From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:
Hardcover
Be Frank With Me: A Novel by Julia Claiborne Johnson (Morrow, $25.99, 9780062413710). "When reclusive novelist Mimi Banning loses her fortune and must quickly write a second novel, her publisher sends a young publicist to oversee the efforts and make sure their huge investment is secure. Alice Whitley arrives and is put to work as a caregiver to Mimi's eccentric nine-year-old son, Frank. Frank is a diamond in the rough, and as Alice gets to know him and the mysterious characters in his life, she becomes all-consumed with discovering his paternity. Be Frank With Me is captivating, irresistible, moving, heartbreaking, and utterly unputdownable." --Bess Bleyaert, McLean & Eakin Booksellers, Petoskey, Mich.
The Flood Girls: A Novel by Richard Fifield (Gallery Books, $26, 9781476797380). "Rachel Flood moves back home to a rural anywhere town: Quinn, Montana. In Quinn, dirty bars breed dirty people, and Rachel struggles to find kindness in a place that kindness seems to have abandoned. These are the '90s, and these are the women--crude and unapologetic--who carry Fifield's debut to its shocking, though perhaps necessary, end with the harsh winds that slam across Montana's eastern prairie. Booze, softball, western wildlife, bar fights--and the clothes! The music!" --Lauren Korn, Fact & Fiction, Missoula, Mont.
Paperback
The Unfinished World: And Other Stories by Amber Sparks (Liveright, $16.95, 9781631490903). "The beautiful stories in Sparks' debut collection have an ephemeral quality that is difficult to categorize. Comparisons can be made to Haruki Murakami or George Saunders, but the writing is honestly unlike anything I have ever read. The otherworldliness of these stories will transport you beyond the minutiae of your everyday life and alter the way you look at the world." --Shawn Donley, Powell's Books, Portland, Ore.
For Ages 4 to 8
Ella and Penguin Stick Together by Megan Maynor, illustrated by Rosalinde Bonnet (HarperCollins, $17.99, 9780062330888). "Ella has a surprise for her friend Penguin--glow-in-the-dark stickers! But to see the stickers glow they have to be in the dark, and Penguin is afraid of the dark. Can Ella help Penguin face his fear? Through a blend of sincerity and humor, Maynor effectively conveys how friends can help each other in the struggle to overcome whatever it is that makes them afraid. Bonnet's soft and colorful illustrations complete this sweet tale of friendship and bravery." --Page Seck, Blue Manatee Children's Bookstore, Cincinnati, Ohio
For Ages 9 to 12
To Catch a Cheat: A Jackson Greene Novel by Varian Johnson (Arthur A. Levine Books, $16.99, 9780545722391). "Jackson Greene is back, reluctantly coming out of retirement again, because he and his crew have been framed for pulling a prank. The objective of this long con? To figure out who is framing them and then get them to turn themselves in. The result? Another winner of a book from Johnson, this one filled with revenge, action, and just a little bit of romance." --Melissa Fox, Watermark Books & Café, Wichita, Kan.
For Teen Readers: An Indies Introduce Title
Underwater by Marisa Reichardt (FSG, $17.99, 9780374368869). "Debut author Reichardt offers a novel about the psychological aftermath of a school shooting that will change your perspective on the issue forever. Morgan has become agoraphobic after surviving a shooting at her school the year before, but a new neighbor helps her to slowly re-enter the world. Thoughtfully handled and thought-provoking, Underwater is a reminder that violence touches us all, but that there is always room for hope." --Erin Barker, Hooray for Books!, Alexandria, Va.
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
