The Spring/Summer 2009 Indie Next List for Reading Groups

1. People of the Book: A Novel by Geraldine Brooks
(Penguin, $15, 9780143115007 / 0143115006)
"Geraldine Brooks uses the Sarajevo Haggadah as the centerpiece for another brilliant historical novel. The history of the beautifully illustrated book is the basis for a journey through multiple eras, portraying the trials and travails of European Jews through the centuries. A must for lovers of books and great fiction." --Bill Cusumano, Nicola's Books, Ann Arbor, MI

2. The White Tiger: A Novel by Aravind Adiga
(Free Press, $14, 9781416562603 / 1416562605)
"Balram Halwai, living in contemporary India, is a man with aspirations and dreams he fears will never be realized considering his current position as a chauffeur and servant of the wealthy in a society with an absurdly large gap between rich and poor. As he takes it upon himself to rise above the muck in a series of unethical and criminal actions, The White Tiger will challenge your concepts of right and wrong and make you feel guilty for laughing along the way." --Jon Stich, DIESEL, A Bookstore, Oakland, CA

3. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
(Dial Press, $14, 9780385341004 / 0385341008)
"By the third page of this wonderful epistolary novel of the island of Guernsey during the German occupation, I was captivated by its characters, especially the charming, self-effacing author, Juliet Ashton, and her emerging friendship, conducted by post, with the recently liberated islanders. The whole novel is an homage to books and bibliophiles, and a moving reflection on the horrors of war." --Cheryl McKeon, Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA

4. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery, Alison Anderson (trans.)
(Europa Editions, $15, 9781933372600 / 1933372605)
"This novel of two remarkable characters, set in an elegant Paris apartment building, is wonderfully written and translated! I loved the philosophical discussions and artistic descriptions -- my reading group talked about this book for hours." --Mary K. Cowen, Anderson's Bookshop, Naperville, IL

5. Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
(Vintage, $14.95, 9780307454621 / 0307454622)
"Set in the Connecticut suburbs of 1955, Revolutionary Road portrays the essential, continuing, now exacerbated American dilemma: How a young person might well live in America without conforming to the tedium of upward mobility and suburban family life. Nothing I have ever been told could have prepared me for this book's brilliance." --Richard Howorth, Square Books, Oxford, MS

6. City of Thieves: A Novel by David Benioff
(Plume, $15, 9780452295292 / 0452295297)
"During the siege of Leningrad in WWII, two young men are sent on an improbable errand. The horror of war is only heightened by the lightness with which Benioff handles their evolving friendship and the grim task that evolves from their mission. Great characters and authentic historical background make this a surprisingly winning novel." --Russ Lawrence, Chapter One Book Store, Hamilton, MT

7. Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
(St. Martin's Griffin, $13.95, 9780312370848 / 0312370849)
"Sarah's Key is the story of Sarah, a 12-year-old girl swept up by the police in the Vel D'Hiv roundup in occupied France, and of journalist Julia Jarmond, who is writing about the event 60 years later. This hauntingly powerful story will remain with you long after the last page is turned." --Linda Walonen, Bay Books, San Ramon, CA

8. The God of War: A Novel by Marisa Silver
(Simon & Schuster, $14, 9781416563174 / 1416563172)
"Twelve-year-old Ares Ramirez lives in a trailer on the desolate shores of California's Salton Sea, where he tries to take care of his handicapped brother. Silver is a gifted writer whose story of a young man struggling with the burden of responsibility takes us to places both in the landscape and in the heart that enrich us as readers and make us grateful for such storytellers." --Marian Nielsen, Orinda Books, Orinda, CA

9. Couch by Benjamin Parzybok
(Small Beer Press, $16, 9781931520546 / 1931520542)
"Couch follows the quirky journey of Thom, Erik, and Tree as they venture into the unknown at the behest of a magical, orange couch, which has its own plan for their previously boring lives. Parzybok's colorful characters, striking humor, and eccentric magical realism offer up an adventuresome read." --Christian Crider, Inkwood Books, Tampa, FL

10. The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel by Garth Stein
(Harper Paperbacks, $14.99, 9780061537967 / 0061537969)
"Sometimes, if you are very lucky, fate gives you a special friend. Denny's friend Enzo will stand by him through some of the best and worst times of his life, his faith in Denny bone deep. Enzo is a dog, a dog with a very old soul. Denny is a race driver with natural talent, but sometimes life gets in the way of natural talent, and the road can have sharp bends. Suffused with humor, love, pain, and valor, this should be one of the year's best books!" --Deon Stonehouse, Sunriver Books, Sunriver, OR (Available in stores in mid-May)

Asta in the Wings by Jan Elizabeth Watson
(Tin House Books, $14, 9780980243611 / 0980243610)
"What a beautiful, fascinating book! This story of a resourceful seven-year-old growing up in an isolated home in Maine will leave you wondering what 'dysfunctional' actually means and will prove that there are many different shapes of love." --Natasha Hayden, Summer's Stories, Kendallville, IN

Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures by Vincent Lam
(Weinstein Books, $14.95, 9781602860568 / 1602860564)
"This novel, told in short stories, follows the lives of four medical students from college to private practice. Vincent Lam uses spare, honest language to craft a work that I would recommend to anyone who has known what it is like to feel alone." --Suzanna Hermans, Oblong Books & Music, Rhinebeck, NY

Famous Suicides of the Japanese Empire: A Novel by David Mura
(Coffee House Press, $14.95, 9781566892155 / 1566892155)
"At midlife, historian Ben Ohara renews his effort to write the paper that will secure his academic reputation, 'Famous Suicides of the Japanese Empire.' However, he discovers himself exploring the events behind the many secrets in his family -- including his parents' internment during World War II and his brother's disappearance. Book groups will find this a rich book for discussion." --Sally Wizik Wills, Sister Wolf Books, Park Rapids, MN

The Moonflower Vine: A Novel by Jetta Carleton
(Harper Perennial, $14.99, 9780061673238 / 0061673234)
"Jetta Carleton's 1962 classic, now available in a new edition, is a lovely, captivating, and surprising story about a deceivingly simple farm family with four daughters. It deals with big push-and-pull family issues like betrayal, doubt, and rebellion, on the one hand, and loyalty, faith, and forgiveness, on the other. This book has it all and says it beautifully." --Margie Petersen White, The Bookstore, Glen Ellyn, IL

Mudbound: A Novel by Hillary Jordan
(Algonquin Books, $13.95, 9781565126770 / 1565126777)
"Hillary Jordan's assured first novel (recipient of the Bellwether Prize for Fiction) is set on a 1946 Mississippi farm, where Laura, a woman who once thought herself past the chance of marriage, finds herself living with her husband, two daughters, and a difficult father-in-law. The demands of the weather and the land, the life of the black sharecroppers, and the struggles of the returning soldiers, offer Jordan ample material to make her novel both complex and heartbreaking." --Leslie Reiner, Inkwood Books, Tampa, FL

Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors
(NAL, $14, 9780451218469 / 0451218469)
"Beneath a Marble Sky is set in 17th-century India and tells the story of the building of the Taj Mahal. This book has all the wonderful elements necessary to keep you turning the pages." --Suzanne Droppert, Liberty Bay Books, Poulsbo, WA

The Commoner: A Novel by John Burnham Schwartz
(Vintage, $14.95, 9781400096053 / 1400096057)
"I love, love, love this book! In the spirit of Memoirs of a Geisha, this story of the only commoner to ever to marry into the Japanese royal family is a perfect reading group selection!" --Linda Grana, Lafayette Book Store, Lafayette, CA

Out Stealing Horses: A Novel by Per Petterson, Anne Born (trans.)
(Picador, $14, 9780312427085 / 0312427085)
"Sixty-seven-year-old Trond Sander wants to live in peace and quiet but finds himself confronted with a turbulent period of his youth. This award-winning and provocatively written novel loses nothing in translation from Norwegian, and, after reading Petterson's novel, the conversation in our book group was lively and inspired." --Cynthia Claridge, Paulina Springs Books, Sisters, OR

Tokyo Fiancee by Amelie Nothomb, Alison Anderson (trans.)
(Europa Editions, $15, 9781933372648 / 1933372648)
"Here is an elegantly written love story with humor, intelligence, and autobiographical honesty, translated from the French. You will find yourself clinging to the words as well as the story." --Sandra Goddin, Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh, NC

The Air We Breathe: A Novel by Andrea Barrett
(Norton, $14.95, 9780393333077 / 0393333078)
"It is 1916 in a tuberculosis sanatorium on an alpine lake in the Adirondacks, a world away from WWI. Into this quiet world walks a wealthy patient who introduces weekly discussions that take over the lives of the inhabitants. Barrett uses the disease of tuberculosis brilliantly. The sudden appearance of the bacillus in lungs, the coughing fits, and the blood all evoke war itself, while fear of the disease creates an atmosphere of burgeoning suspicion and the lawless vigilantism that always seems to accompany war. A magnificent novel." --Betsy Burton, The King's English, Salt Lake City, UT

The Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England by Brock Clarke
(Algonquin, $13.95, 9781565126145 / 1565126149)
"The Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England is the most original novel I've read in recent memory. Thought-provoking, insightful, and funny, this is an unusual, and irresistible, story -- a moving portrait of an everyman, who is at once ordinary and singular. An intelligent and satisfying read." --Tova Beiser, Brown University Bookstore, Providence, RI

Five Skies: A Novel by Ron Carlson
(Penguin, $14, 9780143113461 / 0143113461)
"A random group of men are assembled to work on a mysterious building project in Southern Idaho. As the reader gets inside the heads of these men and realizes how each has been damaged by events in his past, it becomes obvious that lives are being reconstructed as well. This is a very good reading group choice." --Sue Buschmann, Anderson's Bookshop, Naperville, IL

Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan
(Penguin, $13, 9780143114420 / 0143114425)
"Through sparse, evocative language, we experience the closing night at a Red Lobster restaurant in a rundown New England mall. The tension between his ordered and ethical business life, and his more complicated personal life, causes Manny DeLeon, the manager, great conflict. A superb novella that took me right back to the kitchens and tables of my waitress days." --Sally Landaal, Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh, NC

Red River by Lalita Tademy
(Grand Central Publishing, $13.99, 9780446696999 / 0446696994)
"Lalita Tademy weaves the stories of two families in the years following the Civil War into a compelling narrative bristling with distinctive voices." --Warren Wegner, Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh, NC

So Brave, Young, and Handsome: A Novel by Leif Enger
(Grove, $14, 9780802144171 / 0802144179)
"Leif Enger again explores the often transparent line between good and bad, focusing his story on characters who fall in the gray in-between. Failed novelist Monte Becket accompanies his friend Glendon Hale, a former outlaw, to Mexico to find Hale's estranged wife. Their adventures along the way, and the surprising end of their journey, make for an exciting and thought-provoking read." --Erica Caldwell, Present Tense, Batavia, NY

Song Yet Sung by James McBride
(Riverhead Trade, $15, 9781594483509 / 1594483507)
"Song Yet Song is a compelling story of slaves' struggle for freedom in pre-Civil War Dorchester County, Maryland, where enslaved blacks lived alongside free blacks. The unpredictable human behavior that continues through the novel reinforces the idea that slavery came -- and comes -- in many forms, to money, to power, to ideas of others more powerful. This is a wonderfully readable book that questions what freedom really is, and it's an outstanding book club pick!" --Helen Markus, HearthFire Books of Evergreen, Evergreen, CO

The Sorrows of an American: A Novel by Siri Hustvedt
(Picador, $14, 9780312428204 / 0312428200)
"Struggling with ghosts, past and present, the Davidsen family embarks on a journey of self-discovery when their father dies. The drama of this novel is not the stuff of soap operas but rather the revelation that what may seem extraordinary upon discovery becomes, in the end, an ordinary life." --Beth Golay, Watermark Books, Wichita, KS

The Story of a Marriage: A Novel by Andrew Sean Greer
(Picador, $14, 9780312428280 / 0312428286)
"In a daring story of three unpredictable characters navigating the treacherous waters of class and race, of forbidden love, and of patriotism in the years right after WWII, Andrew Sean Greer renders an imaginative, moving, and wholly satisfying tribute to the real complexities of the human heart." --Marie du Vaure, Vroman's Bookstore, Pasadena, CA

The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
(Riverhead Hardcover, $15, 9781594483653 / 1594483655)
"Inspired by the Sarajevo musician who, risking sniper fire, played his cello for 22 afternoons in honor of the 22 killed while standing in a breadline, this slim but powerful novel explores aspects of war not often addressed. Scenes of sorrow and danger, sacrifice and compromise make this a novel I will never forget." --Leslie Reiner, Inkwood Books, Tampa, FL

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
(Vintage, $13.95, 9780307454898/307454894)
"This uncommonly affecting page-turner, set in postwar Germany, evokes equal depths of thought and feeling. Written in spare, keenly observed prose, it is a story of love, and of personal and historical responsibility, and the novel's wrenching moral questions still have me in their grip." --John Willson, Eagle Harbor Book Company, Bainbridge Island, WA

Skeletons at the Feast: A Novel by Chris Bohjalian
(Three Rivers Press, $14.95, 9780307394965 / 0307394964)
"Set in the closing months of World War II, Skeletons at the Feast is a tale of romance, of a desperate last roll of the dice, of a quest for revenge, and a battle for survival. Gripping, illuminating, and, doubtlessly, controversial, the novel considers the question of collective guilt for the Holocaust and vividly illustrates the human costs of war." --Rich Rennicks, Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe, Asheville, NC

The Hearts of Horses by Molly Gloss
(Mariner Books, $13.95, 9780547085753 / 0547085753)
"Molly Gloss tells a heartwarming story of a young woman who earns her way as a 'horse gentler' on the eastern Oregon frontier during the early 1900s." --Sandra Palmer, Wy'east Book Shoppe & Art Gallery, Welches, OR

My Life: A Novel by Beth Pattillo
(Guideposts Books, $14.99, 9780824947712 / 0824947711)
"Emma Grant sets out for England after a failed marriage of her own to find the rumored lost 3,000 letters of Jane Austen. Travel with Emma in England as she goes on her quest for treasure, new discoveries, and new romance. At the end of Pattillo's novel, I immediately wanted to read all of Jane Austen again!" --Lillian Kinsey, Bohannons' Books With a Past, Georgetown, KY

The Monsters of Templeton: A Novel by Lauren Groff
Voice, $14.95, 9781401340926 / 140134092X)
"Disgraced grad student Wilhelmina Cooper returns to her upstate New York hometown to lick her wounds. Her mother gives her new purpose: a research project to track down the father she's never known -- or maybe has. Voices from the town's past slowly reveal their stories, and we see Templeton has had more monsters than just the one in the town lake." --Rosemary Pugliese, Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh, NC

Time Is a River by Mary Alice Monroe
(Pocket, $15, 9781416546641 / 1416546642)
"This book flows like a river while telling the story of a woman who discovers the diaries of a female fly-fishing guide of the 1920s. Reading this story, set beside the trout-filled streams in the mountains of North Carolina, you will fall in love with the characters of Watkins Mill as they help Mia Landon find herself again after her bout with cancer." --Beth Carpenter, The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, NC

The Master: A Novel by Colm Toibin
(Scribner, $15, 9780743250412 / 0743250419)
"Henry James is one of the masters of American fiction, and in this wonderful new book Toibin works magic, conjuring images of the author in unforgettable prose, evoking not just the man, but his writing as well. The result is a brilliant, believable (fictional) portrait of a most remarkable man." --Kathy Ashton, The King's English, Salt Lake City, UT

The Plague of Doves: A Novel by Louise Erdrich
(Harper Perennial, $14.99, 9780060515133 / 0060515139)
"Louise Erdrich's latest spans a century in the small town of Pluto, North Dakota. It begins with a murder and a wrongful lynching, and then follows the descendants of those involved. The Plague of Doves showcases her trademark blend of pathos, comedy, magical realism, and epic narration, and it's a novel I will read again just to admire the skill with which all the pieces of the puzzle gently fall into place. Highly recommended." --Dana Schulz, Snowbound Books, Marquette, MI

A Thousand Splendid Suns: A Novel by Khaled Hosseini
(Riverhead Trade, $16, 9781594483851 / 159448385X)
"A Thousand Splendid Suns, from the author of The Kite Runner, is a revealing story of the plight of two Afghan women, brought together by loss and war, both of whom you will come to love." --Beth Carpenter, The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, NC

Watchmen by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons (illus.)
(DC Comics, $19.99, 9780930289232 / 0930289234)
"What Alan Moore crafted in the late 1980s unarguably catapulted the graphic novel to the forefront of pop culture and contemporary literature. Employing a deconstructed superhero persona, a comic within a comic, and a brutally honest commentary on American optimism, Moore gave rise to something exceedingly greater than the sum of its parts." --Katie Capaldi, McLean & Eakin Booksellers, Petoskey, MI

The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill
(Soho Crime, $11, 9781569474181 / 1569474184)
"Set in Laos in 1975, The Coroner's Lunch introduces a terrific new sleuth, Dr. Siri Paiboun, a 72-year-old Paris-trained doctor, the new national coroner. He knows nothing about forensic medicine but he does know about truth and corruption in high places. This enthralling book is a keeper, with a fascinating setting and an absolutely lovable and intriguing sleuth." --Pat Kehde, The Raven Bookstore, Lawrence, KS

Still Life: An Armand Gamache Novel by Louise Penny
(St. Martin's Griffin, $13.95, 9780312541538 / 0312541538)
"I've fallen in love with a charming rural village in Canada and with a most delightful man, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surete du Quebec. Excellent characterization and plotting and a wonderful sense of humor make this a treasure to be savored. Don't miss it!" --Susan Wasson, Bookworks, Albuquerque, NM

Dreamers of the Day: A Novel by Mary Doria Russell
(Ballantine Books, $14, 9780345485557 / 0345485556)
"Rarely can one say that a book is both rapturous and relevant, but Russell has done it. We meet the actual architects of the Middle East settlement at the Cairo Conference of 1921 -- T.E. Lawrence, Gertrude Bell, Winston Churchill -- through the eyes of the surprising protagonist, a 40-year-old schoolteacher from Ohio. It is a wonderful story that brings to life a period of history that has remarkable parallels to our own time." --Barbara Tolliver, The Traveler, Bainbridge Island, WA

In the Woods: A Novel by Tana French
(Penguin, $14, 9780143113492 / 0143113496)
"This is a contemporary murder mystery set in Ireland with just the right hint of spookiness and great layers of psychological suspense, as a pair of detectives seek to solve the murder of a young girl in an ancient stand of woods. The current murder is foreshadowed by a crime against three young children many years ago that may hold a key to the new mystery." --Sandra Palmer, Wy'east Book Shoppe & Art Gallery, Welches, OR

Lush Life: A Novel by Richard Price
(Picador, $15, 9780312428228 / 0312428227)
"Like a modern, urban Crime and Punishment, this brilliant book is an intimate study of the interior lives of everyone touched by a too-quick trigger. You will be haunted by Price's riveting portraits of all involved, from the disillusioned detective to the victim's family, as well as the New York neighborhood they share." --Carla Jimenez, Inkwood Books, Tampa, FL

The Worst Thing I've Done: A Novel by Ursula Hegi
(Touchstone, $14, 9781416543763 / 1416543767)
"This is a story of three adults who've been best friends from childhood -- with an edge. This is a beautifully written novel, with soul." --Lisa Stefanacci, The Book Works, Del Mar, CA

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver, with Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver
(Harper Perennial, $14.95, 9780060852566 / 0060852569)
"Barbara Kingsolver's account of buying only food raised in her own neighborhood speaks to us all about the urgency of living on, and in, our respective communities." --Betsy Goree, The Book Shelf, Tryon, NC

Listening Is an Act of Love: A Celebration of American Life From the StoryCorps Project by Dave Isay
(Penguin, $15, 9780143114345 / 0143114344)
"Drawn from the work of StoryCorps, these stories of real people transport us into the lives of others -- and offer a much-needed reality check in these tough times! A great book club read." --Mary McDonald, Learned Owl Book Shop, Hudson, OH

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan
(Penguin, $16, 9780143038580 / 0143038583)
"Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma -- an examination from source to table of our food -- is wonderfully written and gives a well-rounded view of being green." --Teri Den Herder, UCSD Bookstore, La Jolla, CA

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin
(Penguin, $15, 9780143038252 / 0143038257)
"Greg Mortenson's story and his work in establishing schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan show the power of a passion to make a difference, particularly in the lives of women living in abject poverty with no previous access to education. A great book to remind us that we, as Americans, take many things for granted." --Cathy Berner, Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, TX

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