From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:
Hardcover
The Heart in Winter: A Novel by Kevin Barry (Doubleday, $28, 9780385550598). "I found this story of two young lovers on the run in 1890s Montana to have the grit of a Cormac McCarthy novel, and the adventure and peril found in Cold Mountain. I expect this stunning novel to stay with me for a long time." --Linda Grana, Reasonable Books, Lafayette, Calif.
State of Paradise: A Novel by Laura van den Berg (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $27, 9780374612207). "Unnerving, odd, sometimes spooky, sometimes very funny. Here is a world of warped reality--by grief, by pandemic, by Major Weather Events, by technology, sometimes even by our own minds. This is one of Laura van den Berg's best." --Santiago Nocera, Greedy Reads, Baltimore, Md.
Paperback
How to Say Babylon: A Memoir by Safiya Sinclair (Simon & Schuster, 9781982132347, $18.99). "This extraordinary memoir explores self-actualization at the crossroads of womanhood and Black liberation. Sinclair's poetic brilliance brought grace to even her most excruciating experiences. I am in awe of her compassion and transcendence." --Evisa Gallman, Uncle Bobbie's Coffee & Books, Philadelphia, Pa.
Ages 4-8
Prunella by Beth Ferry, illus. by Claire Keane (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $18.99, 9781665921732). "A tender story of being different and finding your perfect genus in a sea of dissimilar species. Makes me want a purple thumb--or maybe I already have one." --Stephanie Staton, CoffeeTree Books, Morehead, Ky.
Ages 8-12
Camp Prodigy by Caroline Palmer (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, $22.99, 9781665930383) "VIOLISTS FOR THE WIN! Camp Prodigy is a wonderfully vibrant and emotive graphic novel that celebrates music and the kids that play it! All about the pressure that we put ourselves under to be the best, making friends, accepting support, and navigating the gender binary." --Kimi Loughlin, The Silver Unicorn Bookstore, Acton, Mass.
Teen Readers: An Indies Introduce Title
Looking for Smoke by K.A. Cobell (Heartdrum, $19.99, 9780063318670). "This book is a powerful and thought-provoking story about the importance of community, the search for belonging, and the heart-wrenching realities of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW). This book will leave you on the edge of your seat, challenging you to see through the smoke and discover the killer." --Kromeklia Bryant, Solid State Books, Washington, D.C.
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
