From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:
Hardcover
Hum: A Novel by Helen Phillips (S&S/Marysue Rucci Books, $27.99, 9781668008836). "Helen Phillips takes us on a wild, anxious ride into the (near?) future: an AI-driven world. Fast-paced and tense, Hum ponders the current state of technology and its effect on human behavior. A brilliant, futuristic page-turner!" --Caroline Buchta, Andover Bookstore, Andover, Mass.
Pearl: A Novel by Siân Hughes (Knopf, $25, 9780593802564). "A shatteringly beautiful story of a woman's search for answers about her mother's disappearance. Through shifting memories, the reader moves through Marianne's trauma and changing understanding of her mother. This aches and amazes in equal measure." --Allyson Howard, Invitation Bookshop, Gig Harbor, Wash.
Paperback
Prophet by Helen Macdonald and Sin Blaché (Grove Press, $20, 9780802163400). "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, Calif.
Ages 4-8
We Are Definitely Human by X. Fang (Tundra Books, $18.99, 9781774882023). "As a human, this book resonated with me. X. Fang has the best illustrations out there right now. I love the warmth she adds to each drawing. Her books are a blast, and I'm excited to see this one. Each book feels like a classic." --Claire Margetts, Weller Book Works, Salt Lake City, Utah
Ages 9-12: An Indies Introduce Title
The Lonely Below by g. haron davis (Scholastic, $14.99, 9781338825121). "This is the book version of that prickly hair-on-end feeling you get when you just know something is watching you. The first middle grade novel that has left me unsettled in quite a long time, and through a refreshingly unique protagonist." --Katie Pionk, McLean & Eakin Booksellers, Petoskey, Mich.
Teen Readers
Under the Surface by Diana Urban (Putnam Books for Young Readers, $19.99, 9780593625088). "Hold on to your seats! This dark thriller has it all: a fast-paced adventure in the tunnels under Paris filled with long-dead bodies, broken friendships, ghoulish hunters, and enough action to keep you flipping the pages. Keep the lights on!" --Maureen Palacios, Once Upon a Time, Montrose, Calif.
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
