SEPTEMBER 2021 the Big Door Prize Nine Shiny Objects by M.O

Your Next Great Read Now in paperback Now in paperback Now in paperback Now in paperback SEPTEMBER 2021 The Big Door Prize Nine Shiny Objects By M.O. Walsh By Brian Castleberry (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 9780735218505, $17, Aug. 31, Fiction) (Custom House, 9780062984418, $16.99, Aug. 17, Fiction) “M.O. Walsh weaves quintessential Southern charm with a quirky scenario in “Nine characters’ stories entwine over 50 years in a novel that will make you a novel that questions what measures a life well-lived and answers with an think, work through the characters, and come out with a complex but beautiful entertaining tale of a grand machine in a modest town.” story describing America since 1947.” —Mary Garner Rees, Lemuria Bookstore, Jackson, MS —Kappy Kling, HearthFire Books, Evergreen, CO

Just Us: An American Conversation The Talented Miss Farwell By Claudia Rankine By Emily Gray Tedrowe (Graywolf Press, 9781644450635, $20, Sept. 7, Essays & Poetry) (Custom House, 9780062897718, $16.99, Aug. 24, Fiction) “Rankine seamlessly weaves poetry, memoir, and cultural/racial research and “Watch and wonder as the talented Miss Farwell keeps all the plates spinning in #1 criticism while probing how Black and white Americans can both occupy the this totally absorbing study of obsession and deception.” same spaces in such disparate circumstances.” —Ellen Sandmeyer, Sandmeyer’s Bookstore, Chicago, IL —Angela Maria Spring, Duende District, Albuquerque, NM, and Washington, DC PICK

Magic Lessons: Book #1 of the Practical Magic What Could Be Saved Series By Liese O’Halloran Schwarz By Alice Hoffman (Washington Square Press, 9781982150624, $17, Aug. 31, Fiction) (Simon & Schuster, 9781982108854, $17, Sept. 7, Fiction) “What Could Be Saved is a moving, powerful story of loss and regret, loyalty and “No one tells a story like Alice Hoffman, and I only hope she finds a way to bring redemption. These beautifully drawn, tragically flawed characters will remain the magical Owens family back to us in the future. I simply loved this book—a with me long after turning the last page.” great story of love and magic!” —Anderson McKean, Page and Palette, Fairhope, AL —Julie Slavinsky, Warwick’s, La Jolla, CA

COURTESY OF THIS BOOKSTORE

Indie Next List titles sold as ebooks and audiobooks at participating stores. Find more bookseller recommendations at IndieBound.org Feral Creatures On Freedom: Beautiful World, Fault Lines By Kira Jane Buxton Four Songs of Care Where Are You By Emily Itami (Grand Central Publishing, and Constraint By Sally Rooney (Custom House, 9780063099807, 9781538735244, $28, Aug. 24, Fiction/ $27.99, Sept. 7, Fiction) (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Fantasy) By Maggie Nelson (Graywolf Press, 9781644450628, $27, 9780374602604, $28, Sept. 7, Fiction) “Emily Itami has given us an “Feral Creatures is dark, hilarious, Sept. 7, Essays) SEPTEMBER incredibly engaging, hilarious, “Another incredible story! and apocalyptic. It has all the and relatable narrator in Mizuki “I have long anticipated Maggie The characters are vibrant same heart, tenderness, bizarre as she navigates the fault lines Nelson’s newest work and On and familiar, and the intimate humor, and hilarity as Hollow in her marriage, in her past, and Freedom does not disappoint. Who doesn’t want to 2021 moments are uniquely painted. Kingdom. This is a follow-up not to be missed!” within herself.” know her thoughts on art, sex, drugs, and climate?” It’s as if a close friend is confessing their life to you —Michelle Malonzo, Changing Hands, Tempe, AZ —Danielle Raub, Itinerant Literate Books, Charleston, SC —Dartricia Rollins, Charis Books & More, Atlanta, GA and you are seeing yourself in it.” —Katie Kenney, Bank Square Books, Mystic, CT Harlem Shuffle Beautiful Country: #1 Pick The Love Songs of By Colson Whitehead A Memoir The Charm Offensive W.E.B. Du Bois (Doubleday Books, 9780385545136, Matrix By Alison Cochrun By Honorée Fanonne $28.95, Sept. 14, Fiction) By Qian Julie Wang By Lauren Groff (Atria Books, 9781982170714, Jeffers (Doubleday Books, 9780385547215, paperback, $17, Sept. 7, Fiction/ “A love letter to 1960s Harlem $28.95, Sept. 7, Memoir) (Riverhead Books, 9781594634499, $28, Sept. 7, Fiction) (Harper, 9780062942937, $28.99, that’s also a heist novel, a family Romance) Aug. 24, Fiction) “In this brutally honest coming- “Lauren Groff has created an incredibly powerful portrait of the saga, and so much more. Colson “While Dev believes in fairytale of-age memoir, Qian Julie compelling Marie de France, banished to 12th-century England to live in “This is the best book I’ve read Whitehead proves once again that romances, Charlie most certainly Wang comes to terms with the this year. An ambitious debut he’s always at the top of his game!” a failing abbey. I fell in love with Marie and the sisters she lives with.” does not. That doesn’t stop the deprivations and struggles of her novel tracing the history of one —Alyssa Raymond, Copper Dog Books, Beverly, MA —Rosanna Nissen, Barrett Bookstore, Darien, CT two of them from stumbling undocumented Chinese upbringing in New York City in family against the backdrop of American history and into their own romantic comedy that will leave you the 1990s.” showing the stories that are remembered and the ones absolutely charmed.” that are forgotten.” The Inheritance of —Kayleen Rohrer, InkLink Books, East Troy, WI Orquídea Divina —Lauren Homza, Rediscovered Books, Boise, ID —Benedict Tanter, Main Point Books, Wayne, PA By Zoraida Córdova The Guide Graceland, At Last: (Atria Books, 9781982102548, $27, By Peter Heller Never Saw Me Coming Dare to Know Hao: Stories Sept. 7, Fiction/Fantasy) Notes on Hope and By Vera Kurian By James Kennedy By Ye Chun (Knopf, 9780525657767, $27, Aug. 24, Heartache from the “This story sparkles and Fiction) (Park Row, 9780778311553, $27.99, (Quirk Books, 9781683692607, $22.99, (Catapult, 9781646220601, $26, enchants! It’s a rich and layered American South Sept. 7, Short Stories) “This follow-up to The River is Sept. 7, Fiction/Thriller) Sept. 14, Science Fiction) multigeneration saga featuring By Margaret Renkl “A wonderful collection of short strong women and a mystery just as pitch perfect, with each “This stunning psychological “A company can tell you with 100% bit of suspense doled out at just suspense novel will have you reading accuracy when you are going to (Milkweed Editions, 9781571311849, stories that span the Chinese veiled in magical realism that will tease and feed your $26, Sept. 14, Essays) and Chinese American diaspora imagination.” the right time. You don’t need to well into the night. That ending! Fans die. But what happens when you read The River before reading The of Gillian Flynn and Caroline Kepnes live beyond your expiration date? through time and place. These —Grace Rajendran, University Book Store, Seattle, WA “Margaret Renkl’s essays Guide, but it will definitely deepen the experience.” will love this intense book.” As you read Dare to Know, your alternate between balm for the soul and outrage at the women, strong yet powerless, find their own meaning of hao (good).” —Paul Swydan, The Silver Unicorn Bookstore, Acton, MA —William Carl, An Unlikely Story, Plainville, MA sense of reality will melt away.” world with all of its injustices. She makes me think Lightning Strike —Bob Lingle, Off the Beaten Path Bookstore, and see things in a different light, and for that I’m —Audrey Huang, Belmont Books, Belmont, MA (Cork O’Connor The Night She No Gods, No Monsters Lakewood, NY eternally grateful.” Mystery Series #18) Disappeared (Convergence Saga #1) —Jayne Rowsam, Mystery to Me, Madison, WI The Archer By William Kent Krueger By Lisa Jewell By Cadwell Turnbull The Love Hypothesis By Shruti Swamy (Algonquin Books, 9781616209902, (Atria Books, 9781982128685, $27, (Atria Books, 9781982137366, $28, (Blackstone Publishing, 9781982603724, By Ali Hazelwood A Slow Fire Burning $26.95, Sept. 7, Fiction) Aug. 24, Fiction/Mystery) Sept. 7, Fiction/Thriller) $26.99, Sept. 7, Fiction/Fantasy) (Berkley, 9780593336823, paperback, By Paula Hawkins $16, Sept. 14, Fiction/Romance) “In this prequel set in 1963, we “Lisa Jewell is indeed a master “Cadwell Turnbull weaves fantasy (Riverhead Books, 9780735211230, “The Archer is the story of a $28, Aug. 31, Fiction/Thriller) meet 12-year-old Cork’s family as of suspense with The Night She with current events to reveal how “If, like me, your catnip is young Indian woman who longs his father investigates a murder. Even as Cork believes Disappeared. Multiple timelines difficult it is to hold onto your the taciturn, brainy, hot hero “I remember the addictiveness to be a classical dancer—to feel he will never be a cop, we can see Cork’s inevitable add to the suspense as the humanity when society denies your who is secretly a big squishy of Girl on The Train and Into the that rhythm, to have that as her future as an investigator.” characters’ lives began to interweave and the story existence or, worse, systematically erases you.” marshmallow at heart, look no Water, and Paula Hawkins did not life focus—yet is continually buffeted by her choices and those made for her.” —Carol Blizzard Dunn, Northwind Book & Fiber, Spooner, WI builds to an unexpected climax.” —Nicole A. Johnson, Baltimore Read Aloud, Baltimore, MD further than this awesome debut!” let readers down with this new —Eileen McGervey, One More Page Books, Arlington, VA —Angela Trigg, The Haunted Book Shop, Mobile, AL book. A Slow Fire Burning was an —Becky Milner, Vintage Books, Vancouver, WA My Heart Is a amazing read that I couldn’t put down.” Velvet Was the Night —Deanna Bailey, Story on the Square, McDonough, GA Chainsaw By Silvia Moreno-Garcia Empire of the By Stephen Graham (Del Rey Books, 9780593356821, $28, Vampire Jones Aug. 17, Fiction/Thriller) By Jay Kristoff Fuzz: When Nature (Gallery / Saga Press, 9781982137632, “From the author of Mexican Gothic (St. Martin’s Press, 9781250245281, Breaks the Law $26.99, Aug. 31, Fiction/Horror) comes a classic noir with a side $29.99, Sept. 14, Fiction/Fantasy) By Mary Roach “Jade isn’t the final girl; she doesn’t of romance based on the Mexican “In the vein of The Name of the (W.W. Norton & Company, fit the requirements for a typical government’s suppression of Wind, a vampire hunter recounts 9781324001935, $26.95, Sept. 14, Nonfiction/Science) slasher flick. When her town dissent in the ’60s and ’70s and the his life to his executioner. This becomes the setting for a real-life slasher case, she fills involvement of the CIA and KGB.” epic dystopian fantasy is dark “Human encounters with the role of wise woman to the appropriate final girl.” —Rebecca Dowling, Hockessin Book Shelf, Hockessin, DE and seductive. The violence! The expletives! The smut! wildlife are increasing as land —April Gosling, Boulder Book Store, Boulder, CO What’s not to love?” development shrinks wildlife —Leah Atlee, Bright Side Bookshop, Flagstaff, AZ habitat. Roach recounts dangerous engagements, some head-shaking practices, and plenty of laugh-out- loud turf wars.” —Kay Wosewick, Boswell Book Company, Milwaukee, WI