From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:
Hardcover
Setting Free the Kites by Alex George (Putnam, $27, 9780399162107). "This heartfelt and compelling novel from A Good American author Alex George is a story of friendship, loss, and how we deal with grief, a story about how a single friendship can change us forever. Yet again, George has developed beautiful, layered characters and you will quickly fall in love with Nathan, Robert, and Liam in blustery seaside Maine in the 1970s. You will hear the excitement each hot, blistering summer of children and families visiting the amusement park owned by Robert's family. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will grieve, but you will not be disappointed." --Amanda Zirn, Bethany Beach Books, Bethany Beach, Del.
The Mother's Promise: A Novel by Sally Hepworth (St. Martin's Press, $26.99, 9781250077752). "The Mother's Promise is an emotional story of a mother's love for her teenage daughter, who is struggling with severe social anxiety. Alice and her daughter, Zoe, cope with their problems until Alice becomes critically ill and is faced with a heartbreaking prognosis. She turns to two strangers for help with Zoe and her future. As the relationship among Zoe and these women evolves, they all confront their own personal problems and secrets. This beautifully written story will move readers to tears of grief, compassion, and, at its conclusion, hope." --Fran Duke, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Chatham, Mass.
Paperback: An Indies Introduce Title
Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett (Tin House Books, $15.95, 9781941040560). "When Eva Rose Babbitt, mother of daughters Lizzie, 15, and Elvis, 10, drowns while sleep-swimming, her daughters are left to fend for themselves emotionally while their father tends to his grief by wearing his wife's bathrobe and lipstick. Elvis stays up at night, trying to keep Lizzie, a sleepwalker and sleep-eater, from burning the house down with her nocturnal 'cooking.' But Elvis doesn't trust the circumstances of her mother's death and is determined to finish her mother's book, The Sleep Habits in Animals and What They Tell Us About Our Own Slumber, so she does a little research of her own. Annie Hartnett has created endearing and memorable characters in a delightfully original story that is sure to become a beloved favorite of readers everywhere." --Kris Kleindienst, Left Bank Books, St. Louis, Mo.
For Ages 4 to 8
A Perfect Day by Lane Smith (Roaring Brook Press, $17.99, 9781626725362). "With evocative, textured artwork and playful scenes, Lane Smith has created a fantastic picture book that kids and adults will both love. A Perfect Day combines the sensibilities of Smith's previous work, placing the artistic mastery of Grandpa Green alongside the humor from It's a Book. I can't wait to share this as a read-aloud in groups or one-on-one so little listeners can point out beautiful details in the artwork and talk about the animals in action!" --Johanna Albrecht, Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill, N.C.
For Ages 9 to 12
Grand Canyon by Jason Chin (Roaring Brook Press, $19.99, 9781596439504). "Jason Chin is amazing, both as an artist and author. Who doesn't want to journey to the Grand Canyon in the pages of a book? I'm so excited about sharing this book with kids. I love the way the technical illustrations play off the larger picture book illustrations in the story. It's gorgeous and educational, as are all of Chin's books." --Jenny Lyons, The Vermont Book Shop, Middlebury, Vt.
For Teen Readers: An Indies Introduce Title
You're Welcome, Universe by Whitney Gardner (Knopf, $17.99, 9780399551413). "When Julia covers up derogatory graffiti about her best friend with her own art--and then her best friend outs Julia to save herself--Julia is expelled from her deaf school and mainstreamed. With her biggest meaningful relationship destroyed by betrayal and her mothers both watching her more closely due to her act of 'vandalism,' Julia just wants to keep her head down in public school and get out so she can recapture the rush of putting her art out in the world. But someone keeps challenging her by adding on to her art, calling her out. You're Welcome, Universe really emphasizes the power and complexity of female friendships; the window that it opens into deaf culture is an added bonus!" --Ann Childs, Odyssey Bookshop, South Hadley, Mass.
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
