June 2021 Indie Next List
Morningside Heights: A Novel
Joshua Henkin (Pantheon)
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“I loved this book! The writing is beautiful, and the character development is phenomenal. I was moved by all of the characters in the story, but quirky Arlo stands out as a favorite. I also shed a few tears, so this book has it all. It’s a winner with so much heart! I highly recommend it.”
— Sarah Fox, Titcomb's Bookshop, East Sandwich, MA
June 2021 Indie Next List
Inspired Recommendations from Indie Booksellers
By Taylor Jenkins Reid
Ballantine Books
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“This ode to Malibu in the 1980s is the perfect beach read. Four famous siblings throw a star-studded party and over the course of 24 hours find their lives changed forever. It’s enthralling and layered and so vivid it could be a memory. Perfectly paced and suspenseful from page one!”
— Meagan Dallner, Books Are Awesome, Parker, CO
By Zakiya Dalila Harris
Atria Books
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“This is the tale of two Black women co-workers in the cutthroat publishing industry trying to determine if they are friends or enemies. A literary fiction tale with a side of suspense, this expertly woven critique on society is bound to keep readers on the edge of their seats.”
— Kirsten Wilson, The Snail on the Wall, Huntsville, AL
By Casey McQuiston
St. Martin's Griffin
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“What a magical and creative tale, an addictive read that I did not want to put down. A fun and diverse cast of characters took this story to the next level. With such wide appeal, I know I will be able to put One Last Stop into the hands of almost any customer this summer.”
— Cori Cusker, Bright Side Bookshop, Flagstaff, AZ
By Lisa Taddeo
Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster
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“Much like Taddeo’s Three Women, this novel is not for the prudish or for people who like their women to be silent or demure. If you are looking for originality, sexiness, or fearlessness in your next read, this is the book for you. Grab the reins and be prepared for a ride!”
— Shane Mullen, Left Bank Books, St. Louis, MO
By Jonathan Evison
Algonquin Books
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“A sad, sweet, and ultimately hopeful novel of loss, family, and wilderness. Even while maneuvering through two very different story lines, Legends of the North Cascades is imaginative, endearing, and poignant. This is my new favorite of Evison’s novels.”
— Stephen Sharpe, A Book For All Seasons, Leavenworth, WA
By Alex Michaelides
Celadon Books
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“Alex Michaelides approaches The Maidens with a skillful hand and an eye for the mystery/thriller novel while expertly intertwining dark academia and psychological influences. This is one that will keep you invested until the very end.”
— Maxwell Leaning, Paragraphs Bookstore, Mount Vernon, OH
By Claire Fuller
Tin House Books
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“Another fantastic story from Claire Fuller, whose novels are full of depth and insight. Unsettled Ground reveals a complex relationship between a mother and her twin adult children, and the secrets that push them to the very edge of existence. I can’t recommend her enough!”
— Julie Slavinsky, Warwick's, La Jolla, CA
By Christina Lauren
Gallery Books
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“I finished this in one sitting and my neck is killing me. I loved this new story from Christina Lauren, from the third-person point-of-view to the mix of science and romance! It was perfect, from every last side character to the sexual tension between the mains.”
— Blair Boles, Beausoleil Books, Lafayette, LA
By Tom Lin
Little, Brown and Company
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“A raucous romp through a nearly lawless post-Civil War American West. Ming Tsu’s story is captivating and impossible to put down; the cast of characters is just too unique to forget or dismiss. A blood-crusted gem of a tale.”
— Jamie Fiocco, Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill, NC
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“This timely book follows the life of a young woman whose family immigrates to New York from Vietnam. It is a heartbreaking look at the challenges to overcoming PTSD, poverty, and mental illness. Ultimately, Ly Tran’s story is one of hope, one that is much-needed today.”
— Alecia Diane Castro, Sweet Home Books, Wetumpka, AL
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“What would you give up to have it all? Magical and queer as hell, Jordan Baker takes readers through Jazz Age New York as her snark, rage, and feelings for Daisy keep us turning pages until early morning. Like one of Gatsby’s cursed parties, this book was one I wanted to never end.”
— Abby Rice, The Briar Patch, Bangor, ME
By Mieko Kawakami, Sam Bett, David Boyd
Europa Editions
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“I loved this book. Its portrayal of bullying is moving and intelligent. Kawakami gives us characters who speak to the heart and illustrate in one form or another the dilemma facing everyone in adolescence. Hopeful but chilling in equal measures.”
— Don Luckham, The Toadstool Bookshop - Keene, Keene, NH
By Natasha Pulley
Bloomsbury Publishing
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“What a strange, unputdownable book. The Kingdoms weaves characters freed from time and space and memory, rebuilding our world as we know it and inviting us into a delicious story of love and loss.”
— Hannah Oxley, Mystery to Me, Madison, WI
By Laurie Frankel
Henry Holt and Co.
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“I absolutely loved this heartwarming story of three courageous sisters fighting for justice in their town. It’s a modern David and Goliath tale of small-town America told with wit and heart. Frankel is a superb storyteller, and I did not want my time with this wise and endearing family to end.”
— Shannon Burgess, The Bookstore of Glen Ellyn, Glen Ellyn, IL
By Beatriz Williams
William Morrow
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“Ruth Macallister runs a New York modeling agency, while twin Iris Digby chooses marriage and motherhood, but her diplomat husband turns out to be a spy. Can Ruth extricate Iris from exile in Moscow? A wonderful plot weaves around Red Scare events of the early 1950s.”
— Clay Belcher, Signs of Life, Lawrence, KS
By Christine Mangan
Flatiron Books
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“Bridging the gap between genre and literary fiction with enormous skill and agility, Mangan has again given us an electrifying yarn full of menace and atmosphere. With a mesmeric sense of place, Palace of the Drowned is a fully transportive experience.”
— Wesley Minter, Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA
By Mary Dixie Carter
Minotaur Books
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“Mary Dixie Carter’s debut is a standout psychological suspense! With excellent pacing and a completely addictive style, The Photographer is exactly the kind of book you want to read in one sitting. This is a sneaky and unsettling read that’ll leave you guessing from start to finish.”
— Becky LeJeune, BookBar, Denver, CO
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“Oh the joy ride that is Rabbits! A game? A conspiracy? Quantum physics? A clever puzzle of a novel that is a compulsive read. Stranger Things meets Ready Player One. It’s fun!”
— Melissa DeMotte, The Well-Read Moose, Coeur d'Alene, ID
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“Mary Kubica’s best one yet! The first chapter of this book had my heart pounding. I enjoyed trying to solve the multiple mysteries throughout all of the twists and turns, without being able to put it all together until the very end. A thrilling and satisfying read.”
— Mary Salazar, The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, NC
By Doireann Ní Ghríofa
Biblioasis
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“This is a literary mystery explored with white-hot intensity. The author’s journey, both physical and emotional, to discover more about the central poem and its author is obsessive and candid. It’s not just genre-blending, it’s genre-obliterating. A Ghost in the Throat cannot be contained.”
— Lesley Rains, City of Asylum Bookstore, Pittsburgh, PA
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“I loved this novel about trans queer belonging, found families, and our need to be connected and understood no matter how advanced we become. Also — succulents and witchcraft!”
— Nikki Siclare, Newtonville Books, Newton Centre, MA
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“A vivid, visceral story of best friendship and opioid addiction, so authentic and riveting that I couldn’t read it quickly enough. Karen Tucker’s western North Carolina feels exactly right, and Irene and Luce’s friendship is as moving as it is doomed. An impressive debut.”
— Emilie Sommer, East City Bookshop, Washington, DC
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“I first learned of micro-climates when I had to drive from home to work and the weather changed multiple times in those 60 minutes. Gooley writes about weather in an engaging, simple, and eloquent style. Readers will be entertained in a way that makes learning painless and interesting!”
— Camille Kovach, Completely Booked, Murrysville, PA
By Nana Nkweti
Graywolf Press
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“From comic book conventions to zombie outbreaks to a nightclub bathroom, Nkweti has crafted characters that shine in their unique predicaments. I’m obsessed with these stories, and grateful to Nkweti for sharing a part of the Cameroonian-American experience with us.”
— Halee Kirkwood, Birchbark Books and Gifts, Grand Marais, MN
Now in Paperback
Indie Next List Selections Come to Paperback
