The April 2025 Indie Next List Preview

Here are the 25 Indie Next List and 6 Now in Paperback picks on the April 2025 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 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: Tilt: A Novel (Indies Introduce)
By Emma Pattee
(S&S/Marysue Rucci Books, 9781668055472, $27.99, Mar. 25, Fiction)
“Pattee takes us inside the mind of soon-to-be mother Annie in her attempt to reunite with her husband after a huge earthquake. Tilt poses imperative questions about our nature as individuals and collectively in the face of societal collapse.”
—Aubrey Winkler, Powell's Books, Portland, OR

The Sirens: A Novel
By Emilia Hart
(St. Martin’s Press, 9781250280824, $29, Apr. 1, Fiction)
“Somehow, Hart engages readers with both a contemporary mystery and an atmospheric historical imagining. The two narratives are expertly written and woven in a story that’s both unlike any other yet resonates as familiar. It’s literary magic!”
—Jen Wills Geraedts, Beagle and Wolf Books & Bindery, Park Rapids, MN

Audition: A Novel
By Katie Kitamura
(Riverhead Books, 9780593852323, $28, Apr. 8, Fiction)
“This novel is strange and beguiling, with an actress at the center of the novel and play that will constantly shift your perspective of what is real or not. Who is she really, and what role do other people play in our lives?”
—Keith Vient, Politics and Prose Bookstore, Washington, DC

Wild and Wrangled: A Rebel Blue Ranch Novel
By Lyla Sage
(Dial Press Trade Paperback, 9780593732472, $17.99, Paperback, Apr. 15, Romance)
“I have been so eager for Dusty and Cam’s story, and this delivered the perfect ending to the series. Dusty is the definition of the perfect man written by a woman, and witnessing their relationship finally come to fruition was worth the wait.”
—Amy Dickinson, Book Ends Winchester, Winchester, MA

Say You’ll Remember Me
By Abby Jimenez
(Forever, 9781538759196, $28, Apr. 1, Romance)
“Once again, Abby Jimenez brings us a love story we can root for. There’s always something more to her romances than just the romance. Jimenez puts just as much care and thought into the rest of the story, giving the reader so much more to savor.”
—Layne Van Boxtel, Reads by the River, Waterford, WI

Heartwood: A Novel
By Amity Gaige
(Simon & Schuster, 9781668063606, $28.99, Apr. 1, Fiction)
“Heartwood is a mesmerizing novel that captures the precariousness of being alive. The story centers on 42-year-old Valerie who gets lost in the Maine Woods while hiking the Appalachian Trail and those invested in the search to find her.”
—Shelby Newsome, Curious Iguana, Frederick, MD

The Story She Left Behind: A Novel
By Patti Callahan Henry
(Atria Books, 9781668011874, $29.99, Hardcover; 9781668023150, $18.99, Paperback, Mar. 18, Historical Fiction)
“The Story She Left Behind transports us across the Atlantic along with these characters. Patti Callahan Henry’s gorgeous writing grips our hearts and won’t let go as she weaves a story of mothers and daughters full of mystery and imagination.”
—Theresa Decker, Book Love the Bookshop of Senoia, Senoia, GA

I See You’ve Called in Dead
By John Kenney
(Zibby Publishing, 9798989923014, $27.99, Apr. 1, Fiction)
“John Kenney’s coming-of-age novel is the story of an obituary writer who accidently publishes his own obituary, one inebriated night — but he’s not dead. Readers will laugh out loud, cry, and love each and every character.”
—Eve Taben, Elm Street Books, New Canaan, CT

When the Moon Hits Your Eye
By John Scalzi
(Tor Books, 9780765389091, $29.99, Mar. 25, Science Fiction)
“Ah, the Moon: inspiration for poets, light for lovers, our waxing and waning companion. Well, now it’s made of cheese, and humanity has to cope. A sprawling cast come to terms with this new reality in Scalzi’s thoroughly entertaining new novel.”
—Stephen Allen, Forever Books, St. Joseph, MI

Murder by Memory
By Olivia Waite
(Tordotcom, 9781250342249, $21.99, Mar. 18, Science Fiction)
“This was fabulous! It was such a delight to read a murder mystery with a unique setting; I am begging for more of this world. This book is for the readers who love a classic murder mystery, yet want a fresh and vivid story.”
—CoriAnn Theroux, The Green Dragon Bookshop, Fort Dodge, IA

Hot Air: A Novel
By Marcy Dermansky
(Knopf, 9780593320907, $27, Mar. 18, Fiction)
“Hot Air is a delicious read — smart, funny, quirky, and unpredictable. While you’re gobbling up the plot, it sneakily brings up issues of class, parenting, and marriage. Take it with you on spring break — it’ll be right at home poolside with you.”
—Kathryn Counsell, Watchung Booksellers, Montclair, NJ

Bad Nature: A Novel
By Ariel Courage
(Henry Holt and Co., 9781250360885, $28.99, Apr. 1, Fiction)
“After being diagnosed with a terminal illness, Hester embarks on a road trip to carry out one final task before she dies: killing her father. She finds herself traveling with a passionate activist investigating superfund sites across the US.”
—Kyle Churman, Werner Books, Erie, PA

The Paris Express: A Novel
By Emma Donoghue
(S&S/Summit Books, 9781668082799, $26.99, Mar. 18, Historical Fiction)
“What a cast of characters! A 21-year-old anarchist armed with a bomb; a 7 ½-year-old boy traveling alone; a heavily pregnant young, unmarried woman; rich, poor, old, young, Black, white — it’s 1895 on the train to Montmartre. I loved it!”
—Carol Katsoulis, Anderson’s Bookshops, Naperville, IL

The Hymn to Dionysus
By Natasha Pulley
(Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781639732364, $30.99, Mar. 18, Historical Fiction)
“This isn’t your typical myth retelling — Pulley sets an ominous tone, perfectly complementing the story’s intrigue and intensity. It brims with monsters, mystery, and vivid, haunting imagery. An unforgettable reimagining.”
—Dave Suiter, pages: a bookstore, Manhattan Beach, CA

Sky Daddy: A Novel
By Kate Folk
(Random House, 9780593231494, $29, Apr. 8, Fiction)
“Did you ever want to read a book about a woman who is irresistibly sexually attracted to commercial jetliners? Me neither, but I did. It was delightful. Twisted, hilarious, and beautiful. Come for the absurdity; stay for the tenderness.”
—Chantel McCray, Rainy Day Books, Fairway, KS

Murder at Gulls Nest: A Novel
By Jess Kidd
(Atria Books, 9781668034033, $28.99, Apr. 8, Mystery)
“Jess Kidd is an absolute magician of storytelling. Be prepared to be caught under her spell with this atmospheric and cozy new mystery. Brew yourself a cuppa and dig in!”
—Christina Heagney, Country Bookshelf, Bozeman, MT

Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One: A Novel
By Kristen Arnett
(Riverhead Books, 9780593719770, $28, Mar. 18, Fiction)
“As a central Floridian myself, this book feels like home. It’s an homage to our weird, wonderful (yet often unwelcoming) state and the beautiful queer people who live here. I laughed, I teared up, and I now want to go on a deep dive into clown culture.”
—Rayna Dunlop, Fern & Fable Books, Ormond Beach, FL

O Sinners!: A Novel
By Nicole Cuffy
(One World, 9780593597446, $28, Mar. 18, Fiction)
“A beautiful novel that seamlessly weaves together themes of trauma, belonging, and belief. The underlying eeriness and sense of paranoia throughout are gripping, and the thought-provoking questions raised offer plenty to discuss.”
—Maggie Shaw, Honest Dog Books, Bayfield, WI

The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne
By Ron Currie
(G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 9780593851661, $29, Mar. 25, Thriller)
“Currie gives us an antiheroine for the ages — a sort of Mainer Grandma Tony Soprano — and the saga of her matriarchal crime family which mixes blood, levity, and heart like a perfect martini.”
—Jonathan Hawpe, Carmichael's Bookstore, Louisville, KY

Sour Cherry: A Novel
By Natalia Theodoridou
(Tin House Books, 9781963108194, $17.95, Paperback, Apr. 1, Fiction)
“An outstanding debut! A retelling of Bluebeard that gives voice to the victims of a cruel man and curse. Theodoridou unlocks the door and takes you over the threshold to an ever-growing number of horrors with gorgeous writing.”
—Nikki Siclare, Newtonville Books, Newton Centre, MA

This Book Will Bury Me: A Novel
By Ashley Winstead
(Sourcebooks Landmark, 9781728270005, $27.99, Mar. 25, Thriller)
“Jane is depressed and suffering from the loss of her father. She ends up in true crime forums where she quickly becomes immersed. What seems like an easy way to pass the time is anything but safe. This is one of the best suspense books I’ve read this year.”
—Jackie Willey, Fiction Addiction, Greenville, SC

Killer Potential: A Novel
By Hannah Deitch
(William Morrow, 9780063356481, $28.99, Mar. 18, Fiction)
“An SAT tutor stumbles upon a brutal murder, immediately becomes the prime suspect, and embarks on a wild cross-country ride with a mysterious, alluring woman found at the scene. Staying one step ahead of the law requires guts, brains, and trust.”
—Mike Hare, Northshire Bookstore, Saratoga Springs, NY

Hunchback: A Novel
By Saou Ichikawa, Polly Barton (Transl.)
(Hogarth, 9780593734711, $22, Mar. 18, Fiction)
“Saou Ichikawa makes disability visible in Japan. This book shakes you to the core and takes you on an unforgettable journey. A portrait of what it’s like to live with disability and what it’s like to be a strong woman who makes her own decisions.”
—Rosita Georgiades, City of Asylum Bookstore, Pittsburgh, PA

The Night Trembles: A Novel
By Nadia Terranova, Ann Goldstein (Transl.)
(Seven Stories Press, 9781644214091, $26.95, Apr. 1, Fiction)
“A gripping account of two strangers navigating a new world in the wake of an unfathomable natural disaster. Nicola and Barbara are brilliantly rendered, each grappling with the lives they had before the earthquake and uncovering what’s possible.”
—Emily Tarr, Thank You Books, Birmingham, AL

Worthy of the Event: An Essay
By Vivian Blaxell
(LittlePuss Press, 9781964322995, $19.95, Paperback, Apr. 1, Essay)
“As trans people, we know the spaces that open up to us when we decide to live in the world on our own terms. Blaxell’s essays bring us her invaluable and deeply generous thinking on how we become worthy of the life and the world that she clearly loves so much.”
—Ren Dean, Skunk Cabbage Books, Chicago, IL

The 6 Now in Paperback Titles

Annie Bot: A Novel
By Sierra Greer
(Mariner Books, 9780063312708, $18.99, Mar. 25, Fiction)
“Annie is an AI-enabled sex doll that learns from her mistakes to please humans. What happens when her intelligence turns inward?  A novel about power, intimacy, artificial intelligence, and an imperfect relationship under patriarchy.”
—Jennifer Carney, Sidetrack Bookshop, Royal Oak, MI

Every Drop Is a Man’s Nightmare: Stories (Indies Introduce)
By Megan Kamalei Kakimoto
(Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781639734634, $17.99, Apr. 8, Short Stories)
“Overflowing with female sexuality and Hawaiian mythology, Every Drop is a Man’s Nightmare punches out one fearless story after the next. Kakimoto gives us a raw Hawai'i, one that exists far from the colonized romanticism often promoted.”
—Beth Shapiro, Skylark Bookshop, Columbia, MO

Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel
By Bonnie Garmus
(Vintage, 9780593314487, $19, Apr. 1, 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

Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade: A Novel
By Janet Skeslien Charles
(Atria Books, 9781668008997, $18.99, Apr. 1, Historical Fiction)
“As a female Army combat veteran, I know all too well how women’s contributions get forgotten. Follow ‘Kit’ Carson as she and women from all walks of life bring hope and books to families devastated by the German occupation of France in WWI.”
—Casey Luke, The Book Shoppe, Boone, IA

A Short Walk Through a Wide World: A Novel
By Douglas Westerbeke
(Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster, 9781668026076, $18.99, Apr. 1, Fiction)
“A Short Walk Through a Wide World is an epic novel charting the adventurous journey of one woman trying to outrun a mysterious curse. Douglas Westerbeke’s debut captures the imagination. A dazzling read!”
—Linda Kass, Gramercy Books, Bexley, OH

Tom Lake: A Novel
By Ann Patchett
(Harper Perennial, 9780063327535, $19, Apr. 1, Fiction)
“This is a story of love for family, of past passions and people once loved, and their continuing influence on the present. With Ann Patchett’s wit and wryness finely tuned, Tom Lake is the perfect book for a summer weekend read.”
—Jenny Stroyeck, The Homer Bookstore, Homer, AK