The 2023 Indie Gift Guide For Genre Lovers Preview

The American Booksellers Association’s Indie Gift Guide for Genre Lovers will be available both in print and as a free e-newsletter delivered to customers by email via Matchbook Marketing. Print editions of the guide were included in the September box mailings. On October 19, the e-newsletter will be sent to customers of stores that have signed up to send the Indie Next for Reading Groups lists.

This guide includes the following categories: Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Mystery/Thriller, Graphic Works, and Poetry. The tiles are also available as an Edelweiss collection. All titles are trade paperback unless otherwise noted.

The titles appearing in the Indie Gift Guide are:

Romance

Curves for Days (Big Love from Galway #1)
By Laura Moher
(Sourcebooks Casablanca, 9781728278056, Paperback, $16.99, Aug. 22)
“Rose is a lottery winner in hiding who learned the hard way: you can’t trust anyone when it comes to money. Angus is a military vet trying to do good. What starts off as a disastrous meeting morphs into so much more. A stellar debut.”
—Lisa Kroger, Village Books, The Woodlands, TX

Hunt on Dark Waters (Crimson Sails #1)
By Katee Robert
(Berkley, 9780593639085, Paperback, $18, Nov. 7)
“This book has everything I want in fantasy: pirates, witches, vampires, romance, and most importantly, smut. Katee Robert has never written a book I haven’t loved. I’m so excited for the rest of this series and the chaos that will ensue.”
—Meghan Molinari, Lark & Owl Booksellers, Georgetown, TX

Kiss the Girl (Meant To Be #3)
By Zoraida Córdova
(Hyperion Avenue, 9781368050371/9781368053365, Hardcover/Paperback, $26.99/$15.99, Aug. 1)
“Ariel del Mar is an exhausted child star looking to leave the limelight, and Eric Reyes is on the verge of his band’s big break. Zoraida Córdova’s delightful adaptation of The Little Mermaid weaves nostalgia into a modern fairytale.”
—Jenni Marchisotto, Mysterious Galaxy Books, San Diego, CA

Mortal Follies: A Novel (The Mortal Follies Series #1)
By Alexis Hall
(Del Rey, 9780593497562, Paperback, $18, June 6)
“Narrated by a puckish fairy, this story follows Miss Mitchelmore, recently cursed and in need of a solution. Enter Lady Georgiana, AKA the Duke of Annadale, rumored to have murdered her father and brothers with sorcery. Hijinks ensue. Fun and sexy!”
—Fisher Nash, Carmichael’s Bookstore, Louisville, KY

Time to Shine
By Rachel Reid
(Carina Adores, 9781335458537, Paperback, $18.99, Sept. 26)
“Rachel Reid’s latest sunshine star winger/grumpy, shy goalie romance was everything a queer hockey fan could want. Reid perfectly balances a story that is sweet, sexy, silly, and sincere. Stick taps all around!”
—Laynie-Rose Rizer, East City Bookshop, Washington, DC

With Love, from Cold World
By Alicia Thompson
(Berkley, 9780593438671, Paperback, $18, Aug. 1)
“I’ve once again fallen in love with Alicia Thompson’s characters! Asa is a bisexual king. This romance deals with complicated issues in a really beautiful way. I tried my hardest not to read it too quickly but I couldn’t stop myself.”
—Carolina Valencia, Word Up Community Bookshop/Librería Comunitaria, New York, NY

Sci-Fi/Fantasy

The Full-Moon Whaling Chronicles
By Jason Guriel
(Biblioasis, 9781771965514, Paperback, $18.95, Aug. 1)
“A novel in verse, set in a future riven by climate change, following fans desperate to discover new stories from the long-gone author of teenage werewolf whaler books? Yes! This is an artifact from the future sent back as a love letter to humanity.”
—James Crossley, Madison Books, Seattle, WA

The Great Transition: A Novel
By Nick Fuller Googins
(Atria Books, 9781668010754, $27.99, Aug. 15)
“I’ve accidentally fallen in love with post-climate-apocalypse fiction; this takes the cake! It’s like a blueprint for how to come together to fight climate change and create a more just future. Tear-wrenching and deeply heartwarming.”
—Nico Hazlett, Blacksburg Books, Blacksburg, VA

Immortal Longings (Flesh & False Gods #1)
By Chloe Gong
(Gallery/Saga Press, 9781668000229, $28.99, July 18)
“Espionage, romance, and political intrigue shape Chloe Gong’s adult sci-fi universe — loosely inspired by Antony and Cleopatra and the real-life Kowloon Walled City — as a rogue princess on the lam plots an assassination.”
—Gerard Villegas, Auntie’s Bookstore, Spokane, WA

Prophet
By Helen MacDonald, Sin Blaché
(Grove Press, 9780802162021, $29, Aug. 8)
“Prophet is a heady cocktail of memory, truth, nostalgia, trauma, and love. Rao and Adam are deeply flawed, complex, and so lovable. If you’re looking for a strange sci-fi novel with slow burn queer romance, this is the perfect read for you!”
—Emily Lessig, The Violet Fox Bookshop, Virginia Beach, VA

Vampires of El Norte
By Isabel Cañas
(Berkley, 9780593436721, $28, Aug. 15)
“Isabel Cañas has given us a romance absolutely dripping with chemistry, a lush and immersive world, a reminder that the real monster has and always will be colonialism, and vampire fighting. I’ll be yelling about this book for eternity.”
—Katherine Nazzaro, Porter Square Books, Cambridge, MA

Wolfsong (Green Creek #1)
By TJ Klune
(Tor Books, 9781250890313, $29.99, July 4)
“A wonderful story about love, community, the family we are born with, and the family we choose. Add in a family of werewolves, a disgruntled witch, and overly-involved coworkers, and you have a book that is truly impossible to put down!”
—Athena Varvarezis, Towne Book Center & Cafe, Collegeville, PA

Mystery/Thriller

All the Sinners Bleed: A Novel
By S. A. Cosby
(Flatiron Books, 9781250831910, $27.99, June 6)
“This is Southern noir at its finest. Cosby captures the struggle of being a Black officer in rural America. Follow Officer Titus Crown as he dedicates himself to saving Charon and its people — even those who despise him — from a ruthless serial killer.”
—Leo Coffey, Union Avenue Books, Knoxville, TN

Bright Young Women: A Novel
By Jessica Knoll
(S&S/Marysue Rucci Books, 9781501153228, $27.99, Sept. 19)
“What gets lost in true crime stories about serial killers?  Victims — those who died and those who survived. This very fresh take on familiar tragedy places victims back in the center, and ponders the ways survivors continue to be victimized.”
—Tracie Harris, The Book House, Mableton, GA

Do Tell: A Novel
By Lindsay Lynch
(Doubleday, 9780385549370, $28, July 11)
“A scrappy actor-turned-journalist reveals the unsavory underbelly of Hollywood’s Golden Age in this fun debut. I greatly enjoyed the carefully-crafted personas and networks amidst scandal, world war, and glamorous parties!”
—Celina Munoz, Brick & Mortar Books, Redmond, WA

Happiness Falls: A Novel
By Angie Kim
(Hogarth, 9780593448205, $28, Aug. 29)
“Angie Kim’s new novel Happiness Falls is an unputdownable literary mystery about the ripple effects of a stay-at-home dad’s disappearance while caring for his nonverbal autistic, biracial teenage son. A masterful puzzle of a novel!”
—Jhoanna Belfer, Bel Canto Books, Long Beach, CA

The Militia House: A Novel (Indies Introduce)
By John Milas
(Henry Holt and Co., 9781250857064, $26.99, July 11)
“When all of war is horror, how does one sort reality from fiction? Corporal Loyette must answer this question as he nears the end of his tour in Afghanistan. Disorienting and unsettling, John Milas’ debut novel will haunt you.”
—Hilary Kotecki, The Doylestown & Lahaska Bookshops, Doylestown, PA

Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge: A Novel
By Spencer Quinn
(Forge Books, 9781250843333, $26.99, July 25)
“Romanian cybercriminals had no idea they’d bilked the wrong Florida septuagenarian, but when Loretta Plansky shows up in Alba Gemina for her three million dollars, they find out. This is sure to rise to the top of the ‘elderly lady’ sleuth genre.”
—Cheryl McKeon, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, NY

Graphic Works

Arca
By Van Jensen, Jesse Lonergan (Illus.)
(IDW Publishing, 9781684059980, Paperback, $16.99, July 11)
“Arca feels like some of the best sci-fi movies. It’s suspenseful, thrilling, and has a kick-butt female protagonist. The Arca promises a utopian life as they journey through space toward their destination, but not all promises are kept…”
—Cat Abood, Loganberry Books, Shaker Heights, OH

Boys Weekend
By Mattie Lubchansky
(Pantheon, 9780593316719, $28, June 6)
“Boys Weekend is weird and wild and fun. I’ve long been a fan of Mattie’s work, so I should’ve expected the tender moments toward the end of the book. Instead, I was suckerpunched into tears — one of the best experiences you can have while reading!”
—Austin Carter, Pocket Books Shop, Lancaster, PA

Roaming
By Jillian Tamaki, Mariko Tamaki
(Drawn and Quarterly, 9781770464339, Paperback, $34.95, Sept. 12)
“Two friends from high school reunite on a long-awaited trip, but one brings a friend along who adds a new element to their dynamic. You’ll feel young again as you read. Drawn marvelously and told with enough space to breathe in and enjoy.”
—Ernio Hernandez, River Bend Bookshop, Glastonbury, CT

The Out Side: Trans & Nonbinary Comics
By The Kao (Ed.), Min Christensen (Ed.), David Daneman (Ed.)
(Andrews McMeel Publishing, 9781524880125, Paperback, $16.99, Sept. 26)
“The Out Side is such a beautiful anthology that shares trans and nonbinary stories from all walks of life. All the authors approach their stories in very different ways; when it comes down to it, they all feel so interconnected and warm.”
—Olivia Hoover, Book Passage, Corte Madera, CA

The Talk
By Darrin Bell
(Henry Holt and Co., 9781250805140, $29.99, June 6)
“This is without a doubt the best and most important graphic novel I will read all year. A coming of age story that is urgent and vulnerable while also being hilarious and nerdy. I consumed this in one sitting and will think about it endlessly.”
—Stephanie Skees, The Novel Neighbor, Webster Groves, MO

We Are Not Strangers
By Josh Tuininga
(Abrams ComicArts, 9781419759949, $24.99, Sept. 12)
“Simply told, this is a story of how we can be the best version of ourselves in the face of the most terrifying and trying times.”
—Anne Holman, The King’s English Bookshop, Salt Lake City, UT

Poetry

Emerald Wounds: Selected Poems
By Joyce Mansour, Emilie Moorhouse (Ed. and Transl.)
(City Lights Books, 9780872869011, Paperback, $22.95, July 25)
“A revelation and delight to see: a poet whose work still speaks with immediacy decades after she was alive. We love seeing the original language juxtaposed against the translation — here done superbly by Emilie Moorhouse. Brava to all.”
—Rick Simonson, The Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA

Gay Poems for Red States
By Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr.
(University Press of Kentucky, 9780813198125, Paperback, $19.95, June 6)
“A hard-hitting collection of relatable poems. Appalachian queer folk will find a home inside this book. It’s complicated, sad, hopeful, sentimental, and it whisked me back to my teen years for some quiet healing.”
—Andrew Preston, CoffeeTree Books, Morehead, KY

Mental Fight: An Epic Poem
By Ben Okri
(Other Press, 9781635422900, $21.99, Oct. 10)
“Booker Prize winner Okri’s epic poem takes on humanity’s crucial topics — racism, hatred, and environmental destruction. He reaches back into ancient history and forward into the distant future with his sweeping, disquieting words.”
—Grace Harper, Mac’s Backs, Cleveland Heights, OH

Negative Money
By Lillian-Yvonne Bertram
(Soft Skull, 9781593767532, Paperback, $14.95, June 27)
“Negative Money touches upon the struggles of everyday life and overarching societal failures that feed them. There are few collections of poetry that resonate with the very chords that make up my being as this does.”
—Zephyr Brant, Gibson’s Bookstore, Concord, NH

Pig: Poems
By Sam Sax
(Scribner, 9781668019993, Paperback, $17, Sept. 19)
“A truly surprising, cleverly thematic collection. Everything you want from interconnected, interesting poetry finds its place here, artfully and totally.”
—Emily Tarr, Thank You Books, Birmingham, AL

Plantains and Our Becoming: Poems
By Melania Luisa Marte
(Tiny Reparations Books, 9780593471340, Paperback, $17, Aug. 22)
“I’m not always the audience for poetry, because I prefer poetry like this: visceral, poignant, devastating, and unconventional. This is an important collection about belonging, identity, family, and resistance through existence.”
—Elizabeth Carper, Farley’s Bookshop, New Hope, PA