The April 2022 Indie Next List Preview

Here are the 25 Indie Next List and 6 Now in Paperback picks on the April 2022 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: Sea of Tranquility: A Novel
By Emily St. John Mandel
(Knopf, 9780593321447, $25, Apr. 5, Fiction)
“A gem of a novel, spiraling out of place and time to shape our present hopes and anxieties into a story of peace and resilience. Mandel weaves effortlessly between historical and science fiction and is a master of immersive storytelling.”  
—Dan Brewster, Prologue Bookshop, Columbus, OH

Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel
By Bonnie Garmus
(Doubleday, 9780385547345, $29, Apr. 5, Fiction)
“Protagonist Elizabeth Zott's confrontations with 1960s patriarchy will resonate with women who lived it, but how she gets by while staying true to herself will inspire women of all ages. Read it — and give copies to all your friends!”
—Ellen Klein, Hooray for Books!, Alexandria, VA

The Candy House: A Novel
By Jennifer Egan
(Scribner, 9781476716763, $28, Apr. 5, Fiction)
“Egan weaves together these seemingly disparate characters and storylines into a stunning ending. The Candy House is about family, connection, legacy, technology, and so much more. It is her best work yet.”
—Ariana Paliobagis, Country Bookshelf, Bozeman, MT

Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives
By Mary Laura Philpott
(Atria Books, 9781982160784, $27, Apr. 12, Essays)
“I have so much love for Bomb Shelter, as a mom, a woman, an animal lover, and simply as a fellow human. I love Mary Laura’s humor and her compassionate and certain voice. I can’t wait to share this book with EVERYONE!”
—Sue Kowalski, The Bookstore of Glen Ellyn, Glen Ellyn, IL

Left on Tenth: A Second Chance at Life: A Memoir
By Delia Ephron
(Little, Brown and Company, 9780316267656, $29, Apr. 12, Memoir)
“Left on Tenth is prime Delia — honest, raw, generous — be it her husband’s death, a call with Verizon, or the long and painful journey through leukemia. She’s endured so much, but shares with remarkable humor and an overflowing heart.”
—Melanie Fleishman, Arcadia Books, Spring Green, WI

Easy Beauty: A Memoir
By Chloé Cooper Jones
(Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster, 9781982151997, $28, Apr. 5, Memoir)
“The subtitle ‘memoir’ doesn't do justice to this spectacular, sui generis meditation on art, disability, parenting, and travel. It's about more than memory — it's about living in the now and creating the future we want for our children.”
—Rebekah Shoaf, Boogie Down Books, Bronx, NY

The Sign for Home: A Novel (Indies Introduce)
By Blair Fell
(Atria/Emily Bestler Books, 9781982175955, $27, Apr. 5, Fiction)
“Unforgettable and completely unique! Fell illuminates DeafBlind life in Arlo Dilly, who will steal your heart as he journeys to experience life, independence, and to break free of those who having been holding him back. A must read!”
—Maxwell Gregory, Madison Street Books, Chicago, IL

Unlikely Animals: A Novel
By Annie Hartnett
(Ballantine Books, 9780593160220, $28, Apr. 12, Fiction)
“Small-town residents — dead, alive, missing, and four-pawed — are the heart of this unforgettable novel of Emma's quarter-life and family crises. Hartnett’s quirky humor makes dark stuff feel manageable, a skill we need these days.”
—Maggie Robe, Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill, NC

Let's Not Do That Again: A Novel
By Grant Ginder
(Henry Holt and Co., 9781250243775, $27.99, Apr. 5, Fiction)
“Politics, family dysfunction, drug addiction, bad behavior — what could possibly go wrong? This extremely readable novel about a New York City political family will grab you right away. The perfect antidote to today’s headlines.”
—Terry Gilman, Creating Conversations, Redondo Beach, CA

Time is a Mother
By Ocean Vuong
(Penguin Press, 9780593300237, $24, Apr. 5, Poetry)
“Ocean Vuong comes home in his second full-length collection, exploring grief, violence, masculinity and queer life in America. Whether shoveling snow, reversing time, or losing his mother, Vuong will crack you open and heal you.”
—Owen Elphick, Main Point Books, Wayne, PA

Young Mungo: A Novel
By Douglas Stuart
(Grove Press, 9780802159557, $27, Apr. 5, Fiction)
“A truly devastating story told in decadent, layered prose. You cannot help but to love and want the best for Mungo in the hyper-masculine, violent world he lives in. I want to protect these characters and their love with all that I have.”
—Mallory Melton, BookPeople, Austin, TX

Thin Places: A Natural History of Healing and Home (Indies Introduce)
By Kerri ní Dochartaigh
(Milkweed Editions, 9781571311955, $25, Apr. 12, Essays)
“Memoir and folklore weave together in this haunting story of a childhood unfolding during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, capturing a burning desire to find balance and peace. Superbly beautiful, raw, and heartbreaking writing.”
—BJ Hegedus, Postalworks Silver Lake, Los Angeles, CA

Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative
By Melissa Febos
(Catapult, 9781646220854, $16.95, paperback, Mar. 15, Nonfiction/Writing)
“This book is both a self-reflection piece and a tender yet valiant meditation on the power of writing. Anyone that approaches their work through an autoethnographic lens would benefit from tools Febos so kindly lends to us in Body Work.”
—Eden Hakimzadeh, The Oxford Exchange, Tampa, FL

Nine Lives: A Novel
By Peter Swanson
(William Morrow, 9780062980076, $27.99, Mar. 15, Thriller)
“It’s impossible to describe the experience of reading Nine Lives as anything other than edge-of-your-seat. Death truly lurks around every corner, around every page. It eats at the characters and it eats at you. Wicked fun.”
—Thatcher Svekis, DIESEL, A Bookstore, Santa Monica, CA

Memphis: A Novel
By Tara M. Stringfellow
(The Dial Press, 9780593230480, $27, Apr. 5, Fiction)
“Centering Black joy above all, Stringfellow’s life-affirming debut follows three generations of unforgettable women in a gifted but tested family. Readers will cry, laugh, and sing. I hope we read Stringfellow for a long, long time.”
—Katie Williamson, Square Books, Oxford, MS

The Kaiju Preservation Society: A Novel
By John Scalzi
(Tor Books, 9780765389121, $26.99, Mar. 15, Science Fiction)
“I giggle-snorted my way through this, then watched all of my favorite kaiju movies. This book will make you laugh in public and feed the hope that kaiju are secretly hiding somewhere (in an alternate dimension?!). This book is glorious!”
—Annie Carl, The Neverending Bookshop, Edmonds, WA

Four Treasures of the Sky: A Novel
By Jenny Tinghui Zhang
(Flatiron Books, 9781250811783, $27.99, Apr. 5, Fiction)
“A stunning debut! Four Treasures of the Sky is pointed, heartbreaking, and breathtakingly beautiful. Indisputably a masterpiece, and I am already looking forward to whatever journey Zhang wants to take us on next.”
—Kari Johnson, Shakespeare & Co., New York, NY

French Braid: A Novel
By Anne Tyler
(Knopf, 9780593321096, $27, Mar. 22, Fiction)
“When Serena Drew thinks she sees her cousin in the train station as she returns from her partner’s parents, she avoids him, setting off a cascade of questions. Anne Tyler reminds us that in families, the ripples are crimped in forever.”
—Kayleen Rohrer, InkLink Books, East Troy, WI

Disorientation: A Novel
By Elaine Hsieh Chou
(Penguin Press, 9780593298350, $28, Mar. 22, 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 Younger Wife: A Novel
By Sally Hepworth
(St. Martin's Press, 9781250229618, $28.99, Apr. 5, Thriller)
“Mothers, daughters, wives, and friends, secrets kept and revealed. I'm still dissecting and remembering these relationships days after reading. Part psychological page turner, part family drama — lean back and wonder with me.”
—Veronica Berkey, Fables Books, Goshen, IN

Sister Stardust: A Novel
By Jane Green
(Hanover Square Press, 9781335425782, $26.99, Apr. 5, Fiction)
“It’s the ‘60s. There is sex, drugs, and rock and roll, all beautifully written in lush detail by the incomparable Jane Green, who has crafted her first work of biographical fiction about the life of Talitha Getty. It is pure perfection.”
—Dallas Strawn, Litchfield Books, Pawleys Island, SC

The Cartographers: A Novel
By Peng Shepherd
(William Morrow, 9780062910691, $27.99, Mar. 15, 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

Take My Hand: A Novel
By Dolen Perkins-Valdez
(Berkley, 9780593337691, $27, Apr. 12, Historical Fiction)
“Dolen Perkins-Valdez has a gift. Take My Hand sheds light on the long history of forced sterilization of African American women and introduces the incredible Civil Townsend, whose compassion I see in Black women doctors in my own life.”
—Morgan Harding, Politics and Prose Bookstore, Washington, DC

Portrait of an Unknown Lady: A Novel
By María Gainza, Thomas Bunstead (Transl.)
(Catapult, 9781646220328, $24, Mar. 22, Mystery)
“This superb novel gives us María Gainza's singular storytelling talent. This time, a Buenos Aires art critic on the trail of a suspected master forger. More than one form of mystery unfolds and is revealed. Surprises abound.”
—Rick Simonson, The Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA

Reptile Memoirs: A Novel (Indies Introduce)
By Silje Ulstein, Alison McCullough (Transl.)
(Grove Press, 9780802158864, $27, Mar. 15, Thriller)
“This dark, twisty novel will snake into your thoughts and not let go. Multiple storylines ebb and flow, coming together to reveal shocking secrets that will change your perspective. This debut thriller set in Norway is not one to miss!”
—Katrina Bright-Yerges, Books & Company, Oconomowoc, WI

Thee 6 Now in Paperback Titles

Hollywood Park: A Memoir
By Mikel Jollett
(Celadon Books, 9781250621559, $17.99, Mar. 22, Memoir)
“In the specificity of his story, Mikel Jollett somehow makes space for all of us. This memoir is a raw balancing of the accounts that make up a self, and I have nothing but respect for Jollett’s vulnerability. It will turn you inside out.”
—Afton Montgomery, Tattered Cover Book Store, Denver, CO

Mary Jane: A Novel
By Jessica Anya Blau
(Mariner Books, 9780063052307, $16.99, Apr. 5, Fiction)
“Mary Jane is fourteen in 1975 and her summer job is full of surprises, spontaneity, and love as she is pulled into the family of the little girl she nannies. A sweet, funny story of self-discovery and belonging. This really hit home for me.”
—Courtney Boches, Reads & Company, Phoenixville, PA

Mother May I: A Novel
By Joshilyn Jackson
(William Morrow Paperbacks, 9780062855350, $16.99, Apr. 5, Thriller)
“Joshilyn Jackson’s Mother May I is a roller coaster, taking you to dramatic, earth-shaking highs before dropping your heart into your stomach on the lows. I quickly devoured this book but didn’t miss its poignant, timely message.”
—Beth Mynhier, Lake Forest Book Store, Lake Forest, IL

My Heart is a Chainsaw: A Novel
By Stephen Graham Jones
(Gallery/Saga Press, 9781982137649, $17.99, Mar. 29, Thriller)
“Jade isn’t the final girl; she doesn’t fit the requirements for a typical slasher flick. When her town becomes the setting for a real-life slasher case, she fills the role of wise woman to the appropriate final girl.”
—April Gosling, Boulder Book Store, Boulder, CO

What Comes After: A Novel
By JoAnne Tompkins
(Riverhead Books, 9780593086001, $17, Apr. 5, Fiction)
“Abandoned and homeless, a pregnant sixteen-year-old finds shelter in the home of a man who recently lost his son and his faith. What Comes After brims with feeling and is a poignant, redemptive story of loss and love. Keep tissues nearby.”
—Jane Simons, The Dog Eared Book, Palmyra, NY

While Justice Sleeps: A Novel
By Stacey Abrams
(Anchor, 9780593310939, $17, Apr. 12, Thriller)
“From the first pages, this novel from Stacey Abrams drew me into the world of the Supreme Court (and chess!) and the seedy underbelly of the U.S. government. This race through Washington, DC, contains a deeply satisfying ending.”
—Megan Birch-McMichael, The Silver Unicorn Bookstore, Acton, MA