The 2024 Indie Gift Guide For Genre Lovers Preview

The American Booksellers Association’s Indie Gift Guide for Genre Lovers will be available both in print and as a free e-newsletter delivered to customers by email via Matchbook Marketing. Print editions of the guide will be included in the September box mailings. On October 17, the e-newsletter will be sent to customers of stores that have signed up to send the Indie Next for Reading Groups lists.

This guide includes the following categories: Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Mystery/Thriller, Graphic Works, and Poetry. The tiles are also available as an Edelweiss collection. 

The titles appearing in the Indie Gift Guide are:

Romance

Bull Moon Rising (Royal Artifactual Guild #1)
By Ruby Dixon
(Ace, 9780593817025, Hardcover, $30, Oct. 15)
“When the Royal Artifactual Guild won’t let Aspeth join as an unchaperoned woman, she decides to grab the bull by its horns — literally — and marry a minotaur. This magic, monstrous marriage of convenience is the right amount of sweet and very spicy!”
—Joanna Szabo, Annie Bloom’s Books, Portland, OR

I'll Have What He’s Having
By Adib Khorram
(Forever, 9781538739525, Hardcover, $28; 9781538739518, Paperback, $17.99, Aug. 27)
“Everyone deserves a really great love story. Khorram gives us both cultural specificity and universally relatable feelings in this spicy queer romance. Full of luscious descriptions of food and wine, this novel should satisfy any foodie or romcom lovers.”
—Amy Graham, The Vermont Book Shop, Middlebury, VT

Navigational Entanglements
By Aliette de Bodard
(Tordotcom, 9781250324887, Hardcover, $20.99, July 30)
“De Bodard’s latest packs action, political intrigue, sapphics, and space drama into a vibrant and enthralling space opera. The dual-POV narrative provides a potent representation of how different minds process the same world, events, and interactions.”
—Oli Schmitz, Boswell Book Company, Milwaukee, WI

The Next Best Fling (Librarians in Love)
By Gabriella Gamez
(Forever, 9781538726631, Paperback, $17.99, July 9)
“I loved this! Fake dating, slow burn, friends with benefits — I especially love how Marcela starts to realize how her secret love, BFF, had been manipulating her. The chemistry between Marcela and Theo just pops off the page. And who wouldn’t love Marcela’s love of books?”
—Audrey I-Wei Huang, Belmont Books, Belmont, MA

The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love (Love's Academic #1)
By India Holton
(Berkley, 9780593547281, Paperback, $19, July 23)
“This book made me laugh out loud and swoon in equal parts. Historical fantasy romance is such a specific genre, and Holton does it so, so well. I haven’t met a single hero or heroine of hers that I didn’t love, and Beth and Devon are no exception.”
—Amy Dickinson, Book Ends Winchester, Winchester, MA

The Truth According to Ember (Indies Introduce)
By Danica Nava
(Berkley, 9780593642603, Paperback, $19, Aug. 6)
“I’m dazzled by a Native author getting to tell a love story, her way. The Truth According to Ember is a story about deeply embracing your identity and finding love with someone who helps you to do that. More of this, please!”
—Destinee Hodge, East City Bookshop, Washington, DC

Sci-Fi/Fantasy

The Bright Sword: A Novel of King Arthur
By Lev Grossman
(Viking, 9780735224049, Hardcover, $35, July 16)
“To add to the Arthurian canon is a delicate business. Grossman takes the stone Excalibur has been buried in and smashes it to smithereens. The familiarity is refreshed with his signature manipulation of worlds.”
—Deanna Trujillo, Odyssey Bookshop, South Hadley, MA

The Dallergut Dream Department Store (Indies Introduce)
By Miye Lee, Sandy Joosun Lee (Transl.)
(Hanover Square Press, 9781335081179, Hardcover, $21.99, July 9)
“Where do dreams come from? It turns out they come from a department store we visit while we sleep, that we forget about when we wake up. This is a heartwarming tale sure to tuck you in at night and wish you sweet dreams.”
—Peter Kulikowski, Changing Hands Bookstore & First Draft Book Bar, Phoenix, AZ

Hum: A Novel
By Helen Phillips
(S&S/Marysue Rucci Books, 9781668008836, Hardcover, $27.99, Aug. 6)
“Helen Phillips has a keen eye for the anxiety of surveilled motherhood. The writing is propulsive and prescient. Since reading this, I’ve been uncomfortably aware of how much is being sold to me in order to distract me. I can’t wait for Phillips’ next one.”
—Bailey Sterk, Dog-Eared Books, Ames, IA

The Stars Too Fondly: A Novel (Indies Introduce)
By Emily Hamilton
(Harper Voyager, 9780063320819, Paperback, $18.99, June 11)
“If you love A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet or Light from Uncommon Stars, you’ll love The Stars Too Fondly. A heist gone wrong, friends stuck in space, and an unthinkable love story make this the next queer cozy sci-fi you’ve been waiting for.”
—Kristin Saner, Fables Books, Goshen, IN

The West Passage
By Jared Pechaček
(Tordotcom, 9781250884831, Hardcover, $28.99, July 16)
“One of the most unique fantasy journeys I’ve been on. The world building and character work in this book are almost Ghibli-esque, with creatures comprised of a magic older than comprehension. (There may or may not be at least one giant lady with a castle head.)”
—Zane Schneider, Old Firehouse Books, Fort Collins, CO

This World Is Not Yours
By Kemi Ashing-Giwa
(Tor Nightfire, 9781250901866, Paperback, $19.99, Sep. 10)
“A wonderfully taut space horror novella, where half of the dread comes from relationships unwinding under the weight of their secrets. Loved it! Great for fans of S.A. Barnes, or anyone wishing the Aliens franchise had more polycule drama.”
—Nino Cipri, The Astoria Bookshop, Astoria, NY

Mystery/Thriller

All the Colors of the Dark
By Chris Whitaker
(Crown, 9780593798874, Hardcover, $30, June 25)
“A decades-long hunt for a serial killer becomes a lifelong obsession for two childhood friends who will do anything to save one missing girl and each other. All the Colors of the Dark is a thrilling mystery and a profound love story.”
—Chantel McCray, Rainy Day Books, Fairway, KS

Bury Your Gays
By Chuck Tingle
(Tor Nightfire, 9781250874658, Hardcover, $26.99, July 9)
“You may not know that you need a queer horror novel set in Hollywood with a homophobic studio, questionable AI use, and a screenwriter haunted by his most terrifying creations after being told by his boss to kill off his gay characters…I’m here to tell you that you do.”
—Ryan Clark, Gibson’s Bookstore, Concord, NH

The Collaborators
By Michael Idov
(Scribner, 9781668055571, Hardcover, $28.99, Nov. 19)
“Caution: Michael Idov’s top-notch spy novel The Collaborators is the kind of book you mustn’t pick up if there are chores that need doing! It’s the CIA versus the KGB versus ‘unseen forces,’ with plot twists that are both surprising and intriguing.”
—Michael Yetter, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Cincinnati, OH

Midnight Rooms: A Novel (Indies Introduce)
By Donyae Coles
(Amistad, 9780063228092, Hardcover, $28, July 2)
“Donyae Coles did a fantastic job at locking me in with the doomed Orabella. I felt like I was standing at her side the entire time. This is an incredibly rich gothic story; every scene is deliciously atmospheric and plenty dreadful.”
—Nadi Hinojosa, Lark & Owl Booksellers, Georgetown, TX

The Night of Baba Yaga
By Akira Otani, Sam Bett (Transl.)
(Soho Crime, 9781641294911, Hardcover, $27.95, July 2)
“A wild ride with comic book pacing on a gritty path of surprise beginnings, middles, and ends, with a few moments to stop and smell the scorched rose gardens along the way. An entertaining guess-fest and disconcerting gore-tour up until the last bloody page.”
—Ian McCord, Avid Bookshop, Athens, GA

Pony Confidential
By Christina Lynch
(Berkley, 9780593640364, Hardcover, $28, Nov. 5)
“Stay with me here: a pony is bent on revenge because his little girl, who he loved, sold him when her family moved away. He sets off to find and destroy her, but when he gets close, he discovers his ‘little girl’ has grown up and is on trial for murder. It’s impossible not to root for him.”
—William Carl, An Unlikely Story, Plainville, MA

Graphic Works

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees
By Patrick Horvath
(IDW Publishing, 9798887241081, Paperback, $17.99, Sep. 17)
“This graphic novel is both charming and macabre, with pastel watercolor animal characters against a dark backdrop of murder. When a local is murdered, secret serial killer Samantha sets out to investigate before she becomes a suspect.”
—Fisher Nash, Carmichael’s Bookstore, Louisville, KY

Brittle Joints
By Maria Sweeney
(Street Noise Books, 9781951491260, Paperback, $20.99, June 25)
“Brittle Joints is an intimate peek into Sweeney’s experience growing up and living with chronic pain. The art matches the delicacy and chaos that go along with being in a body that you love and struggle in equally. A breath of fresh air in the graphic novel world.”
—Manda Barker, Raven Book Store, Lawrence, KS

The Last Delivery
By Evan Dahm
(Iron Circus Comics, 9781638991298, Paperback, $15, June 11)
“Great little tale about an even littler fella trying his damnedest with the Sisyphean task of delivering a package in a house party that never stops.”
—Richard Dixon, Politics and Prose Bookstore, Washington, DC

Lavender Clouds: Comics about Neurodivergence and Mental Health
By Bex Ollerton
(Andrews McMeel Publishing, 9781524890278, Hardcover, $16.99, June 25)
“This collection feels like talking to a friend, sharing deeply relatable stories, struggles, and growth with honesty, empathy, and solidarity. ‘The sky doesn’t need to be clear to be beautiful.’ ”
—Rachel Burgoon, Brick & Mortar Books, Redmond, WA

The Puerto Rican War: A Graphic History
By John Vasquez Mejias
(Union Square & Co., 9781454952466, Hardcover, $20, May 14)
“This is one of the most amazing works of art and graphic narrative I’ve ever seen. Merging comics and wood block printing, Vasquez Mejias creates dynamic compositions that bring to life the history and present day struggles of Puerto Rico’s independence.”
—Gabi Garcia Greco, The Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA

Suitor Armor: Volume 1
By Purpah
(Ten Speed Graphic, 9780593835630, Hardcover, $24.99; 9780593835654, Paperback, $17.99, Nov. 12)
“I LOVED THIS. Giant suit of armor romance? Yes! Adorable and compelling side characters! A mage who is actually probably not the bad guy?! How novel! Faeries?! Woo! The art is beautiful — so expressive! Suitor Armor deserves all of the eyes on it.”
—Kel Russell, Second Flight Books, Lafayette, IN

Poetry

A Bit Much: Poems
By Lyndsay Rush
(St. Martin’s Griffin, 9781250323460, Paperback, $18, Sep. 17)
“A Bit Much is hands down the most refreshingly hilarious poetry collection I’ve read. Very appropriately named, it owns its muchness, cheers you on, and affirms every potential goodness that humans offer the world and one another.”
—Wroxanna Work, Literati Bookstore, Ann Arbor, MI

I Love Hearing Your Dreams: Poems
By Matthew Zapruder
(Scribner, 9781668059807, Hardcover, $26, Sep. 24)
“Like the best dreams, each of Zapruder’s poems feel like a lost memory. Many poems in this collection are so hazy and gentle, like you’re wrapped in a cozy blanket.”
—Audrey Kohler, BookWoman, Austin, TX

Magic Enuff: Poems
By Tara M. Stringfellow
(Dial Press Trade Paperback, 9780593447437, Paperback, $17, June 25)
“Memphis won Tara a steadfast following, which tells me that her book of poetry will simply add an emotional icing to her literary cake. Her poems are lovely, at times biting, but all an honest rendering of what it means to her to be a Black Southern woman.”
—Linda Bond, Auntie’s Bookstore, Spokane, WA

Pleasure Principle: Poems
By Madeleine Cravens
(Scribner, 9781668037768, Paperback, $18, June 4)
“A beautiful collection of poems about a young girl seeking to understand her longings, loneliness and chaos. Relatable and personal. I will be reading this over and over again.”
—Sarah Stewart, Sidetrack Bookshop, Royal Oak, MI

Signs, Music: Poems
By Raymond Antrobus
(Tin House Books, 9781959030799, Paperback, $16.95, Sept. 17)
“Antrobus is one of my favorite poets because of the way he writes his perspective as a Deaf man into his poems. This new collection is divided into two parts: one written while his partner was pregnant, and the second during the first year of his son’s life. A magical collection.”
—Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks, Winston-Salem, NC

The Universe in Verse: 15 Portals to Wonder through Science & Poetry
By Maria Popova, Ofra Amit (Illus.)
(Storey Publishing, LLC, 9781635868838, Hardcover, $22, Oct. 1)
“This book made the thought of staring into the depths of space a cozy one, made the idea of diving into the depths of the ocean possible. I have never before been so convinced of the relationship between poetry and science.”
—Thea Lamarre Anderson, Lala Books, Lowell, MA