The March 2019 Indie Next List Preview

Here are the 20 Indie Next Great Reads and 12 Now in Paperback titles featured on the March 2019 Indie Next List flier, which is on its way to stores in the IndieBound movement.

Beginning March 1, these titles will be featured on downloadable fliers and shelf-talkers on BookWeb.org and IndieBound.org.

#1 Pick: Daisy Jones & the Six: A Novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid
(Ballantine Books, 9781524798628, $27)
“Oh man, what a ride! I guess I’m the right demographic for this book: I love rock and I grew up in the ’70s, so I wanted to like it...instead, I loved it! Yes, it’s sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll, but it’s also got wonderfully complex characters that I cared about even if I didn’t like how they acted. It’s a peek into the formation of a band, how the music is made, the struggles of addiction and clashing personalities, and, ultimately, love. The story is compiled of pieces of interviews with the band and those connected to them — a very effective technique that made the novel’s pages turn even faster. Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones & the Six is one of my favorite books of 2019 so far!” —Serena Wyckoff, Copperfish Books, Punta Gorda, FL

The River: A Novel by Peter Heller
(Knopf, 9780525521877, $25.95)
“Peter Heller can take you on a journey through nature like no other writer. The River is the story of two close friends wanting nothing more than to enjoy their time together on a trip through the Canadian wilderness, and fly fishing has never been so beautifully portrayed nor has the serenity of water and nature. But the peacefulness slowly wanes and the tension begins to build as the trip becomes a race against encroaching forest fires and an attempt to save the life of the mysterious woman they have picked up along the way. Heller has created a story of friendship and survival that should not be missed.” —Mary McBride, Rainy Day Books, Fairway, KS

The Huntress: A Novel by Kate Quinn
(William Morrow Paperbacks, 9780062740373, trade paper, $16.99)
“A Russian night witch and a British war correspondent turned Nazi hunter join forces to track a ruthless assassin in The Huntress, the latest book by Kate Quinn. From the pre-war wilds of the Soviet Union to the streets of a war-torn Germany to the bustle of Boston, Quinn masterfully mixes the past with a post-war present, and it’s phenomenal. Fans of The Alice Network and The Nightingale will love this fantastically fast-paced and utterly exhilarating historical fiction.” —Kristin Bates, McLean & Eakin Booksellers, Petoskey, MI

The Book of Delights: Essays by Ross Gay
(Algonquin Books, 9781616207922, $23.95)
“For those of you having a rough year, take comfort and inspiration from Ross Gay’s aptly titled The Book of Delights. After going through a bumpy patch himself, Gay tasked himself with a year’s worth of essays, each day focusing on something delightful. What resulted is a warm, thoughtful range of reflections on tomato plants, high fives, and airport security. The Book of Delights is a companion to keep with you, whether on your nightstand, in the bathtub, or on the subway, for a brief moment of emotional respite. Definitely one of my first delights of 2019.” —Molly Gillespie, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Cincinnati, OH

The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls: A Novel by Anissa Gray
(Berkley, 9781984802439, $26)
“For lovers of An American Marriage comes a thoughtful debut about family, secrets, and the damage one’s choices can cause to those you love. Told from many perspectives within one complex family, this novel tugged at me from all angles. I found myself understanding and empathizing with all the characters at different times, even though their choices and the consequences of those choices were vastly in contrast to one another. A very strong debut.” —Jamie Southern, Bookmarks, Winston-Salem, NC

Beautiful Bad: A Novel by Annie Ward
(Park Row, 9780778369103, $26.99)
“In her dark and atmospheric thriller, Ward has created characters that seep under your skin and take you on a suspense-filled, unforgettable ride. We follow Ian and Maddie from their first meeting in the war-torn Balkans to New York City and end up in suburban Kansas, witnessing their story unfold, twisting and turning along the way, until it ultimately implodes. What really happened and who can you believe?” —Maxwell Gregory, Lake Forest Book Store, Lake Forest, IL

Aerialists: Stories by Mark Mayer
(Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781635572179, $26)
“This might very well be my favorite short story collection of all time. More than that, Aerialists is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and emotionally resonant books I have ever read, a poignant collection of stories that are at once heartbreaking and life-affirming but always profoundly human. Debut author Mark Mayer is a genuine revelation. He writes with dizzying insight and uncanny grace, his prose sparkling brilliantly in the light. Like a great ringmaster, he captivates the attention of his audience and shows us the rich weirdness hiding beneath the surface of everyday life. Aerialists subverts expectations, pushes boundaries, and dares to be different, all while whispering of more wonders to come.” —Jason Foose, Changing Hands, Tempe, AZ

The Priory of the Orange Tree: A Novel by Samantha Shannon
(Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781635570298, $32)
“A fabulous, complex fantasy that will appeal to fans of Erika Johansen, Melissa Caruso, and George R.R. Martin, Priory has something for every fantasy lover. Narrated by various characters from different parts of a fantastically imagined world rife with conflict, both religious and political, Shannon’s story and its characters’ fates revolve around the most riveting aspect of the whole book: dragons! Shannon writes with a fast-paced, engrossing voice that continues to build with every chapter. I loved this world and think readers will wholeheartedly embrace it.” —Lauren Nopenz Fairley, Curious Iguana, Frederick, MD

The Hunting Party: A Novel by Lucy Foley
(William Morrow, 9780062868909, $26.99)
“Lucy Foley’s The Hunting Party is a slick, streamlined murder mystery set on a remote Scottish luxury estate. A group of old friends get together for their yearly New Year’s trip, but after over a decade of closeness, some of them may be near the breaking point. Foley uses the multiple-narrator approach to distort the reader’s perspective and challenge their assumptions, but it doesn’t feel excessive. With multiple puzzles that come together to create the bigger picture and a short timeline that adds to the claustrophobic urgency, this novel is a devilishly thrilling winter read.” —Annie Metcalf, Magers & Quinn Booksellers, Minneapolis, MN

Little Faith: A Novel by Nickolas Butler
(Ecco, 9780062469717, $26.99)
“I loved this story about friendship, family, and how faith influences life-changing decisions. Nickolas Butler beautifully captures the people, landscape, and seasons of northern Wisconsin over a 12-month period. The characters and their relationships to each other is what this book is really about. You will love or hate them, but you will feel part of this community when you finish.” —Susan Murphy, Pages Bookshop, Detroit, MI

The Bird King: A Novel by G. Willow Wilson
(Grove Press, 9780802129031, $26)
“Fatima is a concubine of the sultan of the last emirate in the Iberian Peninsula to submit to the Spanish Inquisition. When her dearest friend, Hassan, a mapmaker who can map places he has never seen (and that do not always exist), is singled out by the Inquisition, she flees with him and a jinn, following the trail of the elusive and mythical Bird King, who may or may not be able to grant them sanctuary. Wilson’s latest novel is rich with the historical detail, lush description, and fantastical elements that we have come to know and love from her. A story of resistance, freedom, seeking, and strength, and a true fable for our times.” —Anna Eklund, University Book Store, Seattle, WA

Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls: A Memoir by T Kira Madden (Indies Introduce)
(Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781635571851, $27)
“Madden has no limits when it comes to the ones she loves — her cool and free older friends, her Internet-famous first girlfriend, her mother, her father, and us, the fortunate readers. She accomplishes one of the great feats of a memoir: in telling the story of her life, she translates its remarkable aspects (for one, her father worked for Jordan Belfort and was, yes, a wolf of Wall Street) while making the commonplace (love for one’s parents) remarkable. Her prose is a Lisa Frank- racetrack-Hawaiian shirt phantasmagoria that I couldn’t get enough of. And, man, that last section — it’ll knock you loose.” —Molly Moore, BookPeople, Austin, TX

When All Is Said: A Novel by Anne Griffin
(Thomas Dunne Books, 9781250200587, $26.99)
“Dark and unflinching yet packed with heart and humanity, When All Is Said is Irish storytelling at its best. Maurice Hannigan sits in a bar on a Saturday night and toasts five people who have been important in his life and who have left him, either through death or distance. The 84-year-old widower spools out his story like tangled fishing line, raising one glass to each of his departed loved ones. It all leads up to a startling yet inevitable end to an unsettling yet satisfying story.” —Grace Harper, Mac’s Backs, Cleveland Heights, OH

In Another Time: A Novel by Jillian Cantor
(Harper Perennial, 9780062863324, trade paper, $16.99)
“For fans of The Time Traveler’s Wife and Somewhere in Time, In Another Time will sweep you through pre-war and post-war Berlin, London, Paris, and Vienna as you follow Hanna Ginsberg, ‘the one who plays the violin like fire,’ and her magnificent Stradivarius violin. It begins in Germany in 1931, when bookshop owner Max Beissinger meets Hanna. As they fall in love, Germany falls under the power of Hitler. While Hanna is Jewish and Max is not, Max has a secret that may help save Hannah when the time comes. Cantor reminds us that even in terrible times, books, music, and love can prevail. Not to be missed.” —Karen Briggs, The Booknook, East Talwas, MI

If, Then: A Novel by Kate Hope Day
(Random House, 9780525511229, $26)
“I devoured this book. Reading about these characters felt like stepping right into other lives, with all of the messiness of human striving and relationships. If, Then is a beautiful novel for this alone, but when each character begins to see visions they don’t understand, the book takes on a new sense of urgency. Driven by its characters and with a masterfully written thread of speculative fiction, If, Then is a moving look at how events large and small and the choices we make carve our unique lives out of the infinite number of possible lives that could have been.” —Kelsey O’Rourke, Literati Bookstore, Ann Arbor, MI

A Woman Is No Man: A Novel by Etaf Rum
(Harper, 9780062699763, $26.99)
“A Woman Is No Man gives a rare and terrifying look into the lives of three generations of Palestinian and Palestinian-American women. Readers are invited into the secret world of these women living in Palestine and then Brooklyn; we watch nervously as they try to navigate and reconcile their two worlds — the violent, patriarchal world at home and the confusing, anti-cultural world outside their front door. I cringed at the pain and cheered at the successes of the women I came to know. This beautifully written book shines a light on an important topic. It is a story that must be told and, as importantly, must be heard.” —Debra Barrett, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Chatham, MA

The New Me: A Novel by Halle Butler
(Penguin Books, 9780143133605, trade paper, $16)
“Halle Butler so perfectly depicts a young woman who has no direction in life in The New Me. She’s just going to work in order to get a paycheck for rent and groceries, just so she can live to go to work again — the vicious cycle many in our society find themselves in today. The New Me is juicy and kind of like watching the perfect train wreck. You know you should look away, but instead you can’t put the book down. Highly recommended for fellow lovers of contemporary fiction.” —Kristen Beverly, Half Price Books, Dallas, TX

Gingerbread: A Novel by Helen Oyeyemi
(Riverhead Books, 9781594634659, $27)
“To me, any new book by Helen Oyeyemi is a cause for celebration, and Gingerbread is no exception. Harriet Lee is a mother, a daughter, a PTA-wannabe, a tutor, and a gingerbread baker. She is also Druhastranian — a refugee from a country that may (or may not) exist. No one is quite sure where Druhastana is or how to get there, but Harriet’s daughter, Perdita, is determined to find out even if it kills her. While still imbued with Oyeyemi’s trademark fairy tale essence, this novel is a departure into weirder, more uncanny territory. Oyeyemi, who lives in Prague, has finally given us her Czech novel, and it’s perfect.” —Devon Dunn, Book Culture, New York, NY

The Trial of Lizzie Borden: A True Story by Cara Robertson
(Simon & Schuster, 9781501168376, $28)
“Cara Robertson’s first book details the events surrounding the infamous murders of Andrew and Abby Borden in Fall River, Massachusetts, in 1892. Based entirely on primary sources — trial transcripts, contemporary accounts, and even recently discovered letters from Lizzie herself — The Trial of Lizzie Borden is an in-depth look at the circumstances surrounding the incident and her subsequent trial. Robertson has poured decades of research into this sensational book, breathing new life into a story that has captivated the American psyche for over a century. An excellent read for fans of David Grann’s Killers of the Flower Moon and Michelle McNamara’s I’ll Be Gone in the Dark.” —Rachel Haisley, The King’s English Bookshop, Salt Lake City, UT

The Island of Sea Women: A Novel by Lisa See
(Scribner, 9781501154850, $27)
“Off the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island is home to generations of haenyo — women who take their living from both land and sea and call the shots in their matriarchal society. Young-sook and Mi-ja are best friends in the 1930s, learning to dive with their all-female collective while their island suffers under Japanese colonialism. Lisa See follows them as they grow up under Japanese rule, into WWII, to the Korean War and its devastating aftermath, and into the 21st century. The Island of Sea Women is not only a story of friendship found, lost, and found again, but also a richly detailed picture of a unique culture of women in a world spinning out of control. Amazing detail and presence.” —Janet Rhodes, BookPeople of Moscow, Moscow, ID

The March 2019 Indie Next List “Now in Paperback”

Don’t Skip Out on Me: A Novel by Willy Vlautin
(Harper Perennial, 9780062684479, $15.99)
Recommended in hardcover by Patrick Millikin, The Poisoned Pen Bookstore, Scottsdale, AZ

Eat the Apple: A Memoir by Matt Young
(Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781632869517, $16)
Recommended in hardcover by Aubrey Winkler, Powell’s Books, Portland, OR

The Immortalists: A Novel by Chloe Benjamin
(G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 9780735215092, $16)
Recommended in hardcover by Erika VanDam, RoscoeBooks, Chicago, IL

The Italian Teacher: A Novel by Tom Rachman
(Penguin Books, 9780735222700, $16)
Recommended in hardcover by Laura Tischler, Solid State Books, Washington, D.C.

Lying in Wait: A Novel by Liz Nugent
(Gallery/Scout Press, 9781501178474, $16)
Recommended in hardcover by Pamela Klinger-Horn, Excelsior Bay Books, Excelsior, MN

MEM: A Novel by Bethany C. Morrow
(The Unnamed Press/IPS, 9781944700867, $15.99)
Recommended in hardcover by Hannah Oliver Depp, formerly of WORD, Brooklyn, NY

Mr. Flood’s Last Resort: A Novel by Jess Kidd
(Washington Square Press, 9781501180644, $16.99)
Recommended in hardcover by Kathi Kirby, Powell’s Books, Portland, OR

The Only Story: A Novel by Julian Barnes
(Vintage, 9780525563068, $16)
Recommended in hardcover by Danielle Bauter, Laguna Beach Books, Laguna Beach, CA

A Place for Us: A Novel by Fatima Farheen Mirza
(SJP for Hogarth, 9781524763565, $17)
Recommended in hardcover by Stan Hynds, Northshire Bookstore, Manchester Center, VT

Speak No Evil: A Novel by Uzodinma Iweala
(Harper Perennial, 9780061284939, $15.99)
Recommended in hardcover by Jill Zimmerman, Literati Bookstore, Ann Arbor, MI

The Woman in the Window: A Novel by A.J. Finn
(William Morrow Paperbacks, 9780062678423, $16.99)
Recommended in hardcover by Whitney Spotts, Schuler Books & Music, Grand Rapids, MI

The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote by Elaine Weiss
(Penguin Books, 9780143128991, $18)
Recommended in hardcover by Lisa Wright, Oblong Books and Music, Millerton, NY