The January 2022 Indie Next List Preview

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

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

The 25 January Indie Next List Picks 

#1 Pick- To Paradise: A Novel
By Hanya Yanagihara
(Doubleday, 9780385547932, $32.50, Jan. 11, Fiction)
“Expansive, wholly original, and utterly engrossing, To Paradise is a masterpiece. Fans of Yanagihara’s A Little Life will find themselves making a little more room in their hearts for this marvelous, emotional, and brilliant story.”
—Christine Bollow, Loyalty Bookstore, Washington, DC

Lost & Found: A Memoir
By Kathryn Schulz
(Random House, 9780525512462, $27, Jan. 11, Memoir)
“Schulz explores love, loss, and everything in between with empathy and nuance. A feat of pure brilliance that speaks directly to our humanity in these challenging times. It found me at a necessary moment, and I will always be grateful.”
—Lesley Rains, City of Asylum Bookstore, Pittsburgh, PA

The Maid: A Novel
By Nita Prose
(Ballantine Books, 9780593356159, $27, Jan. 4, Mystery)
“Very entertaining! Miss Marple meets The Rosie Project in this charming book about a hotel maid who sees the world a bit differently than many of us. Molly the maid and her cast of friends will bring a smile to your face!”
—Jenny Stroyeck, The Homer Bookstore, Homer, AK

Fiona and Jane
By Jean Chen Ho
(Viking, 9780593296042, $26, Jan. 4, Short Stories)
“Beautiful, intimate look at the evolving relationship of two complex women navigating their lives from youth into adulthood. Fierce and unsentimental, this one will stay with you!”
—Tova Beiser, Brown University Bookstore, Providence, RI

Olga Dies Dreaming: A Novel (Indies Introduce)
By Xochitl Gonzalez
(Flatiron Books, 9781250786173, $27.99, Jan. 4, Fiction)
“Get ready to root for Olga! I absolutely loved this book. It beautifully captures the Puerto Rican experience with humor and bravery. It felt like home and when a book feels like home, I can’t help but invite everyone over.”
—Rosa Hernandez, Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA

A Flicker in the Dark: A Novel
By Stacy Willingham
(Minotaur Books, 9781250803825, $27.99, Jan. 11, Thriller)
“This twisty thriller kept me reading late into the night! It keeps you guessing up until the very end of this cat-and-mouse game, where monsters and unsettling memories lurk in every corner — who can be trusted? Utterly captivating!”
—Maxwell Gregory, Madison Street Books, Chicago, IL

The School for Good Mothers: A Novel
By Jessamine Chan
(Simon & Schuster, 9781982156121, $27, Jan. 4, Fiction)
“A mother leaves her toddler alone for hours and pays the price for the rest of her life. Chan took me from being a judgmental spectator to understanding how the system is stacked against mothers. A Handmaid’s Tale and 1984 for Generation Z.”
—Cathy Fiebach, Main Point Books, Wayne, PA

Mouth to Mouth: A Novel
By Antoine Wilson
(Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster, 9781982181802, $26, Jan. 11, Fiction)
“I loved this suspenseful novel, these mysterious characters. Wilson has created a situation worthy of Hitchcock or Highsmith. Mouth to Mouth asks if we can ever know the truth about those we love, or ourselves.”
—Adam Possehl, Powell’s Books, Portland, OR

Small World: A Novel
By Jonathan Evison
(Dutton, 9780593184127, $28, Jan. 11, Fiction)
“From the Gold Rush with Chinese, Irish, and Native Americans among the protagonists, Evison alternates time — work on the rails to Amtrak, gold panning to modern West Coast life — tying generations together in a splendid sleight of hand.”
—Pat Rutledge, A Book For All Seasons, Leavenworth, WA

Brown Girls: A Novel (Indies Introduce)
By Daphne Palasi Andreades
(Random House, 9780593243428, $24, Jan. 4, Fiction)
“What an achievement this book is. Andreades gives the reader a glimpse into the lives of a tight-knit group of girls who are first-generation Americans growing up in Queens. Their stories announce the arrival of a major new talent.”
—Cody Morrison, Square Books, Oxford, MS

The Last House on the Street: A Novel
By Diane Chamberlain
(St. Martin’s Press, 9781250267962, $27.99, Jan. 11, Fiction)
“This bucolic neighborhood may look like a slice of paradise, but Round Hill hides a dark history.  Chamberlain masterfully weaves two narratives together to craft a work of both white-knuckle suspense and historical fiction.”
—Pamela Klinger-Horn, Valley Bookseller, Stillwater, MN

Honor: A Novel
By Thrity Umrigar
(Algonquin Books, 9781616209957, $26.95, Jan. 4, Fiction)
“A powerful, compelling story with an honor killing central to the plot set in modern India. The characters’ stories will live on long after reading. A heart-wrenching novel, with hope, romance, redemption, and plenty of plot twists.”
—Liz Welter, Novel Bay Booksellers, Sturgeon Bay, WI

High-Risk Homosexual: A Memoir (Indies Introduce)
By Edgar Gomez
(Soft Skull, 9781593767051, $16.95, paperback, Jan. 11, Memoir)
“I was shocked at how fast I read this book! It was heartbreaking and inspiring, and it felt brutally honest. One of the best coming out stories I’ve read. I hope Edgar Gomez keeps writing, because I want to keep reading.”
—Kerry Mayer, Auntie’s Bookstore, Spokane, WA

Reckless Girls: A Novel
By Rachel Hawkins
(St. Martin’s Press, 9781250274250, $27.99, Jan. 4, Thriller)
“A tropical murder mystery perfect for mid-winter reading, this book is set on a sinister island in the Pacific, packed with Hawkins’ wonderfully gritty characters, and a murderer amongst them. I devoured this one.”
—Samantha Ladwig, Imprint Bookstore, Port Townsend, WA

No Land to Light On: A Novel
By Yara Zgheib
(Atria Books, 9781982187422, $26, Jan. 4, Fiction)
“Wow. How to find words that convey just how beautifully written and heartbreaking this novel is. I held the book close to my chest as I read it slowly, taking time to absorb each chapter. This book needs to be read, loved, and shared broadly.”
—Stefanie Lynn, The Kennett Bookhouse, Kennett Square, PA

This Boy We Made: A Memoir of Motherhood, Genetics, and Facing the Unknown
By Taylor Harris
(Catapult, 9781948226844, $26, Jan. 11, Memoir)
“This book is heart-wrenching. I couldn’t put it down. As a mother I was absolutely enveloped in the author’s journey through this incredibly difficult time. I was in awe of her grace in dealing with what life continued to throw at her.”
—Rayna Nielsen, Blue Cypress Books, New Orleans, LA

Seasonal Work: Stories
By Laura Lippman
(William Morrow, 9780063000032, $26.99, Jan. 4, Short Stories/Mystery)
“What is there to say about a new Laura Lippman story collection except for: More, please! Each tale is a gem, and Tess Monaghan makes a couple of appearances. Laura Lippman knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men…and women.”
—Susan Taylor, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, NY

The Starless Crown
By James Rollins
(Tor Books, 9781250816771, $28.99, Jan. 4, Fantasy)
“A captivating page-turner of impressive world-building and layered characters pits religious extremism against science; morally gray heroes against youthful innocence; and a mismatched squad trying to stop the end of their world.”
—Ashleigh Howland, Wellesley Books, Wellesley, MA

Wahala: A Novel
By Nikki May
(Custom House, 9780063084247, $27.99, Jan. 11, Fiction)
“Wahala offers a fresh, suspenseful, and insightful exploration of the darker complexities of friendship, romance, and ambition from the perspectives of three Anglo-Nigerian women.”
—Alyssa Raymond, Copper Dog Books, Beverly, MA

Beautiful Little Fools: A Novel
By Jillian Cantor
(Harper Perennial, 9780063051263, $16.99, paperback, Jan. 4, Fiction)
“I love the book and its deliciously vivid characters that retell the Gatsby story. I think it should come with a warning though: Readers Beware: This book is impossible to put down.”
—Susan Lang, Peregrine Book Company, Prescott, AZ

The Latinist: A Novel
By Mark Prins
(W. W. Norton & Company, 9780393541274, $26.95. Jan. 4, Thriller)
“Despite the title and the focus on a second-century Roman poet and Latin, this novel is very readable, and I found myself staying up late to finish the last half of the book! An excellent debut!”
—Lee Cornell, Beagle and Wolf Books & Bindery, Park Rapids, MN

None But the Righteous: A Novel
By Chantal James
(Counterpoint, 9781640094598, $26, Jan. 11, Fiction)
“Told from the perspective of a wandering soul, None But the Righteous is an innovative and fascinating book about a young Black man who has been displaced by Hurricane Katrina.”
—Margaret Leonard, Dotters Books, Eau Claire, WI

Bibliolepsy: A Novel
By Gina Apostol
(Soho Press, 9781641292511, $26, Jan. 4, Fiction)
“A book lover’s dream filled with hilarity, poetry, and rampant bibliophilia — or, as she calls it, bibliolepsy.”
—Jeff Sjerven, Left Bank Books, St. Louis, MO

Go Back at Once
By Robert Aickman
(And Other Stories, 9781913505202, $17.95, paperback, Jan. 11, Fiction)
“With brilliant dialogue and oblivious schlepping, à la Stoppard’s Guildenstern and Rosencrantz, Aickman’s two hilarious ladies-in-waiting wander through the horrors of war, men of all disastrousies, and political upheaval unfazed.”
—Ian McCord, Avid Bookshop, Athens, GA

I Came All This Way to Meet You: Writing Myself Home
By Jami Attenberg
(Ecco, 9780063039797, $27.99, Jan. 11, Memoir)
“I love this book for its honesty about the ups and downs of the writing life, and the self-discovery that comes with telling the truth. Writers and aspiring writers of all ages will adore it. Jami Attenberg has earned her wisdom, and is generous to share it in this book.”
—Emma Fusco-Straub, Books Are Magic, Brooklyn, NY

The 6 Now in Paperback Titles

The Bad Muslim Discount: A Novel

By Syed M. Masood
(Anchor, 9781984897411, $17, Jan. 11, Fiction)
“I loved it so much! An insightful, funny novel about faith, family, and being a Muslim American today. Masood offers a sharp perspective, seamless style, and unforgettable characters, leaving the reader enriched for the experience.”
—Claire Benedict, Bear Pond Books, Montpelier, VT

Better Luck Next Time: A Novel
By Julia Claiborne Johnson
(Custom House, 9780062916389, $16.99, Jan. 11, Fiction)
“Johnson’s latest has all the heart and soul of Be Frank With Me, with a retro setting at a divorce ranch in Reno during the Great Depression. Funny, heartwarming, a rollicking, all-around good read? Check! Do yourself a favor and read it.”
—Susan Taylor, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, NY

A Crooked Tree: A Novel
By Una Mannion
(Harper Perennial, 9780063049833, $16.99, Jan. 4, Fiction)
“A delicately woven story of a single mother’s bad decision to kick one of her children out of the car miles from home, and how that decision affects an entire network of friends. Gorgeously told, it hardly seems the work of a debut novelist.”
—Mary O’Malley, Skylark Bookshop, Columbia, MO

Hades, Argentina: A Novel
By Daniel Loedel
(Riverhead Books, 9780593188651, $17, Jan. 11, Fiction)
“Tender and politically evocative; a beautiful portrait of grief and reflection. Loedel has created a breathtaking debut that examines the complexities of love and the way memories betray us. This book will stay with me for a long time.”
—Cristina Rodriguez, Deep Vellum Books, Dallas, TX

Mirrorland: A Novel
By Carole Johnstone
(Scribner, 9781982136369, $17, Jan. 4, Thriller)
“You will tie yourself in knots figuring out what’s happening in this story of two sisters growing up with different stories attached to the games they play, stories that take on a life of their own years later as buried memories arise.”
—Pete Mock, McIntyre’s Fine Books, Pittsboro, NC

Raft of Stars: A Novel
By Andrew J. Graff
(Ecco, 9780063031913, $16.99, Jan. 11, Fiction)
“Believing they are murderers, two young boys go on the run in northern Wisconsin. As the adults set out to find them, questions of guilt, hope, and the future come to the surface in a setting that is real enough to feel, touch, and smell.”
—Betsy Von Kerens, The Bookworm of Omaha, Omaha, NE