Whatcha Readin'? Independent reads

Over the course of the last couple of years, I’ve gotten to know quite a few authors who are independently published, or self-published, meaning you can purchase their books on Amazon, but not necessarily in a bookstore. This used to be unheard of, but more and more it’s becoming the norm. Did you know that Margaret Atwood was originally a self-published author? I decided to make October the Month of Indie Reads and I read four of my friends books to see if they hold muster, and boy howdy do they ever! I read lots of other books too, of course, because I have a serious reading “problem.”

In October, I read 24 books, 22 of which were 4 stars or better. Here they are, in no particular order:

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher is a medium-to-fast-paced dark fantasy that’s funny and adventurous and oh so very clever. Featuring an unstoppable heroine and a cast of surprising and fantastic side-characters, this book has opened the door for me on “dark fantasy” as a genre and I’m in love.

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher is a medium-paced dark fantasy that’s mysterious and funny. The coming-of-age story of a poor young girl who finds her life woven into the lives of a wealthy family when her sorceress mother decides to find a mate. There are geese.

The Do-Over by Kathy Dunnehoff is a lighthearted romance that I ought to have read over the summer, it would have been perfect! Funny and refreshing, it’s a page-turner.

Without Exception by Pam Houston is a nonfiction memoir that’s political, feminist, and somehow funny when dealing with a subject that’s so infuriatingly frustrating. Highly recommend.

Small Victories by Anne Lamott is a medium-paced memoir in essays that’s classic Lamott: funny, self-deprecating, and profoundly insightful.

Dry by Augusten Burroughs is a memoir about the author grappling with his drinking problem. It is fast-paced and I read it while sipping a delightful IPA at the SunRift Beer Company hoping no one would notice the irony.

Scribbling the Cat by Alexandra Fuller is a slow-paced memoir that’s reflective and informative. The book follows Alexandra as she befriends a white African veteran of the Rhodesian war. It’s a brutal read and I had to take it slowly in order to finish it. Very overwhelming.

Wired for Story is a fast-paced and informative nonfiction book for writers looking to improve their craft and hook readers from beginning to end.

Bear Grylls Adventures Series (books 4-12) is a middle grade series of books about kids learning to work through their personal fears using outdoor solutions. My kiddos got me addicted to these books last month and I wish there were more! Lots of great info in each book not just about basic survival, but about being in the world.

Who Was Jane Austen? By Sarah Fabiny is a middle-grade nonfiction biography that’s absolutely fascinating, weaving history, politics, and social studies and making them come alive for us hundreds of years later.

The Indie Reads:

Known Order Girls by Andrew Butters is an indie dystopian fiction that’s medium-paced, adventurous, and mysterious. About a group of teenagers living in an AI-controlled world that decide to buck the system.

The Family Webb by Itzel Cummings is an indie contemporary fiction that’s fast-paced and perfectly details what it’s like to live with a narcissist.

Left Astray by Nathan Ewbank is an indie read with loads of grammatical errors, but if you can ignore them, the story itself is wonderful. Very Watership Down-esque but with cats.

Don’t Kill the Drunken Sailor by J.L. Henry is an indie fiction that’s adventurous and mysterious and funny! Follow the adventures of the newest member of the police department as he tries to solve an ever-evolving murder among a community of pirates who’d just as soon the mystery never be solved.

I’m currently in various stages of reading:

-Becoming Little Shell by Chris La Tray

-The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister

-Heart Earth by Ivan Doig (this is the November Flashlights & Firelight Online Book Club read)

-Anywhen by Beth Duke

Have you ever read any independently published books? What did you think? Granted I came to Andy Weir after he’d already made it big with The Martian, but that was originally a self-published book. Astounding! Milkweed isn’t one of the Big Five publishers, but I will happily devour anything they publish because it’s always quality. So far, everything I’ve read from She Writes Press is the same: excellent. Are there specific publishers you look to or run away from? Drop me a line and let me know whatcha readin’!

Sunday Dutro is an avid reader and eBook convert living in Thompson Falls with her beautiful family and an enormous “to be read” pile. Reach her at [email protected].