From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:
Hardcover: An Indies Introduce Title
Leech by Hiron Ennes (Tor, $27.99, 9781250811189). "This book slowly builds your sense of vertigo by combining body horror and gothic family drama. To find oneself empathizing with a parasite only heightens the sense of dis-ease. I'm still reeling." --Keith Glaeske, East City Bookshop, Washington, D.C.
Hardcover
The Hero of This Book by Elizabeth McCracken (Ecco, $26.99, 9780062971272). "Is this a memoir or a novel? Does it matter? A very well-written story about memoir writing, following a writer who, in the wake of her mother's death, travels to London. A great examination of the grieving process and what it does to art." --Alex Einhorn, Fountain Bookstore, Richmond, Va.
Paperback
Smile: A Memoir by Sarah Ruhl (Scribner/Marysue Rucci Books, $17, 9781982150952). "Sarah Ruhl's memoir about motherhood and illness is wise and true and generous. This is such a beautiful and important book; I know it will be a tremendously helpful and profound reading experience for many." --Keith Mosman, Powell's Books, Portland, Ore.
For Ages 4 to 8
Wombat Said Come In by Carmen Agra Deedy, illus. by Brian Lies (Margaret Quinlin Books, $18.99, 9781682633212). "Wombat shares his underground home and his resources with those fleeing a climate disaster. A beautifully illustrated lesson for kids and their parents about kindness and surviving catastrophes with our souls and hearts intact." --Linda Sherman-Nurick, Cellar Door Books, Riverside, Calif.
For Ages 8 to 12: An Indies Introduce Title
The Search for Sasquatch: A Wild Thing Book by Laura Krantz (Abrams, $19.99, 9781419758188). "Is Sasquatch real? Read this book to find out! Readers will delight in Sasquatch facts, and learn HOW to ask the right questions when searching for the truth. This will inspire a new wave of kids to ask questions about the world around them." --Revati Kilaparti, Old Firehouse Books, Fort Collins, Colo.
For Teen Readers
If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang (Inkyard Press, $18.99, 9781335915849). "Ann Liang's debut is a poignant coming-of-age novel set against the backdrop of an elite academy in Beijing. This is a story about class, about privilege, about what it means to fall in love with a world and people that are not yours to keep." --Cindy Tran, Porter Square Books, Cambridge, Mass.
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
