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
The New Life: A Novel by Tom Crewe (Scribner, $28, 9781668000830). "Crewe pays great tribute to those throughout history who have braved the battles to rightfully normalize homosexuality. Addington and Ellis boldly believed in a New Life for everyone. Their legacy is nothing less than inspiring." --Barbara Hall, Readers' Books, Sonoma, Calif.
Hardcover
Blaze Me a Sun: A Novel About a Crime by Christoffer Carlsson, trans. by Rachel Willson-Broyles (Hogarth, $28, 9780593449356). "If you love a good Swedish crime novel or are a fan of Stieg Larsson, then this book is for you! A runaway bestseller in Sweden, this is the American debut for the author and a can't put down thriller that had me guessing until the end." --Kathy Clemmons, Sundog Books, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.
Paperback
In the Time of Our History: A Novel by Susanne Pari (A John Scognamiglio Book, $16.99, 9781496739261). "A poignant exploration of family, migration, cultural revolution, and community ties. Pari crafts nuanced characters woven together and torn apart by the same events; the journeys they each travel are momentous. This is a must-read." --Ashleigh Howland, Wellesley Books, Wellesley, Mass.
For Ages 4 to 8
An American Story by Kwame Alexander, illus. by Dare Coulter (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $18.99, 9780316473125). "We are put in the shoes of school kids learning the painful history of American slavery, and the struggle their teacher faces trying to teach it. This book is necessary. Readers (and educators) will be challenged, but also given hope." --Kristin Richland, Phoenix Books, Essex Junction, Vt.
For Ages 10 to 14
They Set the Fire: The Teddies Saga Book 3 by Daniel Kraus, illus. by Rovina Cai (Holt, $18.99, 9781250224446). "The conclusion to the Teddies Saga is as explosive as its title. All questions are answered--some not in the ways you might expect. They Set the Fire keeps its secrets close in hand right up to the end. I could not breathe until I'd finished." --Kvothe Harris, Rediscovered Books, Boise, Idaho
For Teen Readers
Friday I'm in Love by Camryn Garrett (Knopf, $18.99, 9780593435106). "Friday I'm in Love is for every adolescent, or adult, who is wondering where they fit and who they belong with. It deals with sexuality, class, and race in a humorous way while still giving these aspects of the story the respect they deserve." --Isabella Barbuto, Books Are Magic, Brooklyn, N.Y.
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
