Best of Self- and Indie-Published

Image from Amazon.com

It has occurred to me that as a blog that has spoken to self- and indie-publishing over the years and written largely about its pros, its bright side, I do not read very many self- and indie-published books. Years ago, I did that on purpose because I didn’t want to read and get stuck giving honest reviews to fellow self-publishers—even people who had invited me on their blogs and such. It sounded very unappealing. I read a few. I never breathed a word about it. (I remember specifically Winnemucca by Laura A. H. Elliott and Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park). Now that I am far removed from that world (largely by time and also partly because I am seeking traditional publication), I don’t mind reading and reviewing (though I might be nicer to these authors because, let’s face it, one review matters a whole lot more to them than it does for someone who has tens of thousands to balance things out).

Image from Amazon.com

I pulled the second half of the following list almost completely from Book Riot. The different recommendation lists that I found (and there weren’t many) each had a different idea behind them. Self-published or indie-published or even small press published. Books you’ve heard of versus completely new and exciting finds. A history of self-publishing versus modern, boutique books. So you have all of that here (including an extra heavy dose of books that tend to be under-published, like poetry, short story compilations, essays, and even minority and world literature). I’m sure the list is clumpy though—besides those titles that we will all recognize (and go What!? Incroyable! That was self published?!)—I have not heard of most of these titles and so was unable to edit the list in any helpful way. There is a part of me that thinks, I’ll never get to these. I have so many titles to read already. And what if they’re terrible and a waste of time? And then another part of me says, Shame on you, First Part! There could be some of the best reads of your life on here! You know how difficult it is to get something decent published and READ. Give indies a chance. And then I get a little excited, because finding some excellent books on these lists would be like finding hidden treasure. And then I could share that hidden treasure with you.

Image from Amazon.comThe Tale of Peter Rabbit, Beatrix PotterThe Martian, Andy WeirFifty Shades of Grey, E. L JamesStill Alice, Lisa GenovaLegally Blonde, Amanda BrownThe Celestine Prophecies, James RenfieldEragon, Christopher PaoliniThe Joy of Cooking, Irma RombauerRich Dad, Poor Dad, Robert KiyosakiThe One You Love, Paul PilkingtonBeautiful Disaster, Jamie McGuireTheft of Swords, Michael J. SullivanWool, Hugh HoweyWhiskey Sour, J. A. KonrathWorm, WildbowNo Thanks, E. E. CummingsSwann’s Way, Marcel ProustThe Shack, Wm. Paul YoungMy Blood Approves, Amanda HockingThe Brass Check, Upton SinclairA Christmas Carol, Charles DickensGallic Wars, Julius CaesarParadise Lost¸ John MiltonMetamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, Maria Sybilla MerianThe Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls, Emilie AutumnNikolas and Company, Kevin McGillRenegade, Joel ShepherdWe Ride the Storm, Devin MadsonBeyond the Starport Adventure, Richard FairbairnDogs with Bagels, Maria Elena SondoviciSwitched, Amanda HockingA Naked Singularity, Sergio de la PavaThe Wake, Paul KingsnorthDouble Persephone, Margaret AtwoodThe Rozabul Line, Ashwin SanghiYour Erraneous Zones¸ Dr. Wayne W. DyerWhat Color Is Your Parachute?¸ Richard Nelson BollesThe Crown Tower, Michael J. SullivanMilk and Honey, Rapi KapurThe Extended Summer of Anna and Jeremy, Jennifer Ann ShoreThe Long Goodbye, Anthony de MoignanBetween Two Minds¸ D. C. WrighthammerArtist, Soldier, Lover, Muse¸ Arthur D. HittnerThe Unfortunate Expirations of Mr. David S. Sparks¸Willian F. AicherWhite Dancing Elephants, Chaya BuhveneswarCoyote Songs, Gabino IglesuasAgainst Memoir, Michelle TeaEightball, Elizabeth GoegheaganVolcanoes, Palm Trees and Priviledge, Liz PratoSooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea, Sarah PinskerWhere We Go When All We Are Is Gone, Sequoia NagamatsuHow to Sit, Tyrese ColemanMostly Dead Things, Kristen ArnettThe Body Myth, Rheea MukherjeeWater & Power, Stephen DunnGreat American Desert, Terese SvobodaInukshuk, Gregory SpatzGirl Gone Missing, Marcie R. RendonShelf Life of Happiness, Virginia PyeThe King of Lighting Fixtures, Daniel A. OlivasThe Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish, Katya ApekinaThe Perpetual Motion Machine, Brittany AckermanMouths Don’t Speak, Katia D. UlysseThe Private Lives of Trees, Alejandro ZambraFifteen Dogs, Andre AlexisOnly the Strong, Jibari AsimWe Show What We Have Learned and Other Stories¸ Clare BeamThe Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine¸ Alina BronksyChronicle of the Murdered House, Lucio CardosoThe Last Horror Novel In the History of the World, Brian Allan CarrI’ll Tell You In Person, Chloe CardwellThe Complete Stories of Leonora Carrington, Leonora CarringtonFlorence in Ecstasy, Jessi ChaffeeHome, Leila S. ChudoriAlice + Freda Forever, Alexis CoeThe Complete Lockpick Pornography, Joey ComeauWhy Was Changed and Who Was Dead, Barbara ComynsThe Redemption of Galen Pike, Carys DaviesGrace, Natashia DeonEven Out of Her Ruins, Ananda DeviA Spare Life, Lidija DimkovskaThis Must Be the Place, Sean H. DoyleThe Folly of Loving Life, Monica DrakeMargaret the First, Danielle DuttonBlack Cloud, Julia EscoriaWindeye, Brian EvensonThe Days of Abandonment, Elena FerranteThe Gloaming, Melanie FlynnCottonmouths, Kelly J. FordPatricide, D. FoyOld Filth, Jane GardamFat City, Leonard GardnerThe Gilda Stories, Jewelle L. GomezKalpa Imperial, Angelica GorodischerWe Are All Completely Fine, Daryll GregoryGuapa, Saleem HadadThe Widow Nash, Jamie HarrisonElegy on Kinderklavier, Arna Bontemps HemenwayAll Blacks Were Turned, Marek HlaskoWhat Narcissism Meant to Me, Tony HoaglandTurtle Diary, Russell HobanFalling in Love with Hominids, Nalo HopkinsonEscape from Baghdad!, Saad HossainA High Wind in Jamaica, Richard HughesEscape Velocity, Jay JenningsSkullcrack City, Jeremy Robert JohnsonPrelude to Bruise, Saaed JonesVow of Celibacy, Erin JudgeAlmost Crimson, Dasha KellyStamped from the Beginning, Ibram X. KendiGate of the Sun, Elias KhouryThe Man Who Spoke Snakish, Andrus KivirahkThe Alligators of Abraham, Robert KlossArchivist Wasp, Nicole Kornher-StaceThe Last Wolf & Herman, Laszlo KrasznahorkaiVengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash, Eka KurnaiwanThe Home Place, J. Drew LanhamHow to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others, Kiese LaymonNot Your Sidekick, C. B. LeePreparations for the Next Life, Atticus LishThe Complete Stories, Clarice LispectorSidewalks, Valeria LuiselliBrown Girl, Brownstones, Paule MarshallThe Sarah Book, Scott McClanahanThe Book of Harlan, Bernice McFaddenMcGlue, Ottesa MoshfeghHere Come the Dogs, Omar MusaKintu, Jennifer Nansabuga MukambiLions, Bonnie NadzamSins of Our Fathers, Shawn Lawrence OttoBruja, Wendy C. OrtizLet Me Clear My Throat, Elena PassarelloRed or Dead, David PierceQuicksand, Malin Persson GiolitoFreeman, Leonard Pitts Jr.Grief Is the Things with Feathers, Max PorterBlack Sheep Boy, Martin PoussonCitizen, Claudia RankinThe Free-Lance Pallbearers, Ishmael ReedThe Peculiar Memories of Thomas Penman, Bruce RobinsonOreo, Fran RossMadness, Rack, and Honey, Mary RuefleThrown Into Nature, Milen RuskovA Stranger In Olondria, Sofia SamatarProblems, Jade SharmaA Jello Horse, Matthew SimmonsA Questionable Shape, Bennett SimsGlaciers, Alexis M. SmithInvisible Man, Got the Whole World Watching, Mychal Denzel SmithLife on Mars, Tracy K. SmithThe End, Fernanda TorresThe Clay Girl, Heather TuckerZazen, Vanessa VeselkaBirth of a Dream Weaver, Ngugi wa Thiong’oLolly Willowes, Sylvia Townsend WarnerWhere Women Are Kings, Christie WatsonThe Border of Paradise, Esme Weijun WangA Twenty Minute Silence Followed by Applause, Shawn WenThe Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even, Chris F. WestburyStoner, John WilliamsNinety-Nine Stories of God, Joy WilliamsDamnificados, JJ Amawaro WilsonA Planet for Rent, YossThe Private Life of Trees, Alejandro Zambra