From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:
Hardcover
Cold Storage: A Novel by David Koepp (Ecco, $27.99, 9780062916433). "Meet Cordyceps Novus, a highly adaptable fungus that just wants one thing: to take over the world. After being contained underground for 40 years, conditions are finally perfect for a comeback. Several floors above, two young night-shift security guards decide to track down the source of the mysterious alarm below. David Koepp's debut novel is both terrifying and humorous--a thrilling combination. After getting an inside look at the growth and spread of this fungus, I will never look at a mushroom the same way again." --Mary Salazar, The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, N.C.
The Long Call: A Novel by Ann Cleeves (Minotaur, $26.99, 9781250204448). "I absolutely loved The Long Call. In this new mystery, Ann Cleeves introduces us to Inspector Matthew Venn, who embodies his diagram namesake as a character caught between his past and his future. A murder on a beach in Venn's hometown on the English coast leads to a kidnapping, and as the pacing picks up, the suspects get ever closer to Venn's personal life. An expertly plotted mystery that will keep readers guessing until the final pages." --Keith Vient, Politics and Prose Bookstore, Washington, D.C.
Paperback
She Would Be King: A Novel by Wayétu Moore (Graywolf Press, $16, 9781644450017). "It's hard to describe a novel as wholly original as She Would Be King. A retelling of the birth of Liberia through interconnected stories, the novel combines history, magic, and myth in one engrossing story. Moore's novel takes you from West Africa to the plantations of Virginia, from Jamaica to Liberia, weaving together the stories of three characters who yearn for power and true freedom. Guided by the ancient wind, all of Moore's characters challenge and transcend the many faces of oppression, and the story's profound culmination will leave you in awe. She Would Be King is the kind of novel that lingers with you for days. A must-read!" --Morgan McComb, Raven Book Store, Lawrence, Kan.
For Ages 4 to 8
Just Because by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault (Candlewick, $17.99, 9780763696801). "Young philosophers, budding scientists, and curious youngsters everywhere--rejoice! Mac Barnett's perfect bedtime story is full of questions and answers worth contemplating. With endpapers that suggest a world of possibilities and the magical pairing of Isabelle Arsenault's illustrations with Barnett's text, Just Because is destined to be requested each evening as often as the obligatory glass of water. It is a joyful celebration of imagination and the world of dreams--just be sure to close your eyes." --Mary Alice Garber, Politics and Prose Bookstore, Washington, D.C.
For Ages 9 to 12
Rat Rule 79 by Rivka Galchen, illustrated by Elena Megalos (Restless Books, $19.99, 9781632060990). "I would be hard-pressed to name a writer more delightful than Rivka Galchen. Her first novel for young readers (young in spirit as well as young in age) is pure joy. Inventive, warm-hearted, and ingenious, Rat Rule 79 is a classic in the making and a book I will be recommending to readers of all ages." --Stephen Sparks, Point Reyes Books, Point Reyes Station, Calif.
For Teen Readers
A Treason of Thorns by Laura E. Weymouth (HarperTeen, $17.99, 9780062696908). "Imagine being the caretaker of a powerful and magical house and its grounds, a house with the power to control the wind and rain and bring prosperity to the surrounding countryside. Imagine it all goes wrong and everything and everyone suffers because of it. Would you risk your life to save your house and restore the lands? Moody and atmospheric, with beautifully descriptive images, this is fantasy and magic at its best." --Jane Simons, The Dog Eared Book, Palmyra, N.Y.
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
