The 2011 Indie Next List Highlights

This year, indie booksellers once again served as expert curators, culling great fiction and nonfiction titles from the hundreds of thousands of books published in 2011 into the year’s Indie Next Lists. Twenty of the top titles from those lists,  including the #1 Indie Next List pick from each of the first 11 months of 2011 and nine additional titles that garnered especially strong support from ABA members nationwide during the past year, are now featured in the 2011 Indie Next List Highlights.

To help booksellers promote sales, the 2011 Highlights titles presented here are also featured in a downloadable flier [1], including jacket images and bookseller quotes, and on shelf-talkers [2], featuring bookseller quotes.

“Consumer surveys continue to show that shoppers rate books very highly as gift purchases,” said Mark Nichols, ABA development officer. “This Indie Next List, featuring some of this year’s outstanding titles, gives booksellers a powerful tool to use in conjunction with holiday marketing and handselling efforts.”

Left Neglected: A Novel, by Lisa Genova
(Gallery, $25, 9781439164631)
“Sarah is the typical working mother — too busy, multi-tasking, trying to be all things to her family and her co-workers. While driving on a busy, rain-slickened highway, she fumbles with her cellphone and, glancing up, sees nothing but red brake lights in front of her. She survives the rollover accident but is subsequently diagnosed with ‘left neglect,’ a condition in which her mind is unable to recognize anything left of the center of her body. The story of Sarah’s fight through rehabilitation, her determination to get back to work, and her family’s support and understanding is one of willpower and resolve that engages the reader from beginning to end.” — Nancy Simpson, The Book Vault, Oskaloosa, IA

West of Here: A Novel, by Jonathan Evison
(Algonquin Books, $24.95, 9781565129528)
“I loved this big, gorgeous novel in which characters and story lines flow, merge, and diverge like the streams and channels of a river. The story spans more than 100 years in the fictional town of Port Bonita, Washington, and its surrounding wilderness. Evison pulls together such grand themes as our relationship to the land, what we make of our past, and what we owe the future. His writing style is unpretentious and delightful, a combination of big ideas and down-to-earth, friendly delivery that’s perfectly suited to this quintessentially American novel.”  —Christie Olson Day, Gallery Bookshop & BookWinkle’s Children’s Books, Mendocino, CA

The Tiger’s Wife: A Novel, by Téa Obreht
(Random House, $25, 9780385343831)
“Very rarely does a first novel announce a major new talent, but so it is with The Tiger’s Wife. Brilliantly using myth and legend from the Balkans, Téa Obreht tells the story of a young doctor, her grandfather, and their shared history against the backdrop of the area’s decades of turmoil and sorrow. This brilliant effort evokes echoes of Borges and García Márquez, and is certain to mesmerize the reader.”  —Bill Cusumano, Nicola’s Books, Ann Arbor, MI

Say Her Name:  A Novel, by Francisco Goldman
(Grove Press, $24, 9780802119810)
“Remembering is sometimes like ‘juggling a hundred thousand crystal balls all at once, trying to keep all these memories going,’ writes Francisco Goldman in this autobiographical work. This beautifully written book is, at the same time, an elegant, elegiac novel, a brutal and honest memoir, and the longest and most tender love letter in the world. Say Her Name is a gift of love for the author’s beautiful young wife, Aura Estrada, who died after an accident in the waves at Mezunte beach in Mexico. Aura’s absence is deeply felt throughout the whole book, and the last pages will take your breath away.”  — Aggie Zivaljevic, Kepler’s Books & Magazines, Menlo Park, CA

The Story of Beautiful Girl, by Rachel Simon
(Grand Central Publishing, $24.99, 9780446574464)
“One stormy evening in the late 1960s, Martha, a retired school teacher living alone in her farmhouse, opens her door to find a young couple from the nearby State School for the Incurable and Feeble Minded on her doorstep carrying a very new baby. Martha has time to feed and clothe them, and they have time to locate a hidden space in the attic in which to hide the baby before the authorities appear. The man escapes, and as the young woman is led away, she leans into Martha and says, ‘Hide her.’ To her own astonishment, Martha agrees to keep the baby and in that moment readers give up their hearts to these four remarkable characters and the story of the next 40 years of their lives.”  —Jeanne Regentin, Between the Covers, Harbor Springs, MI

Silver Sparrow: A Novel, by Tayari Jones
(Algonquin, 9781565129900, $19.95)
“The unconventional, morally troubling relationships at the core of Jones’ Silver Sparrow illustrate the universality of the human quest for acknowledgment, legitimacy, love, and loyalty. As Chaurisse and her secret half-sister, Dana, move toward adulthood, they must shed idealistic notions of romantic and familial love to face difficult truths. A complex family drama, a richly crafted coming-of-age story, and a meditation on the nature of love and forgiveness, this is a gripping story with characters you will not soon forget.”  —Libby Cowles, Maria’s Bookshop, Durango, CO

Turn of Mind, by Alice LaPlante
(Atlantic Monthly Press, $24, 9780802119773)
“This is an emotionally intense story of a 64-year-old hand surgeon, Jennifer White, as she experiences the unyielding onslaught of dementia. On any given day she is lucid, catatonic, violent, or very, very sly. Does she feel any remorse for her less-than-stellar parenting of her two children? Did she kill her friend Amanda and amputate her fingers? LaPlante’s exceptional skill with words puts readers inside this brilliant woman’s mind so that we might experience her anger, frustration, and increasing confusion. This is a remarkable, heart-wrenching, and utterly compelling debut novel.”  —Susan Wasson, Bookworks, Albuquerque, NM

Iron House, by John Hart
(Thomas Dunne, $25.99, 9780312380342)
“How far would you go to protect your own blood? For Michael, it starts by breaking free of the crime family that made him a stone-cold killer. It ends walking a lonely road back to the orphanage he escaped from long ago. Iron House is built from greed, power, lust, and corruption, and Michael’s fight is a searing portrait of a man in conflict with his past and present. Weaving together a story of betrayal and redemption that reaches back decades, John Hart once again creates a rock-solid thriller.”  —Geoffrey Jennings, Rainy Day Books, Fairway, KS

The Night Circus: A Novel, by Erin Morgenstern
(Doubleday, $26.95, 9780385534635)
“This elegant debut is a striking example of a nostalgic yet modern fairy tale. When two competing magicians lay a wager as to which can mold the more powerful protege, they opt to use a fantastical traveling wonderland — The Night Circus — as the venue for the competition. What is meant to be a battle of magical skills evolves into something much deeper as apprentices Celia and Marco enchant not only the circus around them, but also each other. The real conflict arises when the two realize how the competition is meant to end and they set about trying to change their predestined fate. I adored diving into Morgenstern’s mesmerizing world and mourned when I reached the end.”  —Whitney Spotts, Schuler Books & Music, Lansing, MI

When She Woke:  A Novel, by Hillary Jordan
(Algonquin, $24.95, 9781565126299)
“Inspired by The Scarlet Letter, this is a stunning, suspenseful, and scary look at what happens to Hannah Payne when she is arrested and convicted of having an abortion in a futuristic America. Her punishment is to become a ‘chrome,’ a criminal whose skin color is genetically altered to reflect her crime. Hannah becomes a Red for the crime of murder, and she further complicates her situation by refusing to name the father of her unborn child. Once chromed, she is released and must survive as best she can. Her navigation through the perils of a hostile society launches Hannah on a journey of self-discovery and makes readers question the consequences of politicizing the personal. Jordan’s characters are compelling and her pacing is flawless; I couldn’t put this book down!”  —Erica Caldwell, Present Tense, Batavia, NY

The Angel Esmeralda: Nine Stories, by Don DeLillo
(Scribner, $24, 9781451655841)
“This is the book DeLillo fans have been waiting for — his first collection of short stories written between 1979 and 2011. In these stories, DeLillo takes global themes and ideas, the conflicts we often don’t want to acknowledge, and makes them human. The subjects are true and resonant: a jogger who witnesses a kidnapping, an elderly nun working in poverty-stricken New York, an astronaut looking down on a war-ravaged Earth. Each story is textured in DeLillo’s precise, startling voice, one that can shout and whisper at the same time.”  —Michael Karpus, Books & Books at Bal Harbour Shops, Bal Harbour, FL

1Q84: A Novel, by Haruki Murakami, Jay Rubin and Philip Gabriel (Trans.)
(Knopf, $30, 9780307593313)
“A triple dose of classic Murakami, this new mega-novel takes us out of Orwell’s 1984 and into the parallel world that our hero dubs 1Q84. A mysterious woman, a plagiarizing writer, and a beautiful dyslexic drive this tale of dystopian intrigue. Originally published in Japan as three books, the tale is combined here into one large volume. While the size of the tome is daunting, Murakami’s spectacular prose and fantastic imagination carry the reader through brilliantly.”  —Rebekah Rine, Watermark Books, Wichita, KS

Why Read Moby-Dick? by Nathaniel Philbrick
(Viking Adult, $25, 9780670022991)
“I read this delightful homage to Melville’s classic twice in succession and enjoyed it greatly both times. Philbrick, an unabashed and encouraging fan, has penned the perfect combination of biography, history, and literary criticism. His book is both fun and informative, and it is hard not to be swept up by his enthusiasm. It is likely to inspire many readers to tackle the classic, as it did me!”  —Christopher Rose, Andover Bookstore, Andover, MA

Lions of the West: Heroes and Villains of the Westward Expansion, by Robert Morgan
(A Shannon Ravenel Book, $29.95, 9781565126268)
“Following on the heels of his bestselling biography of Daniel Boone, Morgan gives readers an ambitious and authoritative work about the conquest of the American West and the 10 iconic figures who were determined to make Manifest Destiny a reality. Morgan’s storytelling prowess always keeps the narrative lively, and characters like Thomas Jefferson, Sam Houston, Kit Carson, and others come beautifully to life. This is a rousing work that should be devoured by more than just history buffs.”  —Sally Brewster, Park Road Books, Charlotte, NC

Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend, by Susan Orlean
(Simon & Schuster, $26.99, 9781439190135)
“This is the story of a young man whose fateful journey collides with that of a battlefield puppy, setting into motion an extraordinary tale of devotion. Beginning with a tale of redemption, Orlean unfolds a riveting account of the history of both the German shepherd, whose breed exemplifies the good-natured qualities that have made dog and human relationships unparalleled in society, and of early American movie making. The result is a wonderful odyssey beautifully depicting loyalty and friendship in a remarkable history lesson and an entertaining read.”  —Megan Bruce, Watermark Books, Wichita, KS

What It Is Like to Go to War, by Karl Marlantes
(Atlantic Monthly Press, $25, 9780802119926)
“This is a courageous, noble, and intelligent grapple with myth, history, and spirituality that beautifully elevates the conversation on the role of the military in today’s world. Marlantes volunteers his knowledge and experience (and really, his soul) to the cause of crafting the model of a just and ethical warrior in the 21st century. The long-overdue reckoning that Marlantes’ novel Matterhorn deftly demanded of America is enhanced and extended with this new work. It is an emotional, honest, and affecting primer for all Americans on war and the national psyche. We ignore this book at our own peril.”  —Ed Conklin, Chaucer’s Books, Santa Barbara, CA

The Cat’s Table: A Novel, by Michael Ondaatje
(Knopf, $26, 9780307700117)
“In a story of intricate delicacy and beauty, Ondaatje not only tells the wondrous story of three boys at sea — a journey that takes them each from one world to another and into the realm of adult ways and mysteries — but also one that has the reader in thrall to what it is to look back and remember. The Cat’s Table is a luscious, bittersweet rumination on imagination, memory, and place, and what we find by reclaiming what we’ve lost.”  —Rick Simonson, The Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA

The Art of Fielding: A Novel, by Chad Harbach
(Little, Brown & Company, $25.99, 9780316126694)
“Despite having reservations about a ‘baseball book,’ reading this debut novel I discovered that baseball is every bit as exciting and excruciating as any thriller, as complicated as any psychological mystery, and as heartbreaking as my favorite romance. Harbach loves his characters, and never lets them off easily. All the words I want to use to describe this book — original, heartfelt, classic, hilarious, wise, unforgettable — are insufficient. I loved every word of it.”  — Leslie Reiner, Inkwood Books, Tampa, FL

The Call: A Novel, by Yannick Murphy
(Harper Perennial, $14.99, 9780062023148)
“This sweet, funny novel — told in a series of call reports from a country vet — details the life of a family whose peace is shattered when their young son is left comatose from a hunting accident. The warmth, humor and believability of the characters - including the four-legged variety - balance out the darker elements of the story and make The Call an absolute delight to read. E.B. White meets James Herriot with just a touch of Jonathan Safron Foer.”  —Carol Schneck, Schuler Books & Music, Okemos, MI

Rules of Civility: A Novel, by Amor Towles
(Viking Adult, $26.95, 9780670022694)
“This flawless debut novel follows two young women, boarding-house roommates, making their way in 1938 Manhattan. A chance meeting with an enigmatic young businessman launches the pair into areas of society heretofore closed to them, where they encounter a large cast of characters both charming and repellent. With echoes of Fitzgerald, Towles evokes effortlessly the era of pre-war Manhattan, from the workplace politics of a law office secretarial pool to the alcohol-fueled lawn party of the Long Island gin-and-horses set. This is an astonishing book!”  —Matthew Lage, Iowa Book, Iowa City, IA