IndieBound: Other Indie Favorites

From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:

Hardcover
Everywhere You Don't Belong: A Novel by Gabriel Bump (Algonquin, $25.95, 9781616208790). "Young Claude is being raised by his grandma in Chicago's changing South Shore, and folks in his life--his parents, friends, neighbors--are disappearing. There's little he can count on besides his grandma, her friend Paul, and his not-quite girlfriend Janice. The violence that was once at a safe distance is now on their doorstep, with corrupt and racist police coming from one direction and the Redbelters gang from the other. It's hard not to imagine Claude wanting to escape, too, but trouble is likely to follow, even to college in Missouri. Told in episodic bursts and filled with emotional resonance, Everywhere You Don't Belong is a powerful coming-of-age debut that will stick with you." --Daniel Goldin, Boswell Book Company, Milwaukee, Wis.

Highfire: A Novel by Eoin Colfer (Harper Perennial, $19.99, 9780062938558). "Highfire hooked me from the first pages. Vern, a grumpy dragon languishing in the Louisiana swamps, believes he's the last of his species. Squib, a 15-year-old boy, is just trying to stay out of trouble and earn some money doing odd jobs. The intersection of these two one-of-a-kind characters sucks you in like a whirlpool. I loved reading about the absurd circumstances they found themselves in. This book has all the earmarks of a great hand-seller for the dead of winter, when we all need something new!" --Patricia Worth, River Reader Books, Lexington, Mo.

Paperback
The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls: A Novel by Anissa Gray (Penguin, $16, 9781984802446). "For lovers of An American Marriage comes a thoughtful debut about family, secrets, and the damage one's choices can cause to those you love. Told from many perspectives within one complex family, this novel tugged at me from all angles. I found myself understanding and empathizing with all the characters at different times, even though their choices and the consequences of those choices were vastly in contrast to one another. A very strong debut." --Jamie Southern, Bookmarks, Winston-Salem, N.C.

For Ages 4 to 8
Bedtime for Sweet Creatures by Nikki Grimes, illus. by Elizabeth Zunon (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, $17.99, 9781492638322). "Grimes' words and Zunon's beautiful illustrations combine to create a book that has the potential to be a new bedtime classic, especially for parents looking for diverse books for their young children. Grimes uses animals and instruments to reimagine bedtime rituals in a story sure to delight readers in the same way as Eric Carle books." --Alison Perine, Hooray for Books!, Alexandria, Va.

For Ages 9 to 12
Catherine's War by Julia Billet, illus. by Claire Fauvel, trans. by Ivanka Hahnenberger (HarperAlley, $12.99, 9780062915597). "This story of everyday courage highlights the life of a Jewish teen in occupied France. Rachel Cohen must change her name to Catherine Colin and go into hiding. As she moves from safe house to safe house, she captures her journey in photographs as a way to hang on to her identity and her hopes for the future. I was so moved by Rachel's story, which is largely based on the life of the author's mother. This is an excellent graphic novel for middle grade (and beyond!) readers who want to learn more about resistance and preserving history on the home front." --Julia Steiner, The Book Cellar, Chicago, Ill.

For Teen Readers
What I Carry by Jennifer Longo (Random House, $17.99, 9780553537710). "Muir is in the final year of foster care before she ages out. She has to focus and prepare for the time when she's on her own, but in her last placement she runs into problems--problems with names like Kira, Sean, and Francine. Muir needs let go of her rules and open her heart. Longo has crafted a great story that engages as well as educates. I loved it!" --Laura Cummings, White Birch Books, North Conway, N.H.

[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
Powered by: Xtenit