Indie Next List

What is the Indie Next List?

The Indie Next List is your next great read! This monthly list features the top nominations from independent booksellers across the country, showcasing the best of the best debuts and new releases in all categories and genres.

The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World

Robin Wall Kimmerer, John Burgoyne (Scribner)

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“Don’t let the size of this book fool you! It’s brimming with nuggets of wisdom regarding our relationship to the natural world and pleas for reciprocity in all aspects of living. A wonderful reference for a more equitable, meaningful existence.”

— Debra Horan, Booklovers' Gourmet, Webster, MA

Indie Next List Inspired Recommendations from Indie Booksellers

Private Rites: A Novel

By Julia Armfield

Flatiron Books

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“Private Rites delivers all the heightened drama of its source material while perfectly reimagining the contentious daughters of this modern Lear. Haunting, surreal, and gripping from the first page.” — Kelsey Jagneaux, Tombolo Books, St. Petersburg, FL

Rental House: A Novel

By Weike Wang

Riverhead Books

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“Weike Wang’s sharp insights on marriage, family, and home shine on every page of this slim novel. A treat for anyone who’s ever silently (or not so silently) questioned the absurdities of in-laws. I dare you to read this on your family vacation!” — Sherri Puzey, Zibby's Bookshop, Santa Monica, CA

CABIN: Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman

By Patrick Hutchison

St. Martin's Press

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“A charming story of a young man swimming upstream against what’s expected of him. His impulsive purchase of a $7,500 cabin outside a small mountain town changes his life; and his self-deprecating tale of all the steps along the way is funny and moving.” — Georgiana Blomberg, Magnolia's Bookstore, Seattle, WA

Time of the Child

By Niall Williams

Bloomsbury Publishing

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“Time of the Child is beautifully written, and Williams’ subtle sense of humor surprises and delights. Doctor Jack Troy and his daughter Ronnie are perfectly drawn, as is the small Irish town of Faha. A perfect gift for every literary fiction lover!” — Sue Kowalski, The Bookstore of Glen Ellyn, Glen Ellyn, IL

The City and Its Uncertain Walls: A Novel

By Haruki Murakami, Philip Gabriel

Knopf

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“The City and Its Uncertain Walls is precisely what you would expect from Haruki Murakami. A perfect chimerical blend of fable, love story, and coming-of-age carefully overlaid by a blanket of magical realism. A wondrous and satisfying tale.” — Shane Grebel, Watermark Books & Cafe, Wichita, KS

Brightly Shining

By Ingvild Rishøi, Caroline Waight

Grove Press

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“This has everything you could want in a Christmas story: the abiding love of siblings, the kindness of neighbors, the magic of life through a child’s eyes, and a massive emotional wallop. I can’t wait to give this warm, delightful gem to everyone!” — Michaela Carter, Peregrine Book Company, Prescott, AZ

The Collaborators

By Michael Idov

Scribner

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“A dynamite spy thriller full of pulsating suspense, dead bodies, and vivid characters. Why did the billionaire’s daughter and rogue CIA sleeper agent team up to comb the world to find dangerous answers? This will keep you page-turning to find out.” — Maureen Palacios, Once Upon a Time, Montrose, CA

Woo Woo: A Novel

By Ella Baxter

Catapult

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“Surreal and chaotic. Take a wild ride with Sabine as she plunges her emotional depths prior to her art show opening. I enjoyed exploring the artists’ work that Baxter opens each chapter with. It’s fascinating to see who and what inspires creativity.” — Jennifer Wood, East City Bookshop, Washington, DC

The Serpent and the Wolf

By Rebecca Robinson

S&S/Saga Press

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“The Serpent and the Wolf is a spellbinding debut that deftly blends high-stakes political intrigue with a steamy, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance. There’s much to admire in this tale of power, passion, and peril.” — Jessie Fischer, The Book Nook (NY), Saranac Lake, NY

Sister Snake: A Novel

By Amanda Lee Koe

Ecco

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“A unique book about two ancient sisters who are both human and snake. Su lives her life as humanly as possible; Emerald is very much herself. Though this novel was pitched as dark humor, it explored themes of identity, queerness, and family poignantly.” — Sara Landon, Paragraphs Bookstore, Mount Vernon, OH

A Monsoon Rising: A Novel (The Hurricane Wars #2)

By Thea Guanzon

Harper Voyager

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“Talasyn and Alaric must prepare for the Moonless Dark and the eruption of the Voidfell. This book is equally funny and heartbreaking as we find out more about their pasts, the present, and how it affects their actions. A stellar Hurricane Wars installment.” — Lisa Kroger, Village Books (TX), The Woodlands, TX

The Champagne Letters: A Novel

By Kate MacIntosh

Gallery Books

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“This novel is an exciting glass of history and present day that celebrates a strong woman, pouring in journal entries from an 18th-century connoisseur of early champagne with a modern tale of deception, love, and revenge. Well worth the time and read!” — R. Aimee Chipman, The Bluestocking Bookshop, Holland, MI

Only Here, Only Now: A Novel

By Tom Newlands

HarperVia

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“This debut is the thunderous announcement of a brilliant novelist with a keen wit. Like Derry Girls done by Dave Eggers, Only Here, Only Now is fiercely original, unabashedly Scottish, heartrendingly poignant, and hilarious to the point of tears.” — Steve Iwanski, Charter Books, Newport, RI

An Earthquake Is a Shaking of the Surface of the Earth: A Novel

By Anna Moschovakis

Soft Skull

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“A glimpse into the fractured psyche of a former actress living in a city where the Earth shakes. The dystopian otherworldliness takes a backseat to the obsessive unwellness of our unnamed narrator. Part sci-fi, part mystery, deeply literary.” — Andrew Preston, CoffeeTree Books, Morehead, KY

Under Loch and Key

By Lana Ferguson

Berkley

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“For fans of romantasy novels that feature tropes like grumpy meets sunshine and enemies to lovers. Even for those who may not read romance often, the Loch Ness monster may attract a whole new type of reader. Equally steamy and heartwarming.” — Stephanie Csaszar, Death by TBR Books, Bremerton, WA

Not in My Book: A Novel

By Katie Holt

Alcove Press

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“WOW! I loved this book. Great characters, great uses of several romance tropes in a great way, and I was crying through the last few pages. An exciting debut; I can’t wait to read more of Katie Holt’s work.” — Nicole Miller, Barbara's Bookstore, Burr Ridge, IL

On the Calculation of Volume (Book I)

By Solvej Balle, Barbara J. Haveland

New Directions

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“This first installment of Solvej Balle’s septology, is a spare, delicate stunner that reverberates like an echo. It’s got all the feeling of a misty mid-November morning, with a healthy dose of philosophical intrigue to keep readers on their toes.” — Bryan Seitz, Literati Bookstore, Ann Arbor, MI

I Might Be in Trouble

By Daniel Aleman

Grand Central Publishing

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“Daniel Aleman nailed his adult debut. This book was funny, relatable, heart-wrenching, and heart-stopping. I’d recommend this book to damn near anyone — especially anyone who feels adrift and is looking for a book that will make them feel hopeful.” — Renee Becher, The Crowded Bookshelf, Fort Collins, CO

Shy Creatures: A Novel

By Clare Chambers

Mariner Books

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“An inventive and satisfying novel. Not just a story you’ll look forward to cozying up with, but a brilliant affirmation of non-conformity, self-determination, and the power of art. For fans of Elizabeth McCracken, Tessa Hadley, and Ann Patchett!” — Kristen Iskandrian, Thank You Books, Birmingham, AL

Booked for Murder: An Old Juniper Bookshop Mystery

By P. J. Nelson

Minotaur Books

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“Madeline inherits her aunt’s bookstore and mansion. She finds herself in the middle of much drama and mystery, with a murder to solve. In the midst of everything, Madeline finds kindred spirits and possibly a home.” — Alexandra Bender, Fonts Books, Mclean, VA

American Bulk: Essays on Excess

By Emily Mester

W. W. Norton & Company

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“It’s so refreshing to read cultural critique written by someone who’s in the trenches with the rest of us. American Bulk is the essay collection we need as we're bombarded by algorithmically intelligent ads and our one-click-buy existences.” — Laurel Kane, White Whale Bookstore, Pittsburgh, PA

Sundown in San Ojuela

By M. M. Olivas

Lanternfish Press

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“Wow! It’s been so long since I read a book that got this deep into me and did not let go. I loved all the complicated, messy, dark characters that populated this scary and grotesque debut. Snatch this book up and let it devour you!” — Katelyn Phillips, Books Are Magic, Brooklyn, NY

I Made It Out of Clay

By Beth Kander

Mira Books

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“In her adult debut, award-winning playwright Beth Kander dreams up a charming romantic dramedy that even hearts made of stone — er, clay — won’t be able to resist, served with a healthy dose of pathos and a twist inspired by Jewish folklore.” — Emily Liner, Friendly City Books, Columbus, MS

Havoc: A Novel

By Christopher Bollen

Harper

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“This novel is laugh-out-loud funny as the absurd scenarios play out between an octogenarian and her 8-year-old nemesis. Set in a majestic Egyptian hotel that has seen better days, be prepared for a variety of twists and turns in this unexpected story.” — Sarah Badger, Bright Side Bookshop, Flagstaff, AZ

Now in Paperback Indie Next List Selections Come to Paperback