From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:
Hardcover
Night Road: A Novel by Kristin Hannah (St. Martin's Press, $27.99, 9780312364427). "This is the moving story of twins Mia and Zach, their mother Jude, and their friend Lexi, whose lives are forever changed on Night Road. A bad decision involving drinking and driving results in a tragedy that paralyzes them with guilt. Only when they learn to forgive can they begin to pick up the pieces of their lives."--Fran Wilson, Colorado State University Bookstore, Fort Collins, Colo.
Deep Future: The Next 100,000 Years of Life on Earth by Curt Stager (Thomas Dunne Books, $25.99, 9780312614621). "Stager, a scientist who drills down into the earth and reads what the layers tell us about the history of the environment and climate change, uses that information to speculate on what the future might be like. The results are not as predictable as one might think. Neither the ardent environmentalists who see the end of life on the horizon, nor the naysayers who think the whole idea of climate change is bunk, will be vindicated. Stager doesn't so much think outside the box as reshape and extend the box and provide a useful additional perspective on a complicated and unavoidable issue."--Jonathon Welch, Talking Leaves, Buffalo, N.Y.
Paperback
I Thought You Were Dead: A Love Story by Pete Nelson (Algonquin, $13.95, 9781616200480). "Dante may have had his Beatrice, but Paul Gustavson has Stella, a venerable pooch who is his guiding light for matters of the mind and heart. Their ongoing dialogue is smart, sweet, and poignant, and together they take on their fears of thunderstorms and seedy bars (hers) and normal, loving relationships without the buffer of alcohol (his), each bringing out the best in each other. This book is clever, heartwarming, and engaging."--Emily Crowe, Odyssey Bookshop, South Hadley, Mass.
For Ages 4 to 8
Strange Creatures: The Story of Walter Rothschild and His Museum by Lita Judge (Hyperion, $17.99, 9781423113898). "Walter Rothschild, a shy boy who barely spoke, was the son of one of the richest bankers of the mid-19th century. But Walter didn't need words to study the animals he loved in the garden of his parent's large estate. If it crawled, slithered, or flew, Walter was observing it. As an adult, he founded a museum and left a legacy devoted to a wide diversity of species. Magnificent!"--Beverly Bauer, Redbery Books, Cable, Wis.
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]