Dog-Eared and Premiered: March 2025
Four books, one film, and two streaming shows I loved this month.
In like a lion, out like a lion—March sure was a long year. Blessedly, I had plenty of entertainment to keep me distracted. Here’s the best of it!
BOOKS
Goes Like This by Jordan Crane
This collection of Eisner and Ignatz Award-winning cartoonist Crane’s zine and anthology stories is nothing short of stunning. The subjects span genres—from western to sci-fi to horror—but tend to focus on the destruction of self, whether that’s within a relationship, a space disaster, or a maritime adventure. The exposed sewn spine is dually beautiful and functional, allowing you to really crack the book open for full views of the many gorgeous splash pages within. It’s a true art piece, both in content and construction. Released March 25.
Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green
As with last month’s nonfiction pick Black in Blues, I remain fascinated by sweeping history stories examined through a very specific lens. In this case, Green lends his endearing voice and singular mind to the origins and prevalence of tuberculosis worldwide. Green is a stupendous nerd about this subject (complimentary), and his enthusiasm is infectious (pun intended here, I suppose). He weaves the touching story of a modern patient with fascinating historical facts and keen observations, from how tuberculosis helped create the cowboy hat (you’ll want to buy stock in Stetson), to how the disease was romanticized in the Victorian era and shaped enduring beauty standards, to the stigma, racial bias, and social issues it’s created, to the devastating fallout of medication price gouging. Also: a Marco Polo game metaphor guaranteed to make you cry. This is somehow wildly entertaining, fascinating, and moving—a literary cocktail only Green could conjure. Released March 18.
Tilt by Emma Pattee
This novel grabs you from the first page and refuses to let go. It boasts a simple, unnerving premise: a 37-weeks-pregnant woman is shopping for a crib at a Portland, Oregon IKEA when the storied Cascadia earthquake (aka: The Big One) hits. Author Emma Pattee is a climate journalist, and she really doesn’t play, here. The book follows the woman, Annie, over the course of a day as she walks through the disaster zone, chronicling the horrifying situations and desperate people she meets along the way, and flipping back and forth between the present and reminiscences of past moments with her husband. Annie isn’t particularly likable, but she’s honestly-drawn; the story reads in first person as she narrates the experience to her unborn child, who she refers to as Bean. The perspective leans heavily millennial, detailing the “before times” experience of struggling to create some semblance of a stable life while in the choking grip of late stage capitalism. It’s an arresting and incredibly well-written portrait of our very plausible near-reality. Released March 25.
Raised By Ghosts by Briana Loewinsohn
I never would’ve known about this gem had my bookshop boss Barbara not brought me a (signed! inscribed!) copy back from the recent ABA Winter Institute in Denver. It’s a semi-autobiographical young adult graphic novel that completely nails the experience of growing up with physically present but emotionally absent parents and very few friends. It’s also set in the early 1990s, which is when I experienced my own awkward, unsupervised loner adolescence. There’s so much that I identified with in this beautifully melancholy coming-of-age story—it made the teenage Katie within feel very, very seen. Released February 4.
Sidebar shout-outs: Sharing several promising novels that didn’t quite hook me, but may fare better with you. They are: Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa (released March 18), Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert by Bob the Drag Queen (released March 25), Bad Nature by Ariel Courage (releases April 1), and Fifteen Wild Decembers by Karen Powell (releases April 1).
FILM
This recommendation must be preceded by a major trigger warning—if you are at all sensitive to depictions of pregnancy loss or child abuse, this movie is not for you.
I don’t think I’ve ever been so riveted and shocked by a film—it is a truly unflinching depiction of a pregnant young woman’s life in post-WWI Copenhagen after she’s fired from her factory job. Her subsequent work with an underground adoption agency owner delves into the limitations and burdens inflicted upon women, the ramifications of poverty, and the mental and physical fallout of war. Everything about this film is exquisite—the cinematography (in stark, stunning black and white), the thrumming tension-building score, the powerhouse performances of leads Vic Carmen Sonne and Trine Dyrholm, the equal parts empathic and sadistic script. This is billed as a historical drama, but it is firmly horror, and one that deserves to be a new classic (it reflects Robert Eggers in its visual execution and historical precision). Speaking of: it’s based on a true story. The movie was critically beloved, nominated for the Palme d’Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, for Best Motion Picture—Non-English Language at the 2025 Golden Globes, and for Best International Feature Film at the 2025 Academy Awards. I first heard about it via early festival buzz, and was grateful when MUBI picked it up for streaming as of January 24. If you’re feeling strong enough for the experience, you will never forget this.
STREAMING
The White Lotus, Season 3
There’s no one like Mike White. I’ve loved every season of his show, which lampoons white privilege in myriad unsettling and entertaining ways. The casts are epic, the locations are stunning, the camerawork and score are top-tier, and the humor is deep deep dark. It’s chock full of juicy drama, ever-ratcheting tension, and satisfying schadenfreude—all the ingredients for highly-addictive TV. This third season—set against the lush greenery and white sand beaches of Thailand—is no exception, exploring American imperialism, monetized wellness, drug addiction, toxic masculinity, female friendship dynamics, and much more—all against the backdrop of Buddhism (namely: the religion’s tenet that to live is to suffer). Special shout-out to Sam Rockwell, whose Emmy-worthy appearance involves an unforgettable mic-drop monologue that produced an instantly memeable Walton Goggins reaction shot. The final episode doesn’t air until April 6, but I’m confident it’ll stick the landing.
Haters will always hate, but I’m firmly team Meghan Markle, and her new Netflix series is deeply wholesome and soothing. Think: Food Network in its heyday, featuring beautiful light-filled footage and sets, unfussy, attainable cooking, hosting, and gardening tips, and diverse guests (skip the Mindy Kaling episode, though—she has intense mean girl energy and it was the low point of an otherwise lovely season). This isn’t Meghan’s first foray into the content—she ran a lifestyle blog called The Tig from 2014 to 2017, and her enthusiasm and laid-back savvy is contagious. The world is hard; gift yourself these eight episodes of blessed softness.
That’s all for March—is there something you’re looking forward to that releases in April? Let me know, I’m always adding to my read and watch lists!
Holy God, I hope 'White Lotus' sticks the landing.