Indie Next List

What is the Indie Next List?

The Indie Next List is your next great read! This monthly list features the top nominations from independent booksellers across the country, showcasing the best of the best debuts and new releases in all categories and genres.

Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt: A Novel

Ben Reeves (Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster)

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“(Indies Introduce) Unique, heartbreaking, and profound. This novel broke me in half but left me with immense gratitude for life, even for the toughest of times. You will want to share this with everyone you know.”

— Barb Rascon, Page 158 Books, Wake Forest, NC

Indie Next List Inspired Recommendations from Indie Booksellers

Country People: A Novel

By Daniel Mason

Random House

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“Entering the magical world of Daniel Mason is discovering the most perfect illustration of literature. The characters are quirky, the plot is inventive, and the landscape defies convention. Loved every page from beginning to end.” — Mary McBride, Monstera's Books, Overland Park, KS

The Shampoo Effect: A Novel

By Jenny Jackson

Pamela Dorman Books

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“This is a juicy and fun summer read, but it also has wonderful depth of character and a truly thoughtful exploration of what happens to a tight-knight group of friends as they reassess their lives, negotiate adulthood, and raise their own kids.” — Debra Ginsberg, DIESEL, A Bookstore, Santa Monica, CA

A Real Animal: A Novel

By Emeline Atwood

Catapult

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“(Indies Introduce) This novel follows Lucy as she navigates her twenties in the aftermath of an assault. Her journey is raw and unflinching, capturing the complexity of trauma and its effects on every aspect of her life, but particularly her relationships. Unsettling, powerful, and unlike anything I’ve read before.” — Katherine Czyzewski, Thunder Road Books, Spring Lake, NJ

In Stormy Weather: A Novel

By Chelsea Curto

Atria Books

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“A super swoony and sexy romance between two rival meteorologists, plus a best friend's brother? Say less! If you love banter and rivals-to-lovers, In Stormy Weather is the perfect summer romance for you!” — Claire McWhorter, River & Hill Books, Rome, GA

Tata

By Valérie Perrin, Hildegarde Serle

Europa Editions

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“An absolutely gorgeous read. Perrin's writing quietly wraps its arms around you, and before you know it, you are embracing her back. Take this book on vacation or give yourself a week to be fully immersed in this story.” — Danielle Glasky, Long Story Books, Atlanta, GA

It Could Have Been Her: A Novel

By Lisa Jewell

Atria Books

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“WOW. In perfect Lisa Jewell fashion, this book read like a storm: it started off with a vague swirling that got tighter and tighter, ultimately reaching a thrilling conclusion. The characters and imagery leapt off the pages.” — Kelly Blazo, 2 Dandelions Bookshop, Brighton, MI

The Romance Revival

By Christina Lauren

Gallery Books

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“Emery is given the chance to save her husband Luca's life, and their marriage, after an accident. Combining a sweet and spicy romance with a science fiction thriller, this will keep you turning the pages!” — Melissa Law, Mostly Books (AZ), Tucson, AZ

The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy (Dearly Beloathed #2)

By Brigitte Knightley

Ace

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“For fear of waxing rhapsodic, I'll simply say I LOVED the second part of this story. The overarching world and plot, the romance, the yearning, the fight scenes, the adventure — this book was magic!” — Destinee Hodge, East City Bookshop, Washington, DC

Hot Girl Murder Club: A Novel

By Ashley Winstead

Minotaur Books

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“If you’re into detectives and the underbelly of the Hollywood elite, this is a fun dual timeline thriller that keeps you hooked. Winstead’s prose is top-notch, and it helps bring the settings and characters to life.” — Jeff Morse, Partners in Crime Bookshop, Chicago, IL

Fabulous Bodies

By Chuck Tingle

Tor Nightfire

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“Gruesome, intelligent, and full of biting commentary about parasocial relationships with celebrities, clout and wealth chasing, social media influencing, body image and how self absorbed we can be when we limit our world to what’s on our phones.” — Jennifer Tidwell, Favorites Bookstore, Batesville, MS

Tropesick: A Novel

By Lauren Okie

Avon

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“Tropesick was a beautiful and tortured second-chance romance with a healthy balance of new beginnings, past traumas, and a dash of magic. Okie solidified herself as a voice in romance that demands to be heard.” — Kristina Muffoletto, Afterglow Books, Buffalo, NY

Helpless: A Novel

By Jessica Knoll

Scribner

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“Helpless was a wild ride in the best way. The story has it all — reuniting with the one that got away, kidnapping, murder, and Hollywood! I was hooked from the first few pages and stayed up way too late to finish.” — Courtney Hyzer, Wonderland Bookshop, Shorewood, WI

The Death Row Club

By V. A. Vazquez

Gallery/Scout Press

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“V. A. Vazquez has written an enthralling story about the adult children of serial killers. A darkly fascinating look at the usually unspoken horrors that killers leave behind which asks how far you’ll go to protect yourself and your family.” — Kris Stephens, Watermark Books & Cafe, Wichita, KS

Man Overboard!: A Novel

By Kathleen Rooney

Gallery Books

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“Kick Kilpatrick is in his early 30s, treading water (metaphorically). Alone in open water after going overboard on a cruise, he’s at the mercy of sting rays, sharks, and his own mind while treading water (literally) to stay alive. A beach read like you've never seen before.” — Laurel Rhame, Phoenix Books Essex, Essex Junction, VT

The Someday Garden

By Ashley Poston

Berkley

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“Will Sophie be able to help the handsome man trapped in a magical garden while grieving her best friend and deciding if she still loves her job? I can't wait for everyone to read this beautiful and heartfelt story!” — Amanda Nurse, The Doylestown & Lahaska Bookshops, Doylestown, PA

It's All River: A Novel

By Carla Madeira, Alison Entrekin

Liveright

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“(Indies Introduce) A powerful book that focuses on obsession, tragedy, betrayal and ultimately forgiveness. A trio of unlikely characters work to overcome hardship and heartache to forge a new relationship. Well worth the challenge!” — Jocele Skinner, Shared Stories Books, Caldwell, ID

70,000: Poems

By Lenna Jawdat

Central Avenue Poetry

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“(Indies Introduce) I was so enraptured by Jawdat’s project and her multi-media approach to exploring unspeakable loss, heartache, bewilderment, exile, identity, family, love, and yes, hope. A truly original and remarkable work.” — Toni Thayer, Loganberry Books, Shaker Heights, OH

Every Version of You: A Novel

By Natalie Messier

Gallery Books

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“I absolutely adored Every Version of You. Messier crafts a beautifully messy and compelling love story in a world where second chances aren't just wishful thinking. These characters are people you can root for with all your heart.” — Sarah George, Bookish (CA), Modesto, CA

The Very Definition of Love (The Bancroft Sisters)

By Sophia Benoit

Slowburn

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“This was such a refreshing take on historical romance from a brilliant new voice in the genre. I stayed up all night to finish this. I look forward to more from Benoit, hopefully with the rest of the Bancroft sisters.” — Sami Melaragno, Riverstone Books, Pittsburgh, PA

Voyagers: A Novel

By Meg Charlton

Harper

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“I love Voyagers’ exploration of memory, friendship, and the way a single day in childhood can define us. The complex family relationships and the narrator’s willingness to interrogate his own flawed memory make for a page-turning read!” — Kara Balcerzak, Bonfire Bookstore, Woodstock, VA

Should the Waters Take Us: A Novel

By Stephanie Soileau

Doubleday

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“This is a force of nature (human and otherwise), no less powerful than the disasters faced by the characters at the story’s heart. A family saga that takes on environmental change and disaster, history, race, immigration — a remarkable debut.” — Kathy Crowley, Belmont Books, Belmont, MA

Agnes Lives!: A Novel

By Hallie Elizabeth Newton

Bloomsbury Publishing

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“A non-stop whirlwind 24 hours in which a successful, busy NYC woman seeks someone, anyone who will do her a really big favor and end her life. This is a sharp, feral, and funny rollercoaster.” — Seth Tucker, Carmichael's Bookstore, Louisville, KY

Most Ardently Yours: A Novel

By Freya Sampson

Sourcebooks Landmark

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“Austen fans rejoice! Any romance reader who thinks that a book boyfriend is better than the real thing will love this modern-day romp with the ‘real’ Fitzwilliam Darcy who suddenly appears from a worn copy of Pride and Prejudice.” — Terry Gilman, Creating Conversations, Redondo Beach, CA

Devotions

By Lucy Caldwell

Faber & Faber

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“Lucy Caldwell writes ‘about the thin membrane between normal and psychosis’ in the second story in this collection. There is an immediacy to these tales I cannot quite describe, but they will leave readers gasping for oxygen.” — Veronica Brooks-Sigler, River Bend Bookshop, Glastonbury, CT

Now in Paperback Indie Next List Selections Come to Paperback