From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:
Hardcover
Make Me Famous: A Novel by Maud Ventura, trans. by Gretchen Schmid (HarperVia, $30, 9780063427518). "Ventura offers a hilarious yet harrowing story of a young French American musician's rise to fame. A flawless depiction of the pressures of being young, beautiful, maintaining a fan base, and staying on top." --Melanie Fleishman, Center for Fiction Bookstore, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Forest Euphoria: The Abounding Queerness of Nature by Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian (Spiegel & Grau, $30, 9781954118904). "A wonderful celebration of the beauty and strangeness of the natural world, as well as a fascinating memoir about growing up different. You will love Kaishian's clear, vivid prose!" --Michael Bender, Split Rock Books, Cold Spring, N.Y.
Paperback
Libby Lost and Found: A Novel by Stephanie Booth (Sourcebooks Landmark, $17.99, 9781464236303). "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.
Ages 5-9
Some of Us: A Story of Citizenship and the United States by Rajani LaRocca, illus. by Huy Voun Lee (Christy Ottaviano Books, $18.99, 9780316571753). "Rajani LaRocca has a talent for blending facts with poetry, offering a diverse collection of people and families and the ways they come to citizenship. I hope many readers see themselves in this book, lovingly created by an author and illustrator who are also immigrants." --Johanna Albrecht, McIntyre's Fine Books, Pittsboro, N.C.
Ages 8-12
The Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls by Judith Rossell (Dial Books, $18.99, 9798217002405). "The girls at the Midwatch Institute are an essential reminder that we all are stronger than we realize, and that with a little teamwork we can tackle anything. Filled with mystery, adventure, cool gadgets, and secret tunnels, this is an absolute delight!" --Dominic Smith, Underbrush Books, Rogers, Ark.
Ages 14+
Blades of Furry: Volume 1 by Emily Erdos and Deya Muniz (Little, Brown Ink, $32.99, 9780316459839). "Blades of Furry has tons of rainbow lighting, heart eyes, and gay yearning, while not shying away from social commentary. The protagonists--figure skating, martial artist animals--learn and grow alongside one another, fighting for life and love against all odds." --Olivia Williams, Harvard Book Store, Cambridge, Mass.
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
