May 2013 Indie Next List
On the cover of this month's Indie Next list is, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, the debut novel from Anthony Marra
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"In A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, Marra expertly balances the pain and suffering inflicted during the Chechen conflict with exquisite moments of loyalty, sacrifice, himility, and enduring love. He intricately connects the lives of a group of unexpected ways, slowly revealing their collective past, present, and future. As their breathtaking stories compel you forward, I urge you to slow down and savor the vivid imagery and lyrical prose on each and every page. Aptly names, Marra's debut is indeed phenomenal."
--Anderson McKean, Page & Palette, Fairhope, AL
Indie Next authors talk about their books...
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Watch booksellers talk abut David Rhodes' new novel, JEWELWEED, about which Karen Briggs from Great Northern Books & Hobbies in Oscoda, MI says: "Jewelweed, a plant that looks like little pieces of jewelry strung together on heavy green thread, is an apt description of the people of Words, all tied together and realizing the importance of community to their individual lives. You will not want to miss a word of Rhodes' magical, soul-felt novel"
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Indie Next around the web. . .
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 "Fowler breathes fresh and vibrant life into a voice (Zelda Fitzgerald) that very much deserved to be heard on its own. Any lover of the art, literature, and culture of the Jazz Age will not be disappointed with this read.”
Listen to an interview with the author: 'Z' Tells The Fitzgeralds' Story From Zelda's Point Of View |
 "Snapper is a beautiful collection of related short stories from first-time author Kimberling.. . Bu turns melancholy and suspenseful, optimistic and rueful, Snapper is warm, endearing, and wise. You don't have to be a bird lover to spot the charm in this book."
Listen to an interview with the author: Exclusive First Read: 'Snapper' By Brian Kimberling |
Indie Next in Paperback. . .
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April 2013 Indie Next List
Sharing the cover of this month's Indie Next list is Life After Life by Jill McCorkel and Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
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(On Life After Life by J. McCorkle)
"Let yoruself be drawn into the world of Pine Haven Estates in Fulton, North Carolina and treat yourself to a cast of characters so rich that you will be bereft every time the point of view changes, only to find yourself enchanted anew. Pine Haven Estates is a retirement community where life and death are inevitable companions. Its inhabitants and the people who care for and about them are at the center of this story that examines the cycle of life—what means to be alive as well as how one faces the end of life. McCorkle's first novel in 17 years depicts a community well worth visiting and offers a wonderfully satisfying reading experience."
--Terry Gilman, Mysterious Galaxy, San Diego, CA
"Let yoruself be drawn into the world of Pine Haven Estates in Fulton, North Carolina and treat yourself to a cast of characters so rich that you will be bereft every time the point of view changes, only to find yourself enchanted anew. Pine Haven Estates is a retirement community where life and death are inevitable companions. Its inhabitants and the people who care for and about them are at the center of this story that examines the cycle of life—what means to be alive as well as how one faces the end of life. McCorkle's first novel in 17 years depicts a community well worth visiting and offers a wonderfully satisfying reading experience."
(On Life After Life by K. Atkinson)
"Life After Life is both an engaging puzzle and a meticulously detailed historical novel that spans the two World Wars. With the introduction of Ursula Todd, a woman who livers her life over and over, Atkinson plays with second chances and alternate histories, and poses endless, fascinating questions: What would the world be like if we could start over when things went terrible awry? Could our decisions, big and small, avert wars? Make us happier? Stop death in its tracks? Life After Life is simply a terrific novel, rich with history and possibility, that will leave the reader pondering long after the final page."
--Kat Bailey, Bookshop Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
"Life After Life is both an engaging puzzle and a meticulously detailed historical novel that spans the two World Wars. With the introduction of Ursula Todd, a woman who livers her life over and over, Atkinson plays with second chances and alternate histories, and poses endless, fascinating questions: What would the world be like if we could start over when things went terrible awry? Could our decisions, big and small, avert wars? Make us happier? Stop death in its tracks? Life After Life is simply a terrific novel, rich with history and possibility, that will leave the reader pondering long after the final page."
Indie Next authors talk about their books...
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Watch author Mat Wilkinson prepare a recipe from his new cookbook, MR. WILKINSON'S VEGETABLES, about which Charles Mille from The Quiet Man Bookshop in Canadensis, PA says, "Written in a manner that can be appreciated by the novice cook to the trained gourmet, Wilkinson's book makes you yearn for fresh produce and the warmth of a well-stocked kitchen."
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Indie Next around the web. . .
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 "Fans of Hemon's fiction will recognize some of the characters and places depicted in this collection of essays, as well as Hemon's distinctive wit and dark humor. . .Hemon's essays are frank and powerful”
Listen to an interview with the author: A Little Blue Alien Helped Hemon Bear Witness To His 'Lives' |
 "Strout creates a memorable story of interwoven lives and destinies and the inescapable bond of family. A worthy successor to the Pulitzer Prize-winning Olive Kitteridge."
Listen to an interview with the author: 'Burgess Boys' Author, Like Her Characters, Finds Refuge In New York |
Indie Next in Paperback. . .
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March 2013 Indie Next List
On the cover of this month's Indie Next list is Benediction by Kent Haruf
View from a bookseller
"Any new novel by Haruf is cause for celebration, but for those of us who have been waiting patiently to reconnect with the Front Range of Colorado and its quirky inhabitants since reading Plainsong and Eventide, Benediction is the answer to our literary prayers. The main character is dying, but that doesn't set a tone of great remorse or regret for a life in its last stages on Earth. Instead, it becomes a reflection of a family, of the place where they live, of the forces that farmed them and made them into the strange, angry, resourceful, and engaging people who they have become. Haruf is a wonderful writer, and I can't wait to celebrate the publication of this book with him and with our customers."
--Gayle Shanks, Changing Hands Bookstore, Tempe, AZ
Indie Next authors talk about their books...
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Watch a trailer for Andrew Pyper's new novel, THE DEMONOLOGIST, about which Becky Milner from Vintage Books in Vancouver WA says, "Pyper combines non-stop action, metaphyiscal questions, a touch of conspiracy, and poetic references in a store that leaves the reader breathless."
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Indie Next around the web. . .
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 ". . .This is a compassionate and eloquent story of twisted love and recovery.”
Listen to an interview with the author: Loving But Leaving A Toxic Mother In 'Without You'. |
 ". . .Literary mystery, love story, and historical fiction - all beautifully told with expertly drawn characters make this one great novel!"
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Other Indie Next books featured on NPR
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Indie Next in Paperback. . .
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February 2013 Indie Next List
On the cover of this month's Indie Next list is The House Girl by Tara Conklin
View from a bookseller
"Lina, a young, ambitious New York attorney in 2004, never knew her mother. Josephine, a young house slave in 1852, never knew her child. More than a century apart, their lives connect in unexpected ways. Corporate law offices, art museums, antebellum homes, and the Underground Railroad provide the setting for a story filled with secrets, betrayals, and love. Does the 'House Girl' title apply to both women? The paths of these strong women will have the reader marveling at the layers Conklin has created to tell their intertwined stories"
--Beverly Bauer, Redbery Books, Cable, WI
Indie Next authors talk about their books...
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Watch a trailer for Teddy Wayne's new novel, THE LOVE SONG OF JONNY VALENTINE, about which Ellen Burns from Books on the Common in Ridgefield, CT says, A bittersweet, frank, and funny take on modern celebrity, The Love Song of Jonny Valentine introduces a young pop phenomenon whose career and every move is managed by his mother who has her own set of problems with drugs and men. Jonny, who is haunted bu the memory of his missing father, is both wise and appallingly naive as he deals with his newfound fame, the business of pop music, and he users and hangers-on of the celebrity world."
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Indie Next around the web. . .
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 ". . .Psychologically taut and beautifully constructed , this tale hooks the reader from the first page to the hair-raising conclusion. A literary page-turner that explores the lengths to whcih families will go to protect their own.”
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 ". . .She (Karen Russell) returns to the short story form and creates worlds surreal, magical, and horrific, all the while displaying the ability to comment on our own life through her fictional devices. Few modern writers can match her skill, courage, and genius."
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Other Indie Next books featured on NPR
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Indie Next in Paperback. . .
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January 2013 Indie Next List
On the cover of this month's Indie Next list is Y: A Novel by Marjorie Celona
View from a bookseller
"Y is a book about the 'whys' of two lives. Why did one woman abandon her newly born daughter at the door of a YMCA? Why was it so hard for that little girl to find a real home? Why do we sometimes embrace responsiblility and sometimes run away from it? Why are people cruel to the helpless and the innocent? The characters in this book are flawed and stumbling - in other words, very human and very memorable. The issues of what it means to be a family and the meaning of 'home' are challenged, remolded, and puzzled into a story that is not always easy to read, but is difficult to put down and is impossible to forget."
--Jackie Blem, Tattered Cover Book Store, Denver, CO
Indie Next authors talk about their books...
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Watch a trailer for Stephen Hunter's new Bob Lee Swagger novel about the assassination of John F. Kennedy, THE THIRD BULLET, about which Bill Bauer from Redbery Books in Cable, WI says, ". . .Hunter has done what no one has previously done: supply a breathtaking new angle on the event (assassination of JFK). While staying true to the underlying facts of the Warren Commission Report, Hunter adds a layer of historical fiction, creating a new theory of the events of that day. Swagger hunts the mastermind behind a second assassin who supplies the third, and fatal, bullet. As Swagger focuses on the shooter and closes in on the mastermind, the mastermind, in turn, hunts him. A heart-pounding thriller!"
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Indie Next around the web. . .
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 ". . .These stories do all the things we hope good fiction will do: blow your mind and break your heart, make you laugh and make you think. They are the kind of stories I feel grateful for, that stick in my head and heart and make me want to be a better person”
Critic Alan Chese reviews George Saunders' new story collection, Tenth of December. |
 "There is a saying 'you can never go home again' and Black explores this adage in her debut novel. Home is Galveston, TX and Clare Porterfield has not been there for 10 years. . .Black beautifully explores the idea of going home by making Galveston the true main character of this novel that will make readers reflect on their own lives and wonder what it would be like to go home again"
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Other Indie Next books featured on NPR
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Indie Next in Paperback. . .
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December 2012 Indie Next List
On the cover of this month's Indie Next list is THOMAS JEFFERSON: THE ART OF POWER by Jon Meacham
View from a bookseller
"Meacham's engaging biography reveals the extraordinary skills of this uniquely gifted and driven man as wellas his heart and soul. In a poetic, moving epilogue, Meacham explains Jefferson's unabated appeal: 'He endures because we can see in him all the varied and wondrous possibilities of the human experience - the thirst for knowledge, the capacity to create, the love of family and friends, the hunger for accomplishment, the applause of the world, the marshaling of power, the bending of others to one's own vision.' Jefferson's story has never been more perfectly told. Quite simply, Meacham has written a masterpiece"
--Christopher Rose, Andover Bookstore, Andover, MA
Indie Next authors talk about their books...
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Watch a trailer for Jacob Tomsky's new book, HEADS IN BED, about which Mary Muller from Market Block Books in Troy, NY says, "Here is the authentic voice of the Front Desk Agent: funny, experienced, profane, and able to tell a good story or two. Tomsky shares his story of beginning as a parking valet and rising to the heights of the front desk, with a horrifying detour through housekeeping along the way. . .Heads in Beds does for hotel workers what Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential did for restaurant workers."
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Indie Next around the web. . .
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 "This incredible novel traces the separate trajectories of five unforgettable lives in five different time periods. Each life story is expertly etched by Faulks, and each could stand alone, but the stories become even more compelling as they join to form a provocative whole”
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| Other Indie Next books featured on ReadingGroupChoices.com | |
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Indie Next in Paperback. . .
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November 2012 Indie Next List
On the cover of this month's Indie Next list is THE ART FORGER by Barbara Shapiro
View from a bookseller
"The Art Forger is a clever and gripping story. Claire Roth, a talented artist, finds herself intricately involved in the seedier side of art forgeries when she makes a questionable deal to forge a Degas masterpiece. Just like a fine painting, this is a many-layered literary thriller about love, betrayal, and authenticity. Shapiro builds the story with pitch-perfect suspense and plot twists that you don't see coming. While you are drawn deeply into the story, Shapiro outlines big questions about morality, fame, and truth in a world that is all about creating illusion for the sake of beauty. A masterpiece!"
--Lanora Haradon, Next Chapter Bookshop, Mequon, WI
Indie Next authors talk about their books...
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Watch a trailer for Michael Ennis' new novel, THE MALICE OF FORTUNE, about which Sarah Harvey from Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver says, "Ennis brings to life the chaos and mayhem of Italy that inspired Machiavelli's The Prince. An unlikely trio find themselves teaming up to solve the most notorious murder of the Italian Renaissance: the assassination of Borgia Pope's favorite son. . .This tale will keep you guessing right up until the thrilling conclusion"
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Indie Next around the web. . .
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 "Set in Northern California, Santo's debut features five generations of strong women who live in an old house on an olive grove. The women know there is a secret to harvesting the last of the olive crop to produce an oil so pure that it seems to enhance longevity. Rich with secrets, this lovely novel winds through the lives of each woman as a geneticist seeks the reason for their youthfulness. Santo gives readers an intimate look into how a family of women cope with tragedy, love, childbirth, and infidelity. Not to be missed!”
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Indie Next in Paperback. . .
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August 2012 Indie Next List
On the cover of this month's Indie Next list is THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS by M.L. Steadman
View from a bookseller
"World War I is over and Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia as a lighthouse keeper on remote Janus Rock. his young bride, Isabel, joins him, and they love their isolated life on Janus. Sadness descends, however, as they try unsuccessfully to start a family. A small boat washes ashore carrying a dead man and a beautiful, healthy baby girl whom they make their own, living happily until they go back to the mainland and begin to realize the consequences of their actions. With incredibly visual prose evocative of the time and place, compelling characters, themes of forgiveness and redemption, and a riveting plot that won't let you put the book down, this is a great debut novel."
Indie Next authors talk about their books...
| Brian Castner talks about his new book, THE LONG WALK: A Story of War and the Life that Follows, about which Bill Cusumano from Nicola's Books in Ann Arbor MI says, "his meditation on combat and it's aftermath is powerful, exhilerating, and sad, all at once. Castner relates wartime experiences that defy belief but are all too real and quickly remove any romance from the world of violence. . ." |
Indie Next around the web. . .
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 "Recently retired Harold Fry receives an unsettling letter from a co-worker from years past. Queenie is dying in hospice and when Harold sets out to post a return letter, he is seized by the idea that if he keeps walking, Queenie will live. So begins a pilgramage of personal transformation for Harold -- and quite possibly for the reader as well. . .”
Listen to the NPR interview: Rachel Joyce: An 'Unlikely Pilgramage' Towards Happiness |
 "(Monica) Wood's memoir is a compelling tale of loss on many levels. She recounts the tragedy of the unexpected death of her father an also the loss of a way of life. . .This book is a moving tales -- sad, yet funny, as Monica shares her story of growing up in a small town with all of the various folks who helped shape her life."
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Other Indie Next books featured on NPR
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Other Indie Next books featured on ReadingGroupChoices.com
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Indie Next in Paperback. . .
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Happy Reading!
July 2012 Indie Next List
On the cover of this month's Indie Next list is GOLD by Chris Cleave, a novel of two old friends whose lives and friendship are tested as they vie for one last moment in the sun and Olympic gold.
View from a bookseller
“Cleave is one of the luminaries of modern fiction and his talent shines just as brightly as the title of Gold. In a novel based on the world of competitive cycling, Cleave offers all of the trauma, dedication, and courage of that elite society, but more importantly, shows us those same attributes in the lives of his other characters, particularly eight-year-old Sophie, who suffers from leukemia. This is a novel that both inspires and informs, providing sadness and exhilaration in equal measure and showing empathy for the human condition. Gold is a reading experience not to be missed.” -- Bill Cusumano, Nicola's Books, Ann Arbor, MI
Indie Next authors talk about their books...
| Amy Leach talks about her new collection of essays, THINGS THAT ARE, about which Seth Marko from UCSD Bookstore, San Diego, CA writes, "This beautifully crafted , little book is filled with weird, funny, oddly poignant, and plainly stunning vignettes about the natural world around us. . .Each essay unfolds as if from the lips of an odd, old-time storyteller sitting on the edge of the firelight. . . ” | |
Indie Next around the web. . .
 "Truly multiculutral in the very best sense, Marcus Samuelsson was born and orphaned in Ethiopia, adopted by a Swedish family, and learned to cook in Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, and France. . .Samuelsson brings the reader along on his amazing and passionate odyssey in an engaging memoir that is highly recommended, even for non-foodiers” - Ellen Sandmeyer, Sandmeyer's Bookstore, Chicago, IL Listen to the NPR interview: Marcus Samuelsson: Becoming a Top Chef |   “This quiet lovely story of people finding joy where they can is set near the Little Snake Hills sand dunes of the Canadian West, where small-town lives can be as dry and brittle as the prairie grasses or as rich as the history of the area. . .”
-- Susan Wasson, Bookworks, Albuquerque, NM |
Indie Next in Paperback. . .
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Happy Reading!
FIND US ON:
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Flight Behavior Barbara Kingsolver Harper |
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The Art Forger Barbara Shapiro Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill |
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Sweeth Tooth Ian McEwan Nan A. Talese |
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The Light Between Oceans ML Steadman Scribner |
