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 Last Human Bear by Greg Sarris (Heyday Books, $30, 9781597147071). "The Last Human Bear has as its center the life of Mary Hatcher from age 17 to mid-90s (nearly present day) as she learns to navigate her Pomo heritage in an environment unwelcoming to non-white people. This novel is so much richer than a few words can express. It is so very worth it to discover." --Sheryl Cotleur, Copperfield's Books, Sebastopol, Calif.
Voyagers: A Novel by Meg Charlton (Harper, $28, 9780063441217). "I love Voyagers' exploration of memory, friendship, and the way a single day in childhood can define us. The complex family relationships and the narrator's willingness to interrogate his own flawed memory make for a page-turning read!" --Kara Balcerzak, Bonfire Bookstore & Yarnery, Woodstock, Va.
Paperback
What We Can Know: A Novel by Ian McEwan (Vintage, $20, 9798217007943). "The world has been greatly reduced in both size of dry land and population, and an academic in 2130 feels nostalgia for our era through his search for a lost poem. I love McEwan's eternal ability to find beauty in the most mundane moments." --Anne Peck, Righton Books, St. Simons Island, Ga.
Ages 4-8
The Underwearwolf by Gideon Sterer, illus. by Charles Santoso (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $19.99, 9781665955584). "In an age of morality tales, Sterer unleashes a furry menace of a boy upon his small town. A joyful celebration of childhood mischief, inviting kids to run amok in their imaginations." --Jamie Kovacs, Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Ages 8-12 (Indies Introduce)
Casting April by Wendy Lu (Knopf Books for Young Readers, $17.99, 9798217030286). "Casting April is one of the best surprises of 2026! I thought I was picking up another book about kids putting on a school play. Instead, I found myself mesmerized by this 6th grade girl with a tracheostomy trying to navigate middle school. Casting April will grab readers both with its representation of an experience almost completely ignored in literature and with its heartwarming story about friends and family." --Chris Abouzeid, Belmont Books, Belmont, Mass.
Ages 13+
The Secret World of Briar Rose by Cindy Pham (Kokila, $21.99, 9798217113026). "In this richly detailed and emotional retelling of 'Sleeping Beauty,' two sisters jump through a magical portal and enter the dream world of the iconic princess. There, they must confront what it truly means to escape, and whether or not dealing with pain and grief makes life worth living in the first place. This book will leave readers with a small but important burst of hope that they may need." --Jason Mills, The Book Bungalow, St. George, Utah
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
