Welcome to March! Am I still allowed to say that? I mean we’re already more than a week in. I feel like one of those people who wish you a “Happy New Year” in February.

My apologies for not sending the newsletter on the first of the month as usual. Truthfully, it’s been a very hectic time, both in my work and personal life.

I won’t bore you with the details but in short, it involved a trip of my own to Columbus to take in the Jackets-Red Wings stadium series game (incredible experience), my daughter heading off on a school trip to Japan (incredible experience for HER – not so much for the parents!), some mental health issues, and just an incredible workload.

Everything is all sorted now. I’m feeling good and ready to get back to a regular routine. My primary focus this month is going to be reading because I really haven’t been doing enough of it.

Most of my reading this month was actually via audiobook. I did read The Crash, the latest psychological thriller by Freida McFadden. Eh – I wasn’t a fan. I just didn’t like the two characters at all.

I won’t say too much but one character jumped to a conclusion early that she held onto throughout the book. However, we, the reader, knew that she was completely incorrect in this conclusion. All this accomplished was to make me think the character, the main protagonist, was stupid, and that really affected how I felt about them. Not one of her best outings.

I tried a few other books but couldn’t get into them. I ended up reading Missing In Flight by Audrey J. Cole. Well, most of it. I’m about 80% through. Enjoying it but how it all ends will be a big factor in the overall quality. 

In short, it’s about a mother who goes to the bathroom on an airplane, and when she comes back her baby is missing. Serious Flightplan vibes. Anyway, we’ll see how that pans out next month!

I think one issue with my lack of reading is it’s been so cold here in Canada, I haven’t even bothered going in the hot tub. I am usually in there four nights a week where I get a good couple of hours reading accomplished. This winter I’ve just decided not to bother, and I can see looking at my reading list for the last couple of months on Book Notification, that it’s really affected it compared to prior years.

Speaking of Book Notification, it’s been an incredible month there. We’re now at over 70,000 authors audited and listed. For reference, Order of Books has 5022. Quite the difference!

The growth of that site has been fantastic, and that is where a lot of my time is going. There is an incredible amount of work related to it, but I love creating and building what I believe will ultimately be the best book website on the internet. It’s a website I first started planning back in 2013, and it’s been a wonderful couple of years seeing it come to fruition.

My favourite thing about the site honestly is that we have a section when people register, asking where they heard about us. We get so many people saying their friends or family recommended it to them, and that sort of thing just makes my day.

So head on over to Book Notification so you can get notified of books by your favourite authors, and see much better lists in terms of quantity/quality than OOB!

And you can also check out our new podcast, where we cover the top 10 books releasing that week. The latest episode has just been published.

I want to give a shoutout to the author J.D. Barker and his cool contest. These days it isn’t just enough being an author – you need to know how to market as well. I love seeing authors try new things. J.D., alongside the release of his latest novel, is doing a contest where you can win a stay in a haunted house.

Such a cool idea. Read more about it here.

Alright – what else have I read? I finished listening to You Love Me, the third novel in the “You” series by Caroline Kepnes. I’d flip-flop between enjoying the book and wondering if there was a real “need” for it while listening. Ultimately, I enjoyed the book a lot and am looking forward to reading the fourth book. As previously mentioned – listen to this one as the narrator makes it. Looking forward to checking out the adaptation after I finish the final book in the series.

Unfortunately, there was a wait at the library for the fourth book, so I listened to the fourth novel in the excellent DCI Logan Crime Thrillers by JD Kirk, Blood and Treachery. The narration by Angus Kirk was tremendous as always, and that’s one series that if the narrator changed, I’d stop listening to. Looking forward to reading more in that series.

I had a few holds at the library for books by Riley Sager and some of them came in. I’d read one of his books years ago – Survive The Night – and i had a few hang-ups in regard to how he wrote female characters. But I decided to give him another try.

I read Final Girls, his debut, a story about three girls who managed to survive different massacres. I enjoyed it a lot and really got into the characters.

I’m now listening to Lock Every Door by Riley. The narrator for this is Dylan Moore, and she is fantastic. One of those narrators where it feels like the actual character is talking to you. I just finished a part where the character tells of her tragic upbringing, and the emotion the narrator displayed was incredible. One of those narrators I’ll certainly be looking out for in the future.

And shout-out to my friend Craig; he recently got into audiobooks, and a couple of weeks ago he was talking about just how much he loves them, crams listening in wherever he goes etc. While I listen to audiobooks, this reignited a passion in me and I have found myself listening to them a lot more.

It’s one of those little things where we run out of milk and I have to pop down to the grocery store. It’s not “Oh I have to walk 30 minutes in freezing cold weather” but instead “Sweet – 30 minutes of audiobook listening!”. Shoutout to my friend Vin as well – he recommended the JBL Live 770NC headphones to me. They came in very handy during my flights to Columbus and back, with incredible noise-canceling allowing me hours and hours of listening bliss.

So that’s about it for me – and don’t worry. All good here. The wonderful DST is kicking in, the weather will hopefully get better, and I’m looking forward to some long outdoor runs listening to audiobooks. Work is now all under control as well, as I took a long hard look at how I was overworking and putting a lot of unnecessary pressure on myself. I love doing this newsletter and connecting with you all, and getting this off my to-do list finally is VERY mentally cleansing. 🙂

Each month we give away 5 $25 Amazon gift certificates to random subscribers. 

To win all you have to do is be a subscriber. Nothing more! When we go to hit “Publish” we take a list of all of our subscribers, throw them into a random draw and those are the winners.

Our winners this month are:

Ginny Z. from Tucson, AZ

Joseph Ben. from Joliet, IL

Donald J. M from USA (email starts with dmay)

Kaye S. from Erie, PA

Evelyn A. McC from Beverly, MA

All of you have been e-mailed. If you don’t see anything, check your junk folder or contact me.

Graeme

OrderOfBooks.com

Quotes of the Month

“There is no friend as loyal as a book.”

– Ernest Hemingway

“have never planned a book. Each day I see perhaps two scenes in the making, and I write them as best I can in hopes of getting 750 words on paper. I do not know where the characters come from, nor do I control their dialogue or their behavior. I have always felt that I am a witness to the story rather than its creator. ”

– James Lee Burke

“It was night again. The Waystone Inn lay in silence, and it was a silence of three parts.”

– Opening line to The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Entire opening of that book is incredible reading.

– “The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.”

– Opening line to Neuromancer by William Gibson.

Submit your own quotes; just hit reply. Book-related is great but happy to share non-book related too! Love seeing quotes from books! Thanks to Carole, Brian and Ginger for this month’s quotes.

Book Recommendations

In this section, I give 3-5 random book recommendations from readers of the newsletter. They can be old books, they can be new. Feel free to e-mail suggestions to me. Just hit reply. If you wish to add a description for the book around the same size as the ones below that’d be great too! 

Wolf Mountain Ranchers by Erin Fitzgerald: If you are a romance fan, Claire writes in to recommend this series, which is the third series by Erin.

It’s in the Later in Life & Western Romance genres, and the first book is titled “Something Lost”.

When a senator sends an aide to help rancher Mark fight a pipeline threatening his land, he never expects it to be Lana—a woman with a past as mysterious as it is dangerous. As their connection deepens, a tragic accident and unseen enemies threaten to tear them apart, forcing Mark to confront whether the biggest threat to their happiness is the world around them or his own fears.

Karla’s Choice by Nick Harkaway: Keith wrote in to recommend Karla’s Choice. This is part of the George Smiley series, initially written by John Le Carre. This was Nick’s first entry into the series. Here is what Keith wrote:

“It’s 1963 and Smiley has been dragged out of retirement to rescue / recruit a Russian spy who had been safely embedded in the London community of Hungarian expats. Safe that is, until Smiley’s old enemy Karla decided that the man is a threat and must be eliminated. What follows is an intricate puzzle that has Smiley back behind the Iron Curtain dodging opposing agencies and attempting to outmaneuver Karla. The author has done an excellent job recreating the era and all the characters in Smiley’s universe. It has been over 50 years(!) since I read a Smiley book, but every character was instantly familiar and consistent with the earlier books. I think that John LeCarre would have been proud of this book.”

“I also want to add a special shoutout to the reader, Simon Russell Beale. First, Mr. Beale perfectly recreated LeCarre’s tone and delivery (LeCarre narrated some of his own audiobooks). Also, Mr. Beale managed to convey the impression of Hungarian and Russian accents, without directly attempting to mimic them. I don’t understand how he accomplished this, but full marks for the narration! That boosted this book to a 9.5/10!”

Finn Ryan Series by Paul Christopher: Tom recently discovered this series and wrote in to recommend it. Here is what he wrote:

“A few years ago I was in a used bookstore in Manassas, Virginia, McKay’s Books (one of the greatest used bookstores ever!), and I picked up a book called The Lucifer Gospel by Paul Christopher. I’d never heard of this author, but the book caught my eye so I bought it. It’s been on my bookshelf since, and last week I finally dug into it.”

“It was so great, and I realized this was book 2 of a 4 book series, so I immediately went to Thrift Books and ordered the other 3. The story is kind of in the Dan Brown’s Davinci Code genre, and it was a quick, fun read that was refreshing after I had just finished a heavy WWII history book.”

In the first book in the series, Michelangelo’s Notebook, art history student Finn Ryan discovers a lost Michelangelo drawing which sees her life is turned upside down after a brutal murder and a stolen sketch force her into hiding. Teaming up with enigmatic book dealer Michael Valentine, she races through history’s darkest secrets, uncovering a deadly truth hidden deep within the Vatican.

We Are Experiencing a Slight Delay by Gary Janetti: A collection of stories by the author, TV writer and producer Gary Janetti, about his travels across the globe.

It’s a hilariously candid journey through his globe-trotting adventures, from an Italian spa transformation to an unforgettable dinner with Maggie Smith.

With sharp wit and unapologetic honesty, he shares travel misadventures, packing tips, and the absurdities of luxury, making this the perfect companion for jet-setters and armchair travelers alike.

Edge of Collapse Series by Kyla Stone: If you’re a fan of survivalist novels, this is a great series. Be sure to read the prequel novella Chaos Rising before diving into the full story.

A massive EMP strike plunges the U.S. into chaos, leaving survivor Hannah Sheridan—an abducted woman who finally escapes her captor—desperate to navigate a collapsing world. With former soldier Liam Coleman, she must fight for survival against ruthless enemies, dwindling resources, and the dark side of human nature in a gripping post-apocalyptic struggle.

The books also alternate with a town struggling to survive in this new world.

March Book of the Month

Sunrise of the Reaping by Suzanne Collins: Exciting news for fans of The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, as the fifth entry in this series is released this month.

It’s coming out on the 18th, and chronologically takes place after The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, but prior to The Hunger Games.

This is the story of Haymitch, and I think I’ll read this one then re-read the trilogy again. A young Haymitch Abernathy is thrown into the brutal 50th Hunger Games, a Quarter Quell where twice as many tributes must fight to survive. As he battles deadly odds, betrayal, and the Capitol’s twisted game, Haymitch begins to realize that winning might mean more than just staying alive—it could be the first spark of rebellion.

10 More Notable Books Releasing in March

Brought to you by BookNotification.com where you can get updated on all the upcoming books by your favourite authors with your own personalized calendar!

(List only includes books releasing AFTER this newsletter was published)

March Charities

While I appreciate all offers of donations to show your appreciation for the site and newsletter, I’d much rather you do that by supporting some great causes.  Each month I pick a few select charities broken down by our most popular countries or topics that you can support instead.   Thanks! Feel free to donate to a similar charity but in your own area.

I rotate this list each month.  Feel free to suggest a favourite charity – hit reply.

Pictures of the Month


Submitted by Cathi. And growing up I’m ashamed to admit – I was a monster!

Submitted by Norma. Can’t beat that feeling of knowing you are going to sit down and do nothing but READ for the next few hours!

What a cool gift which Sue received and sent in. I’m 100% adding that to the list for my next best 10 gifts for book readers.

Send in your own to site@orderofbooks.com or by replying! Images, jokes, etc. We’ll take it all! Bit of a backlog but working my way through it.

Your Thoughts!

Last month I asked if you would read the chronological order of a book series over the publication order. The answers are later in the newsletter.

This month’s question is: what book do you wish had a sequel?

So in theory – it’s a standalone novel where you just aren’t quite ready to give up the characters or universe just yet. Let’s leave the likes of George R.R. Martin outta this one!

My favourite book of all time is Replay by Ken Grimwood. He was writing a sequel to it when he sadly passed. Honestly, in that book, it felt like he covered everything one could cover but if he had a sequel planned I’d love to read it, and I’m sad it won’t see the light of day.

I would LOVE to see a follow-up to The King of Torts by John Grisham. That was my favourite Grisham novel, and while the story did generally wrap up, there’s enough there for a sequel. Just – a real sequel, not something like The Exchange.

I loved what Joseph Finder created in Extraordinary Powers – an ex-CIA operative who could read thoughts.

I also felt that the world and setup Stephen King created in 11/22/63 was incredible, and while I wouldn’t want to see a direct sequel, I’d love to see him tackle something similar.

What about you? Which books would you love to see a sequel to?

E-mail us your feedback to site@OrderOfBooks.com or just reply to this e-mail, and we’ll pick the best comments and feature it in next month’s newsletter. Five people will also randomly win a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.

Reader Mailbag!

Click here to read.

Book Notification
Order of Books » Newsletter » OrderOfBooks March 2025 Newsletter

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