From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:
Hardcover
Fallen City by Adrienne Young (Saturday Books, $32, 9781250794192). "Absolutely amazed and so, so happy with Adrienne Young's adult fantasy debut! I really think this could be the fantasy book of the Fall season! It's all-consuming, a page turner, and completely overpowering." --Mirna Villeda, Timbre Books, Ventura, Calif.
Son of the Morning: A Novel by Akwaeke Emezi (Avon, $32, 9780063323186). "Hot damn what a novel! This is the angel/demon story I have been thirsting for, for years. Emezi's prose is deeply sensual and dark, a rum-filled bonbon on the tongue exploding as you bite in." --Alicia Jessmon, Left Bank Books, St. Louis, Mo.
Paperback
The Ferryman and His Wife: A Novel by Frode Grytten, trans. by Alison McCullough (Algonquin, $17.99, 9781643757452). "A quiet and moving story of a man on the last day of his life. We encounter the people who touched his life and are reminded that each of us leave lasting impressions with those we meet on our life path." --Betsy Von Kerens, The Bookworm of Omaha, Omaha, Neb.
Ages 4-8
The Snowball Fight by Beth Ferry, illus. by Tom Lichtenheld (Clarion, $19.99, 9780063327078). "I love this joyful book. It reminds me so much of a modern version of The Snowy Day. A wonderful day to embrace the joy of snow and just being a kid." --Nicole Miller, Barbara's Bookstore, Burr Ridge, Ill.
Ages 9-12
Finding Lost by Holly Goldberg Sloan (Rocky Pond Books, $17.99, 9780593530252). "Cordy, never Cordelia, lost her dad in a boating accident over two years ago. She navigates life wearing a cloak of sadness. With the help of a lost dog, her younger brother Geno, her mom, a pink dolphin, and some very kind people, Cordy realizes that moving forward does not mean you cannot look back." --Jennifer Siegel, Otto Bookstore, Williamsport, Pa.
Ages 12+: An Indies Introduce Title
Last Chance Live! by Helena Haywoode Henry (Nancy Paulsen Books, $21.99, 9780593625309). "I have been reeling from the ending of this book since I finished it. We meet Eternity Price, who is on death row for reasons that are unclear at first, as she is given the chance to vie for her life on reality TV in exchange for giving up any chance at future appeals. This debut is stunning, and not just for young adult readers!" --Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore, Richmond, Va.
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
