GREAT INDIE READS
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The Great Indie Reads section spotlights the work of exceptional independent authors as chosen by DartFrog Books.
This month's recommendations
What We Give Away: A Delicious Standalone Novel (Bold Journeys Book 4)
Steamy, emotional, and deeply resonant, What We Give Away is a love story about breaking free, reclaiming joy, and finding the courage to live—and love—on your own terms. Perfect for fans of slow-burn, high-stakes romance with a powerful message, this novel will stay with you long after the final page.
THE INCREDIBLE ADVENTURES OF CHANA IN JUDEA: Historical Fiction Series Starter for Middle School
Dive into ancient Judea with determined 12-year old Chana in this action-adventure series starter for middle-schoolers!
Uninvited Valor--The Forsaken Soldiers of WWII: Based on the Epic True Story of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team
Debut author John Kiyonaga draws on his own father’s experience serving with the 442nd RCT, a unit consisting entirely of Japanese-American enlisted soldiers and considered the military’s most decorated unit. Expertly weaving fiction with history, Uninvited Valor is the story of men called into brotherhood—and greatness—by circumstances beyond their control, and their decision to go for broke, risking everything for the country that has forsaken them.
Recent Great Indie Reads Books
March, 2025
The Left Hand
Step back in time with this swingin' new thriller that follows the lives of the women behind the men in an American crime family. This romantic period piece will have you falling in love with the characters, even as you witness their darker moments.
In Judgement of Others
In this darkly comic tale of psychosis in the Home Counties, the stage is set for a blistering examination of mental illness, how we treat it and why we don’t. While Tessa is sectioned in a secure psychiatric hospital, the relationships in the community unravel, and by the time she’s released, all that we thought we knew, and all of our judgements, are thrown into question.
The Novel Matrix: The Complete Novel Writing Guide
The Novel Matrix explores the natural principles of storytelling that humans instinctively understand and expect in great stories. This is the foundation from which great artwork is born.
The Novel Matrix also relates plot, characters, conflict, and setting together in a way that no other craft book has done. Written in simple, nonacademic language, this is the honest, elegant solution for long-form storytelling you've been waiting for.
Armed with this information, you'll never begin another novel manuscript only to abandon it partway through the writing.
Never again will you completely overhaul a novel manuscript because it just doesn't work, but you have no idea why.
The solution is The Novel Matrix.
February, 2025
Maze of Destiny (Mullah Abdullah Book 2)
Maze of Destiny offers a glimpse into the human cost of war and the enduring power of the human spirit.
The GIVER Method: How To Transform Lives Through Generosity
You get back what you put out into the universe... So it's time to see just how powerful you really are!
Americanata: Three Sisters in Italy, 1938
Except for her unusual year in Italy, my mother lived a typical life as a middle-class American wife, mother, and grandmother in small towns of the west and midwest. In 2001, Mom and I published her memoir, Americanata: Three Sisters in Italy, 1938. After she passed away in 2012, I’ve wanted to bring readers up to date with the rest of her life and to include details that have come to light about the trip in 1938. Becky Landrum was indeed a remarkable person and it is a rare privilege to be her son.
January, 2025
The Eight Slopes of Chanukah
This ski trip is about to be the worst vacation of Aubrey’s life.
An Illuminated Life (Umbria)
An Illuminated Life explores the people and events that permanently alter the narrative of our lives. With unforgettable characters and a gripping story, An Illuminated Life will stay with you long after the last page.
Out of Time (Maddie and Nate)
Life has a time limit. Love doesn’t.
About the Books
The Great Indie Reads is a collaboration between Bookclubs and Dartfrog to expose book clubs to new, independent authors and books! Dartfrog books are the best in independently published literature. DartFrog uses professional editorial standards to curate book store and book club worthy books from self-publishers, hybrid publishers, and smaller traditional publishers. We're bringing recommended DartFrog books to you, each with a book club discussion guide. Enjoy!
