From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:
Hardcover
Blood Test: A Comedy by Charles Baxter (Pantheon, $28, 9780593700853). "Charles Baxter should be required reading for aspiring novelists. Blood Test delves deeply into many of the broken aspects of our current culture, but also presents the redeeming qualities many possess to find fulfillment in an often-desolate world." --Bill Cusumano, Square Books, Oxford, Miss.
Forest of Noise: Poems by Mosab Abu Toha (Knopf, $22, 9780593803974). "Mosab Abu Toha, a poet from Gaza, here delves into the indignities, injustices, the utter cruelties he and his fellow Palestinians have been subjected to. In and through the sheer horror there is a most human spirit, a celebration of joy in the cracks where it might be found." --Rick Simonson, The Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, Wash.
Paperback
The Six: The Extraordinary Story of the Grit and Daring of America's First Women Astronauts by Loren Grush (Scribner, $20.99, 9781982172817). "The Six introduces us to the real first women astronauts, who faced incredible scrutiny. The awesomeness of space exploration, the Challenger tragedy, the unreasonable press questions--experience it all with this accomplished group." --Rosemary Pugliese, Malaprop's Bookstore/Café, Asheville, N.C.
Ages 5-7
Open Me... I'm a Dog! by Art Spiegelman (TOON Books, $18.99, 9781662665486). "Open Me... I'm a Dog! uses clever word play and mixed media to encourage kids to have a hands-on experience. Spiegelman uses a combination of artistic styles to illustrate the story. This is a great book to introduce to a toddler and bring out for story time." --Lea Bickerton, The Tiny Bookstore, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Ages 10-14
Bye Forever, I Guess by Jodi Meadows (Holiday House, $18.99, 9780823456383). "Never want to say goodbye to Bye Forever, I Guess! The perfect middle grade novel about the changing nature of friendship, finding your fit while remaining true to yourself, and where to sit at lunch. Plus, a focus on nerdy girls rocks!" --Susan Williams, M. Judson Booksellers & Storytellers, Greenville, S.C.
Teen Readers
The Dividing Sky by Jill Tew (Joy Revolution, $19.99, 9780593710357). "Jill Tew's debut is everything readers have been waiting for. I was completely sucked in! With its swoony romance, twisty plot, and all the thrills, it's sure to make its way into the canon of YA dystopia." --Vania Stoyanova, Brave + Kind Bookshop, Decatur, Ga.
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
