Indie Next List Interview

Jacqueline Woodson’s first title for adults in 20 years is “a beautiful, heart-wrenching novel of a young girl’s coming-of-age in Brooklyn,” said Nicole Yasinsky of The Booksellers at Laurelwood.

Here, author Elizabeth J. Church discusses the unique experience of growing up in Los Alamos, New Mexico, the birthplace of the atomic bomb, and how her youth shaped and inspired her debut novel, The Atomic Weight of Love.

Author Joshilyn Jackson talks about the integral role indie booksellers have played in her career, the process of creating the tough and impassioned character Paula Vauss, and what she’s got coming up next. 

The Swans of Fifth Avenue, which evokes Truman Capote’s entrée into socialite Babe Paley’s rarified life and his ultimate betrayal of her, is a “fun, kind of gossipy read” that author Melanie Benjamin hopes readers will enjoy.

In 2011, Rinker Buck set out in a covered wagon to navigate the historic Oregon Trail, a trip he chronicles in The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey. Here, Buck discusses some of the surprises he encountered on his adventure and the passion that prompted his journey.

In an interview with Bookselling This Week, David Nicholls, author of Us, this month’s top Indie Next List Pick, sheds light on many of his influences and preferences as a writer.

Jodi Picoult, author of Leaving Time (Ballantine Books), discusses why she chose to write about elephants, how she researched their behavior, the strength of mother-daughter bonds, and the role independent booksellers have played in her career.

David Mitchell, the author of The Bone Clocks, recently spoke with Bookselling This Week about the inspiration for his latest bestseller, some of the characters readers might recognize from previous novels, and his own experience working in a bookstore.

Sue Monk Kidd, the author of The Invention of Wings, discusses her research and writing processes, the challenge of entwining fact and fiction, and the importance of women finding their own voices.