From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:
Hardcover
Banal Nightmare: A Novel by Halle Butler (Random House, $28, 9780593730355). "Banal Nightmare crackles with humanity. You may hate these feckless--at times ugly--characters, or recognize yourself in them (and still hate them). But it'll thrill you in its fearlessness. Either way, this will leave a mark on you. It blisters." --Matt Nixon, A Cappella Books, Atlanta, Ga.
Catalina: A Novel by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio (One World, $28, 9780593449097). "Catalina is such a delightful book--funny and quick-witted, but also thoughtful and heart-rending. I loved Catalina's smart, singular voice. This is a perfect read for lovers of Lily King's Writers & Lovers, or fans of Sally Rooney's work." --Shannon Guinn-Collins, Bookworks, Albuquerque, N.Mex.
Paperback
Smothermoss: A Novel by Alisa Alering (Tin House Books, 9781959030584, $17.95). "Beautiful, surreal, and otherworldly, I fully fell into Alering's supernatural mystery. Their use of sound grounds the reader in Sheila and Angie's strange and difficult life on the margins of society in some of the best writing I've seen." --Amanda Scroggins, Watermark Books & Café, Wichita, Kan.
Ages 4-8
Into the Goblin Market by Vikki VanSickle, illus. by Jensine Eckwall (Tundra Books, $18.99, 9780735268562). "This is a deliciously spooky story inspired by Christina Rossetti's poem, 'The Goblin Market,' and classic fairy tales. It is perfectly matched with black and red block print-type illustrations. This will be a delight to read with children!" --Vicky Titcomb, Titcomb's Bookshop, East Sandwich, Mass.
Ages 10-13: An Indies Introduce Title
Breaking into Sunlight by John Cochran (Algonquin Young Readers, $17.99, 9781523527298). "This moving story of a family dealing with the complexities of addiction is told with incredible sensitivity, compassion, and hope. These wonderful young characters will stay with you long after the last page is turned." --Holly Weinkauf, Red Balloon Bookshop, St. Paul, Minn.
Teen Readers: An Indies Introduce Title
The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky by Josh Galarza (Holt, $19.99, 9781250907714). "Brett's voice--wise-cracking, sensitive, emotionally raw--carries this story with a surprisingly light hand. Every page holds love. Every page is a nudge towards self-acceptance. This hero story absolutely demolished my heart." --Emmy Widener, Changing Hands, Tempe, Ariz.
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
