The April 2023 Indie Next List Preview

Here are the 25 Indie Next List and 6 Now in Paperback picks on the April 2023 Indie Next List flier.

The April title list is also viewable as a collection on Edelweiss and on the Indie Next List page as an Excel file alongside PDFs for the month’s flier and shelf-talker templates. Learn more about ABA’s recent refresh for the Indie Next List program and visit Matchbook Marketing’s program page to sign up to send the free Indie Next List e-newsletter to customers.

Additionally, to mark the start of the new month, the March Indie Next List picks are available as a flier, along with past lists, on the Indie Next List page on BookWeb.org.      

The 25 April Indie Next List Picks

#1 Pick: Yours Truly: A Novel
By Abby Jimenez
(Forever, 9781538740439, $28, hardcover; 9781538704394, $16.99, paperback, Apr. 11, Romance)
“Yours Truly embodies humor and humanity. Readers will laugh hysterically while simultaneously sobbing from Jimenez’s page-turning plot. From pen pals to partners, the protagonists’ undeniable chemistry brings this story to life.”
—Amber Reinhart, Adventures By The Book, San Diego, CA

Hang the Moon: A Novel
By Jeannette Walls
(Scribner, 9781501117299, $28, Mar. 28, Fiction)
“A rollicking adventure set in the Virginia mountains during Prohibition, starring the unforgettable Sallie Kincaid. To say she is bold and fearless would be unjust to her wit and vulnerability. This is a fun and thrilling read.”
—Sarah Goddin, McIntyre's Fine Books, Pittsboro, NC

Romantic Comedy: A Novel
By Curtis Sittenfeld
(Random House, 9780399590948, $28, Apr. 4, Fiction)
“It’s a joy to read Curtis Sittenfeld’s fun new novel. Clearly written as a healing project during the pandemic, it emphasizes the magical nature of crushes and human connection, and how we come together with other people against all odds.”
—Pete Dyer, McNally Jackson Books, New York, NY

The Only Survivors: A Novel
By Megan Miranda
(Marysue Rucci Books, 9781668010419, $28, Apr. 11, Thriller)
“Megan Miranda’s newest novel is a propulsive, hold your breath and grip your book, wild ride that builds. No one does suspense better than Miranda, and her newest novel showcases that talent perfectly!”
—Meagan Dallner, Books Are Awesome, Parker, CO

You Could Make This Place Beautiful: A Memoir
By Maggie Smith
(Atria/One Signal Publishers, 9781982185855, $28, Apr. 11, Memoir)
“Maggie Smith’s first memoir digs deeper into her life after divorce. The writer zooms in close and then offers wider shots, back and forth, to slowly reveal her heart, and in the process, she discovers her power to create something new.”
—Linda Kass, Gramercy Books, Bexley, OH

Lone Women: A Novel
By Victor LaValle
(One World, 9780525512080, $27, Mar. 28, Horror)
“This book was absolutely amazing. Adelaide is a superbly drawn protagonist. You feel for her and the growth of her character was beautiful to read. The novel reads like a wonderful character study, with a shade of horror mixed in.”
—Trina Ortiz, Arts & Letters Bookstore, Granbury, TX

House of Cotton: A Novel
By Monica Brashears
(Flatiron Books, 9781250851918, $27.99, Apr. 4, Fiction)
“I am so, so in love with this book. Monica Brashears is such a skilled writer, and this is a great, macabre, spicy Black Southern gothic novel. It is real and unreal, strange and familiar — that perfect liminal space book.”
—Anton Bogomazov, Politics and Prose Bookstore, Washington, DC

Some Desperate Glory: A Novel
By Emily Tesh
(Tordotcom, 9781250834980, $28.99, Apr. 11, Science Fiction)
“Some Desperate Glory was palms-sweatingly incredible! I desperately sprinted through its pages to get to the end, then cracked it open again to read more slowly. THIS is the sci-fi book I’ve been waiting for. Readers won’t be disappointed!”
—Annie Carl, The Neverending Bookshop, Edmonds, WA

Beyond That, the Sea: A Novel
By Laura Spence-Ash
(Celadon Books, 9781250854377, $28, Mar. 21, Fiction)
“When a family takes in a young British girl during World War II, she changes their lives and they change hers. Summers on a Maine island add to the wonder of the story. Told over decades and on both sides of the ocean, this story captured me.”
—Sue Boucher, The Cottage Book Shop, Glen Arbor, MI

American Mermaid: A Novel
By Julia Langbein
(Doubleday, 9780385549677, $28, Mar. 21, Fiction)
“American Mermaid is a total charmer of a novel. A crackling satire of the contemporary book market, and a winning portrait of an artist as a young woman, American Mermaid rides a fine line between hilarity and heartbreak.”
—John Francisconi, P&T Knitwear Bookstore, New York, NY

Dust Child: A Novel
By Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
(Algonquin Books, 9781643752754, $28, Mar. 14, Fiction)
“This is one of the most important books I have read this year. Thoroughly researched, beautifully written, Dust Child brings to life and humanizes important dimensions of the Vietnam War otherwise untold.”
—Harvey Dong, Eastwind Books of Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

A House With Good Bones: A Novel
By T. Kingfisher
(Tor Nightfire, 9781250829795, $26.99, Mar. 28, Horror)
“Kingfisher does horror in her own wonderful way. A House With Good Bones is a witty, clever, and fresh take on the haunted house sub-genre of horror. I especially loved Hermes, what a good boy!”
—Hannah Cloutier, The Bookery Manchester, Manchester, NH

Wandering Souls: A Novel (Indies Introduce)
By Cecile Pin
(Henry Holt and Co., 9781250863461, $26.99, Mar. 21, Fiction)
“A slim novel, but there is so much here that I just love — beautiful language, devasting subject, and exquisite structure — there is something urgent about the way Pin tells this story. She’s created something special!”
—Julie Slavinsky, Warwick’s, La Jolla, CA

The Angel Maker: A Novel
By Alex North
(Celadon Books, 9781250757869, $28.99, Feb 28, Thriller)
“What a suspenseful read! I was obsessed with The Whisper Man and this new book held up. I can’t wait to show this to our customers who love suspense and horror.”
—Jessica Jones, Browseabout Books, Rehoboth Beach, DE

The Great Reclamation: A Novel
By Rachel Heng
(Riverhead Books, 9780593420119, $28, Mar. 28, Fiction)
“An epic historical fiction in an area most Americans know little about. Ah Boon and Siok Mei’s paths diverge between fighting oppression and moving Singapore into the ‘modern’ world. So many relevant issues in this thought-provoking read.”
—Audrey Huang, Belmont Books, Belmont, MA

A Living Remedy: A Memoir
By Nicole Chung
(Ecco, 9780063031616, $29.99, Apr. 4, Memoir)
“A heartbreaking, yet deeply loving memoir about the complexities of healthcare inequality. Chung draws on her experiences in her white adoptive family to understand how inequalities perpetuate distance and divisiveness.”
—Erin Pastore, Water Street Bookstore, Exeter, NH

The Soulmate: A Novel
By Sally Hepworth
(St. Martin’s Press, 9781250229700, $28.99, Apr. 4, Thriller)
“Sally Hepworth doesn’t disappoint with this latest domestic thriller. She hooked me from the first few pages and shows how any of us can question what we think we see and believe about our spouses.”
—Jennifer O'Neal-Rojas, Walls of Books, Oviedo, FL

Community Board: A Novel
By Tara Conklin
(Mariner Books, 9780062959379, $30, Mar. 28, Fiction)
“This is a totally unique story about finding your community — whether that’s a couple people you meet or a whole town. It is laugh out loud funny and completely relatable. Highly recommended for those looking for a delightful and funny read.”
—Kristen Beverly, Half Price Books, Dallas, TX

White Cat, Black Dog: Stories
By Kelly Link
(Random House, 9780593449950, $27, Mar. 28, Short Stories)
“Kelly Link doesn’t write a bad sentence. Each story is eerie, compelling, and beautiful. Link takes a crumb of each folk tale and twists it until it is nearly unrecognizable, creating entirely new fables that discomfort and provoke.”
—Fisher Nash, Carmichael’s Bookstore, Louisville, KY

The House Is on Fire: A Novel
By Rachel Beanland
(Simon & Schuster, 9781982186142, $27.99, Apr. 4, Fiction)
“The House is on Fire captures the early 1800s in the United States through the lens of a theater fire in Richmond. Beanland reconstructs the story of the fire while discussing slavery and abuse, womanhood, misogyny, and child labor.”
—Kyle Churman, Werner Books, Erie, PA

Homecoming: A Novel
By Kate Morton
(Mariner Books, 9780063020894, $32, Apr. 4, Fiction)
“Homecoming provides the perfect atmosphere and suspense to immerse readers in a tale of family both lost and found. The book will take you on a trip down under to a rich, satisfying and surprising conclusion.”
—Betsy Von Kerens, The Bookworm of Omaha, Omaha, NE

Flux: A Novel
By Jinwoo Chong
(Melville House, 9781685890346, $28.99, Mar. 21, Fiction)
“If I had to choose one word to describe Flux, it would be sharp. The way that Chong wrote this brilliant book still amazes me. With plot twists so subtle you’re not even fully aware you just encountered one. This kept me on the edge of my seat.”
—Libby Monaghan, Twice Told Tales, McPherson, KS

Saltwater Demands a Psalm: Poems (Indies Introduce)
By Kweku Abimbola
(Graywolf Press, 9781644452271, $16, paperback, Apr. 4, Poetry)
“Kweku Abimbola’s collection is a dazzling appreciation of Black life. It reaches both backwards, to Ghana and a pre-American cultural past, and forwards to a life beyond violence, where Blackness and joy coexist in a single, uninterrupted river.”
—Camden Avery, The Booksmith, San Francisco, CA

Blue Hour: A Novel
By Tiffany Clarke Harrison
(Soft Skull, 9781593767495, $15.95, paperback, Apr. 4, Fiction)
“Blue Hour is a raw and unflinching look at Black motherhood in America. Tiffany Clarke Harrison’s almost stream of consciousness writing style is reminiscent of Natasha Brown and Jenny Offill, making it quick but packing a punch.”
—Lizzy Rolando, Salmonberry Books, Port Orchard, WA

Ozark Dogs: A Novel
By Eli Cranor
(Soho Crime, 9781641294539, $26.95, Apr. 4, Thriller)
“Wow, this southern noir thriller is gripping! Blood is thicker than water in these Ozark towns, but family relationships are complicated and there are no easy answers, leading to hard — and surprising — choices. Absolutely unforgettable.”
—Lia Lent, WordsWorth Books, Little Rock, AR

The 6 Now in Paperback Titles

The Cartographers: A Novel
By Peng Shepherd
(William Morrow Paperbacks, 9780062910707, $19.99, Mar. 21, Fiction)
“A can’t-put-it-down immersive magical mystery that kept me up late to read. Anyone with an affinity for antique maps, the NY Public Library, and twisty-turny reveals will dig this. Highly entertaining with a superb cast of characters.”
—Cheri Anderson, The Bookloft, Great Barrington, MA

Disorientation: A Novel
By Elaine Hsieh Chou
(Penguin Books, 9780593298374, $18, Mar. 21, Fiction)
“Part academic satire, part mystery that keeps you reading. Told with sharp and tender wit, Disorientation is one of the most original debuts I’ve ever read.”
—Shannon Alden, Literati Bookstore, Ann Arbor, MI

The It Girl: A Novel
By Ruth Ware
(Gallery/Scout Press, 9781982155278, $18.99, Mar. 28, Thriller)
“This is the perfect summer read, it grabs you from the first few pages and engrosses you in its murder mystery. Problems and worries slip away as you delve deeper and deeper into the story. Isn’t that what we all need from time to time?”
—BJ Hegedus, Postalworks Silver Lake, Los Angeles, CA

The Secret World of Weather: How to Read Signs in Every Cloud, Breeze, Hill, Street, Plant, Animal, and Dewdrop
By Tristan Gooley
(The Experiment, 9781615191482, $17.95, Feb. 28, Nature)
“I first learned of microclimates when I had to drive to work and the weather changed multiple times in 60 minutes. Gooley writes about weather in an engaging and eloquent style. Readers will be entertained in a way that makes learning painless!”
—Camille Kovach, Completely Booked, Murrysville, PA

The Summer Place: A Novel
By Jennifer Weiner
(Washington Square Press, 9781501133589, $18.99, Apr. 4, Fiction)
“The Summer Place was my happy place. I saw a bit of myself in each character, and all of the drama a family can experience in a lifetime. I was laughing out loud, anxious about the characters and plot lines, and just could not put this one down!”
—Tim Ehrenberg, Nantucket Bookworks, Nantucket, MA

Woman, Eating: A Literary Vampire Novel
By Claire Kohda
(HarperVia, 9780063140899, $18.99, Apr. 4, Fiction)
“A subtle, understated vampire book. Lydia is mixed-race, mixed-species, and trying to make it on her own. Her hunger and desire to be human lead to complicated relationships with food and her friends. This one’s oh-so-satisfying.”
—Maggie Henriksen, Carmichael’s Bookstore, Louisville, KY