From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:
Hardcover
I Could Be Famous: Stories by Sydney Rende (Bloomsbury, $26.99, 9781639735860). "These stories are such a rush! Actors, assistants, influencers, reality stars, girlfriends--all who want more out of their lives. As I read this, I felt like I was getting a cup of coffee with friends I hadn't seen in years." --Vaughn Lachenauer, Main Point Books, Wayne, Pa.
Divine Ruin (Sister Holiday Mysteries #3) by Margot Douaihy (Gillian Flynn Books, $28, 9781638931980). "It's the last couple of weeks of the school term, and Sister Holiday is preoccupied with preparing for her final vows, when one of her students dies of a fentanyl overdose at school. Douaihy brings us right into sultry New Orleans and ramps up the tension." --Robin Glossner, Odyssey Bookshop, South Hadley, Mass.
Paperback
plastic: A Poem by Matthew Rice (Soft Skull, $15.95, 9781593768034). "plastic is an engaging, epic workplace poem based on Rice's own experiences as a factory worker. As the night progresses Rice references coworkers, the music on the factory floor, and his tattered copy of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." --Caitlin Baker, Island Books, Mercer Island, Wash.
Ages 4-8
Crouton: One Cat's Adoption Tale by Kristine A. Lombardi (Random House Books for Young Readers, $18.99, 9798217029167). "You can't help but fall for this adorable cat, Crouton, as she waits expectantly in her crate to be adopted. Told from the cat's perspective, it's delightfully simple yet filled with hope, empathy, and perseverance." --Patti Exstein, Three Wishes Bookshop, Alexandria, Va.
Ages 7-10
Resident in Charge (Ella Josephine Book #2) by Nina LaCour, illus. by Sònia Albert (Chronicle, $7.99, 9781797236247). "I love this new series about a young girl's adventures in her apartment house, perfect for ages 7-10. What a cast of characters! For fans of Eloise and Harriet the Spy." --Sarah Cottrell, Carmichael's Bookstore, Louisville, Ky.
Ages 13+
The Great Disillusionment of Nick and Jay by Ryan Douglass (HarperCollins, $19.99, 9780063312487). "In this Great Gatsby reimagining, Nick Carrington, a young aspiring writer, enrolls at West Egg and fatefully encounters the wealthy and charismatic Jay Gatsby Jr. From there, their relationship twists and turns as truths are revealed about Gatsby and what really happens behind the scenes at West Egg. Expect glitz and glamour mixed with sad realities and prejudices faced by young queer people of color. " --Thomas Curtin, Changing Hands, Tempe, Ariz.
[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]
