Spring 2022 Reading Group Indie Next List
Dazzling Debuts
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“This book is wicked good. By the end you're laughing through the pain, because what else can you do? Masood constructs such fully-realized characters that when the novel ends, you’ll want to know their lives and know that they’re okay.”
— Sylvie Weissman, Content Bookstore, Northfield, MN
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“I ripped through this book. Darren’s spark, perseverance, and blow outs were a roller coaster. I saw parallels to Palahniuk’s protagonists: damaged, hurtling towards disaster, then bringing redemption at their own expense.”
— Kristin Richland, Phoenix Books Essex, Essex Junction, VT
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“Sathian writes the weird, wonderful, heartbreaking alchemy of first and second generation life with tender knowing and keen indictment. It’s the best kind of magical realism, rendering the supernatural into a force as real as gold.”
— Amanda Qassar, Warwick's, La Jolla, CA
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“From its dreamlike language to the ghostly, magical story, Hades, Argentina brilliantly illustrates how political oppression bleeds into the most seemingly-moral lives — and how long and enduring the shadow it casts over them can be.”
— Julia Sanches, Riffraff, Providence, RI
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“Ruth is a successful Harvard graduate living well in Chicago. When thoughts of having children arise, she reckons with a secret from her poor, small-town past. Thoughtful, contemporary, and turns stereotypes on their heads. Loved it!”
— Danica Ramgoolam, Townie Books, Crested Butte, CO
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“A fabulous concoction of history, traditional wisdom, and strong women who refuse to be downtrodden. Get lost in the stacks of the British Library, an 18th-century apothecary shop, and poisonous potions in this delightfully fun read.”
— Michelle Tuplin, Serendipity Books, Chelsea, MI
Family and Coming of Age
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“Harrison captures the scattershot effect of a brain injury and, in turn, the consequences that ripple through a community the way the Yellowstone River ripples through this novel. Harrison stepped it up in this literary page turner.”
— Mara Panich-Crouch, Fact & Fiction Downtown, Missoula, MT
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“This debut’s got so much depth and familiarity. It’s suspenseful, empathetic, and full of nature. Spending time with this small community of young people witnessing family dysfunction based on fear reads like any neighborhood, USA.”
— Vicki Honeyman, Literati Bookstore, Ann Arbor, MI
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“Good Eggs is a laugh-out-loud, heartwarming family story. Follow three generations of the Gogarty family as they fight fiercely for their identities and their loved ones. A bright, shining debut for fans of Emma Straub and Amy Poeppel!”
— Beth Seufer Buss, Bookmarks, Winston-Salem, NC
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“Mythic and absorbing. Legends of the North Cascades is a tale of survival and hardship, of parents and children, of love and perseverance, of community and storytelling. Evison tells us, even when we fail each other, we need each other.”
— Tina Ontiveros, Waucoma Bookstore, Hood River, OR
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“In a complicated time in a once simple New York village, a couple encounters a ‘smash-up’ to their little family. Clever, timely, and darkly humorous, this modern-day version of Ethan Frome should top every serious reader's book list.”
— Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, NC
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“The Vanishing Half wonderfully explores identity beyond race — relationships, the lengths people go to be seen, and the influence a person’s blackness has over who they become. Bennett's contributions to the Black canon never waver!”
— Deidre Dumpson, WORD Bookstores, Brooklyn, NY
Historical Fiction
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“Band of Sisters is the true story of the women from Smith College who provided humanitarian relief in France during WWI. Celebrating female friendship with rich history on each page, it’s a perfect book for armchair time travelers.”
— Olivia Ochoa, BookPeople, Austin, TX
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“The best kind of historical fiction — transporting, immersive, and a heck of a lot of fun. Better Luck Next Time is as charming and funny as Be Frank With Me, set in an unforgettable 1930s Nevada ‘divorce ranch’ full of winning characters.”
— Emilie Sommer, East City Bookshop, Washington, DC
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“A family drama of healing wounds both physical and spiritual, and struggling with the problems and promises of freedom. I imagine — and hope — this book will be on syllabi everywhere, for its wholly original voice and enduring truths.”
— Kristen Iskandrian, Thank You Books, Birmingham, AL
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“Compelling characters Lily and Odile are neighbors in small town Montana. As Lily navigates the challenges of coming of age, Odile reveals the secrets of her youth in WWII Paris. A perfect read for book clubs or to chat about with friends.”
— Mimi Hannan, La Playa Books, San Diego, CA
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“The Prophets is the book we have waited for. Few so adeptly depict queer intimacy and love between people whose humanity and agency were denied. Robert Jones, Jr. writes their lives back into history in this tender, riveting novel.”
— Karen Maeda Allman, The Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA
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“Fifteen-year-old Vera is ready to take ownership of her life when the world changes underneath her — literally. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake sets this fresh coming-of-age story as a city struggles to make new spaces in the rubble.”
— Rachel Cass, Harvard Book Store, Cambridge, MA
Nonfiction & Memoir
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“Goodbye machismo culture! This is a beautiful memoir about what it means to be gay and Latinx in a culture that still struggles with accepting its queer community. I look forward to the joy queer Latinx people will find in Edgar’s story.”
— Rosa Hernandez, Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA
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“Mikel Jollett peels back the layers of depression, guilt, and shame of what could have been a happy childhood and, over many years of hard work, reveals an artistic, giving, intelligent soul. You will cry reading this book, many times.”
— Elayna Trucker, Napa Bookmine, Napa, CA
By Hanif Abdurraqib
Random House Trade Paperbacks
“It's no stretch to call Hanif Abdurraquib one of our greatest living essayists, a luminous auteur of American cultural observation. He continues to be incisive, hilarious, and heart-rending in this collection, which is exquisite.”
— Danielle King, Left Bank Books, St. Louis, MO
By Julian Sancton
Crown
“An amazing adventure story about an ill-fated, little-known expedition to Antarctica told in a riveting style. Perfect for fans of strong narrative nonfiction writing in the vein of David Grann, Scott Anderson, and Hampton Sides.”
— Cody Morrison , Square Books, Oxford, MS
By Amelia Pang
Algonquin Books
“A note is slipped into a box of Halloween decorations imported from China and purchased two years after at a K-Mart in Oregon. This starts Amelia Pang’s incredible investigation of forced labor in China. A valuable and timely book.”
— Edward Newton, The Literate Lizard, Sedona, AZ
By Kate Moore
Sourcebooks
“A riveting account of a 19th-century woman committed to an asylum for openly disagreeing with her husband. Filled with careful research to enrage and inform, this book is perfect for anyone interested in women's rights and history.”
— Vicky Titcomb, Titcomb's Bookshop, East Sandwich, MA
Small Bites
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“A collaborative work of poetry gifted to us all out of pandemic observations. Full of feelings and with the playful feel of letters sent back and forth between two close friends. Their sharing is a sharing of experience for all of us.”
— Carrie Koepke, Skylark Bookshop, Columbia, MO
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“This collection of erasure poems was a punch in the heart. Kate Baer uses words meant for harm, derision, and disrespect and creates something powerful. An insightful examination of today's culture of take downs on social media.”
— Jessica Nock, Main Street Books (NC), Davidson, NC
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“Dantiel W. Moniz's first story collection follows Black and Brown girls and women navigating friendships, relationships, families, and the judgment of the church. By the end, you truly know Ava, Rayna, Billie, Frankie, and Shayla.”
— Daniel Goldin , Boswell Book Company, Milwaukee, WI
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“With her first collection in nearly a decade, Danielle Evans sinks her teeth into grief, trauma, and tragedy. These stories will keep you hanging on until their unexpected, often shocking ends.”
— Gage Tarlton, Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill, NC
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“Insightful and unapologetic, Stakes Is High is a necessary new entry in the canon of Black American life. Smith gives us a framework to imagine and work towards a better future.”
— Brooke Williams, Bookends & Beginnings, Evanston, IL
By George Saunders
Random House Trade Paperbacks
“A condensed version of a Saunders class that reads like a playful lecture. Saunders guides a conversation between these stories like a roundtable on joy, suffering, and humanity.”
— Miranda Sanchez, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews, Chapel Hill, NC
More Indie Next Lists
- February 2024 Indie Next List
- January 2024 Indie Next List
- Winter 2024 Reading Group Indie Next List
- January/February 2024 Kids Indie Next List
- December 2023 Indie Next List
- November 2023 Indie Next List
- November/December 2023 Kids Indie Next List
- October 2023 Indie Next List
- Fall 2023 Reading Group Indie Next List
- September 2023 Indie Next List