From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:
Hardcover
Dear Mr. You by Mary-Louise Parker (Scribner, $25, 9781501107832). "Parker's debut memoir is a poetic revelation about being human. The casual wordplay is barefoot and silly at times, but equally substantial and pervasive. Her one-way correspondences about loved ones, ancestors, and strangers are kind, doting, and frank, and the chapters roll out like sentinels from Parker's life of artistry and her examination of womanhood. She woos the reader with concise language that both charms and offends, but will not back down. I am smitten!" --Jilleen Moore, Square Books, Oxford, Miss.
Trace: Memory, History, Race, and the American Landscape by Lauret Savoy (Counterpoint, $25, 9781619025738). "Savoy's Trace may be the most relevant book published this fall. This lyrical and sweeping essay on race, memory, and the American landscape covers ground sadly neglected in nature writing. Its ethical argument 'that the way we treat the environment is inextricable from how we treat our fellow human beings' is one we should all pay close attention to, now more than ever." --Stephen Sparks, Green Apple Books, San Francisco, Calif.
Paperback
Wolf Winter: A Novel by Cecilia Ekbäck (Weinstein Books, $16, 9781602862944). "Maija, her husband Paavo, and their daughters, Frederika and Dorotea, leave Finland to settle in Lapland in the beautiful area near Blackasen Mountain. One day, Frederika discovers the body of one of the villagers. Was he killed by wolves or was he murdered? What powers does the mountain have? The harsh 'wolf winter' brings the settlers together to survive, but what tragedies, secrets, customs, and vengeance are they hiding? When Maija and her family arrived at the mountain, readers were told, 'This was the kind of land that didn't know how to let go.' Ekback's intriguing tale of Swedish Lapland in 1717 gives insight into the land and people of the far north and is also hard to let go." --Barbara Theroux, Fact & Fiction, Missoula, Mont.
For Ages 4 to 8
Is Mommy? by Victoria Chang, illustrated by Marla Frazee (Beach Lane, $15.99, 9781481402927). "Text and illustrations come together perfectly in this romp of a picture book! A toddler loves his or her mommy above all others and this darling exploration of that love will make everyone smile. Plan on reading this out loud over and over again!" --Margaret Brennan Neville, the King's English Bookshop, Salt Lake City, Utah
For Ages 9 to 12
President of the Whole Sixth Grade by Sherri Winston (Little, Brown, $17, 9780316377232). "In this sequel to President of the Whole Fifth Grade, Brianna deals with middle school and evolving friendships and learns the difference between being bossy and being a leader as she heads up fundraising for the sixth-grade class trip to Washington. Gradually, Brianna discovers that there are some things she cares about more than raising money." --Sarah Rettger, Porter Square Books, Cambridge, Mass.
For Teen Readers: Revisit & Rediscover
A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $9.99, 9780152053109). "Set in the 1900s against the backdrop of a real-life murder mystery, A Northern Light is the coming-of-age story of Mattie Gokey. This feisty and passionate 16-year-old narrator has excruciatingly difficult choices to make, choices that will forever change her life and the lives of those around her. Exquisite writing, memorable characters, a riveting mystery, and a fascinating historical backdrop all make Jennifer Donnelly's A Northern Light a masterpiece." --Heather Hebert, Children's Book World, Haverford, Pa.
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
