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 Disappointment: A Novel by Scott Broker (Catapult, $28, 9781646222858). "This campy, humorous novel is a breath of fresh air. This book was equally fun and emotional. In a story that could easily get weighed down, this book allows humor to permeate hard times. A true pleasure to read." --Brady Parkin, The King's English Bookshop, Salt Lake City, Utah
Hardcover: An Indies Introduce Title
A Wheelie Awkward Romance: The Love Story of a Girl Who Is Definitely Not Touchy-Feely and a Quadriplegic Guy Who Most Assuredly Is by Tess Campbell and Corby Campbell (Shadow Mountain, $27.99, 9781639934690). "A quirky, fun story about falling in love with your opposite in every way. Often laugh-out-loud funny and always sweet, you will love Tess and Corby Campbell's love story navigating disability and neurodivergence." --Claire Bone, Wild Sisters Book Company, Sacramento, Calif.
Paperback
Field Notes from an Extinction: A Novel by Eoghan Walls (Seven Stories Press, $19.95, 9781644215340). "Walls is a brilliantly inventive writer whose careful research transcends itself, leaps off the page and whisks the reader into the heart of the danger. Action-packed, hair-raising, visceral storytelling at its finest, for lovers of The Wager and Island of the Blue Dolphins." --Kristen Iskandrian, Thank You Books, Birmingham, Ala.
Ages 4-8
I Really Want to Be a Cat by Helen Hancocks (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, $14.99, 9781464244759). "A girl spends a day with her cat, wishing she could be a cat too. The freedom! The stretches! The skills! Even night vision! There's just ONE thing that doesn't seem great about being a cat.... I won't spoil it for you. This one would be fun for story time or a classroom." --Jen Wills Geraedts, Beagle and Wolf Books & Bindery, Park Rapids, Minn.
Ages 10-12
When Tomorrow Burns by Tae Keller (Random House Books for Young Readers, $17.99, 9780593485583). "When Tomorrow Burns is a powerful story that follows three 7th graders as they learn to navigate the challenges of middle school life, pressures of the world, family, and school relationships. It's magical, heartfelt, and so real--reminding us how important family and true friendships are." --Annell Schmerfeld, Changing Hands, Tempe, Ariz.
Ages 14+: An Indies Introduce Title
Ramin Abbas Has MAJOR Questions by Ahmad Saber (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, $21.99, 9781665960694). "Ramin Abbas is an awkward, kind-hearted teenager who's head over heels for another boy. He's also a devout Muslim, Pakistani, living in Canada, and trying to figure out how to be all of himself at once. He succeeds beautifully. A novel for young readers, and for older readers whose younger selves still need to be seen." --Kenza Kamal, Prologue Bookshop, Columbus, Ohio
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
