From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:
Hardcover
Libby Lost and Found: A Novel by Stephanie Booth (Sourcebooks Landmark, $27.99, 9781728278506). "A delightful read! Full of endearing characters who collide with heartwarming results: an author of a beloved children's series over deadline due to early onset Alzheimer's, a tiny intrepid superfan, and her wacky family and town." --Alana Haley, Schuler Books, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Metal from Heaven by August Clarke (Erewhon Books, $28, 9781645660989,). "A glorious, feverish, wholly lesbian feast. Boundary-pushing prose that's not safe and same-y sounding. Follows through on the promise and consequence of violent revolution, and gives us a vision of anti- and post-capitalist community possibility." --Allison Senecal, Old Firehouse Books, Fort Collins, Colo.
Paperback
Blue Light Hours: A Novel by Bruna Dantas Lobato (Grove Press, Black Cat, $17, 9780802163776). "A narrative intimately rendered with sparse prose, layered with empathy for its dual mother-daughter protagonists. Blue Light Hours is a stunner of a debut novel, seemingly stretching beyond its 192-page count and burying deep within your bones." --Taylor Carlton, Brazos Bookstore, Houston, Tex.
Ages 4-8
Drawn Onward by Daniel Nayeri, illus. by Matt Rockefeller (HarperAlley, $19.99, 9780063277168). "Now here is a grief book that I can recommend. As a mom, it is healing to read. The sparse prose says just enough. The rich illustrations carry it along and fill the reader up. A beautiful book." --Naomi Chamblin, Napa Bookmine, Napa, Calif.
Ages 8-12
Noodle & Bao by Shaina Lu (Quill Tree Books, $24.99, 9780063283411). "Momo's town is becoming more expensive and edging out small businesses like Noodle and Bao's beloved restaurant. This book is an incredibly helpful tool for helping young people understanding gentrification and its impact--and it's just a great story." --Milo Michels, University Book Store, Seattle, Wash.
Teen Readers: An Indies Introduce Title
Tangleroot by Kalela Williams (Feiwel & Friends, $19.99, 9781250880666). "Sometimes your family history is as tangled as the vines on the ground. When Noni is forced to make a new home in the 'Big House' built by an enslaved ancestor, she may discover truths about herself and her family that none could have imagined." --Sally Sue Lavigne, The Storybook Shoppe, Bluffton, S.C.
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
