From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:
Hardcover
The Sea Beast Takes a Lover: Stories by Michael Andreasen (Dutton, $25, 9781101986615). "It is a rare thing when a collection of short stories absolutely blows your mind, and Andreasen's collection packs a wallop. His uncanny world-building, using animals and strange mythologies to describe a world so much and slightly unlike our own, gives him the gift of nailing such deep concepts and providing such profound insights into the human character. How can we explain to aliens the difference between 'having relations' and 'having a relationship?' When an ideal exists that we all strive for, what will our lives be like if we actually achieve it? Magnificent, enchanting, and full of literary verve." --Raul Chapa, BookPeople, Austin, Tex.
I Found My Tribe: A Memoir by Ruth Fitzmaurice (Bloomsbury, $25, 9781635571585). "Life's journey is not fair. It isn't. But you cope, as Ruth Fitzmaurice did and does. The book's short vignettes read like fables--as if the author is above, looking in on herself, her life. Reminiscent of the humor of Anne Lamott and the candor of Joan Didion, I Found My Tribe is a memoir about a resilient woman who finds ways to cope with her husband's debilitating disease: daydream, become a superhero, swim in the frigid waters of Ireland, and, of course, find her tribe in family and friends." --Mindy Ostrow, the river's end bookstore, Oswego, N.Y.
Paperback
Tomb Song: A Novel by Julián Herbert (Graywolf Press, $16, 9781555977993). "Julián Herbert's English-language debut is a stunner. Meshing memoir and essay, Tomb Song is the rough, darkly comic tale of a writer finding his voice while coming to terms with his mother dying. Switching between the past and the present, the author reflects on a childhood spent in poverty and a decade lost to drug use. A rare glimpse into the lower ranks of Mexican society without hyperbole or stereotypes of narco traffickers, Tomb Song is vibrant with humor, passion, and the realization of a family's profound importance." --Mark Haber, Brazos Bookstore, Houston, Tex.
For Ages 4 to 8
Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli by Kyo Maclear, illustrated by Julie Morstad (HarperCollins, $17.99, 9780062447616). "Bloom explores Elsa Schiaparelli's lifelong interest in fashion design, an art that is often dismissed as frivolous. However, Maclear takes her protagonist's artistic journey seriously, even when that art is playful and spontaneous. Watch her create dresses with lobster prints and hats that look like shoes! Through bright, vigorous color and beautifully stylized illustrations, the book readily draws us into young Elsa's perspective. Maclear and Morstad have the rare gift of presenting a biography that truly feels alive." --Sarah Sorensen, Bookbug, Kalamazoo, Mich.
For Ages 9 to 12
Samantha Spinner and the Super-Secret Plans by Russell Ginns, illustrated by Barbara Fisinger (Delacorte, $16.99, 9781524720001). "Samantha Spinner feels somewhat slighted when from her (now missing) uncle her sister receives $2,400,000,000, her brother is given the New York Yankees, and all Samantha gets is a ratty, rusty, red umbrella. But when the umbrella is revealed to contain a map with secret passageways throughout the entire world, Samantha feels very, very lucky, indeed. Clever, smart, and sometimes a bit silly, this fun mystery from game designer Russell Ginns also includes a few extra secrets for the especially inquisitive mind." --Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, N.C.
For Teen readers
Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston (Balzer + Bray, $17.99, 9780062652850). "The perfect way to sum up this action-packed, heart-wrenching, and humorous book that came out of Ashley Poston's dark and dastardly brain is Anastasia meets Firefly. From the first page, there is action and adventure, with plenty of laughs, gasps, and sighs mixed in. By the end of the book, you will want--and need--more. Seriously." --Renee Becher, Old Firehouse Books, Fort Collins, Colo.
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
