The January 2011 Indie Next List Preview

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Here’s a preview of the Indie Next List Great Reads and “Now in Paperback” titles, featured with jacket images, on the January 2011 Indie Next List flier, on its way to ABA member stores in the IndieBound movement.

A downloadable PDF version of the list will also be available beginning January 1 on BookWeb.org and IndieBound.org.

The January 2011 Indie Next List Great Reads

#1 Pick: 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

A Lonely Death: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery, by Charles Todd
(William Morrow, $24.99, 9780061726194)
"Charles Todd has penned another mystery masterpiece! Ian Rutledge is determined to find the killer who is garroting soldiers from Eastfield Company who survived the Great War. With the voice of Hamish, a dead soldier, constantly in his head, Inspector Rutledge wades through the red herrings and mistaken directions of the villagers. Along the way, we are reminded of the horrors and lasting effects of war while rooting for Ian to find love and happiness despite his fragile mental state." -- Kathy Wales, Martha's Bookstore, Balboa Island, CA

The Poison Tree: A Novel, by Erin Kelly
(Pamela Dorman Books/Viking, $26.95, 9780670022403)
"This atmospheric and beautifully written debut opens with a woman who is heading out to face an unnamed crisis with 'the strength of a woman who has everything to lose.' As the story slowly builds with delicious tension, alternating between present and past, the reader is taken on a powerful journey. Revealing that a tragedy has occurred, Kelly relentlessly builds the psychological pressure between the vividly developed characters to a powerful and surprising ending. This book is about love and pain and the lengths to which a woman will go to protect her family." -- Lanora Hurley, Next Chapter Bookshop, Mequon, WI

The Lake of Dreams: A Novel, by Kim Edwards
(Viking Adult, $26.95, 9780670022175)
"When Lucy Jarrett returns to her childhood home in upstate New York to visit her mother, she is forced to confront the ghosts of her past. Lucy discovers that an ancestor was involved in the suffragette movement and was romantically connected with a well-known stained glass artist, even while Lucy herself reconnects with a former boyfriend who is now a local stained glass artist. In researching the past, Lucy must come to terms with her present, including confronting her long-withheld grief over her father's death under mysterious circumstances. This is a captivating novel from the best-selling author of The Memory Keeper's Daughter." -- Karen Vail, Titcomb's Bookshop, East Sandwich, MA

Clara and Mr. Tiffany: A Novel, by Susan Vreeland
(Random House, $26, 9781400068166)
"This compelling novel tells the story of Clara Driscoll who is employed by Louis Tiffany during New York City's 'Gilded Age.' As head of his glasswork's women's department, she achieves recognition for her design for the first leaded stained glass lamp. However, her desire for artistic success and personal happiness is thwarted by Tiffany's company policy against hiring married females. Vreeland masterfully shows an emotional picture of the glamorous world of the privileged class as set against the poverty of immigrants struggling to sustain hope and survive in their 'new world'. A must read!" -- Carol Hicks, Bookshelf At Hooligan Rocks, Truckee, CA

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, by Amy Chua
(Penguin Press, $25.95, 9781594202841)
"Yale Law professor and history scholar Chua bravely and honestly relates her experiences in raising two daughters with her husband. Her self-defined 'Chinese parenting' approach presents a challenge to readers to understand how her unconditional love for her children can translate into such 'foreign' parental strategies that, from a Western perspective, seemingly impose stringent strictures on her children's development. Their accomplishments in violin, piano, and academics strongly argue for the effectiveness of her method, although the pitfalls of the approach manifest themselves, and the difficult process of reevaluation results in a provocative and instructive work." -- Ed Conklin, Chaucer's Books, Santa Barbara, CA

Bird Cloud: A Memoir, by Annie Proulx
(Scribner, $26, 9780743288804)
"Annie Proulx, one of America's best-loved authors, shares her adventures of moving from the East Coast to Wyoming, finding a 640-acre property, and beginning to build the perfect home. Situated at the foot of a 400-foot cliff, the scenery is breathtaking and filled with wildlife: eagles, mountain lions, herons, elk, deer, and antelope. Her home was planned to be 'a wooden poem,' and Proulx's experience of building what came to be called 'Bird Cloud' will keep you engrossed through writing that is both riveting and revelatory." -- Lillian Kinsey, The Morris Book Shop, Lexington, KY

The Radleys: A Novel, by Matt Haig
(Free Press, $25, 9781439194010)
"The Radleys have secrets like other families, and one in particular that will rip your throat out. Matt Haig puts a wicked British twist on suburban family drama. Wry and racy, with the right fire in the blood to keep you turning pages late into the night, The Radleys is a story about a family tearing things apart. Come closer, there's something you need to see here!" -- Geoffrey Jennings, Rainy Day Books, Fairway, KS

Unless It Moves the Human Heart: The Craft and Art of Writing, by Roger Rosenblatt
(Ecco, $13.99, 9780061965616)
"I love the way that Roger Rosenblatt can squeeze so much meaning into so few words. This is a collection of ideas, discussions, and exercises that he has shared with his writing students. One of my favorites is 'in fiction you treat facts differently. You dream into them and make them works of art.' That line has lived vividly in my imagination since I read it. This is the kind of book that will change your life with a few carefully written words. Amazing!" -- Jackie Blem, Tattered Cover Bookstore, Denver, CO

The Year of the Hare: A Novel, by Arto Paasilinna
(Penguin, $14, 9780143117926)
"A modern day fable from one of Finland's most famous and popular authors, this books tells the story of a journalist and a hare. While on an assignment, Kaarlo Vatanen hits a hare with his car and breaks its leg. Rather than drive on, Vatanen rescues the hare and subsequently abandons his job, his wife, and all his possessions. Thus begins an adventure told in a funny, sweet, and loving parable of animal companions, rural life, and the rejection of modern consumer society." -- Ellen Burns, Books On The Common, Ridgefield, CT

Gideon's War: A Novel, by Howard Gordon
(Touchstone, $24.99, 9781439175811)
"A state-of-the-art offshore oil rig called The Obelisk is the setting for this debut thriller from the executive producer of the television series 24. Hang on to your seat as Gideon Davis, a world-class negotiator and peacemaker, is called in to bring his rogue agent brother to Washington, D.C., from Southeast Asia in the face of an advancing typhoon." -- Liz Heywood, The Babbling Book, Haines, AK

Toward the Setting Sun: John Ross, the Cherokees and the Trail of Tears, by Brian Hicks
(Atlantic Monthly Press, $26, 9780802119636)
"Few have heard of John Ross, yet he is surely one of the 19th century's greatest heroes. In the face of a systematic and aggressive campaign to take Cherokee land, Ross defended his people with both ferocity and dignity. The taking of native lands, particularly the forced and deadly migration of the Cherokee people, is a tragic chapter in our nation's story. Brian Hicks is a skilled writer and historian and this work is enlightening, powerful, and highly recommended." -- Christopher Rose, Andover Bookstore, Andover, MA

American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare: The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee, by Karen Abbott
(Random House, $26, 9781400066919)
"Reading American Rose, you can almost hear the clink of champagne glasses and the excited buzz of a full house at the Minsky brothers' famous burlesque club -- the place where the shy Rose Louise Hovick evolved into enigmatic burlesque star Gypsy Rose Lee. Abbott uncovers tales of her famously manipulative mother and a childhood lost to vaudeville before she becomes the 'most private public figure' in America. This is a compelling, vivid homage to the Roaring Twenties." -- Beth Champion, The Velveteen Rabbit Bookshop, Fort Atkinson, WI

Our Man in Tehran, by Robert Wright
(Other Press, $25.95, 9781590514139)
"In November 1978, Iran dumbfounded the international diplomatic community when students overran the American Embassy and took nearly the whole staff hostage with the support of their spiritual leader, Ayatollah Khomeini. Six Americans were able to avoid being captured and found refuge in the Canadian Embassy. They were saved and finally smuggled out of Iran thanks to the brave actions of Ken Taylor, the Canadian ambassador. The story of Taylor's actions remains very relevant to the current situation in Iran, and this book reads like a high-level non-fiction thriller." -- Jean-Paul Andriaasen, Water Street Books, Exeter, NH

The Janus Stone: A Ruth Galloway Mystery, by Elly Griffiths
(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $26, 9780547237442)
"Fans of character-driven suspense and atmospheric writing are sure to enjoy this new mystery series. Forensic anthropologist Ruth Galloway discovers ominous links to ancient sacrificial rites when a child's headless skeleton turns up in the foundation of an old house. Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson, the married father of Galloway's unborn child, becomes the investigating officer, and the murderer sees a chance for blackmail. I look forward to reading more in this series!" -- Carol Schneck, Schuler Books & Music, Okemos, MI

The Memory of Love, by Aminatta Forna
(Atlantic Monthly Press, $24.95, 9780802119650)
"As he lays dying in a Sierra Leone hospital, Elias Cole tells his story of war to Adrian, a psychologist. Is there a secret about the war he wants to reveal in order to have a peaceful death? The human experiences of love and hate, betrayal and friendship, and death and survival are portrayed so vividly that readers will come away wondering what they would do in the same circumstances: Save oneself or sacrifice oneself? This is powerful and necessary reading." -- Karen Briggs, Great Northern Books and Hobbies, Oscoda, MI

Precious and Fragile Things, by Megan Hart
(Mira, $13.95, 9780778329244)
"You will never forget the story of Gilly and Todd, who are brought together during a car-jacking-turned-kidnapping and are forced to remain together in a snowed-in cabin in the wilderness for months on end. Their relationship becomes more complex than you would expect, as they reluctantly get to know each other's secrets under the harshest of circumstances. Book club members be warned: Your meeting is going to run long this month!" -- Lori-Jo Scott, Island Bookstore, Kitty Hawk, NC

From the Land of the Moon, by Milena Agus
(Europa Editions, $15, 9781609450014)
"This is a beautiful and charming translation of an intimate yet timeless romance. A young unnamed woman reflects on the life of her grandmother, a bewitching and eccentric figure whose abiding search for love spans much of the 20th century." -- Brette Weinkle, Greenlight Bookstore, Brooklyn, NY

This Glittering World: A Novel, by T. Greenwood
(Kensington, $15, 9780758250919)
"When Ben Bailey went outside to enjoy the first snowfall and to fetch the paper, he found a dying young man. He had no idea that this would be the catalyst to look into himself to find out who he was and what he really wanted to do with his life. His planned future becomes uncertain as he finds himself more and more enmeshed in helping the beautiful sister of the man prove that this was a homicide and a hate crime. This is an riveting tale of what we owe to the people in our lives, what we owe to ourselves, and the cost of the compromises we make." -- Jackie Blem, Tattered Cover Bookstore, Denver, CO

The Sherlockian: A Novel, by Graham Moore
(Twelve, $24.99, 9780446572590)
"Imagine creating a literary figure -- Sherlock Holmes -- so real that when you get fed up and kill him off, there's rioting and accusations of murder hurled at you? Imagine further that you kept a diary of your creative life and that after your death one volume is mysteriously missing, perhaps the one that chronicles why you had a change of heart and resurrected Holmes? What a delicious problem to confront modern literary researcher Harold White. And then the world's leading Holmes scholar is found murdered in his hotel room. Can Harold use the methods of his idol to find the missing diary -- and the killer? Graham Moore pens a gripping literary quest." -- Barbara Peters, The Poisoned Pen, Scottsdale, AZ

The January 2011 "Now in Paperback"

Alice I Have Been, by Melanie Benjamin (Bantam, 9780385344142, $15)

Bloodroot, by Amy Greene (Vintage, 9780307390578, $15)

A Fair Maiden, by Joyce Carol Oates (Mariner, 9780547263359, $12.95)

The First Rule: A Joe Pike Novel, by Robert Crais (Berkley, 9780425238127, $9.99)

The Girl Who Fell From the Sky, by Heidi W. Durrow (Algonquin, 9781616200152, $13.95)

The Girl with Glass Feet, by Ali Shaw (Picador, 9780312680459, $15)

The Harvard Psychedelic Club, by Don Lattin (HarperOne, 9780061655944, $14.99)

One Amazing Thing, by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (Voice, 9781401341589, $13.99)

The Red Door: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery, by Charles Todd (Harper Paperbacks, 9780061726170, $14.99)

Roses: A Novel, by Leila Meacham (Grand Central Publishing, 9780446549998, $13.99)

Then Came the Evening, by Brian Hart (Bloomsbury, 9781608194698, $15)

The Tyranny of E-mail, by John Freeman (Scribner, 9781416576747, $16)

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