From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:
Hardcover
The Café with No Name: A Novel by Robert Seethaler, trans. by Katy Derbyshire (Europa Editions, $25, 9798889660644). "Seethaler perfectly captures the essence of community--the importance, the beauty, the pitfalls. The characters are flawed, just like any assortment of people you'd find at a café. It's the small moments in life that matter so much." --Susan Reckers, Rakestraw Books, Danville, Calif.
Red Dog Farm: A Novel by Nathaniel Ian Miller (Little, Brown, $28, 9780316575140). "A moving and well-crafted story of a young man's return to his family's struggling cattle farm in western Iceland. Told with wit, insight, and a keen eye for the landscape of the human heart." --Ann Woodbeck, Excelsior Bay Books, Excelsior, Minn.
Paperback
Optional Practical Training: A Novel by Shubha Sunder (Graywolf Press, $17, 9781644453247). "Elegantly written, Optional Practical Training chronicles coming of age as a young immigrant with nuance and wit. Through intimate glimpses of a very specific point in Pavitra's life, this book sharply investigates larger questions of agency and self." --Kazumi Fish, Yu & Me Books, New York, N.Y.
Ages 3-7
Papilio by Ben Clanton, Andy Chou Musser, and Corey R. Tabor (Viking, $19.99, 9780593693254). "What a great story idea to collaborate on--a different author/illustrator for each stage of a butterfly's life. With distinct style, each collaborator brings their own flare to their storyline. Sure to be a family favorite!" --Leslie Jennings, Brewster Book Store, Brewster, Mass.
Ages 8-12
Sea Legs by Jules Bakes, illus. by Niki Smith (Graphix, $24.99, 9781338835885). "I want to be Janey's friend! Janey is a young girl on constant adventures while living aboard a sailboat with her parents. This is a great tale about the difficulties of retaining long distance friendships and creating new ones. The artwork is stunning!" --Carrie Deming, The Dog Eared Book, Palmyra, N.Y.
Teen Readers
The Meadowbrook Murders by Jessica Goodman (Putnam, $19.99, 9780593698716). "This twisty private school mystery centers on a young couple found murdered in a dorm room. We follow a student reporter and the victim's roommate as they try to put the pieces together and solve the crime. Excellent!" --Suzanna Hermans, Oblong Books, Millerton, N.Y.
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
