farmer, and a scarecrow whose worlds collide in this kaleidoscopic story of natural disaster and justice, with a twist of the supernatural. This novel tackles the desires of the heart, the value we ascribe to truth, and the lies that we can tell ourselves to make things safer and more convenient—and burrows into the root of American identity with such nuance and gusto, it’s impossible not to keep thinking about, and talking about. —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
Who knew a book about National Public Radio could be so much fun? Seriously, this character-heavy nonfiction narrative on the birth of NPR and its evolution from a scrappy, free-wheeling, counterculture media start-up to the gold-star of programming it is today, is a rollicking page-turner. From the wild early days of its start (for the first broadcast in 1971, NPR reporters took to the streets to interview those marching in protest of the Vietnam Senate hearings), to the cocaine-fueled stories produced in the ‘80s, to the constant scrounging and fights for funding, to the vibrant personalities on air (and the affairs they had off), Steve Oney offers an engaging, juicy portrait of a nonprofit driven by its mission to promote understanding through the everyday stories of citizens. In a media environment that is chaotic and ever-changing, On Air feels refreshing—even vital—as it offers an affirmation of the nebulous American dream: how underdogs with a passion and a mission can make an impact and a difference. Like the best NPR reportage, Oney’s commitment to uncovering the personalities and people behind NPR—what makes them tick, sputter, and succeed—is what makes this book so utterly fascinating. —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
Is it just this middle-aged mom, or does it feel like middle-aged moms are (finally) having their moment? For disciples of Miranda July's novel All Fours and Molly Roden Winter’s daring memoir of her open marriage, More, Crush is here to fill the next spot in your heart. Our narrator is a model mother, faithful wife, and devoted friend when her husband approaches her about opening up their marriage for his enjoyment. With his blessing, she connects with a former friend from college, and what follows is the dizzying, all-consuming energy of a crush, and what might just be love. Allegedly based on true experiences, Calhoun's novel is dedicated to "the love of my life." [Swoon.] Voyeuristic, aspirational, and yes—romantic—Crush deserves its place in the canon of unconventional love stories. —Sarah Gelman, Amazon Editor
For anyone who feels exasperated, infuriated, or alienated by politics—no matter who you voted for—this book will galvanize you with hope and inspiration. Too often, America operates in a scarcity mindset: not enough housing to go around; healthcare is way too expensive and unavailable; when somebody else wins, you lose. But this doesn’t make sense in the richest country in the history of the world. Ezra Klein (the prolific New York Times podcaster) and Derek Thompson (The Atlantic) show us how abundance could be ours—affordable housing, technology that improves lives, infrastructure that eases traffic and accidents, better hospitals and schools. Don’t believe it can happen? Klein and Thompson introduce us to the people who have pulled off the seemingly impossible, and the legislation that needs to be repealed yesterday. But more than laws, this reflective manifesto gives readers something else: power. The power to demand a better life, the power to come together no matter what party you count yourself a part of, the power to call out those who are squandering opportunity. This book will rouse anyone who loves America, and wants to see it realize its true calling as a land of potential and promise for all. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
Florence Grimes is a part-time party girl and part-time mother to 10-year-old Dylan. Once a member of a modestly successful girl band—picture Sharon in Catastrophe as the one on the far left in a Spice Girls knockoff group—she now spends her time trying to recapture her glory days, in between ticking off the judgy mums at Dylan's tony London school. That is, until her son becomes a suspect in the disappearance of the boy who was bullying him ("The missing boy is 10-year-old Alfie Risby, and to be perfectly honest with you, he's a little s**t."). With plenty of dark humor, and more than a little biting social commentary, Florence embarks on a mission to clear her son's name by finding Alfie. If liking the main character is a must for you, then mouthy, irresponsible, shallow Florence may not be your cup of Earl Grey. But if twisty, voice-driven novels like First Lie Wins and Listen for the Lie are your jam, then make room on the shelf for this cracking debut. —Vannessa Cronin, Amazon Editor
I can’t say I’ve ever fully read the terms of service for anything. This novel made me frighteningly aware of the consequences of my complacency. In a near future, mother-of-two Sara is detained at LAX for a slightly elevated risk score, a number every person has to determine if they are a danger to society. Sara is put under observation for 21 days because she is deemed a risk to her husband ... based on data collected from her dreams. Months later, she remains at a retention center with other women, stripped of her freedom. Sara’s unconscious mind is being used against her, but she consented when she agreed to the terms of service for a device to help her sleep. She has no clear way out until a new resident forces Sara to rethink how she approaches the system that’s ensnared her. Laila Lalami unflinchingly reckons with the power technology wields over us, and questions how much privacy and autonomy we should sacrifice in the name of the greater good. This book is thought-provoking, searing, and eerily relevant to the world we live in today. —Abby Abell, Amazon Editor
Manhattan in the 1980s: Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Madonna are rising stars in the gritty, downtown scene—and one of their would-be contemporaries, the young artist Michael Stewart, is brutally beaten and killed by police before he has a chance to catch up. In The Man Nobody Killed, Elon Green lays out the evidence, the investigations into those sworn to protect and serve, and finally the high-profile trial that brought no justice to Stewart’s family, friends, and neighborhood. Sadly, his was but one of the Black lives cut short in the hands of racist law enforcement and vigilantism (the infamous subway shooter Bernhard Goetz was splashed across the front page even as a second grand jury mulled over Stewart’s case), but his death inspired a groundswell of activism and art—inspiring Warhol, Haring, and even Toni Morrison’s novel Song of Solomon. Green alternates between the crime itself and what was happening in the artistic and cultural zeitgeist—and the result is a layered and resonant portrait of a man, a city, and a community that is long overdue. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
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