Indies Introduce

I Am Kavi author Thushanthi Ponweera sits down with Liz Decker of Caprichos Books in Ocean Pines, Maryland, to discuss her debut title. 

"Filled with plenty of humorous and laugh-out loud antics, this book is sure to sweep you off your feet. The characters are authentic and complex as they all try to fit into high school as well as figuring out who they are," said Jody Hardy of Mostly Books in Tucson, Arizona.

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“Every Drop is a Man’s Nightmare is a wholly immersive collection of short stories — the smell of the ocean and plumeria, with an undercurrent of loneliness and anger, lingers in the air. Cut away the colonialist, haole lens, and embrace the haunting brutality and beauty of contemporary Hawaiian life,” said Christine Bollow of Loyalty Bookstores in Washington, DC, and Silver Spring, MD. 

“This beautiful and heartbreaking story explores the power of love, grief, and taking those first steps towards moving on,” said Beth Seufer Buss of Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

"Balancing the character's vulnerabilities with a fortitude of self and profound familial affections, Khabushani paints a compassionate portrait of youth with an immediacy and generosity that make this book universal," said Wes Minter of Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, Washington.

"What begins as a friendly competition of academics turns deadly as they are being hunted and forced to survive in this teen novel that combines The Hunger Games with The Inheritance Games,” said Gerard Villegas of Auntie’s Bookstore in Spokane, Washington.

“Let me put it out there: I don’t typically read war or horror books. But what Afghanistan veteran John Milas has accomplished by combining the two genres is chilling, enlightening, and so very sad,” said Beth Shapiro of Skylark Bookshop in Columbia, Missouri.

"Give Me a Sign is a smart, touching summer story about community, identity, and reconnecting with who you are," said Abby Rice of Title IX: A Bookstore in Mystic, Connecticut.

Sing Me to Sleep author Gabi Burton sits down with Kathy Burnette of Brain Lair Books to discuss the creation of her debut fantasy title — the one genre she thought she'd never write. 

“Delicately expressed from the lenses of Minh, Hương, and Ann, three generations of fierce and enigmatic Vietnamese American women, Banyan Moon is a rich and sweeping narrative that shows us the complexities of family, the tenderness that humans owe to one another, and our determination to break toxic cycles,” said Thu Doan of East Bay Booksellers in Oakland, California.

“Set against the backdrop of a love affair that could be shattered by both honesty and lies, An Echo in the City gives a gripping insider’s look at a very real, deeply emotional side of Hong Kong that is not often exposed,” said Zsamé Morgan of Babycake's Book Stack in St. Paul, Minnesota.

“Rivermouth examines the immigrant journey from beginning to end: the border, the application process, the final court decision of who may stay and who gets deported. It is a personal, human centric account of our system, how broken it is, and how it fails us all,” said Alana Haley of Schuler Books in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

“It’s a delightfully queer and sexy subversion of the western genre that puts a charismatic and hard-hearted harlot front and center,” said Rachael Conrad of PRINT: A Bookstore in Portland, Maine.

“Ani Kayode Somtochukwu’s memorable characters and stunning prose broke me, put me back together, and will forever hold a special place in my heart,” said Christine Bollow of Loyalty Bookstores in Washington, DC, and Silver Spring, Maryland.