The November Indie Next List Preview

Here are the 25 Indie Next List and 6 Now in Paperback picks on the November 2021 Indie Next List flier.

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

The 25 Indie Next Great Reads for November

#1 Pick: The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven: A Novel
By Nathaniel Ian Miller
(Little, Brown and Company, 9780316592550, $28, Oct. 26, Fiction)
“Wow, what a book. The world and the characters grow together. In a bleak, unforgiving landscape, Sven is able to discover found family and grow as a person, while offering hard-won insights about human nature that’ll leave you breathless.”
—Jessica Williams-Sullivan, Politics and Prose Bookstore, Washington, DC

Five Tuesdays in Winter: Stories
By Lily King
(Grove Press, 9780802158765, $27, Nov. 7, Short Stories)
“I was hooked from the first delightful and strange story in this new collection by the brilliant Lily King. Her focus is razor sharp and her storytelling pierces the heart. A great follow up to Writers & Lovers.”
—Jamie Southern, Bookmarks, Winston-Salem, NC

Oh William!: A Novel
By Elizabeth Strout
(Random House, 9780812989434, $27, Oct. 19, Fiction)
“With sparse and familiar prose, Elizabeth Strout tells the story of Lucy’s ex-husband, William, as he navigates late-in-life changes, revealing deeper truths about how past and present combine to make us who we are. A wonderful novel.”
—Courtney Flynn, Trident Booksellers & Cafe, Boston, MA

A Marvellous Light (The Last Binding #1)
By Freya Marske
(Tordotcom, 9781250788870, $27.99, Nov. 2, Fantasy)
“What could be better than a secret magical society in Edwardian England combined with mystery, intrigue, and romance? Turns out, nothing at all! Fans of Red, White & Royal Blue and Witchmark will absolutely enjoy this debut from Freya Marske.”
—Max Ruthless, Foggy Pine Books, Boone, NC

Nothing But Blackened Teeth: A Novella
By Cassandra Khaw
(Tor Nightfire, 9781250759412, $19.99, Oct. 19, Horror)
“This novella is not only scary but unsettling with a pace that will make you want to finish it in one sitting if you dare. The terrifying cover will stay with long after you’re through reading this Japanese folklore horror tale.”
—Stephanie Csaszar, Books Around the Corner, Gresham, OR

Once Upon a Wardrobe: A Novel
By Patti Callahan
(Harper Muse, 9780785251729, $24.99, Oct. 19, Fiction)
“About the transformative power of books, with touches of fairy tale magic, Once Upon a Wardrobe is for everyone who ever loved The Chronicles of Narnia and wants to make a return trip back into C.S. Lewis’ world.”
—Taylor Owens, Wilson Book Gallery, Wilson, WY

These Silent Woods: A Novel
By Kimi Cunningham Grant
(Minotaur Books, 9781250793393, $27.99, Oct. 26, Thriller)
“A father-daughter tale of survival at its core, These Silent Woods explores the themes of sacrifice, love, and grace with incredible expertise. I completely and absolutely loved it.”
—Shelby Roth, Naughty Dog Books, Nashville, IN

Still Life: A Novel
By Sarah Winman
(G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 9780593330753, $27, Nov. 2, Fiction)
“This is one of those books that captured my heart and would not let go — the characters will stay with you for a long time. A makeshift family story covering several decades is beautifully developed and oh so funny and tender.”
—Jude Sales, Readers’ Books, Sonoma, CA

I Hope This Finds You Well: Poems
By Kate Baer
(Harper Perennial, 9780063137998, $12, paperback, Nov. 9, Poetry)
“From weight loss solicitation emails to comments of appreciation to emails deriding her politics and her body, Baer uses these sources to create poems that pack a punch. A solid collection worth revisiting regularly.”
—Beth Bissmeyer, Carmichael’s Bookstore, Louisville, KY

Comfort Me With Apples: A Novella
By Catherynne M. Valente
(Tordotcom, 9781250816214, $17.99, Oct. 26, Fantasy)
“I raced through this novella in one sitting before bed and paid for it in my dreams, but the nightmares were worth it! Comfort Me With Apples reads like Angela Carter retelling the story of Adam and Eve: it’s lush, eerily off-kilter, sensual, and so, so creepy.”
—Lauren Peugh, The Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA

All Her Little Secrets: A Novel
By Wanda M. Morris
(William Morrow Paperbacks, 9780063082465, $16.99, paperback, Nov. 2, Mystery)
“This fast-paced legal thriller hooked me from page one. I so enjoyed having a kick-ass protagonist in a legal thriller that also touches on the challenges of Black women in the male dominated corporate law firm environment.”
—Lia Lent, WordsWorth Books, Little Rock, AR

All the Feels: A Novel
By Olivia Dade
(Avon, 9780063005587, $15.99, paperback, Oct. 26, Romance)
“A famous ‘troublesome’ actor is saddled by his showrunners with a minder to keep him out of trouble. But the more time they spend together, they less they want to be apart. This slow-burn romance will especially appeal to fans of nerdy pop culture.”
—Stefani Kelley, The Book Nook, Brenham, TX

The Perishing: A Novel
By Natashia Deón
(Counterpoint, 9781640093027, $26, Nov. 2, Historical Fiction)
“Reading The Perishing feels like falling through a shimmering kaleidoscope of stories that, when pieced together, tell the past, present, and future of an immortal soul. It makes me excited for the future of literature.”
—Caroline Barbee, Friendly City Books, Columbus, MS

Love in the Big City: A Novel (Indies Introduce)
By Sang Young Park, Anton Hur (Transl.)
(Grove Press, 9780802158789, $26, Nov. 9, Fiction)
“I’ve never read a book with a voice like Sang Young Park brings to this novel — young, queer, Korean — unafraid to tackle important issues while remaining funny, edgy, and approachable. I can’t wait to read whatever he writes next.”
—Adam Possehl, Powell’s Books, Portland, OR

Blue-Skinned Gods: A Novel
By SJ Sindu
(Soho Press, 9781641292429, $26, Nov. 2, Fiction)
“Kalki is said to be the tenth human incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu but, despite his blue skin, even he isn’t sure he believes it. A wholly original coming-of-age story told with warmth and compassion.”
—Audrey Beatty, River Bend Bookshop, Glastonbury, CT

A Line to Kill: A Novel
By Anthony Horowitz
(Harper, 9780062938169, $27.99, Oct. 19, Mystery)
“Another delightful romp, this time at a book festival on the island of Alderney with Anthony as himself alongside his detective friend, Daniel Hawthorne. Great read!”
—Stephanie Crowe, Page and Palette, Fairhope, AL

On Animals
By Susan Orlean
(Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster, 9781982181536, $28, Oct. 12, Nonfiction/Nature)
“Pick up On Animals and you’ll find yourself delighting in the fascinating world of donkeys, orca whales, dogs, and pigeons. A lifelong animal lover, Orlean has crafted essays that are beautifully written and frankly quite delightful.”
—Rachel Watkins, Avid Bookshop, Athens, GA

Death at Greenway: A Novel
By Lori Rader-Day
(William Morrow Paperbacks, 9780062938046, $16.99, paperback, Oct. 12, Mystery)
“Two women nurses escape wartime London to care for children evacuated to Greenway, the country home of Agatha Christie. But all is not idyllic, with murders, a disappearance, and seemingly healthy men dying in the nearby village. A mystery Mrs. Christie would have approved of.”
—Jane Simons, The Dog Eared Book, Palmyra, NY

Tales from the Café: A Novel
By Toshikazu Kawaguchi
(Hanover Square Press, 9781335630988, $19.99, Oct. 12, Fiction)
“These four interconnected sweet, simple, yet thought-provoking tales are as wonderful and life-affirming as those in Before the Coffee Gets Cold and make it the perfect companion piece.”
—Alana Haley, Schuler Books, Grand Rapids, MI

Our Country Friends: A Novel
By Gary Shteyngart
(Random House, 9781984855121, $28, Nov. 2, Fiction)
“Extraordinary. I love every word Shteyngart’s ever written, and this is his best novel by an upstate country mile. I said I never wanted to read a 2020 pandemic novel, but I was wrong. I needed to read one — this one.”
—Chris Lee, Boswell Book Company, Milwaukee, WI

Murder at Mallowan Hall: A Phyllida Bright Mystery
By Colleen Cambridge
(Kensington Publishing, 9781496732446, $26, Oct. 26, Mystery)
“A delightful murder mystery! Murder at Mallowan Hall felt like a combination of Clue; Upstairs, Downstairs; and of course Agatha Christie. I look forward to seeing what sleuthing Phyllida takes on next!”
—Stefanie Lynn, The Kennett Bookhouse, Kennett Square, PA

Pity the Beast: A Novel
By Robin McLean
(And Other Stories, 9781913505141, $25.95, Nov. 2, Fiction)
“An epic Western adventure that subverts any and all preconceived notions of the genre. McLean twists the sharpest edges of gender, philosophy, and the landscape itself into a compassionate meditation on what it means to survive.”
—Josie Smith, Madison Street Books, Chicago, IL

I Will Die in a Foreign Land: A Novel
By Kalani Pickhart
(Two Dollar Radio, 9781953387080, $25, Oct. 19, Fiction)
“Camera-eye perspective of the Ukraine Euromaidan protests — if John Dos Passos and John Reed joined Pussy Riot — rich, variegated characters, tense plot. A must read for anyone inclined toward world literature.”
—Conor Hultman, Square Books, Oxford, MS

The Interim: A Novel
By Wolfgang Hilbig, Isabel Fargo Cole (Transl.)
(Two Lines Press, 9781949641233, $22.95, Nov. 2, Fiction)
“A transcendent reading experience about a German culture cleaved in two, and a man trying to find his way through the middle. A masterpiece of one of European literature’s finest authors.”
—Matt Keliher, SubText Books, St. Paul, MN

Win Me Something: A Novel
By Kyle Lucia Wu
(Tin House Books, 9781951142735, $16.95, paperback, Nov. 2, Fiction)
“Such a thoughtful, gentle, totally immersive debut about a universally fascinating profession: nannying for the super-rich. Willa’s yearning to belong and find her footing in a world that frequently misunderstands and typecasts her reads as tender and true.”
—Kristen Iskandrian, Thank You Books, Birmingham, AL

The 6 Now in Paperback Titles

The Liar’s Dictionary: A Novel
By Eley Williams
(Anchor, 9780593311868, $16, Nov. 9, Fiction)
“The Liar’s Dictionary is an enormously charming novel about putting the world into words. Its two logophilic heroes, separated by a century, are unforgettable characters. You’ll be utterly transported by this playful and seriously funny book.”
—John Francisconi, McNally Jackson City Point, Brooklyn, NY

Memorial: A Novel
By Bryan Washington
(Riverhead Books, 9780593087282, $17, Oct. 26, Fiction)
“Washington’s writing is so intimate and direct that you feel the exhilaration, frustration, and uncertainty that Benson and Mike feel about their relationships, which inspires a heart-felt connection to these characters that is hard to find in the world during socially distant times.”
—Colleen Ellis, Lark and Owl Booksellers, Georgetown, TX

Moonflower Murders: A Novel
By Anthony Horowitz
(Harper Perennial, 9780062955463, $17, Nov. 9, Mystery)
“Moonflower Murders is a superlative, page-turning, cunning, book-within-a-book mystery chock full of clues, featuring the former editor Susan Ryeland from Magpie Murders. Terrifically engaging, smart, and fun, this book is practically impossible to put down.”
—Tova Beiser, Brown University Bookstore, Providence, RI

This Time Next Year We’ll Be Laughing: A Memoir
By Jacqueline Winspear
(Soho Press, 9781641292948, $16.95, Sept. 28, Memoir)
“Winspear’s memoir of an English country childhood is also a love letter to her parents, whose choices and outlook shaped her life. She paints a vivid picture of postwar England, and her story is engaging, vivid, and hopeful.”
—Scott Lange, The Bookman, Grand Haven, MI

A Thousand Ships: A Novel
By Natalie Haynes
(Harper Perennial, 9780063065406, $16.99, Oct. 19, Fiction)
“Through the perspective of women in various places and times during the Trojan War, Haynes constructs an epic collage that follows the warriors, refugees, oracles, muses, wives, and daughters of Troy, Greece, and beyond in one of the most famous conflicts in world history.”
—Cat Chapman, The Oxford Exchange, Tampa, FL

We Run the Tides: A Novel
By Vendela Vida
(Ecco, 9780062936240, $16.99, Oct. 12, Fiction)
“The story feels so familiar, yet full of unexpected twists and turns. I was immersed in the beautiful and tumultuous world of these girls on the brink of adulthood. A fun, mysterious, compelling, and ultimately profound novel about power, truth, and growing up.”
—Sarah Fischer, Downbound Books, Cincinnati, OH