 In the Dream House: A Memoir
By Carmen Maria Machado
“Carmen Maria Machado uses short memoir pieces to build a sinister Dream House around her readers. She is a master architect who occasionally lobs a brick through the glass, disturbing collective notions of ‘lesbian utopia’ and violence as masculine. Her pivotal story interrogates stereotypes and contributes essential questions to the global #MeToo discussion. She is an innovative writer and queer hero of our time. I feel so grateful to her for sharing her painful past, giving us new ways to think about power and persuasion, and grateful to Graywolf for giving her a platform.” (Graywolf Press, 9781644450383, $16)
—Alsace Walentine, Tombolo Books, St. Petersburg, FL
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 Red at the Bone: A Novel
By Jacqueline Woodson
“A spare, probing look at four generations of two families thrown together by a teenage pregnancy. Moving back and forth in time, in Red at the Bone we hear from the 16-year-olds and their parents, and from the child’s perspective, beginning with her 16th birthday celebration. Social standing, goals, desires, and understandings are at stake, underscoring how early decisions and actions can change the course of lives. A powerful, poetic novel.” (Riverhead Books, 9780525535287, $16)
—Liza Bernard, Norwich Bookstore, Norwich, VT
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 The Revisioners
By Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
“Margaret Wilkerson Sexton writes with captivating force; she holds a mirror to the insidious, enduring nature of American racism, revealing how it adapts to threaten Black lives in new, but not unfamiliar, ways. This novel—which spans five generations—is a love letter to grandmothers. With it, Sexton asks us to recognize and honor what we inherit from our ancestors, and how me might yield this inheritance in our fight for liberation.” (Counterpoint LLC, 9781640094260, $16.95)
—Serena Morales, Books Are Magic, Brooklyn, NY
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 White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color
By Ruby Hamad
“Ruby Hamad delivers us a meticulously researched, incisive, beautifully written, and much-needed look at how white women historically have used and continue to employ their privileged, patriarchy-rooted racial status as ‘damsel’ paragons to undercut and suppress BIPOC women. I lost count of the number of times I found myself emphatically nodding along while turning the pages. Everyone needs to read this book, which will definitely be a mainstay on Duende’s ‘Decolonize Your Mind’ reading list.” (Catapult, 9781948226745, $16.95)
—Angela Spring, Duende District, Washington, DC
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 The Long Call (The Two Rivers Series #1)
By Ann Cleeves
“Ann Cleeves made up for ending the Shetland series by introducing us to a new series starring Detective Matthew Venn. I immediately fell in love with the area of North Devon and with Matthew, his husband Jonathan, and his fellow police officers. The Long Call is a terrific police procedural that deals with lots of sensitive issues in a straightforward, matter-of-fact manner. I can’t wait to learn more about Matthew and his earlier life as well as get to know Jonathan and the other people of the village.” (Minotaur Books, 9781250204455, $16.99)
—Nancy McFarlane, Fiction Addiction, Greenville, SC
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 Long Bright River
By Liz Moore
“Long Bright River begins with a list, a very long list, of people from the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia who have overdosed on opioids. The list is compiled by Mickey, a police officer who grew up in the neighborhood. On the list are both of her parents, and Mickey wonders when her beloved sister Kacey will be added. This is a very powerful story of addiction, family, and the hope for recovery and redemption.” (Riverhead Books, 9780525540687, $17)
—Nancy Baenen, Arcadia Books, Spring Green, WI
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 Nothing to See Here
By Kevin Wilson
“After fleeing her unsatisfying life to help an old friend, Lillian finds herself in charge of two children who spontaneously burst into flames. Lillian surprises herself by developing a fondness and a fierce protectiveness for her charges. Although her new responsibilities terrify her, Lillian discovers the beauty of feeling needed and of developing connections. A perfect novel to inspire anyone searching for their place in the world!” (Ecco, 9780062913494, $16.99)
—Jane Stiles, Wellesley Books, Wellesley, MA
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 The Topeka School: A Novel
By Ben Lerner
“This story of a boy growing up in middle America is a tragic interrogation of the chaos and violence of our world, a deft exploration of the ethics of the novel in times of ecosocial disaster, and a lacerating critique of the empire that makes us this way. Moving in its intelligence, generosity, and openness, this book is Lerner doing what he does best: making the familiar not only strange but also, and perhaps more importantly, historical and political.” (Picador, 9781250758002, $17)
—Sam Wooley, The Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA
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 The Travelers: A Novel
By Regina Porter
“It’s hard to believe that this sprawling saga of two American clans and the various branches of their family trees is a debut novel. Stretching from the rural south to Vietnam in the war years to present-day New York and beyond, this is a story in which the characters’ lives intersect in fascinating, surprising ways. Regina Porter’s writing is beautiful and memorable, and she’s structured this book in a manner that feels fresh and almost musical.” (Hogarth, 9780525576204, $17)
—Erika VanDam, RoscoeBooks, Chicago, IL
-Indies Introduce: Outstanding debuts as selected by independent booksellers
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 When We Were Vikings
By Andrew David MacDonald
“As a sister whose younger brother has Asperger’s, I was hesitant at first to pick up this book about a young woman on the spectrum and her caretaking brother. More often than not, books that tackle this type of relationship fall short, but MacDonald’s tender-hearted debut mirrored this type of relationship perfectly, and with loving respect. Zelda is one of my favorite characters, up there with Eleanor Oliphant and Ove.” (Gallery/Scout Press, 9781982126773, $16.99)
—Kelso McNaught, Gibson’s Bookstore, Concord, NH
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 The Great Pretender: The Undercover Mission That Changed Our Understanding of Madness
By Susannah Cahalan
“Cahalan dives deep into the personal papers of the professor who, years ago, designed a study of mental institutions that had participants go undercover as pseudo-patients. Having experienced a mental break herself due to a severe illness, the author tells a gripping tale and brings it even closer to her readers by folding in personal details. Her past experience as a journalist has her uncovering details never before known about this study, and her storytelling is unmatched.” (Grand Central Publishing, 9781538715277, $16.99)
—Sissy Gardner, Parnassus Books, Nashville, TN
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 Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale
By Adam Minter
“Have you ever wondered what happens to all those items you’ve donated? You might be shocked to know that only a fraction ever makes it to thrift store shelves; instead, the majority goes to the landfill or is exported to other countries to be reused or recycled in ways you’ve never imagined. Secondhand is a fascinating, informative look into the afterlife of discarded items and the ecological impact created by our obsessive consumerism.” (Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781635570113, $17)
—Adrian Newell, Warwick’s, La Jolla, CA
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 Toil & Trouble: A Memoir
By Augusten Burroughs
“You don’t have to be a believer to love this memoir from Augusten Burroughs. The story of how he and his husband decide to move from Manhattan to Connecticut, with all of its real estate woes, renovation horrors, and natural disasters, is hilarious on its own. The supernatural underpinnings cast an eerie shadow over the whole thing. I might not believe in witchcraft, but Augusten Burroughs is definitely a witch!” (St. Martin’s Griffin, 9781250752000, $17.99)
—Susan Taylor, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, NY
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 The Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell You
By Dina Nayeri
“Now more than ever, perhaps, we need voices like those of Dina Nayeri. Combining moving memoir with clear-eyed reporting, Nayeri’s The Ungrateful Refugee is a beautiful and stark reminder of the complexity and humanity of the immigrant experience. It is urgent and important that we hear the stories of others, which often reveal even more about ourselves.” (Catapult, 9781646220212, $16.95)
—Susan Hans O’Connor, Penguin Bookshop, Sewickley, PA
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 When Time Stopped: A Memoir of My Father’s War and What Remains
By Ariana Neumann
“This book exceeded all my expectations—an exceptional memoir! A woman cobbles together her father’s enigmatic past to build a clear picture of the progression of restrictions and brutality against Jews in WWII. An astounding revelation of anguish and grasps of hope.” (Scribner, 9781982106386, $18)
—Annette Steinmetz, The Well-Read Moose, Coeur d’Alene, ID
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 Deep State: A Thriller (A Hayley Chill Thriller #1)
By Chris Hauty
“No shrinking violet, Hayley Chill is ex-Army and an ex-boxer who takes a job as a White House intern and subsequently has several life-changing interactions with the president. Deep State is a fast-paced thriller with unexpected twists and turns and an ending that will take you totally by surprise.” (Pocket Books, 9781982126599, $9.99)
—Scott Simons, The Dog Eared Book, Palmyra, NY
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 Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead: A Novel
By Olga Tokarczuk, Antonia Lloyd-Jones
“This book is bonkers and I am so in love with it—one of the funniest books I’ve ever read. Olga Tokarczuk's comic timing is surprising and delightful in this rural noir set in Poland and featuring astrology, William Blake, revenge-seeking animals, and an entire cast of characters unlike you have ever seen before. This book is genius and oh so satisfying.” (Riverhead Books, 9780525541349, $17)
—Mary Cotton, Newtonville Books, Newton Centre, MA
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 A Madness of Sunshine
By Nalini Singh
“A terrific read. Singh describes the landscape of New Zealand beautifully, bringing in the skills of the native Maori and talking about what it is like to live in poverty in a small town. This murder mystery kept me guessing until the very end!” (Berkley, 9780593099094, $9.99)
—Amy McClelland, Bright Side Bookshop, Flagstaff, AZ
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 When No One Is Watching: A Thriller
By Alyssa Cole
“This is a timely and entertaining social thriller. It’s an inside look at the gentrification of a well-established, predominantly Black Brooklyn neighborhood. It’s not too far-fetched, and it served as an eye-opener for this white reader. Comparison to the movie Get Out is apt.” (William Morrow Paperbacks, 9780062982650, $16.99)
—Laura Harvey, Copper Dog Books, Beverly, MA
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 Winter Grave (An Embla Nyström Investigation #2)
By Helene Tursten, Marlaine Delargy
“Winter Grave is the second in Tursten’s new Embla Nyström detective series. Skillfully translated from Swedish, the book gives fans of Scandinavian noir, like The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, something new to read. Tursten has created a compelling main character and provides some unexpected plot twists. There is enough backstory that the book can stand alone or be enjoyed as part of the series.” (Soho Crime, 9781641292115, $16.95)
—Ashley Baeckmann, Briars & Brambles Books, Windham, NY
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 Anyone: A Novel
By Charles Soule
“Charles Soule’s Anyone is a satisfying follow-up to The Oracle Year. Again, he takes a small technological change and uses it to explore the future course of humanity. Soule definitely leaves the reader with lots to think about when done with Anyone, and it’ll be a great recommendation for thinky book clubs. An easy sell to anyone who comes in and asks, ‘Hey, you know that movie Looper? I want something like that, but with more words.’” (Harper Perennial, 9780062890641, $16.99)
—Mark Teppo, A Good Book, Sumner, WA
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 The Deep
By Rivers Solomon, Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, Jonathan Snipes
“A beautiful story built upon stories. Readers are taken in by this strange and familiar world of merfolk before taken even deeper with questions on the self, history, and community. Do individuals stand alone through the test of time? Or are we made stronger through the interwoven histories of our people? And is the memory of trauma needed for the body and soul to heal? Yetu takes us on a journey through the past and into our present, creating a story with more impact than pages.” (Gallery/Saga Press, 9781534439870, $14.99)
—Shannyn Stevens, The Mitten Word Bookshop, Marshall, MI
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 The Seep
By Chana Porter
“Funky, offbeat, and downright devourable, The Seep is about a middle-aged trans woman trying to find her way through a benevolent but bizarre alien invasion. After her wife decides to be reborn—literally, as a baby—she enters into a match of her own grief and suffering versus the parasitic aliens who want a perfect utopia free of pain. With two parts questions and one part answers, The Seep is a book that will leave you begging for more.” (Soho Press, 9781641292153, $16)
—Lizy Coale, Copperfish Books, Punta Gorda, FL
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 Things in Jars: A Novel
By Jess Kidd
“A searingly fantastical and addictive novel about a kidnapped girl who calls water, snails, and other wet things to her, a girl who can kill a man with one bite. Many whimsical moving parts come together to create a Victorian cat-and-mouse chase of supernatural proportions.” (Washington Square Press, 9781982121297, $17)
—Lauren Nopenz Fairley, Curious Iguana, Frederick, MD
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 The Water Dancer: A Novel
By Ta-Nehisi Coates
“Hiram Walker, the son of a Black woman and her white master, is born into slavery in this rendering of life in antebellum Virginia. But it is the strength of his memories that kindles a special inner gift: the magic of conduction. In the much-anticipated first novel from Coates, Hiram’s talent is used by agents of the Underground Railroad to bring runaway slaves north, and also to help make families whole once again. This searing and ultimately uplifting story explores the constructs of family, real or artificial, and the power of memory to bind people together from afar.” (One World, 9780399590610, $18)
—Keith Vient, Politics and Prose Bookstore, Washington, DC
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