January 2022 Indie Next List
To Paradise: A Novel
Hanya Yanagihara (Doubleday)
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“Expansive, wholly original, and utterly engrossing, To Paradise is a masterpiece. Fans of Yanagihara’s A Little Life will find themselves making a little more room in their hearts for this marvelous, emotional, and brilliant story.”
— Christine Bollow, Loyalty Bookstores, Washington, DC
January 2022 Indie Next List
Inspired Recommendations from Indie Booksellers
By Kathryn Schulz
Random House
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“Schulz explores love, loss, and everything in between with empathy and nuance. A feat of pure brilliance that speaks directly to our humanity in these challenging times. It found me at a necessary moment, and I will always be grateful.”
— Lesley Rains, City of Asylum Bookstore, Pittsburgh, PA
By Nita Prose
Ballantine Books
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“Very entertaining! Miss Marple meets The Rosie Project in this charming book about a hotel maid who sees the world a bit differently than many of us. Molly the maid and her cast of friends will bring a smile to your face!”
— Jenny Stroyeck, The Homer Bookstore, Homer, AK
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“Beautiful, intimate look at the evolving relationship of two complex women navigating their lives from youth into adulthood. Fierce and unsentimental, this one will stay with you!”
— Tova Beiser, Brown University Bookstore, Providence, RI
By Xochitl Gonzalez
Flatiron Books
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“Get ready to root for Olga! I absolutely loved this book. It beautifully captures the Puerto Rican experience with humor and bravery. It felt like home and when a book feels like home, I can’t help but invite everyone over.”
— Rosa Hernandez, Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA
By Stacy Willingham
Minotaur Books
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“This twisty thriller kept me reading late into the night! It keeps you guessing up until the very end of this cat-and-mouse game, where monsters and unsettling memories lurk in every corner — who can be trusted? Utterly captivating!”
— Maxwell Gregory, Madison Street Books, Chicago, IL
By Jessamine Chan
Simon & Schuster
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“A mother leaves her toddler alone for hours and pays the price for the rest of her life. Chan took me from being a judgmental spectator to understanding how the system is stacked against mothers. A Handmaid’s Tale and 1984 for Generation Z.”
— Cathy Fiebach, Main Point Books, Wayne, PA
By Antoine Wilson
Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster
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“I loved this suspenseful novel, these mysterious characters. Antoine Wilson has created a situation worthy of Hitchcock, or of Highsmith. Mouth to Mouth asks if we can ever know the truth about those we love, or indeed ourselves.”
— Adam Possehl, Powell's Books, Portland, OR
By Jonathan Evison
Dutton
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“From the Gold Rush with Chinese, Irish, and Native Americans among the protagonists, Evison alternates time — work on the rails to Amtrak; gold panning to modern West Coast life — tying generations together in a splendid sleight of hand.”
— Pat Rutledge, A Book For All Seasons, Leavenworth, WA
By Daphne Palasi Andreades
Random House
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“What an achievement this book is. Andreades gives the reader a glimpse into the lives of a tight-knit group of girls who are first-generation Americans growing up in Queens. Their stories announce the arrival of a major new talent.”
— Cody Morrison, Square Books, Oxford, MS
By Diane Chamberlain
St. Martin's Press
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“This bucolic neighborhood may look like a slice of paradise, but Round Hill hides a dark history. Chamberlain masterfully weaves two narratives together to craft a work of both white-knuckle suspense and historical fiction.”
— Pamela Klinger-Horn, Valley Bookseller, Stillwater, MN
By Thrity Umrigar
Algonquin Books
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“A powerful, compelling story with an honor killing central to the plot set in modern India. The characters’ stories will live on long after reading. A heart-wrenching novel, with hope, romance, redemption, and plenty of plot twists.”
— Liz Welter, Novel Bay Booksellers, Sturgeon Bay, WI
By Edgar Gomez
Soft Skull
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“I was shocked at how fast I read this book! It was heartbreaking and inspiring, and it felt brutally honest. One of the best coming out stories I’ve read. I hope Edgar Gomez keeps writing, because I want to keep reading.”
— Kerry Mayer, Auntie's Bookstore, Spokane, WA
By Rachel Hawkins
St. Martin's Press
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“A tropical murder mystery perfect for mid-winter reading, this book is set on a sinister island in the Pacific, packed with Hawkins’ wonderfully gritty characters, and a murderer amongst them. I devoured this one.”
— Samantha Ladwig, Imprint Bookstore, Port Townsend, WA
By Yara Zgheib
Atria Books
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“Wow. How to find words that convey just how beautifully written and heartbreaking this novel is. I held the book close to my chest as I read it slowly, taking time to absorb each chapter. This book needs to be read, loved, and shared broadly.”
— Stefanie Lynn, The Kennett Bookhouse, Kennett Square, PA
By Taylor Harris
Catapult
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“This book is heart-wrenching. I couldn’t put it down. As a mother I was absolutely enveloped in the author’s journey through this incredibly difficult time. I was in awe of her grace in dealing with what life continued to throw at her.”
— Rayna Nielsen, Blue Cypress Books, New Orleans, LA
By Laura Lippman
William Morrow
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“What is there to say about a new Laura Lippman story collection except for: More, please! Each tale is a gem, and Tess Monaghan makes a couple of appearances. Laura Lippman knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men…and women.”
— Susan Taylor, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, NY
By James Rollins
Tor Books
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“A captivating page-turner of impressive world-building and layered characters pits religious extremism against science; morally gray heroes against youthful innocence; and a mismatched squad trying to stop the end of their world.”
— Ashleigh Howland, Wellesley Books, Wellesley, MA
By Nikki May
Custom House
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“Wahala offers a fresh, suspenseful, and insightful exploration of the darker complexities of friendship, romance, and ambition from the perspectives of three Anglo-Nigerian women.”
— Alyssa Raymond, Copper Dog Books, Beverly, MA
By Jillian Cantor
Harper Perennial
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“I love the book and its deliciously vivid characters that retell the Gatsby story. I think it should come with a warning though: Readers Beware: This book is impossible to put down.”
— Susan Lang, Peregrine Book Company, Prescott, AZ
By Mark Prins
W. W. Norton & Company
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“Despite the title and the focus on a second-century Roman poet and Latin, this novel is very readable, and I found myself staying up late to finish the last half of the book! An excellent debut!”
— Lee Cornell, Beagle and Wolf Books & Bindery, Park Rapids, MN
By Chantal James
Counterpoint
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“Told from the perspective of a wandering soul, None But the Righteous is an innovative and fascinating book about a young Black man who has been displaced by Hurricane Katrina.”
— Margaret Leonard, Dotters Books, Eau Claire, WI
By Gina Apostol
Soho Press
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“A book lover’s dream filled with hilarity, poetry, and rampant bibliophilia — or, as she calls it, bibliolepsy.”
— Jeff Sjerven, Left Bank Books, St. Louis, MO
By Robert Aickman
And Other Stories
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“With brilliant dialogue and oblivious schlepping, à la Stoppard’s Guildenstern and Rosencrantz, Aickman’s two hilarious ladies in wading wander through the horrors of war, men of all disastrousies, and political upheaval unfazed.”
— Ian McCord, Avid Bookshop, Athens, GA
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“I love this book for its honesty about the ups and downs of the writing life, and the self-discovery that comes with telling the truth. Writers and aspiring writers of all ages will adore it. Jami Attenberg has earned her wisdom, and is generous to share it in this book.”
— Emma Fusco-Straub, Books Are Magic, Brooklyn, NY
Now in Paperback
Indie Next List Selections Come to Paperback
