The June 2022 Indie Next List Preview

Here are the 25 Indie Next List and 6 Now in Paperback picks on the June 2022 Indie Next List flier.

The June 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 May Indie Next List picks are available as a flier, along with past lists, on the Indie Next List page on BookWeb.org.                               

The 25 June Indie Next List Picks 

#1 Pick: This Time Tomorrow: A Novel
By Emma Straub
(Riverhead Books, 9780525539001, $28, May 17, Fiction)
“Time travel and 1990s teen angst and awkwardness with Emma Straub at the helm? Sign me up! This is the perfect blend of heartbreak and heartfelt laughter that we could all use a dose of right now.”
—Javier Ramirez, Exile in Bookville, Chicago, IL

Woman of Light: A Novel
By Kali Fajardo-Anstine
(One World, 9780525511328, $28, June 7, Historical Fiction)
“Woman of Light is a beautifully written story of unity, adversity, and the struggles of the Lopez family in the 1920s and 1930s. Perfectly connecting the past and present up to a meeting point for the family. I 100% recommend this book!”
—Syrena Arevalo-Trujillo, Barrio Books, Tucson, AZ

Yerba Buena: A Novel
By Nina LaCour
(Flatiron Books, 9781250810465, $26.99, May 31, Fiction)
“This book stole my breath away. Raw and intimate, it follows the lives of two women through heartbreak, loss, and adolescent uncertainty as they weave in and out of each other’s lives. I wanted to hug this book to my chest when I finished.”
—Margaret Hansen, Brick & Mortar Books, Redmond, WA

Nightcrawling: A Novel
By Leila Mottley
(Knopf, 9780593318935, $28, June 7, Fiction)
“Leila Mottley’s brilliant debut blazes a path through a dark world, illuminating the dangers that young women of color experience daily and just how close to the precipice many find themselves — even in the daylight. Unforgettable!”
—Aaron J. Cance, The Printed Garden, Sandy, UT

Tracy Flick Can’t Win: A Novel
By Tom Perrotta
(Scribner, 9781501144066, $27, June 7, Fiction)
“A welcome return to a delightful character! Perrotta gives Tracy Flick the mic and allows her — and us — to reinterpret the events of Election. Deeply moving and incredibly funny, I never knew how much I needed this standalone sequel.”
—Shaun Manning, Booksweet, Ann Arbor, MI
 

Horse: A Novel
By Geraldine Brooks
(Viking, 9780399562969, $28, June 14, Historical Fiction)
“Geraldine Brooks’ Horse is one of her very best. A story of race, love, history, slavery, and horse racing with superb writing, fascinating and complex characters, and incredible research. I can’t wait to share this with customers.”
—Vicky Titcomb, Titcomb's Bookshop, East Sandwich, MA

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty: A Novel
By Akwaeke Emezi
(Atria Books, 9781982188702, $27, May 24, Romance)
“I love a book that gets under my skin. This is one such book, of a woman trying to hold her grief without letting it engulf her, messy and lovely in its rawness. If you want to read something to make you feel grateful to be alive, pick this book.”
—Emma Nichols, Norwich Bookstore, Norwich, VT

Cult Classic: A Novel
By Sloane Crosley
(MCD, 9780374603397, $27, June 7, Fiction)
“Sloane Crosley threw A Christmas Carol, LCD Soundsystem’s New York, and millennial dating culture into a surrealist blender and created this heady, insightful, and darkly funny gem of a book. I can't wait to see what she writes next.”
—Caroline Barbee, Friendly City Books, Columbus, MS

Ordinary Monsters: A Novel
By J. M. Miro
(Flatiron Books, 9781250833662, $28.99, June 7, Fantasy)
“A grand historical fantasy in a unique world full of complex characters, including menacing and compelling villains. Anyone who appreciates a good Victorian setting or a swashbuckling thriller will enjoy this fresh take on the genre.”
—Kristine Jelstrom-Hamill, Buttonwood Books and Toys, Cohasset, MA

The Latecomer: A Novel
By Jean Hanff Korelitz
(Celadon Books, 9781250790798, $28, May 31, Fiction)
“I’ve been a big fan of Korelitz since her early works, but The Latecomer blew me away. A clever book about a family and all its messiness. Smart, funny and poignant, I was pulled in by the novel’s perfection. Bravo, more please!”
—Sue Boucher, The Cottage Book Shop, Glen Arbor, MI

Bloomsbury Girls: A Novel
By Natalie Jenner
(St. Martin's Press, 9781250276698, $27.99, May 17, Historical Fiction)
“A satisfying read about three ladies in a London bookshop in 1950. Through friendship, acuity, and boldness, they triumphantly break through the restrictive roles of womanhood to take control of their own futures and happiness!”
—Annette Steinmetz, The Well-Read Moose, Coeur d'Alene, ID

Nora Goes Off Script: A Novel
By Annabel Monaghan
(G.P. Putnam's Sons, 9780593420034, $27, June 7, Fiction)
“This breezy, well-written novel found me at a time when I really, really needed it. It’s hard to get the tone right with kids in books, but Annabel Monaghan nailed it. I was rooting for Nora and thoroughly enjoyed my time with her!”
—Chelsea Bauer, Union Avenue Books, Knoxville, TN

Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting: A Novel
By Clare Pooley
(Pamela Dorman Books, 9781984878649, $27, June 7, Fiction)
“Everyone knows that you keep to yourself on a train. But Iona draws people like moths to a flame; suddenly she has the interest of her entire train car. A nice pocket of reality with vivid characters that you’ll root for and want to take home.”
—Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser, Roswell, GA

Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance: A Novel
By Alison Espach
(Henry Holt and Co., 9781250823144, $26.99, May 17, Fiction)
“An insightful, moving, funny, and deeply relatable novel. Alison Espach masterfully brings to life a coming-of-age story in the midst of a terrible and sudden tragedy. This novel will stick with you and make you want to share it.”
—Keith Vient, Politics and Prose Bookstore, Washington, DC

The Foundling: A Novel
By Ann Leary
(Scribner/Marysue Rucci Books, 9781982120382, $27.99, May 31, Historical Fiction)
“Two friends raised in an orphanage together find themselves on either side of an asylum’s institution. Mary, an employee, and Lillian, a patient, secretly navigate a crushing system of abuse of people and power. Do not miss this book!”
—Alice Hutchinson, Byrd’s Books, Bethel, CT

It All Comes Down to This: A Novel
By Therese Anne Fowler
(St. Martin's Press, 9781250278074, $27.99, June 7, Fiction)
“Filled with family secrets, human frailties, and changes for the better, It All Comes Down to This is sure to resonate with anyone who has experienced the messiness of hurting those we care about while finding the way to our own true self.”
—Betsy Von Kerens, The Bookworm of Omaha, Omaha, NE

Hide
By Kiersten White
(Del Rey, 9780593359235, $27, May 24, Thriller)
“The Hunger Games meets Something Wicked This Way Comes meets Occupy Wall Street. A scathing allegory of the senselessly dangerous world we live in that will consume you, leave you in a daze and constantly checking over your shoulder.”
—Charlotte Martin, Mystery to Me, Madison, WI

The Shore: A Novel
By Katie Runde
(Scribner, 9781982180171, $26.99, May 24, Fiction)
“Katie Runde’s debut novel played my heartstrings like a harpsichord. I was yanked from my life to this beachside town and this kindhearted family’s experiences with love, loss, and resilience! I am anxiously awaiting her next release.”
—Katy Herbold, Sidekick Coffee & Books, University Heights, IA

Sleepwalk: A Novel
By Dan Chaon
(Henry Holt and Co., 9781250175212, $27.99, May 4, Fiction)
“Sleepwalk is an addictive and wholly original novel. Despite how deeply, deeply weird the near-future America of Sleepwalk is, this is a hopeful and timeless story of lost people seeking the connection and healing that we all need!”
—Lane Jacobson, Paulina Springs Books, Sisters, OR

Metropolis: A Novel 
By B. A. Shapiro
(Algonquin Books, 9781616209582, $27.95, May 17, Thriller)
“Metropolis is a riveting read by a remarkable storyteller. Shapiro’s cast of characters will keep you guessing. A tribute to old Boston and how people live — in wealth or poverty — and remain human and connected to one another. Well done!”
—Annie Philbrick, Bank Square Books, Mystic, CT

Two Nights in Lisbon: A Novel
By Chris Pavone
(MCD, 9780374604769, $28, May 24)
“An edge-of-your-seat trip with Ariel Pryce, who wakes up one morning in their Lisbon hotel room to find that her husband John has disappeared. Your ideas on what is happening and who is involved will fly right out the window! Intriguing!”
—Nona Camuel, CoffeeTree Books, Morehead, KY

Three: A Novel
By Valérie Perrin, Hildegarde Serle (Transl.)
(Europa Editions, 9781609457556, $28, June 7, Fiction)
“Spectacular! Perrin has written a masterpiece of friendship, love, loss and life, weaving the lives of three friends — Adrien, Etienne, and Nina — into a magnificent novel. There are no words to really describe; it’s a must read! Love it!”
—Stephanie Crowe, Page and Palette, Fairhope, AL

The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle: A Novel
By Matt Cain
(A John Scognamiglio Book, 9781496737755, $15.95, paperback, May 31, Fiction)
“A heartfelt tale of a shy 64-year-old English postman on the verge of retirement and on the verge of coming out. Albert’s obstacles are significant, which make his efforts to surmount them, and to find new friends, all the more joyous.”
—Mike Hare, Northshire Saratoga, Saratoga Springs, NY

Nuclear Family: A Novel
By Joseph Han
(Counterpoint, 9781640094864, $26, June 7, Fiction)
“This stunning debut follows a young man who, possessed by his grandfather’s ghost, attempts to cross the Demilitarized Zone in North Korea. A remarkable — and at turns hilarious — story of family, grief, and intergenerational trauma.”
—Lindsay Lynch, Parnassus Books, Nashville, TN

Rainbow Rainbow: Stories
By Lydia Conklin
(Catapult, 9781646221011, $26, May 31, Short Stories)
“Rainbow Rainbow is queer, bold, and beautiful. Conklin’s characters and memorable stories offer unique perspective on modern relationships with pitch-perfect tone. This will be one of the best collections by the end of the year.”
—Adam Vitcavage, Tattered Cover Book Store, Denver, CO

The 6 Now in Paperback Titles

Afterparties: Stories
By Anthony Veasna So
(Ecco, 9780063049895, $18.99, June 7, Fiction) 
“These stories of the members of a compact Cambodian-American community, from the refugees to the business owners to the gay teenagers, seamlessly balance humor with hardships.”
—Sofia Silva Wright, Phoenix Books, Burlington, VT

Falling: A Novel
By T.J. Newman
(Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster, 9781982177898, $17.99, May 17, Thriller)
“Falling is an absolute masterclass in unique suspense fiction. From the first few lines, I could tell this was going to be a stunner, and boy, was I right. I’ll be anxiously waiting for Newman to release her next novel!”
—Shelby Roth, Naughty Dog Books, Nashville, IN

The Night Always Comes: A Novel
By Willy Vlautin
(Harper Perennial, 9780063035096, $16.99, May 17, Fiction)
“The Night Always Comes is urgent. Willy Vlautin writes honestly about people who are just a step ahead of disaster, singularly defined by the challenge of earning a living wage while navigating society. A necessary writer for our times.”
—Christine Kelly, Sundance Bookstore, Reno, NV

The Other Black Girl: A Novel
By Zakiya Dalila Harris
(Atria Books, 9781982160142, $17, June 7, Fiction)
“Two Black women in the cutthroat publishing industry try to determine if they are friends or enemies. A literary fiction tale with a side of suspense, this expertly woven critique on society will keep readers on the edge of their seats.”
—Kirsten Wilson, The Snail on the Wall, Huntsville, AL

The Personal Librarian: A Novel
By Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
(Berkley, 9780593101544, $17, June 7, Fiction)
“I dearly loved this historical fiction based on the life of J.P. Morgan’s personal librarian. My favorite combination of entertaining and educational!”
—Elizabeth Barnhill, Fabled Bookshop & Café, Waco, TX

We Are the Brennans: A Novel
By Tracey Lange
(Celadon Books, 9781250796219, $16.99, June 7, Fiction)
“Tracey Lange has created some truly memorable characters and a wonderfully moving experience in seeing this tight-knit family cope with conflicts, setbacks, and the disclosure of long-buried secrets.”
—John Lynn, The Kennett Bookhouse, Kennett Square, PA