December 2021 Indie Next List
Small Things Like These
Claire Keegan (Grove Press)
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“Claire Keegan works magic in this small novel about a truly good man in 1985 Ireland, and the difficult decision he faces at Christmastime. Keegan captures the extraordinary courage required to live an ordinary life with honor.”
— John Lynn, The Kennett Bookhouse, Kennett Square, PA
December 2021 Indie Next List
Inspired Recommendations from Indie Booksellers
By Hiromi Kawakami, Ted Goossen
Soft Skull
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“Hiromi Kawakami writes like no one else. She seamlessly mixes fairytales and folklore into the reality of everyday life with an innocent dreamlike quality. It is a sheer joy to read her, and People from My Neighborhood is no exception.”
— Rachel Brewer, Carmichael's Bookstore, Louisville, KY
By Kirthana Ramisetti
Grand Central Publishing
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“I’m a fan of obituaries — a life whittled down to a handful of words reveals a great deal. In Dava Shastri’s Last Day, we see the glorious backfire of secretly outliving your deepest secrets. Intriguing, fast-paced, thought provoking.”
— Ashley Warlick, M. Judson Booksellers & Storytellers, Greenville, SC
By Hervé Le Tellier, Adriana Hunter
Other Press
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“A mind-blowing examination of who we think we are, what we think we know, and how we might be completely wrong. The dualities, the possibilities, The Anomaly!”
— Kayleen Rohrer, InkLink Books, East Troy, WI
By Jodi Picoult
Ballantine Books
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“Jodi Picoult continues to amaze us with her masterful storytelling. This time she tackles the difficult subject of Covid with a touching and emotional story. There is a beauty of the human spirit that comes through loud and clear.”
— Kathy Morrison, Newtown Bookshop, Newtown, PA
By Meg Waite Clayton
Harper
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“This is a beautifully written story filled with nuanced and compelling characters. Clayton draws the reader into the harrowing world of a young American woman determined to help artists and others flee Vichy France.”
— Jean Forstner, Kepler's Books, Menlo Park, CA
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“Encompassing 40+ years of Korea’s fight for independence from colonial powers, this book tore my heart out in the best way, and somehow — in the way that only great books can — pieced it back together fuller and more whole than when I began.”
— Amanda Hurley, Tombolo Books, St. Petersburg, FL
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“I’m a fiction reader, but the love I have for Patchett’s essays is absolutely incandescent. She’s the wise friend you wish you had, delivering life advice and hard truths. Patchett dazzles with her honesty, insight, and adroitness.”
— Emily Crowe, An Unlikely Story, Plainville, MA
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“From the beginning I was rapt, unable to look away from what is exactly the definition of awe: terrible and beautiful all at once. Absolutely one of the best reads of my year.”
— Chelsia Rice, Montana Book Company, Helena, MT
By Rachel Kapelke-Dale
St. Martin's Press
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“Female friendship and betrayal set against the intriguing milieu of ballet — where ambition is set against a ticking clock. The Ballerinas is a glittering story with compelling characters and an unexpected yet satisfactory twist.”
— Jann Griffiths, BookSmart, Morgan Hill, CA
By Shea Ernshaw
Atria Books
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“This twisty thriller gave me similar vibes to The Village and absolutely kept me on my toes! Shea Ernshaw really hit it out of the park with this brilliant adult debut.”
— Kassie Weeks, The Oxford Exchange, Tampa, FL
By Neal Stephenson
William Morrow
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“Stephenson turns his considerable talent for world-building to our near future. His mix of wit, science, and suspense creates a story of queens, cowboys, and soldiers entangled in the last-ditch effort to save humanity or doom it.”
— Greg Cass, Harvard Book Store, Cambridge, MA
By Dr. Rachel Trethewey
St. Martin's Press
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“A meticulously researched biography of the daughters of one of the greatest statesmen of the 20th century. I greatly enjoyed learning about each of his children and their relationships with their father and their mother, Clementine.”
— Sarah Danforth, Towne Book Center & Cafe, Collegeville, PA
By Sosuke Natsukawa, Louise Heal Kawai
HarperVia
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“The Cat Who Saved Books is a love letter to book lovers, championing the emotional impact that stories have in the hearts and lives of readers. Tiger adds a bonus charming and Ghibli-esque aesthetic to this thoughtful, tender novel.”
— Andrew King, Secret Garden Bookshop, Seattle, WA
By Stephen Spotswood
Doubleday
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“Murder Under Her Skin will light a fire under eager fans of Pentecost and Parker. Filled with snappy dialogue, clever plot, and richly imagined characters — readers will clamor for the next installment. It is cracking good fun!”
— Pamela Klinger-Horn, Valley Bookseller, Stillwater, MN
By Faith Jones
William Morrow
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“Sex Cult Nun offers a shocking glimpse into the Children of God cult from its founder’s granddaughter. In a shocking yet hopeful memoir, Jones details her journey to leaving the world she knows to find agency and her dreams.”
— Nikita Imafidon, Raven Book Store, Lawrence, KS
By Adrian Tchaikovsky
Tordotcom
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“This smart and snappy novella stitches together a slew of tropes — technology-as-magic, traditional D&D-esque fantasy, alien anthropology — interrogating each element. A rollicking read with intriguing little nuggets of insight.”
— Jake Casella Brookins, City Lit Books, Chicago, IL
By Joseph Knox
Sourcebooks Landmark
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“True Crime Story is a riveting work of fiction that reads like a guilty pleasure tabloid. When a struggling writer delves into a mystery, she finds all involved have something to hide. A great twisty thriller where nothing is as it seems.”
— Mary O'Malley, Skylark Bookshop, Columbia, MO
By Lisa Harding
HarperVia
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“Wow, what a ride. Written from the warped perspective of an alcohol-addicted mother, this book was hard to put down. The writing is genuine and charming, the characters unique within their own individual skins. I absolutely loved it.”
— Tracey Bowes, Pressed, Erie, PA
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“At its heart, this is a story about men whose lives are filled with toxic masculinity in a world without women — on oil rigs off Scotland. But it’s also a story of a woman looking for her place in the world who goes there to write about the men.”
— Scott Lange, The Bookman, Grand Haven, MI
By Jeffrey Cranor, Janina Matthewson
Harper Perennial
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“You Feel It Just Below the Ribs is a very interesting take on the dystopian alternate future trope. I highly recommend it for fans who like post-societal reads that focus more on the psychological impacts rather than any gore or horror.”
— Kaycee Arrowood, Country Bookshelf, Bozeman, MT
By Bisi Adjapon
HarperVia
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“An absolute page-turner of a book, a fiercely feminist coming-of-age tale about a young Ghanaian girl questioning what is expected of her and what she is owed. A mesmerizing and powerful read from a fresh literary talent.”
— Meghana Kandlur, Seminary Co-Op Bookstores, Chicago, IL
By Marilyn Hacker, Karthika Naïr
Milkweed Editions
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“Friends, poets, and Paris residents Marilyn Hacker and Karthika Naïr wrote a renga (a linked poem) over the course of a year, from March 2020 to March 2021 during the full lockdown. Reading this collection is a lovely, lovely experience.”
— Jen Wills Geraedts, Beagle and Wolf Books & Bindery, Park Rapids, MN
By Peter Fiennes
ONEWorld Publications
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“I really enjoyed this mashup of travel writing, musings on Greek mythology, and thoughts about climate change and its effect on our world. Fiennes drew me in with his study of Lord Byron and from there I was happy to pop in on his travels.”
— Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks, Winston-Salem, NC
By Sasa Stanisic, Damion Searls
Tin House Books
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“One of Germany’s most important living writers, Stanisic writes of the experience of growing up in the former Yugoslavia, fusing choose-your-own-adventure, multigenerational conflict, and biting witticisms against fascists.”
— Spencer Ruchti, Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA
Now in Paperback
Indie Next List Selections Come to Paperback
