Top Selling Books in Our First Three Years

1. Once Upon Dickson by Tony Wappel & Ethel Simpson
Univ of Arkansas Press





2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J K Rowling
Scholastic





3. Girl in the Tangerine Scarf by Mohja Kahf
Perseus Books Group





4. Long Journeys: An Arkansas Family in Africa by Sarah Burnside
Phoenix Press



5. Gallop! by Rufus Seder
Workman





6. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
Little Brown




7. The Toss of Lemon by Padma Viswanathan
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt





8. Coal Black Horse by Robert Olmstead
Algonquin Books






9. Time and Tilting Earth by Miller Williams
Louisiana State University Press




10. Running the Dogs by Thomas Cochran
Farrar Straus Giroux

May Indie Next List

All May hardback indie recommendations are 10% off through May 31st

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
(Delacorte, $23)
"Whether you are a mystery lover or not, you are going to fall hard for Flavia de Luce, the newest sleuth on the block. She is a chemistry geek, a plucky Nancy Drew, and a wacky Bridget Jones all wrapped up in an 11-year-old body. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is both funny and wickedly clever. You'll have a great time reading it -- and want to be friends with Flavia." --Jennifer Meador, Lemuria Bookstore, Jackson, MS

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin
(Scribner, $25)
"Eilis Lacey has come of age in the dark, impoverished Ireland of the 1950s. Trained as a bookkeeper but unable to find suitable work, she makes a new home in Brooklyn. Struggling to understand her new world and haunted by the old, she lives the classic immigrant story of loss and regret, hope and resilience. Brooklyn is a quiet tour de force." --Nan Hadden, Books Inc., San Francisco, CA

The Last Child: A Novel by John Hart
(St. Martin's Minotaur, $24.95)
"John Hart has written a thriller about a young boy searching for his missing twin that will have you on edge and pulling for the hero from the very beginning. The strong characters and twists in the plot had me white-knuckled until I turned the final page." --Marc Galvin, The Bookstore Plus, Lake Placid, NY

The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet by Reif Larsen
(Penguin Press, $27.95)
"In The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet, which is full of observations and maps, we see the world through the eyes of a Cheerios-obsessed 12-year-old with the wisdom of an old soul. This book is funny, tender, heartwarming, heartbreaking, and full of insight. On every page there was something that I wanted to read aloud to anyone who would listen." --Jake Hallman, A Great Good Place for Books, Oakland, CA

The Whole Five Feet: What the Great Books Taught Me About Life, Death, and Pretty Much Everything Else by Christopher R. Beha
(Grove, $25)
"The Whole Five Feet is a fine introduction to some of the best books ever written. Christopher Beha decided to read the Harvard Classics series in its entirety in one year, and he writes about both what he absorbs from the books and how reading these classics affects him. A must-read for anyone fascinated about how reading transforms us!" --Michele Filgate, RiverRun Bookstore, Portsmouth, NH

Woodsburner: A Novel by John Pipkin
(Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, $24.95)
"John Pipkin's Woodsburner is an audacious, wondrous surprise -- audacious for putting someone like Henry David Thoreau and a true event from his life (a great fire) in a novel. It is a luminous story, in which Thoreau, a handful of insightfully drawn characters, and an America they all embody are cast in vivid relief. More than 150 years later, Woodsburner feels like a story from yesterday." --Rick Simonson, The Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA

Secret Son: A Novel by Laila Lalami
(Algonquin, $23.95)
"Laila Lalami has written a wonderfully crafted novel -- set in the slums of Casablanca -- whose carefully wrought characters allow us to lift the veil of media headlines and to gain greater empathy and understanding of the competing protagonists in today's sundered world. Secret Son is an irresistible read." --Paul Yamazaki, City Lights Books, San Francisco, CA

Dark Places: A Novel by Gillian Flynn
(Shaye Areheart Books, $24)
"Once again, Gillian Flynn focuses on a deeply flawed protagonist. This time it's 32-year-old Libby Day, who is searching for the person who killed her family 25 years ago. Told alternatively in the present and in flashbacks to the events leading up to the horrific event, this compelling story mesmerizes even as it horrifies. Flynn exceeds the promise shown in her first novel, Sharp Objects." --Joe Strebel, Anderson's Bookshop, Naperville, IL

The Wildwater Walking Club: A Novel by Claire Cook
(Voice, $23.95)
"Summer is coming and so is a new, hilarious book by Claire Cook. The Wildwater Walking Club follows 32 days in the lives of three neighboring women who come together for fellowship and understanding as they set their pedometers for their daily walks. Cook once again blends familiar and serious issues with her keen sense of humor to serve up a treat for her vast legion of fans." --Jackie Blem, Tattered Cover Bookstore, Denver, CO

Sag Harbor: A Novel by Colson Whitehead
(Doubleday, $24.95)
"Colson Whitehead's Sag Harbor, a coming-of-age novel set in small community of African-American professionals in the Hamptons, is a masterpiece. Is Whitehead the greatest writer of his generation? He bids fair." --Sarah McNally, McNally Jackson Books, New York, NY

Valeria's Last Stand: A Novel by Marc Fitten
(Bloomsbury, $24)
"Valeria, a 50-ish curmudgeon of a woman, finds fault with everyone in her small Hungarian village. One day, though, the town's potter catches her eye, and she discovers herself. Full of interesting characters, intrigue, love and lust, political corruption, and more, Valeria's Last Stand is a delightful and satisfying read." --Gayle Wingerter, Inklings Bookshop, Yakima, WA

On the Divinity of Second Chances: A Novel by Kaya McLaren
(Penguin, $14 paper)
"This beautifully realized story tells of a family's quest for meaning in lives gone awry. Told alternately from the perspective of each character, the narrative unravels a lifetime of buried feelings, regrets, and lost desires as McLaren deftly chronicles this family's downward spiral and ultimate redemption through forgiveness." --Brianne Kuhle, Lindon Bookstore, Enumclaw, WA

Who Is Mark Twain? by Mark Twain
(HarperStudio, $19.99)
"Mark Twain's unpublished writings give us a candid look at a writer already well known for his wit and irreverence. This new collection contains among its gems the rejected first draft of a lecture (including notes for an accompanying slide show), a political article thought too provocative for its time, and a story that prefigures Six Feet Under, thought too tasteless by Twain's family to publish. Great stuff from one of America's most celebrated men of letters." --Sean Chiki, The Booksmith, San Francisco, CA

Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting by Michael Perry
(HarperCollins, $25.99)
"Our favorite, home-spun memoirist is back with his heartfelt, moving, and always hilarious recollections of his new life on 'the farm,' with a brand-new baby, and, of course, his long-awaited coop of chickens. A delight." --Diane Gressman, Books & Company, Oconomowoc, WI

Thanks for the Memories: A Novel by Cecelia Ahern
(HarperCollins, $24.99)
"Cecelia Ahern's Thanks for the Memories incorporates a little magic and a plethora of lovable and engrossing characters in telling the story of the surprising changes in Joyce Conway's life after her medical treatment following a terrible accident. Absolutely fabulous!" --Summer Moser, Summer's Stories, Kendallville, IN

An Edible History of Humanity by Tom Standage
(Walker, $26)
"Tom Standage's An Edible History of Humanity is filled with remarkable and intriguing facts about the history of food in human civilization. It will make you hungry just reading it!" --Jerry Fieldsted, Windows on the World -- Books & Art, Mariposa, CA

Not Becoming My Mother and Other Things She Taught Me Along the Way by Ruth Reichl
(Penguin Press, $19.95)
"Ruth Reichl does a wonderful job of showing us the person at the heart of her mother, Miriam Reichl -- a woman who struggled against the constraints of 1950s American culture and who encouraged her daughter to enter a world that she herself so desperately wanted to belong to but could not access." --Lisa Stefanacci, The Book Works, Del Mar, CA

All Other Nights: A Novel by Dara Horn
(Norton, $24.95)
"All Other Nights is a picture of the Civil War I've never seen before -- Jew divided from Jew, just like the rest of the country. Eccentric and highly memorable characters, tragedy, deep romance, and an intricate plot make this a thrilling read that I will be recommending to a broad swath of customers." --Lilla G. Weinberger, Readers' Books, Sonoma, CA

Prayers for Sale: A Novel by Sandra Dallas
(St. Martin's, $24.95)
"During the 1930s Depression in the mining mountains of rural Colorado, two women form a close friendship while sharing their dark secrets of the past. Hennie, 86 and a widow, and Nit, 17 and newly married, tell of heartbreak, redemption, and forgiveness in this beautiful story that will deeply move its readers." --Carol Hicks, Bookshelf at Hooligan Rocks, Truckee, CA

The Air Between Us: A Novel by Deborah Johnson
(Amistad, $13.99 paper)
"Segregated Revere, Mississippi, in the 1960s is struggling with the idea and reality of integration when a poor white man injured in a hunting accident is brought into the segregated Doctors Hospital. Deborah Johnson's novel is an engrossing story full of mysterious and interesting characters whom you will identify with and think about long after you have finished the book. A perfect, absorbing read." --Lillian Kinsey, Bohannons' Books With a Past, Georgetown, KY

A Reliable Wife


Author: Robert Goolrick
Publisher: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
Published: March 2009



This is probably my favorite book so far this year. I've already read it twice and I have little time for second readings these days. I collect perfect sentences and A Reliable Wife added several to my list. Goolrick is amazing at using words to pull you into the book and it's characters' lives. In the first pages, he beautifully presents Ralph Truitt and his surroundings and calls up the loneliness and desolation of his life and home with just a few perfect sentences.

Reading each chapter was like unwrapping another package. Each caused my idea of what I was reading to shift. Unlike some books' "surprises", these revelations felt natural and allowed the story to grow in depth, not become formulaic. Reading so much, it's always wonderful to come across something that doesn't feel like everything else I've read. The story of a plotting heir is certainly not new, but Goolrick has made it his own with his wonderful use of language and character creation. This could be described as a mystery, but it's a mystery in the tradition of Charlotte Bronte, not Janet Evanovich.

April 2009 Indie Next List

Jami Attenberg at Nightbird Books

Jami Attenberg was at Nightbird on Tuesday evening, February 3rd. It was such a fun night! Jami has written a collection of short stories, Instant Love and a novel just released in paperback, The Kept Man. She gave an excellent reading then took questions and entertained us for probably an hour or more.

I told Jami that with the possible exception of the 80-year-old Wiccan couple in town for Pagan Pride Day, I've not enjoyed an evening at the bookstore more. I'm very lucky to have so many authors willing to come to our store. I challenge each of you to make it to at least one event this year if not all of them! Perhaps we can have some kind of perfect attendance award. Anyway, my rant is that so many of the bookstore's events have been under-attended. The only way we will ever get on the author tour list is to show that Fayetteville will turn out to meet authors. I admit to being a book nerd, but I'm always so excited to meet these people who can write the books that bring me so much pleasure.

Keep up with our calendar, join our email list, or stop by the store to get a list of events. We always have fun and there are always interesting people to meet.

January Indie Next List

All January hardback picks are 10% off through January 31st

Beat the Reaper: A Novel by Josh Bazell
(Little Brown, $24.99, 9780316032223)
"Josh Bazell's story of a young Manhattan emergency room doctor with an unusual past goes down like a good Bloody Mary with a powerful kick. The briskly paced thriller offers an entertaining plot, quirky characters, and a shocking ending that will haunt the reader for a long while." --Amy Pierson, Toad Hall Bookstore, Rockport, MA

Sing Them Home by Stephanie Kallos
(Atlantic, $24, 9780871139634)
"When a tornado dips into Emlyn Springs, Nebraska, it swoops up Hope Jones and never sets her down. Decades later, her grown children are still looking ... for the lives left incomplete. This epic moves expertly between the pre- and post-tornado years, and among the three siblings and the townspeople. As in her debut novel, Broken For You, Stephanie Kallos carefully weaves a complex tale featuring quirky, sympathetic characters." --Cheryl McKeon, Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA

The Little Giant of Aberdeen County: A Novel by Tiffany Baker
(Grand Central, $24.99, 9780446194204)
"Truly Plaice is definitely larger-than-life -- in body and in her personality. Motherless from birth, with a perfect sister, Truly's life is mostly a disaster. Almost like a fairy tale, this book has it all -- giants; wicked (sort of) stepmothers; of course, and magic. How Truly makes sense of her life and finds a place in a world that just doesn't seem to have room for her makes for one splendid book." --Kym Havens, Wellesley Booksmith, Wellesley, MA

Two Rivers: A Novel by T. Greenwood
(Kensington, $15 paper, 9780758228772)
"The Vietnam war, discrimination, and family secrets combine in this story of forgiveness and redemption. Greenwood effortlessly balances tenderness and grit, resulting in a moving portrait of Harper Montgomery's efforts to make good on past actions and regain a sense of integrity." --Bev Denor, LaDeDa Books, Manitowoc, WI

Still Alice: A Novel by Lisa Genova
(Pocket, $15 paper, 9781439102817)
"This wonderful debut novel tells the story of 50-year-old Harvard professor Alice Howland as she grapples with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Lisa Genova's writing style, and her compelling story, will leave you thinking of, and wanting to talk about, Alice after finishing this powerful, beautiful work." --Caitlin Doggart, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Chatham, MA

The Book of Unholy Mischief: A Novel by Elle Newmark
(Atria, $26, 9781416590545)
"The Book of Unholy Mischief is a delicious thriller set in Venice in 1498. Luciano is a street kid -- using his wits and his friends to survive until a master chef literally plucks him from the street and takes him to live in the doge's kitchen. There, Luciano learns about food, life, and integrity -- and also about a mysterious book. The quest for the book and surviving its impact bring chills and thrills in this fantastic novel." --Linda Dewberry, Whodunit? Books, Olympia, WA

A Day and a Night and a Day: A Novel by Glen Duncan
(Ecco, $24.99, 9780061239991)
"Glen Duncan's A Day and a Night and a Day is one of the most challenging books I have read in years, pushing a reader to consider what it means to be human and to be moral in the world today. Combining a love story with contemporary politics, Duncan has crafted a flawlessly written story -- honest and unflinching -- as impossible to put down as it is to forget." --Leslie Reiner, Inkwood Books, Tampa, FL

Bone by Bone by Carol O'Connell
(Putnam, $24.95, 9780399155147 )
"Carol O'Connell's first stand-alone book is a winner -- an intricately plotted story of an unsolved murder of a teenage boy. This extraordinary thriller will keep you hooked." --Patricia Worth, River Reader LLC, Lexington, MO

Shelter Me by Juliette Fay
(Avon, $14.99 paper, 9780061673399)
"This debut novel features family, friends, and grief in a touchingly warm and funny way. I cried and laughed with Janie LaMarche as she figures out how to go on living without her beloved husband. Fay's characters run the gamut and could live next door to any of us." --Judy Manzo, Book Ends, Winchester, MA

Tinkers by Paul Harding
(Bellevue Literary Press, $14.95 paper, 9781934137123)
"This debut novel is a slim treasure that, through the lives of a New England father and his son, quietly takes on nothing less than the measure of a life and the sublime and fearful notes that make it up. Harding lifts the face off small moments in quiet lives with a language both heartbreaking and exhilarating." --Ty Wilson, Copperfield's Books, Sebastopol, CA

Couch by Benjamin Parzybok
(Small Beer Press, $16 paper, 9781931520546)
"This funny novel of furniture moving gone awry is a magical realism quest for modern times. Parzybok's touching story explores the aimlessness of our culture, a society of jobs instead of callings, replete with opportunities and choices but without the philosophies and vocations we need to make meaningful decisions." --Josh Cook, Porter Square Books, Cambridge, MA

Never Tell a Lie: A Novel of Suspense by Hallie Ephron
(Morrow, $24.99, 9780061567155)
"High school sweethearts David and Ivy, expecting their first child, meet a former classmate at their garage sale. When the classmate disappears after David takes her on a tour of their house, their lives start to unravel. Vengeance -- and its havoc -- is the subject of this taut and exciting thriller." --Kathy Ashton, The King's English, Salt Lake City, UT

The Piano Teacher: A Novel by Janice Y.K. Lee
(Viking, $25.95, 9780670020485)
"Janice Y.K. Lee makes a powerful entry into the literary world with this lush, intriguing novel of Hong Kong on the edge of World War II and, then, its aftermath. Creating characters as exotic and mysterious as the story's locale, she portrays a society that was lost, a facade that eventually brought horrific costs to most of its members." --Bill Cusumano, Nicola's Books, Ann Arbor, MI

Daemon by Daniel Suarez
(Dutton, $26.95, 9780525951117)
"Daemon is a terrifying thriller about rogue technology by an author who really knows his tech. You'll never watch someone playing an Internet game again without wondering what real-world consequences their online actions might be having." --Caleb Wilson, Pages for All Ages Bookstore, Savoy, IL

Miles From Nowhere by Nami Mun
(Riverhead, $21.95, 9781594488542)
"It's New York in the '80s, and Joon is a teenage Korean immigrant living in the Bronx who is now on the run. Rarely does a first novel blaze across our dark night with the brilliance and fury of lightning -- but Mun's Miles From Nowhere is just that electric. A debut to cheer." --Nick Petrulakis, Books Inc., Alameda, CA

Going to See the Elephant: A Novel by Rodes Fishburne
(Delacorte, $22, 9780385342391)
"Slater Brown arrives in San Francisco with dreams of writing the great American novel. However, fate has different ideas, handing Slater the ability to find great stories and restore a newspaper to its former glory. Throw in a beautiful woman and a mad scientist, and you have a debut novel that's hilarious, unpredictable, and lovely." --Meaghan Leenaarts, Island Bookstore, Corolla, NC

Lucky Billy: A Novel About Billy the Kid by John Vernon
(Houghton, $24, 9780547074238)
"In John Vernon's compelling novel, the bright, brief flame of Billy the Kid's life illuminates all the excess and anxiety of the Wild West itself. From our first glimpse of him to the pathos of his final descent into paranoia, Billy disturbs and seduces us, and Vernon's haunting tale pursues us long after we've closed the book." --Marjorie Darraugh, Pegasus Fine Books & CDs, Berkeley, CA

Nemesis by Jo Nesbo
(Harper, $25.99, 9780061655500)
"Meet police detective Harry Hole and travel the streets of Oslo in the latest thriller from Norway's bestselling Jo Nesbo. This is the best kind of mystery, impossible to put down as you read on to see if Harry will expose his own nemesis in the police force while solving a crime that exposes deeper layers and networks of criminals." --Linda Ramsdell, The Galaxy Bookshop, Hardwick, VT

The Last Stand of Fox Company: A True Story of U.S. Marines in Combat by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin
(Atlantic, $25, 9780871139931)
"Another great book from the authors who gave us Halsey's Typhoon. Their latest effectively captures the savagery, command mistakes, courage, and tenacity of a company of Marines and those who supported them during the Korean War." --Richard Daley, Pass Christian Books, Pass Christian, MS

Home Outside: Creating the Landscape You Love by Julie Moir Messervy
(Taunton, $30, 9781600850080)
"Since I can't get landscape and garden designer Julie Moir Messervy to come overhaul my house, this great guide is the next best thing." --Diana Portwood, Bob's Beach Books, Lincoln City, OR



Fiction Notables:
A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn (Atria, $25, 9781416586203)

In the Convent of Little Flowers: Stories by Indu Sundaresan
(Atria, $22, 9781416586098)
Beautifully written- The reader is quickly grabbed by Sundaresan's characters, and her end-of-story turns leave you gasping. This collection is a joy to read and gives great insight into India's culture. Syrinda Sharpe, University Book Store (Seattle, WA)



The Love We Share Without Knowing by Christopher Barzak (Bantam, $12 paper, 9780553385649)

Jack London in Paradise by Paul Malmont (Simon & Schuster, $25, 9781416547228)

This One Is Mine by Maria Semple (Little Brown, $24.99, 9780316031165)

Kill Your Friends by John Niven
(Harper Perennial, $14.99 paper, 9780061690617)
This story of an A&R rep for a British music label is not for the faint of heart, or those who want to believe that pop music and hit records come out of some happy bubblegumland. But if you are a fan f Irvine Welsh, Bret Easton Ellis, or Chad Kultgen, this is a perfect book. At times shocking, this book kept a guilty smile on my face. Joe Eichman, Tattered Cover Book Store (Denver, CO)


Night Huntress by Yasmine Galenorn (Berkley, $7.99 paper, 9780425225462 )

The Suicide Collectors by David Oppegaard (St. Martin's, $23.95, 9780312381103)

Watchmen by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons (illus.) (DC Comics, $39.99, 9781401219260)

Nonfiction Notables:
The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything by Ken Robinson, Ph.D. (Viking, $25.95, 9780670020478)

The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems by Van Jones
(HarperOne, $25.99, 9780061650758)
My favorite topics (jobs, environment, active citizens, politics) written with the masterful hand of a politically astute activist with an impressive track record. Jessica L. Lloyd-Rogers, Colette's - Hungry Minds (North Bend, OR)



The Memoirs of a Beautiful Boy by Robert Leleux (St. Martin's Griffin, $14.95 paper, 9780312361693)

Seven Days in the Art World by Sarah Thornton (Norton, $24.95, 9780393067224)

Stuck: Why We Can't (or Won't) Move On by Anneli Rufus (Tarcher, $23.95, 9781585426676)

That Went Well: Adventures in Caring for My Sister by Terrell Harris Dougan (Hyperion, $24.95, 9781401323295)

Unknown Soldiers: Reliving World War II in Europe by Joseph E. Garland (Protean Press, $29.95, 9780962578038)

Mystery & Suspense Notables:
Bad Traffic: An Inspector Jian Novel by Simon Lewis (Scribner, $24, 9781416593539)

The Kiss Murder by Mehmet Murat Somer
(Penguin, $14 paper, 9780143114727)
The Kiss Murder is outrageous - outrageously smart, outrageously funny and it features quite a hero(ine): a male computer technician by day and a transvestite hostess of Istanbul's most notorious nightclub by night with a many-layered story and a great sense of the many mysteries of Istanbul, this is one for those who enjoy a taste of the exotic - an edgy armchair peek at a different culture. Carolyn Chin, Books On First (Dixon, IL)

Chasing Smoke by Bill Cameron (Bleak House Books, $14.95 paper, 9781606480199)

The Face of a Killer by Robin Burcell (Poisoned Pen, $24.95, 9781590583746)

December Indie Next Picks

Don't miss the review by Amjad Faur of Nightbird Books!
All December hardback picks are 10% off through December 31st


The Hour I First Believed: A Novel by Wally Lamb
(HarperCollins, $29.95, 9780060393496 / 0060393491)
"In The Hour I First Believed, Wally Lamb captures the essence of modern America through the events of the past decade. Though sweeping, the story resonates in a powerfully intimate and personal way, at once heart-wrenching and hopeful, with characters so deeply conceived that you will think of them and their lives long after you have finished reading the book." --Suzy Staubach, UConn Co-op, Storrs, CT

Blindspot: A Novel by Jane Kamensky and Jill Lepore
(Spiegel & Grau, $24.95, 9780385526197 / 0385526199)
"In a masterpiece of teamwork, Kamensky and Lepore, both history professors, have brought alive pre-Revolutionary Boston in the most charming way imaginable by telling the story of an exiled Scottish portraitist and his surprising apprentice. Blindspot kept me guessing (and laughing) from beginning to end -- it is the most entertaining historical novel I've ever read." --Jake Hallman, A Great Good Place for Books, Oakland, CA

American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon by Steven Rinella
(Spiegel & Grau, $24.95, 9780385521680 / 0385521685)
"American Buffalo is a fascinating, panoramic account of buffalo, their evolution, and the long history of their relationship with humans. Rinella's enthusiasm for his subject is evident as he skillfully juxtaposes his personal experience as a proficient and dedicated hunter with sections on archaeology and history, all accessibly and engagingly written." --Lynne Almeida, Spellbinder Books, Bishop, CA

A House in Fez: Building a Life in the Ancient Heart of Morocco by Suzanna Clarke
(Pocket, $15 paper, 9781416578932 / 1416578935)
"Suzanna Clarke's account of restoring a dilapidated house in Fez is full of wonderful descriptions and characters. She's given us a refreshing change from the way we usually view the Muslim world." --Susan Porter, Maine Coast Book Shop, Inc., Damariscotta, ME

Made From Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life by Jenna Woginrich
(Storey, $20.95, 9781603420860 / 160342086X)
"Jenna Woginrich writes an honest and humorous account of her efforts to bring more self-reliance into her life, and by not sparing us her beginner's mistakes, she really encourages the reader to plant a garden, raise some chicks, or learn to play an instrument. Woginrich provides amateur homesteaders an instructive start, and an entertaining read to boot!" --Sherri Gallentine, Vroman's Bookstore, Pasadena, CA

Prince of Stories: The Many Worlds of Neil Gaiman by Hank Winger, Christopher Golden, Stephen R. Bissette
(St. Martin's, $29.95, 9780312387655 / 0312387652)
"A bibliography, a biography, and a miscellany of Neil Gaiman and his work. For new readers or devotees, here's a host of background information and insights." --Brian Grover, Harry W. Schwartz Bookshop, Brookfield, WI

The Private Patient: An Adam Dalgleish Mystery by P. D. James
Knopf, $25.95, 9780307270771 / 0307270777)
"The scorpion tail of P.D. James' prose has lost none of its sting in this, her 17th novel. The setting is a lovely English manor in Dorset that has been converted to a surgical clinic, and the victim is a well-known investigative journalist who has come to the clinic. The suspects are as deeply complex as any characters James has created, and Commander Dalgleish exposes their motives with a surgical finesse. The Private Patient is intricate, novelistic, and engrossing." --Betsy Burton, The King's English, Salt Lake City, UT

The Elfish Gene: Dungeons, Dragons and Growing Up Strange by Mark Barrowcliffe
(Soho, $25, 9781569475225 / 1569475229)
"Mark Barrowcliffe's memoir of his teenage years playing fantasy role-playing games champions the cause of a widely unacknowledged population of geeks, nerds, and dorks. The Elfish Gene is touching, hilarious, and far too familiar." --Bridget Allison, Phoenix Books, Essex, VT

Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us by Seth Godin
(Portfolio, $19.95, 9781591842330 / 1591842336)
"Not your parent's book on leadership. Seth Godin outlines the many aspects of leading a tribe -- a diverse group of people with a shared interest, none of whom may work for you. This is a handbook for anyone who seeks to influence others, is considering starting a blog, or has a hard time explaining their job at a party." --Rich Rennicks, Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe, Asheville, NC

2666: A Novel by Roberto Bolano
(FSG, $30, 9780374100148 / 0374100144; three-volume boxed set, $30 paper, 9780374531553 / 0374531552)
"2666 is the culmination of Roberto Bolano's expansive brilliance, as traces of such previous works as The Savage Detectives have been perfected and fused together seemlessly as part of a larger whole. This is a daring book that takes major risks throughout, and its overall impact is impossible to ignore or ever forget." --Nathan Halter, The Doylestown Bookshop, Doylestown, PA

An Irish Country Christmas: A Novel by Patrick Taylor
(Forge, $24.95, 9780765320704 / 0765320703)
"Returning to Ballybucklebo, with its doctors and local life, is like slipping into your most comfy slippers and favorite robe. An Irish Country Christmas is winter reading at its most cozy and comforting." --Becky Milner, Vintage Books, Vancouver, WA

And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks: A Novel by William S. Burroughs, Jack Kerouac
(Grove, $24, 9780802118769 / 0802118763)
"Unlike most rediscovered works by well-known authors, this collaboration between two of the best-known Beat writers is well done and extremely readable. Based on actual events and told in alternating chapters, this will not disappoint fans of either writer."--Carol Schneck, Schuler Books & Music, Okemos, MI

Blood Island: A Matt Royal Mystery by H. Terrell Griffin
(Oceanview, $24.95, 9781933515212 / 193351521X)
"Matt Royal, an ex-cop and retired lawyer, discovers in a bird sanctuary a dead body that will eventually be a clue in the case of his ex-wife's missing stepdaughter. I really enjoyed Blood Island and will be definitely recommending it." --Andra Tracy, Out Word Bound, Indianapolis, IN

Righting the Mother Tongue: From Olde English to Email, the Tangled Story of English Spelling by David Wolman
(Collins, $24.95, 9780061369254 / 006136925X)
"An informative and humorous look at how we ended up with our English orthography. This is a book for many of us who find that English words never look quite right -- even when correctly spelled. A wonderful weekend read!" --Fran Wilson, Colorado State Univ. Bookstore, Fort Collins, CO

I Hate New Music: The Classic Rock Manifesto by Dave Thompson
(Backbeat Books, $22.95, 9780879309350 / 0879309350)
"Dave Thompson has written a book for anyone who can remember being excited by an entire album and its artwork. Thompson is truly volcanic in his unadulterated contempt for modern pop/rock and goes to enormous and hilarious pains to explain why the classic rock of the late '60s - '70s is the Holy Grail of rock music." --Amjad Saleh Faur, Nightbird Books, Fayetteville, AR

Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold Story of English by John McWhorter
(Gotham, $22.50, 9781592403950 / 1592403956)
"John McWhorter's Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue offers very interesting ideas about the history of the English language and why it has come to be the way it is today. This very readable book will make you think about English in a new way." --Catherine Carpenter, Cate's Books and Stuff, Louisiana, MO

Impermanence: Embracing Change by David Hodge
(Snow Lion, $29.95, 9781559393072 / 1559393076)
"In 2005, multi-media artists David and Hi-Jin Hodge created an installation on 'Impermanence' for an exhibit honoring the Dalai Lama. This beautifully designed book -- which includes an interactive DVD -- features photographs of the various speakers, along with their often moving reflections, and wonderfully recreates the gallery experience." --Karl Pohrt, Shaman Drum Bookshop, Ann Arbor, MI

Stray Dog Winter: A Novel by David Francis
(MacAdam/Cage, $24, 9781596923157 / 1596923156)
"David Francis has created a flashback to 1980s Communist Russia filled with suspense, intrigue, and a good deal of sexiness. Stray Dog Winter is a novel of breathless moments, passion, politics, and atmosphere so thick you can feel the cold." --Calvin Crosby, Books Inc., San Francisco, CA

The Better World Shopping Guide, 2nd Edition: Every Dollar Makes a Difference by Ellis Jones
(New Society, $9.95 paper, 9780865716308 / 0865716307)
"The Better World Shopping Guide is an important little book that calls for changes in all our shopping habits. The book rates American companies based on 15 years' research of their records on the environment, human rights, community involvement, and other criteria. I'll soon be switching my credit card company, just one of the many changes I'll make to be a more responsible consumer." --Nancy Olson, Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh, NC

The Spy Who Came for Christmas: A Novel by David Morrell
(Vanguard, $15.95, 9781593154875 / 1593154879)
"In The Spy Who Came for Christmas, David Morrell has woven the Christmas story into an entertaining, modern-day spy novel. This is a great little stocking stuffer for the thriller reader on your Christmas list!"--Carl Wichman, Varsity Mart, Fargo, ND

The December 2008 Indie Next List Notables

Books You Should Read About Local Economies

I highly recommend the following books for anyone interested in local economies and sustainability.

Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future

Author: Bill McKibbon
Publisher: Holt Rinehart and Winston
Published: March 1, 2008 paperback
isbn: 978080508722

This is the book we recommend first as a wonderful introduction to how important our local economies are.

Description
"Masterfully crafted, deeply thoughtful and mind-expanding.""--Los Angeles Times" In this powerful and provocative manifesto, Bill McKibben offers the biggest challenge in a generation to the prevailing view of our economy. "Deep Economy "makes the compelling case for moving beyond "growth" as the paramount economic ideal and pursuing prosperity in a more local direction, with regions producing more of their own food, generating more of their own energy, and even creating more of their own culture and entertainment. Our purchases need not be at odds with the things we truly value, McKibben argues, and the more we nurture the essential humanity of our economy, the more we will recapture our own.

Big-Box Swindle: The True Cost of Mega-Retailers and the Fight for America's Independent Businesses

Author: Stacy Mitchell
Publisher: Beacon Press
Published: October 2007 paperback
isbn: 9780807035016

On locally owned, independent business

Description
An expert's in-depth exploration of the enormous impact of mega-retailers--and what communities and independent businesses can do. Large retail chains have become the most powerful corporations in America and are rapidly transforming our economy, communities, and landscape. In this deft and revealing book, Stacy Mitchell illustrates how mega-retailers are fueling many of our most pressing problems, from the shrinking middle class to rising water pollution and diminished civic engagement. Mitchell's investigation takes us from the suburbs of Cleveland to a fruit farm in California, the stockroom of an Oregon Wal-Mart, and a Pennsylvania town's Main Street. She uncovers the shocking role government policy has played in the expansion of mega-retailers and builds a compelling case that communities composed of many small businesses are healthier and more prosperous than those dominated by large chains. More than a critique, The Big-Box Swindle draws on real life to show how some communities are successfully countering the spread of mega-retailers and rebuilding their local economies. Mitchell describes innovative approaches--from cutting-edge land-use policies to small-business initiatives--that together provide a detailed road map to a more prosperous and sustainable future.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life

Author: Barbara Kingsolver
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Published: May 2008 paperback
isbn: 9780060852566

On local foods


Description
Author Barbara Kingsolver and her family abandoned the industrial-food pipeline to live a rural life--vowing that, for one year, they'd only buy food raised in their own neighborhood, grow it themselves, or learn to live without it. Part memoir, part journalistic investigation, "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" is an enthralling narrative that will open your eyes in a hundred new ways to an old truth: You are what you eat.

---