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Each week, our Editor Danika Ellis sifts through bestseller lists to show us the most popular books. They look at lists from Publishers Weekly, The New York Times, Amazon, and more. They’ve also started incorporating books from the Indie Bestseller list.
Though there is some overlap between the Indie Bestseller list and the more mainstream bestselling lists, it can be such a breath of fresh air because it looks at the bestselling books in independent bookstores across the country. If you’ve ever been into an indie bookstore, you know how particular each one can be—often, they reflect their community and really incorporate genuine recommendations from their staff. Because of these kinds of things, the Indie Bestseller List tends to be more diverse than the mainstream lists.
If your book club is the kind that likes to keep abreast with what others are reading, while still keeping things diverse and varied, the books below—taken from the Indie Bestseller List—are perfect. They have witches, 1980s astronauts, Indigenous philosophy, and take a look at one of the most devastating issues today.
The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s latest horror novel is a witchy tale exploring the story of women from three different areas who get caught up in witchcraft. Minerva is a graduate student, studying the history of horror. When she discovers that horror author Beatrice Tremblay’s most famous novel was inspired by a true story, Minerva becomes obsessed with finding out the truth behind the manuscript. Decades earlier, when Tremblay attended the same university as Minerva, a girl went missing under mysterious circumstances. —Emily Martin
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Reid is, of course, the mega bestselling author of books like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six. In her latest, Joan Goodwin joins the space race in the 1980s after a satisfying life as a physics professor. As one of the first women scientists to join NASA’s Space Shuttle program, she trains in Houston’s Space Center with other candidates like pilot Hank, scientist John, mission specialist Lydia, and aeronautical engineer Vanessa. They become friends, and some among them even more than that. But then, in December 1984, an instant during a mission changes everything forever.—Erica Ezeifedi
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad
The first time I read this title, I had a good idea what it was referring to. And I was right. If you’re thinking Omar El Akkad’s title is referencing Gaza, you’re also right. You’re also probably hoping we could skip to the time when we are all already against what’s already happened and is currently happening. —Erica Ezeifedi
The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer, John Burgoyne (Illus.)
I haven’t come across anyone who’s read Braiding Sweetgrass by Kimmerer who doesn’t recommend it emphatically. Here, the Indigenous scientist considers the gift economy and how we can better position ourselves when it comes to reciprocity and community, based on lessons from nature. Which is, of course, in direct contrast to the capitalist-driven culture of scarcity we currently live in.—Erica Ezeifedi
Suggestion Section
Nibbles and Sips: Agua Fresca de Jamaica
Agua Fresca de Jamaica/Jamaican sorrel drink/hibiscus tea is perfect for these last days of summer. @Jose.elCook gives a perfect recipe for this refreshing brew.
Book Club Tings:
A printable list of book club-friendly questions
More To Read
The Histories You Weren’t Taught in School
School Library Journal: Tiffany D. Jackson At a Crossroads
This DIY Medium Isn’t Back, It Never Left
The New York Times: After 50 Years of Writing, Jamaica Kincaid Insists She’s Still an Amateur
**Below is a list of book club-friendly new releases out this week for All Access members**
Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler by Susana M. Morris
Octavia E. Butler was the first Black woman to consistently write and publish science fiction, and here, Susana M. Morris takes us through the cultural moments—from the Civil Rights Movement to women’s liberation to Reaganomics—that shaped Butler and her writing.
The Seven Miracles of Beatrix Holland by Rachael Herron
Magic skeptic Beatrice Barnard runs away to Skerry Island finding out her husband has been cheating on her, but what she finds instead of solitude is a twin sister she never knew about, and a mother she thought was dead. There’s also the matter of her and her entire family having magical abilities, which she puts to use once her niece, Minna, goes missing.
What We Left Unsaid by Winnie M Li
Three estranged siblings go on a road trip at the request of their ailing mother. During the trip, they uncover a 30-year-old family secret and contend with what it means to be Asian American today.
Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill
Crime fiction author Joe Penvale joins his sister Meredith on the Orient Express after finishing a brutal medical treatment. But instead of engaging in some necessary R&R, they find themselves in a victimless crime scene and a part of an investigation that gives Agatha Christie. They’re going to have to figure out who on the train is guilty before they get got next.
Where Are You Really From: Stories by Elaine Hsieh Chou
From the author of Disorientation comes one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year. In these six surreal short stories and one novella, Chou deftly moves through genres to tell the truth of what we really want. A father reunites with his daughter as a background actor in her film, an American working in Paris as an au pair finds her French doppelgänger, and two teen girls make murderous plans for their downstairs neighbor.
For more book club goodness, click here.
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