From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:
Hardcover
Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm: A Novel by Laura Warrell (Pantheon, $28, 9780593316443). "Like the jazz in her debut novel, Warrell threads together the lyrical, effervescent story of trumpeter Circus Porter and, more importantly, the women who have marked his life. A beautiful, breakable, lovely mess; this novel is its song." --Melinda Powers, Bookshop Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, Calif.
Tell Me I'm An Artist: A Novel by Chelsea Martin (Soft Skull, $27, 9781593767211). "Chelsea Martin completely nails what it's like to be in a creative space that is quietly but heavily divided by class. Who can focus on creativity when they worry about making rent? The protagonist is written with such care and insight." --Audrey Kohler, BookWoman, Austin, Tex.
Paperback
Bindle Punk Bruja: A Novel by Desideria Mesa (Harper Voyager, $17.99, 9780063056084). "Half-Mexican, white-passing witch Rose dreams of owning her own illegal jazz club in 1920s Kansas City while refining her inherited powers in a sexist, racist society. Bindle Punk Bruja is fun, sexy, and downright dangerous--so is Rose." --Karen Valenzuela, Cellar Door Books, Riverside, Calif.
For Ages 0 to 8
When You Take a Step by Bethanie Deeney Murguia (Beach Lane Books, $18.99, 9781534473676). "Sometimes it's difficult, but we all learn from each of our steps; even if we fall, and often, these steps change our whole world! Lovely!" --Dea Lavoie, Second Star to the Right Children's Books, Denver, Colo.
For Ages 10+
Agent Most Wanted: The Never-Before-Told Story of the Most Dangerous Spy of World War II by Sonia Purnell (Viking Books for Young Readers, $18.99, 9780593350546). "Moxie. That's what Virginia Hall was made of. I am thankful to Sonia Purnell for this story as I love reading about incredibly brave women and their contributions to our world. In this case, she helped save it from the tyranny of Nazi Germany." --Debbie White, The Well-Read Moose, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
For Teen Readers
The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $18.99, 9780759556317). "A lush and haunting heist novel inspired by Welsh folklore. Emily's beautiful prose draws you in from the first page. If you like atmospheric fantasy, high stakes adventure, and a touch of romantic tension, you will love The Drowned Woods." --Gabrielle Belisle, An Unlikely Story, Plainville, Mass.
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
