Here are the 25 Indie Next List and 6 Now in Paperback picks on the June 2025 Indie Next List flier.
The June title list is also viewable as a collection on Edelweiss and on the Indie Next List page as an Excel file alongside PDFs for the month’s flier and shelf-talker templates. Learn more and visit Matchbook Marketing’s program page to sign up to send the free Indie Next List e-newsletter to customers.
Additionally, to mark the start of the new month, the May Indie Next List picks are available as a flier, along with past lists, on the Indie Next List page on BookWeb.org.
The 25 June Indie Next List Picks
#1: Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil
By V. E. Schwab
(Tor Books, 9781250320520, $29.99, June 10, Fantasy)
“Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is V. E. Schwab’s literary follow up to the phenomenon that is The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. This book is truly dripping in bloody soil and grows a dark flower with teeth.”
—Kendra Burns, The Book Vine, Cherokee, IA
Atmosphere: A Love Story
By Taylor Jenkins Reid
(Ballantine Books, 9780593158715, $30, June 3, Fiction)
“Emotional, thoroughly researched, and packed with characters navigating the demanding world of NASA, this book is all that you want from Taylor Jenkins Reid. Joan will make you believe in the goodness of humanity.”
—Cat Bock, Parnassus Books, Nashville, TN
Run for the Hills: A Novel
By Kevin Wilson
(Ecco, 9780063317512, $28.99, May 13, Fiction)
“Kevin Wilson is a much needed literary voice. His books are always delightfully zany while not feeling slight. Mad is one of Wilson’s best central characters yet and each episode in her journey is a joy to read.”
—James Harrod, West Side Books, Denver, CO
The Knight and the Moth (The Stonewater Kingdom #1)
By Rachel Gillig
(Orbit, 9780316582704, $30, May 20, Fantasy)
“The Knight and the Moth is haunting and mystical, tender and raw. Gillig explores devotion — both in religion and human connections, and what happens when those relationships become perverse.”
—Carolyn Pallof, White Whale Bookstore, Pittsburgh, PA
The Love Haters: A Novel
By Katherine Center
(St. Martin's Press, 9781250283825, $29, May 20, Romance)
“While Katie goes to Key West to film Coast Guard hunk Tom (Hutch) Hutcheson, trouble starts with a simple lie. A true love story about loving the person you are and those you want to love. Fantastic!”
—Karen Piacentini, Fenton's Open Book, Fenton, MI
So Far Gone: A Novel
By Jess Walter
(Harper, 9780062868145, $30, June 10, Fiction)
“Retired journalist Rhys Kinnick thinks he can live out his days reading — until he must save his kidnapped grandchildren. Walter delves into our era’s most pressing issues with grace, humor, and humanity.”
—Yvette Olson, Magnolia's Bookstore, Seattle, WA
Aftertaste: A Novel
By Daria Lavelle
(Simon & Schuster, 9781668061596, $28.99, May 20, Fiction)
“A captivating and innovative debut novel that seamlessly blends food writing with the supernatural. A deliciously unique and deeply poignant narrative interwoven with themes of grief, healing, and letting go.”
—Kyra Tatlow, Book Love, Plymouth, MA
The River Is Waiting: A Novel
By Wally Lamb
(S&S/Marysue Rucci Books, 9781668006399, $29.99, June 10, Fiction)
“A family’s life is shattered by addiction and trauma. Corby’s journey through the damage he has caused, incarceration, and his attempt to find mercy is a stark and sobering look at America and its response to crime and punishment.”
—Bill Cusumano, Square Books, Oxford, MS
The Listeners: A Novel
By Maggie Stiefvater
(Viking, 9780593655504, $30, June 3, Historical Fiction)
“A fascinating hotel with magical water running through it, lovable characters with mysterious pasts, and wartime chaos combine in this amazing read. I was so immersed in the world of the Avallon.”
—Andie Keith, Word After Word Books, Truckee, CA
Great Black Hope: A Novel (Indies Introduce)
By Rob Franklin
(S&S/Summit Books, 9781668077436, $28.99, June 10, Fiction)
“Great Black Hope is an immersive experience of the dilemmas faced by characters confronting a broken justice system and a society that still erects barriers to Black achievement. It is marvelous.”
—Shane Grebel, Watermark Books & Cafe, Wichita, KS
Left of Forever: A Novel (Spunes #2)
By Tarah DeWitt
(St. Martin's Griffin, 9781250329448, $18, May 20, Romance)
“Left of Forever is a wonderful second-chance romance about two people finally finding their way back to each other as they road trip up the western coast. If you love to yearn, you will love this.”
—Kaylie Padgett, Women & Children First, Chicago, IL
The Ghostwriter: A Novel
By Julie Clark
(Sourcebooks Landmark, 9781464221286, $27.99, June 3, Thriller)
“This is Julie Clark at her best! Olivia has been hiding from her past all her life. Now that her father is sick, he wants her to ghostwrite his memoir. Clark takes you on a rollercoaster ride that will leave you breathless.”
—Toni Chase, Books & Company, Oconomowoc, WI
A Family Matter: A Novel
By Claire Lynch
(Scribner, 9781668078891, $25.99, June 3, Fiction)
“This is a beautiful, quiet book about being unmoored. There is so much love, and much pain — laws in 1982 England classified lesbian relationships as inappropriate. A strong reminder that our past was not so long ago and we have a responsibility to speak up.”
—Kira Wizner, Merritt Bookstore, Millbrook, NY
Endling: A Novel
By Maria Reva
(Doubleday, 9780385545310, $28, June 3, Fiction)
“Endling is a rich stew of the foreign bride industry, nearly extinct snails, familial disappointment, and war in a scabrous, blistering portrait of contemporary Ukraine that is as eye-opening as it is entertaining.”
—David Enyeart, Next Chapter Booksellers, St. Paul, MN
Is a River Alive?
By Robert Macfarlane
(W. W. Norton & Company, 9780393242133, $31.99, May 20, Nature)
“Through Robert Macfarlane’s eyes, we see beauty in the natural world, beauty in the people devoted to protecting it, beauty in a possible future, and beauty in the words that carry its message.”
—Trevor Ogden, Boulder Book Store, Boulder, CO
Make Me Famous: A Novel
By Maud Ventura, Gretchen Schmid (Transl.)
(HarperVia, 9780063427518, $30, May 13, Fiction)
“Ventura offers a hilarious yet harrowing story of a young French American musician’s rise to fame. A flawless depiction of the pressures of being young, beautiful, maintaining a fan base, and staying on top.”
—Melanie Fleishman, Center for Fiction Bookstore, Brooklyn, NY
Behooved
By M. Stevenson
(Bramble, 9781250375087, $19.99, May 20, Romance/Fantasy)
“Come for the horse puns, stay for the very sweet enemies-to-lovers romance! This is a slow burn, low spice, but it was so charming and comforting. A read I can see myself coming back to!”
—Bonnie Ingersoll, Spoke + Word Books, Milwaukie, OR
The Salt Stones: Seasons of a Shepherd's Life
By Helen Whybrow
(Milkweed Editions, 9781571311627, $26, June 3, Memoir)
“One of the great gifts of writers is so delicately, artfully, placing characters in our minds that we can fully experience them. Read this for a shepherd's life and the landscapes they inhabit. Beautiful, telling, and human.”
—John Evans, Camino Books, San Diego, CA
King of Ashes: A Novel
By S. A. Cosby
(Flatiron Books: Pine & Cedar, 9781250832061, $28.99, June 10, Thriller)
“Darkness reigns in this novel of a man returning home to fight for his family in a conflict he never anticipated. A Faustian deal with his hometown devil descends into depravity. S. A. Cosby proves he never disappoints.”
—Nath Mayes, Carmichael's Bookstore, Louisville, KY
Notes on Infinity: A Novel
By Austin Taylor
(Celadon Books, 9781250376107, $29.99, June 3, Fiction)
“Zoe and Jack have found a way to genetically engineer genes related to aging. Their incredible work and parallel love story are almost too good to be true. Fans of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow will race through this.”
—Beth Mynhier, Lake Forest Book Store, Lake Forest, IL
Forest Euphoria: The Abounding Queerness of Nature
By Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian
(Spiegel & Grau, 9781954118904, $30, May 27, Nature)
“A wonderful celebration of the beauty and strangeness of the natural world, as well as a fascinating memoir about growing up different. You will love Kaishian’s clear, vivid prose!”
—Michael Bender, Split Rock Books, Cold Spring, NY
The River's Daughter
By Bridget Crocker
(Spiegel & Grau, 9781954118546, $30, June 3, Memoir)
“I loved learning about Bridget Crocker’s life on these incredible rivers! Crocker made me feel like the river is a living thing — the way it speaks to you, and carries you, and drives its own path across the barriers in its way.”
—Cassie Clemans, Roundabout Books, Bend, OR
The Summer We Ran
By Audrey Ingram
(Zibby Publishing, 9798989923069, $17.99, June 3, Romance)
“If you’re looking for a novel beyond romance, nostalgic ‘90s summers, and complex characters, The Summer We Ran is for you. Ingram delves into class, ambition, and our capacity to forgive and love despite tragedy.”
—Melody Wukitch, Severna Park Books & LitCoLab, Severna, MD
Of Monsters and Mainframes
By Barbara Truelove
(Bindery Books, 9781964721132, $18.95, June 3, Science Fiction)
“A delightful found family romp through space! Think if Murderbot was a creature feature. I really can’t get over how fantastic and charming this is!”
—Athena Palmer, Shelf Life Bookstore, Richmond, VA
The Girls of Good Fortune: A Novel
By Kristina McMorris
(Sourcebooks Landmark, 9781728284866, $27.99, May 20, Fiction)
“The Girls of Good Fortune takes you through the streets of Portland’s Chinatown and the Shanghai tunnels. Celie’s search for love and justice illuminates the struggles in the immigrant experience and atrocities long buried.”
—Sally Sue Lavigne, The Storybook Shoppe, Bluffton, SC
The 6 Now in Paperback Titles
Come and Get It: A Novel
By Kiley Reid
(G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 9780593328224, $19, May 27, Fiction)
“No one writes class and social hierarchy like Kiley Reid. In Come and Get It, Reid turns her eye to a college campus, digging into all the petty drama, backhanded compliments, and codeswitching. The result is an engrossing, explosive story.”
—Lindsay Lynch, Parnassus Books, Nashville, TN
Exhibit: A Novel
By R. O. Kwon
(Riverhead Books, 9780593190036, $18, May 20, Fiction)
“There is so much in this layered 200-page gem of a novel about a pair of new artist friends — a photographer struggling through a creative block, and a successful ballerina recovering from a serious injury — and their desires. Completely absorbing.”
—Kalani Kapahua, Third Place Books, Ravenna, WA
The Guncle Abroad: A Novel
By Steven Rowley
(G.P. Putnam's Sons, 9780593540473, $19, May 20, Fiction)
“Guncle fans rejoice: this sequel brings back all the wry humor, miscommunication, grief, and joy of connection. Patrick’s brother’s impending marriage reunites the family, even as it threatens to split them apart. A reader's delight.”
—Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books, Davidson, NC
Libby Lost and Found: A Novel
By Stephanie Booth
(Sourcebooks Landmark, 9781464236303, $17.99, May 20, Fiction)
“A delightful read! Full of endearing characters who collide with heartwarming results: an author of a beloved children’s series over deadline due to early onset Alzheimer’s, a tiny intrepid superfan, and her wacky family and town.”
—Alana Haley, Schuler Books, Grand Rapids, MI
Margo's Got Money Troubles: A Novel
By Rufi Thorpe
(William Morrow Paperbacks, 9780063356597, $18.99, June 10, Fiction)
“Thoughtful, funny, empathetic. Margo’s deep fears of not being a ‘good’ person resonate. Her career on OnlyFans felt original and exciting without minimizing the prejudice and violence that surround sex work. An ultimately uplifting read.”
—Maggie Kane, Little City Books, Hoboken, NJ
Sandwich: A Novel
By Catherine Newman
(Harper Perennial, 9780063345171, $18.99, May 27, Fiction)
“Catherine Newman has perfected the art of making you laugh out loud, then cry just sentences apart. This funny, tender story follows one family’s weeklong vacation in Cape Cod. Newman has crafted a story rich with what it is to be human.”
—Beth Bissmeyer, Carmichael’s Bookstore, Louisville, KY