From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:
Hardcover
Swift River: A Novel by Essie Chambers (Simon & Schuster, $27.99, 9781668027912). "Swift River will be canon for those who want to learn more about biracial experiences. Essie Chambers thoughtfully pulls the curtain back on coming of age with a parent who loves you but, due to race, is incapable of understanding your experience." --Destinee Hodge, East City Bookshop, Washington, D.C.
The Guncle Abroad: A Novel by Steven Rowley (Putnam, $29, 9780593540459). "Guncle fans rejoice: this sequel brings back all the wry humor, miscommunication, grief, and joy of connection. Patrick's brother’s impending marriage reunites the family, even as it threatens to split them apart. A reader's delight." --Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books, Davidson, N.C.
Paperback
Service: A Novel by Sarah Gilmartin (Pushkin Press, $16.95, 9781911590828). "Service is slender, devastating, both timeless and inescapably pertinent to life now. This is destined to become canon for books about the underbelly of the hospitality industry and a cornerstone book about people who prey on women." --Camden Avery, The Booksmith, San Francisco, Calif.
Ages 4 to 8
Itty Bitty Betty Blob by Constance Lombardo, illus. by Micah Player (Hippo Park, $18.99, 9781662640148). "Betty is the sweetest blob around! This is a lovely story about being yourself no matter what and finding your people on your journey. A special story that will resonate for both young and old audiences!" --Isabella Barbuto, Books Are Magic, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Ages 8 to 12: An Indies Introduce Title
The Spindle of Fate by Aimee Lim (Feiwel & Friends, $17.99, 9781250886194). "I loved this charming middle grade inspired by Chinese mythology, exploring themes of grief, growing up, and family. Full of action-packed sequences and quiet, emotional moments alike, this book was a wonderful read." --Donna Liu, Kepler's Books, Menlo Park, Calif.
Teen Readers: An Indies Introduce Title
Now, Conjurers by Freddie Kölsch (Union Square & Co., $19.99, 9781454951599). "From start to finish this book grabbed me and pulled me in! The characters were incredibly relatable, beautiful and perfectly flawed in their own ways, and the plot kept me on my toes to the very last pages." --Kaitlyn Mahoney, Under the Umbrella Bookstore, Salt Lake City, Utah
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
