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 Tenth Muse: A Novel by Catherine Chung (Ecco, $26.99, 9780062574060). "Catherine Chung's female protagonist is a mathematician, and it is thrilling to have a woman scientist who is a complex character in an even more complex novel. In trying to solve a math riddle, she ends up exploring the riddle of her own childhood, which is inextricably linked to one of the darkest episodes in human history. Catherine Chung has woven a rich tapestry mixing present and past, ambition, identity, and gender issues. A beautiful book." --Francoise Brodsky, Shakespeare & Co., New York, N.Y.
The Stationery Shop: A Novel by Marjan Kamali (Gallery, $27, 9781982107482). "The Stationery Shop is one of the most beautifully written novels I have read in a long time. The masterful plot brings us to a lost time and culture, but also transcends time and country. In a story set against the upheaval of 1953 Tehran, we discover how events change the destiny of two teenagers who meet in a book and stationery shop and fall in love. This novel of political dreams, family loyalty, lingering memories, love, and fate will haunt you long after the story ends." --Janet Hutchison, The Open Door Bookstore, Schenectady, N.Y.
Paperback
Whiskey When We're Dry: A Novel by John Larison (Penguin Books, $16, 9780735220454). "A haunting and remarkable debut, John Larison's Whiskey When We're Dry stays true to the western genre while subverting many common themes of the American West, producing a wholly original narrative that will linger in your mind for days. I have never encountered a protagonist quite like Jess; she embodies the incredible strength and resolve required to survive in the West, but also the vulnerability necessary to retain humanity in the face of so much violence and brutality. Larison's prose goes down as smooth as a glass of whiskey, and I didn't want to stop reading until I'd finished every last drop." --Tori Odea, Politics and Prose Bookstore, Washington, D.C.
For Ages 4 to 8
A Curious Menagerie: Of Herds, Flocks, Leaps, Gaggles, Scurries, and More! by Carin Berger (Greenwillow, $17.99, 9780062644572). "As a child, one of my favorite topics to ask about was the collective nouns for groups of animals. This book gathers some of the more interesting ones into a list, with amusingly literal illustrations of various animal groups, such as a 'business of ferrets.' " --Gwendolyn Baltera, Buttonwood Books and Toys, Cohasset, Mass.
For Ages 9 to 12
Maximillian Fly by Angie Sage (Katherine Tegen, $16.99, 9780062571168). "Maximillian Fly is the middle-grade mash-up you didn't know you needed! Metamorphosis combines with Lemony-Snicket-esque prose to perfectly tell the strange and fascinating tale of Maximillian, a human with the features of a cockroach who becomes entangled with two fugitives of an oppressive government. Wacky, fun, and so satisfying, Maximillian Fly will steal your heart!" --Laura Graveline, Brazos Bookstore, Houston, Tex.
For Teen Readers
Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi (Feiwel & Friends, $17.99, 9781250299482). "If you wanted Gilmore Girls to be a little less white and a whole lot gayer, this is the book for you. It's a rom-com about two ambitious women fighting against the world, themselves, and their feelings for each other, and learning how all those things can peacefully coexist. This book is a lot like your favorite rom-coms but with a cast of characters you don't usually see." --Mackenzie Van Engelenhoven, The King's English Bookshop, Salt Lake City, Utah
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
