From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:



Hardcover

The Gilded Life of Matilda Duplaine by Alex Brunkhorst (MIRA, $26.99, 9780778317531). "As Thomas walked into Lily Goldman's antiques shop, he had no idea that his life was about to change completely. Assigned to write about Lily's deceased father, a famous film industry mogul, Thomas meets a host of fabulously wealthy and eccentric people, and quickly becomes a part of their privileged lives. Things get complicated when he meets Matilda, daughter of the most powerful man in L.A., who has kept her confined to their estate her whole life. Thomas's journalistic instincts kick in as he is falling for Matilda and soon he uncovers many secrets the powerful people would rather not be revealed." --Lori-Jo Scott, Island Bookstore, Kitty Hawk, N.C.



Gold Fame Citrus by Claire Vaye Watkins (Riverhead, $27.95, 9781594634239). "Watkins' depiction of a sun-scorched, drought-plagued West is a hypnotic and terrifying vision of an otherworldly and perhaps most frightening of all, not too distant future. Part J.G. Ballard, part Joan Didion, Gold Fame Citrus explores the complexities of human relationships in the face of environmental catastrophe. Loneliness, jealousy, heartbreak, love, loyalty--even in a post-apocalyptic wasteland people are still people, though just what sort of people is another thing altogether. Haunting, hallucinatory, the world crafted by Watkins is a dream of the future that will not be soon forgotten." --Emily Ballaine, Green Apple Books on the Park, San Francisco, Calif.



Paperback

Night Blindness by Susan Strecker (St. Martin's Griffin, $15.99, 9781250042842). "Family tragedy and guilt are too much for 16-year-old Jensen Reilly to handle by herself, but that is what she tries to do for 13 years. She abandons everything that defines her and starts a new life as an artist and model, eventually eloping with her art professor. Jensen is finally forced to face her past, her old friends, her family, and her first true love when her father is diagnosed with a brain tumor and she returns home to help care for him. Night Blindness is a story of first love, family, grief, guilt, forgiveness, and how the truth can truly set one free." --Nancy MacFarlane, Fiction Addiction, Greenville, S.C.



For Ages 4 to 8

Even Monsters Say Good Night by Doreen Mulryan Marts (Capstone Young Readers, $14.95, 9781623702564). "It's bedtime and Avery is afraid to go to sleep. She knows that there are monsters in her closet, under her bed, and hiding in her room. When she asks her mother about them, the answers surprise her. After all, even monsters need their sleep. With brightly colored pictures and a gentle text, this book will reassure little ones who worry about monsters at night." --Janice Hunsche, Kaleidosaurus Books, Metamora, Ind.



For Ages 9 to 12

The Doldrums by Nicholas Gannon (Greenwillow Books, $17.99, 9780062320940). "Archer Benjamin Helmsley yearns for adventure. After all, his grandparents are famous for their worldly expeditions and Archer knows that 'being a Helmsley means something.' Archer's mother has different plans for him and keeps him confined to their house, but Archer has his creatures, his books, and his imagination and is very skilled at escaping his mother's watch. Archer plans his own expedition to find his lost grandparents and convinces his friends, Oliver and Adelaide, to join him in some rollicking adventures of their own. Gannon has readers laughing at Archer's antics, and his fantastic illustrations throughout enhance the amusement in this amazing debut." --Arna Lewis, Buttonwood Books & Toys, Cohasset, Mass.



For Teen Readers

Dumplin' by Julie Murphy (Balzer + Bray, $17.99, 9780062327185). "Willowdean Davis is fat. And you can either back her up or back off. She is self-confident, fearless, funny, and comfortable in her own skin. Life in Clover City, Texas, has been just fine. She's got her best friend, Ellen, and she survives the Miss Blue Bonnet Clover City pageant each year. Willowdean's mother is a former Miss Blue Bonnet and chairs the pageant. It's only when she meets Bo, a cute co-worker who seems to like her as much as she likes him, that she begins to doubt herself. To find her self-confidence again, Willowdean enters the pageant to prove that she deserves the spotlight as much as anyone else. Murphy tells Willowdean's story with wit, sass, and kindness."--Cathy Berner, Blue Willow Bookshop, Books, Houston, Texas



[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]