October 2009 Indie Next List Inspired Recommendations from Indie Booksellers
http://www.indiebound.org/indie-next-list
the indie NEXT list
Half Broke Horses
A True-Life Novel, by Jeannette Walls (Scribner, $26)
“Jeannette Walls has written another blockbuster. I
could not put down this story of her grandmother, Lily Casey Smith, and her
determination to survive and to help others around her to survive, too. This
story will grab you immediately and continue in a compelling and forceful
way all the way to the end.”
—Roberta Rubin, The Book Stall AtChestnut Court, Winnetka, IL
Her Fearful Symmetry
by Audrey Niffenegger (Scribner, $26.99)
“Her Fearful Symmetry is an enchanting, ghostly
entertainment. Setting the novel in and around London’s Highgate
Cemetery, Niffenegger manipulates lives in time and space in a concoction
of twins, sisters, and lost loves, along with some delightfully quirky
neighbors, who provide another dimension to the meaning of love.”
—Marian Nielsen, Orinda Books, Orinda, CA
The Children’s Book
by A.S. Byatt (Knopf, $26.95)
“
detailing the lives of a group of English free thinkers, beginning in the
1890s and continuing to the onset of World War I. The wonderfully detailed
period and Byatt’s characters make for an enormously satisfying story.”
—Mark LaFramboise, Politics & Prose Books & Coffee,
Washington, DC
Going Away Shoes
Stories, by Jill McCorkle (Algonquin,$19.95)
“Going Away Shoes is a collection of short story gems written
from master craftswoman Jill McCorkle. Each story deserves savoring, as
melancholy and humor work beautifully together in this artful collection.”
—Dana Brigham, Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, MA
Juliet, Naked
by Nick Hornby (Riverhead, $25.95)
“Two decades after their prime, a washed-up rock musician, an overzealous fan,
and the woman at the crossroads between them all must face the reality of
adulthood. You will want to spend time with these charactersóand see how
things unfold for them.”
—Andi Allen, Piece of Mind Books,Edwardsville, IL
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much
The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of LiteraryObsession, by Allison Hoover Bartlett
(Riverhead, $24.95)
“Allison Hoover Bartlett has written an excellent account of an obsessed book
collector who steals the books he wants, and a self-styled biblio-detective, a
bookseller who can’t stand the thought of someone stealing books. This
one is full of good information and a riveting story, to boot.”
—RichChasse, The Kennebunk Book Port, Kennebunkport, ME
Stardust
by Joseph Kanon (Atria, $27.99)
“I always look forward to a new Joseph Kanon novel, and Stardust does not disappoint.
This novel of Hollywood, political intrigue, and the beginning of the
McCarthy era should fascinate every reader who cares about the darker
sides of America. And, as always, Kanon’s writing is superb.”
—Deal Safrit,Literary Book Post, Salisbury, NC
American on Purpose
The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot, by Craig Ferguson (Harper, $25.99)
“Craig Ferguson is a great storyteller, whether he’s detailing the ups and downs of
his Scottish childhood, his longing for America, his wild life as a punk rock
drummer, his substance abuse and eventual recovery, or the path to his
success on television. Through it all, he is absolutely hilarious.”
—CarolSchneck, Schuler Books & Music, Okemos, MI
Stitches
A Memoir, by David Small (Norton, $24.95)
“This dark and brilliant graphic novel memoir is an exploration of a troubled
childhood that brilliantly conveys the loneliness of a family for whom
intimacy is the greatest sin.”
—William Graff, UCLA Bookzone, LosAngeles, CA
The Brutal Telling
An Armand Gamache Novel, byLouise Penny (Minotaur, $24.99)
“Louise Penny just keeps getting better
and better. In her latest installment in the Chief Inspector Gamache
series, she creates a satisfying read that is impossible to put down. Once
again set in the remote Canadian village of Three Pines, Gamache’s team
is summoned when an unknown dead man is found in the town’s favorite
bistro. Gamache searches near and far to unravel the mystery, yet the most intriguing
journey is the one into the killer’s mind.”
—Sally Morrison, Sierra Madre Books,Sierra Madre, CA
A Quiet Belief in Angels
by R.J. Ellory (Overlook,$24.95)
“R.J. Ellory’s imagery and evocative style are the perfect vehicle for
this murder mystery, set in the South during the 1940s. In a story that is
full of surprises, the horrors of WWII stand alongside the horrific killings in
a quiet Georgia town.”
—Gayle Wingerter, Inklings Bookshop,Yakima, WA
Generosity
An Enhancement, by Richard Powers (Farrar,Straus and Giroux, $25)
“From laugh-out-loud whimsy to reeling
philosophical depth,
Generosity tells the story of an unusually contentedyoung woman and the people who wish to possess her, or at least her
DNA, to create the world’s first happiness gene.
Generosity is bothexquisitely timely and for the ages.”
—Sheryl Cotleur, Book Passage,Corte Madera, CA
The Year of the Flood
by Margaret Atwood (Nan A.Talese/Doubleday, $26.95)
“The Year of the Flood beautifully combines
the stories of two women, Ren and Toby, who simultaneously grapple with
the new world they are suddenly faced with. Atwood has once again written
a novel filled with a mystery that she brilliantly nourishes with fantastic
answers.”
—Ella Maslin, Oblong Books & Music, Rhinebeck, NYThe Last Train From Paris
by Stacy Cohen(Greenleaf Book Group Press, $21.95)
“Stacy Cohen interweaves fact
and fiction in this novel, set in World War II Paris during the Nazi
occupation. Loosely based on the real-life adventures of artist Jean Miro,
Cohen unfolds a forbidden love story as France fights for its liberation.
Lovers of art, history, and romance will find this novel a real page-turner.”
—Julie Pekrul, Between the Covers, Harbor Springs, MI
31 Hours
by Masha Hamilton (Unbridled, $24.95)
“31 Hours is so beautifully written it nearly took my breath away. The tension grows
slowly as the reader gradually learns of the life of Jonas Meitzner and the
‘assignment’ he has undertaken, the important people in his life, and a
most likable homeless man who haunts the subways of New York. I love this
book, which is so timely and relevant to our troubled times.”
—CarolKatsoulis, Anderson’s Bookshop, Naperville, IL
As God Commands
by Niccolo Ammaniti, JonathanHunt (trans.)(Black Cat, $14.95 paper)
“In this story of desperation and madness in a bitterly depressed Italian industrial town, the forces of religion
and family play violently in the lives of young Rino, his father, and the rough
characters whose obsessions and addictions are harbengers of their
ultimate destruction. This book will rock you.”
—Lisa Stefanacci, The BookWorks, Del Mar, CA
Manhood for Amateurs
The Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father, and Son, by Michael Chabon (Harper, $25.99)
This collection of essays offers Michael Chabon’s thoughts and
observations on a wide range of topics from various vantage points in his
life: son, grandson, brother, lover, husband, and father. The subjects are varied,
but the writing is consistently sharp, poignant, humorous, and a pure joy to
read.”
—Anne Miley, Porter Square Books, Cambridge, MAThe Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope, by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer (Morrow, $25.99)
“The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is wonderful on so many levelsóan introduction to village life in
Malawi, a funny and inspiring memoir and, above all, a shining example of
the capacity of books to change lives. I can’t stop thinking and talking
about it.”
—Mary Gleysteen, Eagle Harbor Book Company, Bainbridge Island, WAJarrettsville
by Cornelia Nixon (Counterpoint, $15.95 paper
“Cornelia Nixon’s novel begins in 1869 as Martha Jane Cairnes
murders Nicholas McComas in front of many witnesses in Jarrettsville,
Maryland, a town just below the Mason-Dixon Line and a microcosm of
America in the years following the Civil War. This tale of two lovers and why
it ends so badly for them is the story of neighbor fighting neighbor, old
customs and quarrels dying hard, passion, friendship, and the complicated relationships
between whites and blacks, all told exquisitely.”
—Cathy Langer, Tattered CoverBookstore, Denver, CO
Logicomix
An Epic Search for Truth, by Apostolos Doxiadis and Christos Papadimitriou (Bloomsbury, $22.95 paper)
“Logicomix presents the complex life of legendary philosopher Bertrand Russell as an
easy-to-understand graphic novel rich with details and ideas. This compelling
book is both a fantastic historical take on the foundation of modern logic
and a penetrating look into one of the 20th century’s brightest minds.”
—Jerry Fieldsted, Windows on the World-Books & Art, Mariposa, CA
Comments