August 2023 Indie Next List
Shark Heart: A Love Story
Emily Habeck (S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books)
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“Shark Heart is fascinating. The premise — some people genetically mutate into wild animal species — is told through stunning, poetic prose. Wholly original, heartbreaking yet hopeful, it explores how one woman meets loss with love.”
— Alana Haley, Schuler Books (Grand Rapids), Grand Rapids, MI
August 2023 Indie Next List
Inspired Recommendations from Indie Booksellers
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“This is a story of love for family, of past passions and people once loved, and their continuing influence on the present. With Ann Patchett’s wit and wryness finely tuned, Tom Lake is the perfect book for a summer weekend read.”
— Jenny Stroyeck, The Homer Bookstore, Homer, AK
By Lisa Jewell
Atria Books
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“None of This Is True is the best Lisa Jewell yet. The action is nonstop and builds suspense from the first page. You think you have it figured out, then she wows you. She’s outdone herself on this one.”
— Margaret Holdman, The Bookhouse (CA), Cameron Park, CA
By T. Kingfisher
Tor Books
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“A rare, precious, perfect book. A retelling that understands the meaning of the word retelling, that twists and turns so new facets get to shine. I love Toadling with my whole heart — this might be my very favorite Sleeping Beauty ever.”
— Nicole Szmyd, Old Firehouse Books, Fort Collins, CO
By Colson Whitehead
Doubleday
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“Colson Whitehead has given us all the gift of Ray Carney’s Harlem. Crook Manifesto is one of 2023’s finest crime novels, not to mention one of the best overall novels of the year. Colson, we cannot wait for what’s next!”
— Berkley McDaniel, Shelf Life Bookstore, Richmond, VA
By Alice Hoffman
Atria Books
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“Alice Hoffman has outdone herself with this book. It’s a love letter to readers and book lovers everywhere. I wanted to race though this book because the story is so compelling, but I made myself savor every word. This one has my heart.”
— Karen Schwettman, FoxTale Book Shoppe, Woodstock, GA
By James McBride
Riverhead Books
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“McBride’s latest is full of hope, grace, and humor. With a propulsive plot about power, race, and belonging in 1920s America, it’s the characters you’ll remember most: caretakers, troublemakers, soothsayers. I miss them already.”
— Nick Pauley, Book Passage, Corte Madera, CA
By Catriona Ward
Tor Nightfire
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“A mind-bending plot mixed with overall unease, with secrets that will keep you guessing until the very end. Looking Glass Sound is no exception to what we have come to expect of a Catriona Ward thriller — simply excellent.”
— Kirsten Benjamin, Browseabout Books, Rehoboth Beach, DE
By Nick Fuller Googins
Atria Books
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“A beautiful story about rebuilding and sacrifice, in the name of love and in the face of disaster. This hopeful rendition of climate fiction will tug at heartstrings you didn’t even know you had.”
— Alden Zeff, Water Street Bookstore, Exeter, NH
By Chloe Gong
Gallery / Saga Press
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“In Immortal Longings, Chloe Gong takes inspiration from Shakespeare and builds a fully imagined and detailed world. Her ability to create place, characters, and intrigue is astonishing. This story will leave you breathless.”
— Calvin Crosby, The King's English Bookshop, Salt Lake City, UT
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“When a national park ranger discovers his friend in an animal trap, it sets up a mystery to be solved — pitting the local ranchers against the park. With a brilliant twist and unexpected humor, this might be Peter Heller’s best book yet.”
— Alice Hutchinson, Byrd's Books, Bethel, CT
By Kiersten White
Del Rey
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“This is my favorite book I’ve read this year. I love how the book plays with the idea of collective nostalgia, and how insidious things can be passed off as wholesome. A haunting, creepy, and propulsive read!”
— Ann Branson, Beach Books, Seaside, OR
By Chuck Tingle
Tor Nightfire
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“Something as horrible as a gay conversion camp is made even more terrifying in this sinister novel! With the claustrophobia and paranoia of Rosemary’s Baby and The Stepford Wives, I will recommend this book to every horror lover!”
— Brandy Herr, Arts & Letters Bookstore, Granbury, TX
By Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Del Rey
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“I was pulled in by the premise and stayed for the story. I found myself wanting answers as intensely as Montserrat, and as concerned as Tristán. This book is the perfect combination of atmosphere, mystery, and the supernatural.”
— Lauren Simonis-Hunter, Mystery to Me, Madison, WI
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“Kala is a literary thriller at its best — you are at once consumed with the characters, the place, the mystery. Colin Walsh gives us layer upon layer: past and present; characters, now and then; all of it building suspense and intimacy. Wow.”
— Amanda Hall, Kepler's Books, Menlo Park, CA
By Kelsey James
A John Scognamiglio Book
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“Vividly written, boldly suspenseful, and gorgeously set in an Italian castle, this is the perfect book to take on holiday! Let this book sweep you away into 1960s Italy with its swirling mystery full of family history, secrets, and drama.”
— Ashleigh Howland, Wellesley Books, Wellesley, MA
By Tracey Lange
Celadon Books
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“Do yourself a favor and meet The Connellys of County Down. Beautifully written, smartly plotted, and populated with fascinating characters, Tracey Lange’s sophomore novel proves that she is a master of the family drama.”
— Pamela Klinger-Horn, Valley Bookseller, Stillwater, MN
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“This wonderfully bonkers, deliciously slow-burning romance is marvelous! With witty banter, a grumpy spy and a sunshiny amnesiac, fake dating, oodles of feelings, and a beautiful narrative, Carter’s adult debut cannot be missed!”
— Lucy Perkins-Wagel, Blinking Owl Books, Arcadia, FL
By Daniel Kraus
MTV Books
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“This masterfully researched thriller weaves the story of a young diver’s tumultuous relationship with his father with the primal terrors of the deep sea. A heart-pounding tale of humanity, science, and survival you won’t soon forget.”
— Mary Powers, Politics and Prose Bookstore, Washington, DC
By Edan Lepucki
Counterpoint
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“The premise of Time’s Mouth — what would you do if you could travel back in time to revisit old memories? — may be speculative, but the characters are beautifully, frustratingly real as they struggle to be good and create lives of their own.”
— Lizzy Rolando, Salmonberry Books, Port Orchard, WA
By Katee Robert
Sourcebooks Casablanca
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“Another sexy tale from within the walls of Olympus, with even more political scheming and toe-curling intimate moments. This poly-knot romance has so many moving parts, but Katee hits the mark every time.”
— Sam Butler, Bright Side Bookshop, Flagstaff, AZ
By Helen MacDonald, Sin Blaché
Grove Press
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“Prophet hooked me with its uncanny Twin Peaks x Twilight Zone mise-en-scène. This page-turning thriller is deceptively fun despite a deadly serious, thought-provoking core. I was delighted by the sly pop culture nostalgia!”
— Amanda Qassar, Warwick's, La Jolla, CA
By Elizabeth Rush
Milkweed Editions
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“In The Quickening, Elizabeth Rush shares accounts of climate change on a journey to Antarctica with a crew from all over the world. A beautiful, compelling, hopeful work that will help us understand how climate change shapes the world and us.”
— Lisa Valentino, Ink Fish Books, Warren, RI
By Elizabeth Acevedo
Ecco
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“Reminiscent of Isabel Allende, Julia Alvarez, and Elena Ferrante, Family Lore is a gorgeous multigenerational saga that follows the powerful, magical women in a Dominican-American family over the course of three days, but spans lifetimes.”
— Olivia Marchese, Author's Note, Medina, NY
By Maru Ayase, Haydn Trowell
Counterpoint
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“In an act of resistance towards her husband’s exploitation, Rui eats a bowl of seeds that sprout from her body. The Forest Brims Over is a surreal unfolding of a marriage exploring how gender affects our relationships with others and ourselves.”
— Andrew King, Secret Garden Bookshop, Seattle, WA
Now in Paperback
Indie Next List Selections Come to Paperback
