From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:
Hardcover
A Fortune of Sand by Ruta Septys (Ballantine Books, $30, 9798217093243). "Septys's adult debut has all the twists and turns you'd want from a story set in the Gilded Age, yet it is incredibly well researched and deeply poignant, bringing to light a 1920s Detroit we rarely see." --Ashley Michael, Plenty Downtown Bookshop, Cookeville, Tenn.
The Summer Boy by Philippe Besson, trans. by Sam Taylor (Scribner, $26, 9781668204047). "A beautiful coming-of-age story that captures the vibrancy of youth and weight of adulthood. Everything about this book felt alive: the setting, the characters, the emotions. So much is said and reflected on in this short book." --Athena Varvarezis, Towne Book Center & Cafe, Collegeville, Pa.
Paperback
Endling by Maria Reva (Vintage, $18, 9781984897596). "Endling is a rich stew of the foreign bride industry, nearly extinct snails, familial disappointment, and war in a scabrous, blistering portrait of contemporary Ukraine that is as eye-opening as it is entertaining." --David Enyeart, Next Chapter Booksellers, St. Paul, Minn.
Ages 4-8
Kindergarten Gets Ready by Naomi Danis and Pete Oswald (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $18.99, 9780316581134). "Featuring behind-the-scenes classroom prep, from the selection of front-facing picture books to the counting of classroom chairs, Kindergarten Gets Ready will surely be of comfort to any kindergartener feeling anxious about the unknowns of school." --Jessica Devin, Brewster Book Store, Brewster, Mass.
Ages 8-12
The Second Life of Snap by Erin Entrada Kelly (Greenwillow Books, $18.99, 9780063485952). "A short middle grade novel for older Wild Robot fans from a storyteller who writes incredible protagonists. An ultimately hopeful story set in a hardscrabble section of an oppressive society. Note: this is not a gentle story. It is one of survival & questions of what makes us free-willed & human." --Leslie Darnell, Powell's Books, Portland, Ore.
Ages 13+
Ellen Poe: The Forgotten Lore by Diana Peterfreund (Running Press Kids, $12.99, 9798894141688). "After moving in with her aunt in her spooky Edgar Allan Poe-themed B&B, Ellen starts having nightmares and visions that lead her to believe that she might be a descendant of the haunted writer." --Manda Barker, Raven Book Store, Lawrence, Kan.
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
