From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:
Hardcover
888 Love and the Divine Burden of Numbers: A Novel by Abraham Chang (Flatiron, $29.99, 9781250910783). "Young recalls the first five loves of his life while making his way through his sophomore year of college with his sixth love, Erena. The book is warm and loving, peppered with '80s and '90s pop culture references and so many possibilities." --Paul Swydan, The Silver Unicorn Bookstore, Acton, Mass.
A Magical Girl Retires: A Novel by Park Seolyeon, trans. by Anton Hur (HarperVia, $21.99, 9780063373266). "A quixotic blend of fantasy and reality. Magical girls are real, but so too are credit card debt, COVID-19, and mass unemployment. This strangely nostalgic, deceptively simple novel taps into both the dreams and anxieties of millenials." --Shay Shortt, Brick & Mortar Books, Redmond, Wash.
Paperback: An Indies Introduce Title
A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall (Orbit, $18.99, 9780316565530). "Sylvie Cathrall wraps cozy aquatic academia, strange abyssal mysteries, and deeply endearing characters into one delightful epistolary novel that is sure to reel you in! A fun and cozy science fiction/fantasy that pulls at your heartstrings!" --Oli Schmitz, Boswell Book Company, Milwaukee, Wis.
Ages 3 to 7
Roy Is Not a Dog by Esmé Shapiro and Daniel Newell Kaufman (Tundra Books, $18.99, 9780735265967). "This quirky children's book is totally charming--and the answer to 'is Roy a dog?' made me laugh out loud! Weasel strongly suspects that the mysterious person who lives at the end of the lane is a dog and puts his best detective skills to the test." --Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Ages 8 to 12
Timid: A Graphic Novel by Jonathan Todd (Graphix, $12.99, 9781338305708). "Remember trying to make friends in a new school? Take that and add a huge culture shift from Florida to Massachusetts. Cecil's internal monologue will feel very familiar to shy kids. I absolutely love how he stands up for his love of making art." --Kristin Richland, Phoenix Books, Burlington, Vt.
Teen Readers
The Vanishing Station by Anna Ellickson (Amulet Books, $19.99, 9781419764226). "Ruby knows that ever since her mother died, her father has changed. As the book opens, Ruby follows her father in an attempt to find out what is really going on, only to discover a magical underworld full of secrets, art and trains. An outstanding debut!" --Shannon Alden, Literati Bookstore, Ann Arbor, Mich.
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
