From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:
Hardcover
Yerba Buena: A Novel by Nina LaCour (Flatiron, $26.99, 9781250810465). "This book stole my breath away. Raw and intimate, it follows the lives of two women through heartbreak, loss, and adolescent uncertainty as they weave in and out of each other's lives. I wanted to hug this book to my chest when I finished." --Margaret Hansen, Brick & Mortar Books, Redmond, Wash.
Nora Goes Off Script: A Novel by Annabel Monaghan (Putnam, $27, 9780593420034). "This breezy, well-written novel found me at a time when I really, really needed it. It's hard to get the tone right with kids in books, but Annabel Monaghan nailed it. I was rooting for Nora and thoroughly enjoyed my time with her!" --Chelsea Bauer, Union Avenue Books, Knoxville, Tenn.
Paperback
The Other Black Girl: A Novel by Zakiya Dalila Harris (Atria, $17, 9781982160142). "Two Black women in the cutthroat publishing industry try to determine if they are friends or enemies. A literary fiction tale with a side of suspense, this expertly woven critique on society will keep readers on the edge of their seats." --Kirsten Wilson, The Snail on the Wall, Huntsville, Ala.
For Ages 4 to 8
Kapaemahu by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson, illus. by Daniel Sousa (Kokila, $17.99, 9780593530061). "This extraordinary book recounts the arrival of four healers to Waikiki centuries ago and the stone monuments that represent them. Colonization attempted to bury the stones, but now readers all over the world can learn of their power and origins." --Andrew King, Secret Garden Bookshop, Seattle, Wash.
For Ages 8 to 12
Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tọlá Okogwu (Margaret K. McElderry, $17.99, 9781665912617). "This is the book I wish I had when I was in grade school--a British Nigerian girl discovers her Afro hair contains psychokinetic powers and travels to a magical school in Nigeria! Could we ask for anything more brilliant? No!" --Isabella Ogbolumani, Buffalo Street Books, Ithaca, N.Y.
For Teen Readers: An Indies Introduce Title
This Place is Still Beautiful by XiXi Tian (Balzer + Bray, $18.99, 9780063086029). "This is one of the most phenomenal debuts I've ever read. After a hate crime is committed in their home, two very different Chinese American sisters have to deal with this incident without tearing their family apart. I was blown away by this story!" --Joseline Diaz, Kepler's Books, Menlo Park, Calif.
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
