War. Invasion. Global instability. The tail-end of omicron. Financial tremors. These are not the ingredients for a relaxing afternoon spent reading on the couch.

However, with so much collective anxiety bouncing about like ping-pong balls, sometimes the only thing to do is read. To escape. To learn about other people and other cultures.

The unifying power of storytelling is the balm our tired souls need to ward off more bad news.

So, fall into these March reads. Crack open the spines. Forget. These 15 books will transport and delight. Go for it.