The Indie Next List

“Highly recommend the audiobook. It’s like being in a room with the characters telling you what it was like being in a 70’s Rock ‘n Roll band. (The books’s format is like reading a documentary script.)”

“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.”

“Nina is a teenaged girl in Siberia who runs away from her abusive father and ends up being one of the night witches in an all-woman bomber squadron in the Russian air force. Ian is a battle worn world renowned journalist who has put up his pen in order to hunt Nazi war criminals, especially The Huntress who murdered his young brother. Jordan is a teenager in Boston in 1950 who has fallen in love with photography and one day hopes to travel the world as a photo journalist. Nina, Ian and Jordan, who you will get to know intimately, are the heart of one of the best novels of historical fiction I have read in years. Their very individual voices were enhanced by listening to the audio version. From Russia and the little known story of one of the most successful bombing squadrons, to post war Boston where no one wants to be reminded of the war, you will be mesmerized by the stories of how the war and its aftermath affected those in it and around it. Quinn weaves their stories intricately together as they all end up in Boston on the trail of The Huntress. It is a thriller, a piece of history and a love story all combined into one book that you don’t want to miss.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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?”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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 discussion of the circumstances surrounding the incident and Lizzie's 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.”

“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.”

“Stephanie Land’s Maid is a must-read of the highest order, a memoir of a single mother struggling to survive while performing the household labor that many of us take for granted. While at once deeply personal — you’ll fall hard for Stephanie and her daughter, Mia — it is also essential social commentary about how we treat the myriad domestic laborers who toil in our homes, oftentimes unseen and unappreciated. Read it alongside Nickel and Dimed or Evicted for a stunning, unforgettable look at American poverty and determination.”

“This is unlike any other book I've read lately. All four characters are so vivid in my mind that it feels like we were all in the Volvo together and maybe my cardboard box was in among theirs.”

“This monument to A Tribe Called Quest is constructed with the perfect combination of history, memoir, and sentiment. Go Ahead in the Rain is an accurate, honest documentation of the band, their music, and the time. Abdurraqib describes one particular lyrical style as ‘the words bleeding into each other until the language itself becomes an instrument.’ These words could also be said of his book. Brilliantly entertaining, informative, and self-reflective. This is essential reading.”