Book Talk, Etc. – March Books on the Radar (2026)

Podcast: Book Talk, Etc.
Hosts: Tina (@tbretc) & Hannah (@handpickedbooks)
Date: March 3, 2026
Episode Focus: The books Tina and Hannah are most excited about for March 2026

Episode Overview

This chatty, bookish episode celebrates the winds of a new month by diving into the hosts’ “March Books on the Radar.” Tina and Hannah, self-described “Midwest mood readers,” highlight anticipated new releases across genres—thriller, romance, literary, and more—while sharing their unique, conversational chemistry. Along the way, they discuss a recent community read (“Vigil” by George Saunders), what they’re currently loving (hello, self-care and lashes), and the thrill of book club alignment. They finish up with some currently reading picks and a dash of off-topic book banter.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Patreon & Community Updates

• Patreon Perks for March (01:00)
  • Access to two bonus episodes, a live Reading Sprint Trivia Night, the Discord and Facebook communities, and a March community read: Kin by Tayari Jones.
  • The “Bookstore Browse Hand Sell” episode will share tailored book recs from booksellers.
  • Tina: “March, as always, is jam packed full of goodness.” (01:38)
• The value of live book events and connecting over shared reads.

2. Loving Lately: Beauty & Self-Care Faves

Tina’s Pick: Airy Cute Lashes (05:00-07:50)

• Why she loves them: Easier and faster semi-permanent application, lighter color option for blondes, “bond and seal” technology lasts 3-4 days even in the sauna (!), and painless removal.
• Quote: “It's witchcraft. I don't know why it works.” (06:32)
• Tip for listeners: Buy the starter set (comes with lashes, bond, seal, remover). Refill packs available.

Hannah’s Pick: Latika Bath Salts & Shower Steamers (07:52-10:58)

• Brand perks: Non-toxic, strong but pleasant natural scents, cruelty-free, and leave skin super soft.
• Quote: “It makes your skin feel really, really soft after a bath and it smells strongly without being like headache strong.” (08:39)
• Expanding to shower steamers—trying Relax, Focus, Uplift, Energize scents.
• Tina: “My husband Jonathan, he loves a good bath salt.” (10:25)
• Hannah: “They're built different.” (10:44)

3. February Community Read Recap: Vigil by George Saunders

Selecting “Vigil” (11:29-12:52)

• Highly anticipated, early buzz, both hosts wanted to try Saunders for the first time.

Impressions & Patron Discussion (12:53-20:39)

• Plot Summary: Jill Dahl Blaine, a soul-guide, ushers a billionaire (KJ Boon) grappling (or not) with regret into the afterlife. Both meet various visitors, leading to existential, satirical reflection.
• Tina’s Take: “It's unique. I think this author definitely has his own writing style… I don't know that it was definitely my cup of tea. I thought of it as stream of consciousness… I never really sunk in.” (14:48)
• Hannah’s Take: Admired the technical writing, “objectively good” but not her favorite for pure enjoyment. “I needed to give it that extra star just to give the book its flowers, you know?” (16:28)
• Notable group discussion—patrons picked up on Saunders’ wordplay, subtleties, use of satire, and the absence of clear moral directives.
• The audio edition is highly recommended (multiple narrators, sound effects, well-produced).
• If you like philosophical novels that don’t spell out their positions, this is for you.
• Both intrigued by Saunders’ Lincoln in the Bardo.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Tina (on the audiobook): “I do love when an audio book is a production. This had tons of narrators, and it was very well produced.” (17:15)
• Hannah (on the book’s ambiguity): “It had a lot of really great conversations that were had. But it definitely makes you, as the reader, think about how you feel in terms of the themes and the questions.” (19:05)
• Tina: “I like to be told… literally. I, you know me, I love an epilogue.” (21:14)

4. March Books on the Radar

Honorable Mentions & Notable Re-releases (22:39-23:53)

• The Truth About Ruby Cooper by Liz Nugent (3/12)
• Ruins by Lily Brooks-Dalton (3/31)
• Frida’s Cook by Florencia Etchevez
• Frida McFadden: Want to Know a Secret (re-release in March)

Top Picks & Summaries

Tina’s Picks:

1. Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hockhauser (03/03) (24:06)

   • “Reimagining of Cinderella as told through the eyes of its iconic evil stepmother.” —Tina (24:55)
   • If Bridgerton met Circe—fairy-tale retelling with added depth and sympathy for maligned characters.

2. Strangers in the Villa by Robyn Harding (psychological thriller, married couple at a Spanish villa invite trouble) (30:00)

   • “I love when you have guests that overstay their welcome. It’s so uncomfortable. Get out of here.” —Tina (31:24)

3. That’s What Friends Are For by Wade Rouse (Golden Girls–inspired, found family with drag, secrets, and heart) (35:10)

4. Nothing Tastes as Good by Luke Dumas (body horror, satire, millennial angst + weight loss drama + possible murder/cannibalism) (39:01)

   • “Obexity comes with some killer side effects, including lost stretches of time and overwhelming cravings. Worse, people who were cruel to him have started disappearing.” (39:38)
   • “Yeah, I'm gonna read that.” (40:26)

5. A Good Person by Kirsten King (3/31) (43:08)

   • Debut, millennial antihero, unhinged breakup revenge hex gone wrong, and a murder mystery.
   • “Gone Girl meets Big Swiss. Not everything needs to be comped to Gone Girl, however many years we are after its initial publication.” —Tina (43:08)

Hannah’s Picks:

1. No Matter What by Cara Bastone (03/03) (romance, married couple, figure drawing, emotional reconnection)

   • “I haven't always loved a marriage romance before... but I have enjoyed this before and I trust it in the hands of an author that I already know really works for me.” —Hannah (29:28)

2. Ruby Falls by Gin Phillips (03/03) (locked-room mystery, caves, 1928) (31:27)

   • “A unique twist on the locked room mystery and an exploration of loss and what it means to start over.” (33:22)

3. Shock of the Light by Laurie Inglis Hall (03/17) (historical, WW2 twins, special operations, enduring sibling bond) (36:56)

4. Strange Girls by Sabaa Haseen (03/10) (literary, college friendship, nostalgia, unfinished business) (41:20)

5. The Fountain by Casey Kashetsky (03/17, Harper)

   • “Tuck Everlasting for grownups”—immortality, Catskills, mysterious company, found family? (45:48)

5. Current Reads & Closing Thoughts

• Tina: What Happens in the Dark by Kia Abdullah (legal thriller, friendship, fame, secrets) (48:00)
• Hannah: The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson (buddy read; high fantasy with political intrigue and murder mystery) (49:26)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Tina (about “Vigil” audiobook): “The print has no quotation marks either, which I hate.” (20:39)
• Hannah (on book discussion): “Even, like, certain words that were italicized… added satire. Saunders really does a lot with even the style.” (16:29)
• Tina (lighthearted): “I feel like Cinderella sucked.” (26:22)
• On favorite tropes: “I love when you have guests that overstay their welcome. It’s so uncomfortable. Get out of here.” —Tina, on thrillers (31:24)
• On discovering surprising picks: Hannah: “I feel like I’m already in love with those characters.” (36:44)
• A pandemic of books: “March is just a packed month… I feel like, especially, like, how am I going to get all of these books that I want to read?” —Tina (38:36)
• Hannah (cover analysis): “I feel like I can’t explain myself further, but this feels like hetero fanfiction of Chapel Roan.” (45:02)

Important Timestamps

• Patreon Highlights: 00:46–02:28
• Beauty/Favorites: 05:00–10:58
• “Vigil” Discussion: 11:29–22:22
• Book Radar Segment Start: 22:22
• Top Book Picks Discussion: 24:06–47:51
• Current Reads: 47:51–51:04

Episode Vibe & Listener Takeaways

• Breezy, funny, and full of genuine excitement for “the new.”
• Excellent mix of literary insight, heartfelt moments, and offbeat banter.
• Highly recommended for readers who love variety in their TBR, and for those who enjoy reading with or alongside a chatty book community!

For complete book titles and links, check the show notes. Connect with Tina and Hannah at @booktalketc on Instagram, and keep those TBRs growing!