November 2021 Indie Next List
The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven
Nathaniel Ian Miller (Little, Brown and Company)
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“Wow, what a book. The world and the characters grow together. In a bleak, unforgiving landscape, Sven is able to discover found family and grow as a person, while offering hard-won insights about human nature that’ll leave you breathless.”
— Jessica Williams-Sullivan, Politics and Prose Bookstore, Washington, DC
November 2021 Indie Next List
Inspired Recommendations from Indie Booksellers
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“I was hooked from the first delightful and strange story in this new collection by the brilliant Lily King. Her focus is razor sharp and her storytelling pierces the heart. A great follow up to Writers & Lovers.”
— Jamie Southern, Bookmarks, Winston-Salem, NC
By Elizabeth Strout
Random House
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“With sparse and familiar prose, Elizabeth Strout tells the story of Lucy’s ex-husband, William, as he navigates late-in-life changes, revealing deeper truths about how past and present combine to make us who we are. A wonderful novel.”
— Courtney Flynn, Trident Booksellers & Cafe, Boston, MA
By Freya Marske
Tordotcom
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“What could be better than a secret magical society in Edwardian England combined with mystery, intrigue, and romance? Turns out, nothing at all! Fans of Red, White & Royal Blue and Witchmark will absolutely enjoy this debut from Freya Marske.”
— Max Ruthless, Foggy Pine Books, Boone, NC
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“This novella is not only scary but unsettling with a pace that will make you want to finish it in one sitting if you dare. The terrifying cover will stay with long after you’re through reading this Japanese folklore horror tale.”
— Stephanie Csaszar, Books Around the Corner, Gresham, OR
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“About the transformative power of books, with touches of fairy tale magic, Once Upon a Wardrobe is for everyone who ever loved The Chronicles of Narnia and wants to make a return trip back into C.S. Lewis’ world.”
— Taylor Owens, Wilson Book Gallery, Wilson, WY
By Kimi Cunningham Grant
Minotaur Books
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“A father-daughter tale of survival at its core, These Silent Woods explores the themes of sacrifice, love, and grace with incredible expertise. I completely and absolutely loved it.”
— Shelby Roth, Naughty Dog Books, Nashville, IN
By Sarah Winman
G.P. Putnam's Sons
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“This is one of those books that captured my heart and would not let go — the characters will stay with you for a long time. A makeshift family story covering several decades is beautifully developed and oh so funny and tender.”
— Jude Sales, Readers' Books, Sonoma, CA
By Kate Baer
Harper Perennial
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“From weight loss solicitation emails to comments of appreciation to emails deriding her politics and her body, Baer uses these sources to create poems that pack a punch. A solid collection worth revisiting regularly.”
— Beth Bissmeyer, Carmichael's Bookstore, Louisville, KY
By Catherynne M. Valente
Tordotcom
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“I raced through this novella in one sitting before bed and paid for it in my dreams, but the nightmares were worth it! Comfort Me With Apples reads like Angela Carter retelling the story of Adam and Eve: it’s lush, eerily off-kilter, sensual, and so, so creepy.”
— Lauren Peugh, The Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA
By Wanda M. Morris
William Morrow Paperbacks
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“This fast-paced legal thriller hooked me from page one. I so enjoyed having a kick-ass protagonist in a legal thriller that also touches on the challenges of Black women in the male dominated corporate law firm environment.”
— Lia Lent, WordsWorth Books (AR), Little Rock, AR
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“A famous ‘troublesome’ actor is saddled by his showrunners with a minder to keep him out of trouble. But the more time they spend together, they less they want to be apart. This slow-burn romance will especially appeal to fans of nerdy pop culture.”
— Stefani Kelley, The Book Nook (TX), Brenham, TX
By Natashia Deón
Counterpoint
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“Reading The Perishing feels like falling through a shimmering kaleidoscope of stories that, when pieced together, tell the past, present, and future of an immortal soul. It makes me excited for the future of literature.”
— Caroline Barbee, Friendly City Books, Columbus, MS
By Sang Young Park, Anton Hur
Grove Press
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“I’ve never read a book with a voice like Sang Young Park brings to this novel — young, queer, Korean — unafraid to tackle important issues while remaining funny, edgy, and approachable. I can’t wait to read whatever he writes next.”
— Adam Possehl, Powell's Books, Portland, OR
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“Kalki is said to be the tenth human incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu but, despite his blue skin, even he isn’t sure he believes it. A wholly original coming-of-age story told with warmth and compassion.”
— Audrey Beatty, River Bend Bookshop, Glastonbury, CT
By Anthony Horowitz
Harper
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“Another delightful romp, this time at a book festival on the island of Alderney with Anthony as himself alongside his detective friend, Daniel Hawthorne. Great read!”
— Stephanie Crowe, Page and Palette, Fairhope, AL
By Susan Orlean
Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster
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“Pick up On Animals and you’ll find yourself delighting in the fascinating world of donkeys, orca whales, dogs, and pigeons. A lifelong animal lover, Orlean has crafted essays that are beautifully written and frankly quite delightful.”
— Rachel Watkins, Avid Bookshop, Athens, GA
By Lori Rader-Day
William Morrow Paperbacks
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“Two women nurses escape wartime London to care for children evacuated to Greenway, the country home of Agatha Christie. But all is not idyllic, with murders, a disappearance, and seemingly healthy men dying in the nearby village. A mystery Mrs. Christie would have approved of.”
— Jane Simons, The Dog Eared Book, Palmyra, NY
By Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Hanover Square Press
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“These four interconnected sweet, simple, yet thought-provoking tales are as wonderful and life-affirming as those in Before the Coffee Gets Cold and make it the perfect companion piece.”
— Alana Haley, Schuler Books (Grand Rapids), Grand Rapids, MI
By Gary Shteyngart
Random House
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“Extraordinary. I love every word Shteyngart’s ever written, and this is his best novel by an upstate country mile. I said I never wanted to read a 2020 pandemic novel, but I was wrong. I needed to read one — this one.”
— Chris Lee, Boswell Book Company, Milwaukee, WI
By Colleen Cambridge
Kensington
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“A delightful murder mystery! Murder at Mallowan Hall felt like a combination of Clue; Upstairs, Downstairs; and of course Agatha Christie. I look forward to seeing what sleuthing Phyllida takes on next!”
— Stefanie Lynn, The Kennett Bookhouse, Kennett Square, PA
By Robin McLean
And Other Stories
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“An epic Western adventure that subverts any and all preconceived notions of the genre. McLean twists the sharpest edges of gender, philosophy, and the landscape itself into a compassionate meditation on what it means to survive.”
— Josie Smith, Madison Street Books, Chicago, IL
By Kalani Pickhart
Two Dollar Radio
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“Camera-eye perspective of the Ukraine Euromaidan protests — if John Dos Passos and John Reed joined Pussy Riot — rich, variegated characters, tense plot. A must read for anyone inclined toward world literature.”
— Conor Hultman, Square Books, Oxford, MS
By Wolfgang Hilbig, Isabel Fargo Cole
Two Lines Press
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“A transcendent reading experience about a German culture cleaved in two, and a man trying to find his way through the middle. A masterpiece of one of European literature’s finest authors.”
— Matt Keliher, SubText Books, St. Paul, MN
By Kyle Lucia Wu
Tin House Books
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“Such a thoughtful, gentle, totally immersive debut about a universally fascinating profession: nannying for the super-rich. Willa’s yearning to belong and find her footing in a world that frequently misunderstands and typecasts her reads as tender and true.”
— Kristen Iskandrian, Thank You Books, Birmingham, AL
Now in Paperback
Indie Next List Selections Come to Paperback
