Fall 2022 Reading Group Indie Next List
Dazzling Debuts
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“This jam-packed debut was a whimsical and stunning retelling of the myth of Chang'e, the moon goddess. Tan’s writing is absolutely beautiful. If you’re a fan of folklore and mythology, this duology is not one to miss!”
— Haley Calvin, The Novel Neighbor, Webster Groves, MO
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“It would be a mistake to call this ‘women’s fiction.’ It’s human fiction. Almost spiritual in its meditation on motherhood, marriage, children, and relationships, Fault Lines will leave you clutching your heart and contemplating what it truly holds.”
— Hilary Kotecki, The Doylestown & Lahaska Bookshops, Doylestown, PA
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“Grown Ups reads like a juicy, compact short story focusing on the trappings of childhood rivalry and the expectations of self identity with adulthood. This novel is perfect for those who love messy family dynamics.”
— Kathy Detwiler, Buttonwood Books and Toys, Cohasset, MA
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“Phenomenal! Rachel Yoder’s writing is gorgeously dark, clever, and so strange. Nightbitch is a trip and a half but full of poignant and brutal truths we need right now. Anyone who reads this book won’t be doing anything but talking about it!”
— Katerina Argyres, Folio Books, San Francisco, CA
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“One's Company is such a unique look at trauma, and how we deal with (or ignore) grief. A deceptively complex novel that will pull on your heartstrings to the tune of ‘Come and knock on my door...’”
— Kathy Baum, Tattered Cover Book Store, Denver, CO
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“Radiant Fugitives is breathtaking. Though it’s scope feels epic as it interrogates faith, family, desire, queerness, and political disillusionment, the narrative stays wholly grounded in the Indian Muslim family at the novel’s heart. Even now, I have not stopped thinking about it.”
— Sabir Sultan, Strand Bookstore, New York, NY
Family and Coming of Age
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“Jackie Polzin creates an intimate, insightful portrait of what it takes to survive in a harsh world. Stellar writing, wicked weather, anxious neighbors, relentless love — and chickens — make this one of the most interesting novels you’ll read this year.”
— Ann Woodbeck, Excelsior Bay Books, Excelsior, MN
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“The Family Chao is a true pleasure! A hard to put down, whodunnit family drama and mouthwatering delight! This is great for bookclubs who enjoy topics on obligation, family dynamics, and the seemingly picturesque fronts that often hide the truth.”
— Laura Taylor, The Oxford Exchange, Tampa, FL
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“In Honor, Thrity Umrigar will break your heart, then give you hope. Two women of very different cultures and castes make dangerous choices for love and for justice. Thoughtful and compelling, Honor will keep you reading late into the night.”
— Sarah Willis, Loganberry Books, Shaker Heights, OH
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“Yara Zgheib describes the state of statelessness with prose that’s at once fragmented and fluid, moving through time and space with impossible ease. In a book about limits and barriers, she offers a taste of freedom.”
— Amy Woolsey, Bards Alley, Vienna, VA
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“An insightful novel about South Africa during and after Apartheid, The Promise explores the consequences of exploitation and subjugation to both a white Afrikaner and Black African family. Galgut uses physical death as a powerful metaphor, wrenching in its honesty.”
— Laura Parsons, Island Bound Bookstore, Block Island, RI
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“This book was like a hug at the end of a long year. It dives into how reading a certain book at a certain time can truly change your life. The characters are so well written, and the story is a beautiful journey of love and loss. Be ready to want to read the books on the reading list!”
— Alecia Castro, Sweet Home Books, Wetumpka, AL
Historical Fiction
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“Shruti Swamy takes coming-of-age and shapes it into something unique, with its setting (1960s Bombay) and its focus on an art form (Kathak dance). We care, right to the last page, about Vidya’s attempts to balance her art with expectations for women in Bombay.”
— Beth Shapiro, Skylark Bookshop, Columbia, MO
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“The Bell in the Lake is an icy tale for all seasons. The setting comes alive as church bells ring with danger in a remote Norwegian village. For readers of historical fiction and extraordinary stories of ordinary lives. You’ll want to curl up under a thick blanket and read until morning.”
— Meghan Hayden, River Bend Bookshop, Glastonbury, CT
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“Carney is an upstanding citizen. He also comes from a line of Harlem crooks. When Carney’s cousin drags him into a heist, both sides of his life collide in spectacular fashion. Hilarious and harrowing, Harlem Shuffle is an awesome read!”
— Peter Carrillo, Canvasback Books, Klamath Falls, OR
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“A. K. Blakemore’s deeply evocative debut brings a 17th-century English witch trial to life — in all its superstitious, backstabbing glory. Full of dark humor, The Manningtree Witches puts these ‘witches’ at the heart of the story — exactly where they belong.”
— Jude Burke-Lewis, Square Books, Oxford, MS
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“I never knew I wanted to read medieval nun literature until I read Matrix. Incredibly original and beautifully written, Marie is sent to manage an abbey at a remarkably young age. No dwelling needed, this book is what it is — raw, honest, and compelling.”
— Jill Naylor, Novel., Memphis, TN
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“This exquisitely crafted novel of art, poetry, family, friendship, and love for all of it stretches for decades in post-WWII Italy and London. It’s a literary feel-good novel that begs to be shared.”
— Cheryl McKeon, Market Block Books, Troy, NY
Nonfiction & Memoir
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“One of the best memoirs I have ever read! This book is shining a light on the immigrant experience that is often hidden in the shadows, and reading it through the eyes of a child was a moving experience. Everyone should read this book!”
— Kayla Torres, Nowhere Bookshop, San Antonio, TX
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“Roach playfully explores the trials and tribulations of human and wildlife cohabitation. From bear attacks in Colorado to elephant attacks in India, Roach blends science and humor and leaves you questioning our actual place on the food chain.”
— Monica De La Torre, Bright Side Bookshop, Flagstaff, AZ
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“A book about depression that is not depressing to read. Readers who have depression will recognize themselves in these pages. Readers without depression can learn a lot. And readers with undiagnosed depression may even have an a-ha moment.”
— Melissa Oates, Fiction Addiction, Greenville, SC
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“Made in China is an affecting memoir about moving out of, if not past, a childhood forever shaped by immigrating to America. It examines the statuses assigned to people — by their families, countries, and economies — and how those designations warp their sense of self.”
— Keith Mosman, Powell's Books, Portland, OR
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“In chronicling her experience with Bell’s palsy, Ruhl offers profound wisdom about many walks of life. Down to earth, hilarious, and so beautifully composed, I found myself thirstily lapping up each sentence.”
— Eliza Grossman, Wellesley Books, Wellesley, MA
By Amber Ruffin, Lacey Lamar
Grand Central Publishing
“That Amber and Lacey maintain their sense of humor in the face of overt and damaging racism is a miracle. One can read this book and get a few laughs, but let’s hope the reader has those laughs accompanied with some thoughtful introspection.”
— Camille Kovach, Completely Booked, Murrysville, PA
Small Bites
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“In sparse, evocative stories, resilience, language, and migration braid together as each character attempts to untangle what hao (good) means to them. You’ll want to savor these stories as readily as you’ll want to inhale the entire collection.”
— Miranda Sanchez, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews, Chapel Hill, NC
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“Jocelyn Nicole Johnson’s breathtaking debut is the new voice you didn’t know you needed. This title is deeply literary and will make you consider Black identity from multiple perspectives. My Monticello will resonate long after you’ve finished the book.”
— Calvin Crosby, The King's English Bookshop, Salt Lake City, UT
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“These stories weave together a Penobscot family’s saga over decades of reservation life as young Dee and his family and friends grow up, struggle, hurt, and forgive one another. Talty’s writing is gorgeous, and evokes modernity in the Penobscot community with palpable urgency.”
— Geoff Raywood, Trident Booksellers & Cafe, Boston, MA
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“Beyond the question of ‘what is freedom’ is the far more important subject: Do we even want it? Where does it come from? Maggie Nelson writes on freedom’s history and complexities in sex, art, drugs, and climate change, and the result is invigorating.”
— Spencer Ruchti, Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA
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“So. Good! This book is like stand-up comedy but in cartoon form. It’s also candid, and poignant. Allie shares everything, not just the pretty funny things. Readers will find themselves nodding along as they identify with the deep soul searching she does.”
— Alana Haley, Schuler Books (Grand Rapids), Grand Rapids, MI
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“At one moment a playful exposition on Greek myths, then brooding on climate change, followed by self-deprecating travel narrative, all interspersed with ruminations on hope. Evocative writing, sardonic humor, and clear-eyed fury on greed are a hard combination to beat.”
— Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books (NC), Davidson, 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