September 2025 Indie Next List
Katabasis (Deluxe Limited Edition): A Novel
R. F. Kuang (Harper Voyager)
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“I'd follow R. F. Kuang anywhere — and that includes hell! Deep, dark, and atmospheric, Katabasis balances academia and danger perfectly, solidifying Kuang as an expert in the genre.”
— Kassie King, The Novel Neighbor, Webster Groves, MO
September 2025 Indie Next List
Inspired Recommendations from Indie Booksellers
By T. Kingfisher
Tor Books
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“A wholly unique take on Snow White, with Kingfisher’s quirky wit and ordinary characters having unordinary adventures. A quintessential mix of sweet love story, creepy plot, and unusual animal companions.”
— Christy Peterson, Vintage Books, Vancouver, WA
By Patrick Ryan
Random House
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“Buckeye’s got an indelible cast of characters, a propelling narrative, and combines the plainspoken with the mystical, the American everyday with the implacable sweep of history, and unspeakable tragedy with hope.”
— Robert McDonald, The Book Stall, Winnetka, IL
By Arundhati Roy
Scribner
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“After reading Mother Mary Comes to Me, you’ll likely feel cracked open. Roy will leave you awash in a swirl of grief, admiration, and deep recognition of the tangled cords that bind us to those who shape us most.”
— DJ Johnson, Baldwin & Co., New Orleans, LA
By Laura Dickerman
Gallery Books
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“Part romance, part comedy, part multi-generational story of women in publishing, this was a fun and engaging read. Light and humorous, but also touching on themes of gender and power in the workplace.”
— Vanessa Gengler, The Galaxy Bookshop, Hardwick, VT
By Hayley Gelfuso
Atria Books
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“This inventive adventure is a rumination on how those who write history decide who and what is remembered. Part historical fiction, part time travel thriller, and ultimately about the power of love to transcend time.”
— Alana Haley, Schuler Books (Grand Rapids), Grand Rapids, MI
By Thomas Schlesser, Hildegarde Serle
Europa Editions
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“Mona’s Eyes is about the beautiful unique relationship that a grandfather and granddaughter build with each other by observing one work of art each week for a year. A book to savor as we take this memorable journey with Mona.”
— Mindy Ostrow, The River's End Bookstore, Oswego, NY
By Ron Rindo
St. Martin's Press
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“Rindo weaves a thoughtful tale about the Amish and English communities in Wisconsin with football, professional wrestling, and what it means to understand who we are, where we come from, and what we want.”
— Lisa Baudoin, Books & Company, Oconomowoc, WI
By Erin A. Craig
Pantheon
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“Greer’s maps instantly ground you in this eerie world of forests and the myths that haunt them. As a horror lover, I’m obsessed with the gothic vibe. This book has the lush fantasy and romance readers crave as well.”
— Laura Kendall, Second Flight Books, Lafayette, IN
By Miriam Toews
Bloomsbury Publishing
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“In this brilliant memoir, Toews explores her grief and guilt about her sister’s suicide. As in her fiction, she balances profound sorrow with humor, reflecting the contradictions we all encounter as we traverse life.”
— Nancy Sims-West, Raven Book Store, Lawrence, KS
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“The stream-of-consciousness format intrigues as much as the premise of this novel. A dissection of the superficiality of the ‘art world’ that tenderly reminisces after a dear friend's death.”
— Emily Huettl, Avant Garden, Anoka, MN
By Eliana Ramage
Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster
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“This novel tossed me into outer space and then sent me plummeting back to Earth. Following Steph, the most determined wanna-be astronaut, hot mess lesbian, avoidant Cherokee, was such an incredible ride.”
— Gennys Moulton, Maria's Bookshop, Durango, CO
By Mick Herron
Soho Crime
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“Cover ups, scandals, lies, brushes with death, and real bullets are coming their way in this newest entry in the Slough House series. This is a series everyone should read. Amazing!”
— Mary Patterson, The Little Bookshop, Midlothian, VA
By Stacy Willingham
Minotaur Books
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“This thriller was exactly what I needed! I kept wanting to know more and how everything was tied together. So many good reveals and things you won't see coming!”
— Brooke Reno, Spellbound Bookstore, Sanford, FL
By Hannah Bonam-Young
Dell
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“I cannot express how deeply I love these characters, this story, and the families we are folded into. There is a courage that exists in the ability to stay. It is brave to plant roots and dig into your people.”
— Taylor Smith, Left Bank Books, St. Louis, MO
By Andrew Joseph White
S&S/Saga Press
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“Andrew Joseph White’s adult debut is possibly his best book yet. In the blood and guts is the very real fear behind loss of abortion access, written with all the severity the situation requires. I devoured this book.”
— Elle Dunne, Wellesley Books, Wellesley, MA
By Beatriz Serrano, Mara Faye Lethem
Vintage
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“Serrano proves that Millennial ennui transcends countries and languages. She so deftly captures the ‘what are we doing here?’ vibes of this moment, and then throws an unexpectedly hilarious and dark curveball (or two).”
— Kelly Brown, Magic City Books, Tulsa, OK
By M.L. Rio
Simon & Schuster
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“Hot Wax is the story of a woman trying to run from, while trying to make sense of, her dark past. She gets lost on the open road, but her husband isn't willing to let her go so easily. A dark, mysterious, captivating story.”
— Maddie Rasbold, The End Bookstore, Allentown, PA
By Alejandro Varela
Viking
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“A beautiful exploration of heartbreak, polyamory, and life. Varela’s inventive novel is a collection of emails sent to the main character’s ex, therapist, and anyone who will provide relief from the pain of loss.”
— Reid Ransom, The Little Gay Shop, Austin, TX
By Addie E. Citchens
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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“(Indies Introduce) Authoritarianism can be found at all levels of our society. In Dominion, Mississippi, it’s found at the Seven Seals Baptist Church, in Rev. Sabre Winfrey. With a twist you likely won't see coming, it all begins to unravel.”
— Linda Bond, Auntie's Bookstore, Spokane, WA
By David Greig
Europa Editions
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“The Book of I conjures the lonely, lush landscape of Iona during Viking raids and Gaelic monasticism. Examining love, death, and the mysteries of faith and myth, The Book of I reduces the 1200 year distance between it and the reader.”
— Hannah DeCamp, Avid Bookshop, Athens, GA
By Roan Parrish
Sourcebooks Casablanca
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“A pinch of hurt/comfort, a dash of queer romance and a splash of ghosties and ghoulies — the perfect spell to conjure up your favorite Fall read. Parrish’s latest release is a spooky delight.”
— Katie Garaby, Parnassus Books, Nashville, TN
By Mo Daviau
West Virginia University Press
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“A dark and beautiful book about motherhood, disability, and the sweetness of life inherent in its all-too-briefness. Mo Daviau’s writing is smart, engaging, profound — I fell in love with her narrator from the start.”
— Gigi Little, Powell's Books, Portland, OR
By Eimear McBride
Faber & Faber
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“The City Changes Its Face is the story of a struggling romance, of Eily’s and Stephen’s inability to resolve misunderstandings. A beautiful reflection on modern love. Once you start, you will not be able to stop.”
— Lori Feathers, Interabang Books, Dallas, TX
By Austyn Wohlers
Hub City Press
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“A tremendously lush, stylistic novel enlivened by the push and pull between our main character’s interiority, and the natural world to which she attempts to escape from her own head. A calming, quietly alluring read.”
— Bryan Seitz, Literati Bookstore, Ann Arbor, MI
Now in Paperback
Indie Next List Selections Come to Paperback
