Roberta Rubin of The Bookstall at Chestnut Court: Bookseller extraordinaire

The nation’s finest independent bookstores, members of the American Booksellers Association, have made The Hundred-Foot Journey an Indie Next Great Reads for July.

It’s a huge honor to find my book picked. It also has material ramifications: the Indie Next is an iconic literary short-list with serious clout in the market. As the booksellers’ website explains it, “The Indie Next List, drawn from bookseller-recommended favorite handsells, epitomizes the heart and soul of passionate bookselling. Independent booksellers are and have always been discoverers of the next big thing, the next great read, the next bestseller, and the next undiscovered gem.”

So pretty exciting stuff. Here is the official press release entry by the ABA announcing The Hundred-Foot Journey‘s arrival on the monthly list of 20 handpicked books:

The Hundred-Foot Journey: A Novel by Richard C. Morais
(Scribner, $23, 9781439165645)

“From India to London to Lumiere – and then, ah, to Paree! – oh, what a great travel tale! And the people – I just loved them all. For foodies, it will be a delicious topping to a cake, and for travel buffs, great fun to follow the adventures of a large Indian family. It’s a delectable read – one to savor and enjoy.” — Roberta Rubin, The Book Stall At Chestnut, Winnetka, IL

The Indie Next Great Read List officially goes up on July 1st on the websites of Indiebound.org and Bookweb and will be more complete. It will, for example, include video clips about each book. Will post when it is available.