From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:
Hardcover
Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies: A Novel by Catherine Mack (Minotaur, $28, 9781250325853). "A mystery writer, a con man, and an ex-boyfriend walk into the Colosseum... in the perfect book to sit by the pool and read as you sip an aperol spritz. Mack's perfect vacation read is packed with murder, mayhem, and the funniest footnotes." --Katie Fransen, The Novel Neighbor, Webster Groves, Mo.
Loneliness & Company by Charlee Dyroff (Bloomsbury, $28.99, 9781639732081). "Lee is an overachiever, but when she's hired to teach an AI program the meaning of loneliness, her life skills are challenged. Dyroff draws an artful and memorable portrait of a woman trying to find answers in a world consumed by technology." --Manda Riggs, Elm Street Books, New Canaan, Conn.
Paperback
Reading the Room: A Bookseller's Tale by Paul Yamazaki (Ode Books, $13.95, 9781958846698). "Reading the Room is a precious artifact, a rare transmission from a truly great mind. If you're a bookseller, pull up a chair and learn from a master; if you're a reader, you'll walk away with an entirely new appreciation for your local indie." --Vanessa Martini, Green Apple Books & Music, San Francisco, Calif.
Ages 4 to 8
Dalmartian: A Mars Rover's Story by Lucy Ruth Cummins (Atheneum, $18.99, 9781665911955). "Picture books about space or dogs are pretty much instant winners, and this has BOTH! Ultra-clever with some fun twists to discover, along with the heart of the depth of a person-pet relationship." --Carrie Koepke, Skylark Bookshop, Columbia, Mo.
Ages 8 to 12
Safiyyah's War by Hiba Noor Khan (Allida, $19.99, 9780063351868). "The heavy changes that come when the German Army invades Paris incite Safiyyah's curiosity. An inspiring story based on the heroic actions of members of the Grand Mosque of Paris. Children of war have their own form of bravery." --Kathleen Johnson, Roundabout Books, Bend, Ore.
Teen Readers
The Worst Ronin by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, illus. by Faith Schaffer (HarperAlley, $18.99, 9780358464938). "Energetic from the start with messy, but lovable, characters. This whole story is full of so much humor, paired with some very tender moments and lots of REVENGE. Couldn't have asked for a better fast-paced graphic novel." --Kaitlyn Mahoney, Under the Umbrella Bookstore, Salt Lake City, Utah
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
