Indiscretion by Charles Dubow (William Morrow, hardcover, $25.99)

A happily married couple blessed with looks, money, and success has their idyllic life derailed after befriending a young woman. A lifetime friend's narrative peels away the characters' flaws until you see the most basic human emotions: The desire of youth for instant gratification, the ease of drifting into an affair and thinking it will be a separate part of your "real" life, the inability to forgive, and obsessive love. The book is concise and fast paced; you are continually absorbed by the story and the agony of hindsight and regrets. Sad, but I really liked it. A February 2013 Indie Next Pick. 

-Recommended by Jackie, store volunteer 

The body of a young woman is found and the convicted killer of two young girls returns home after 10 years in prison. Nothing is as it seems as neighbor turns against neighbor in the small town, and dark secrets from the past are slowly revealed by the diligent work of two police detectives who fear they have not done enough to save lives. A must read for anyone who loves character driven mysteries. Filled with enough twists and turns and motives and means to keep you guessing to the very end about who did what to whom. A January 2013 Indie Next Pick. 

-Recommended by Nancy, store volunteer 

Slated by Teri Terry (Nancy Paulsen Books, hardcover, $17.99)

When the government catches a terrorist, they are slated -- every memory and personality trait erased, removing the threat and allowing them to become productive members of society. 16-year-old Slated Kayla is trying to reintegrate into society, but she can't help but notice that anyone who speaks out against the government are disappearing. Could slating have become a citizen's worst nightmare? In Terri Terry's new YA novel, the reader will be asked: What would you be willing to give up in order to save the world as you know it?

-Recommended by Gretchen, store volunteer

(seconded by Melissa Oates, store employee)

Cover of Snow by Jenny Milchman (Ballantine Books, hardcover, $26.00)

Cover of Snow is a very enjoyable debut suspense novel. The plot centers on Nora, whose policeman husband has just committed suicide  We tend to think of corruption in large governments and organizations, but this book shows how a small insular community is the perfect setting for such evil to flourish. The characters are well developed and their emotions are very real. Recommended for fans of Lisa Gardner. A January 2013 Indie Next Pick. 

-Recommended by Jackie, store volunteer 

The Expats by Chris Pavone (Broadway, paperback, $15.00)

A sophisticated, clever, and at times hilarious modern day spy thriller with deceptions within deceptions, cons within cons, and FBI, CIA, and Interpol involvement. The espionage genre will never be the same with Kate Moore -- Expat, wife, and above all else a mother -- as it's heroine. It will keep you surprised up to the very last page. A February 2013  Indie Next Pick. 

-Recommended by Nancy, store volunteer 

Redshirts by John Scalzi (Tor Books, paperback, $14.99)

In a universe not unlike Star Trek's Federation of Planets, Ensign Andrew Dahl and a few other new recruits, all redshirts, have just been assigned to the flagship Intrepid of the Universal Union. This particular ship, not unlike our beloved U.S.S. Enterprise, has a high mortality rate among those unfortunate souls with poor choice in apparel. Our intrepid protagonists have quickly caught on to their predicament and have decided to change their fate. Hilarity ensues in this witty tome that my fellow geeks will love.

-Recommended by Lee, store reader 

The Ambassador's Daughter by Pam Jenoff (MIRA, paperback, $14.95)

This is a heart-wrenching saga of life for the Germans after WWI. Margot is sixteen when her sweetheart enlists in a war the Germans have been told they will win in "a few weeks". At the close of the war, Margot's father is an emissary for the Germans at the treaty negotiation, and she becomes involved with new friends who are anything but above board. Add to this a fiance who is back from the dead and a shell of his former self, and a new interest in a former German naval officer. Any fan of historical fiction will completely enjoy this book and Margot's coming-of-age story.

-Recommended by Jackie, store volunteer 

Bear is Broken by Lachlan Smith (Mysterious Press, hardcover, $24.00)

Bear is Broken is an insightful look into the sometimes questionable world of criminal defense as well as an intriguing, twisting, debut thriller about brothers, lawyers, murder, and families. I am looking forward to the next installment of Leo Maxwell's adventures as a newly minted attorney.

-Recommended by Nancy, store volunteer 

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen (Scholastic, paperback, $6.99)

A harrowing tale that any fan of John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series will embrace. When Sage, Roden, and Tobias are chosen by one of the regents of Carthya, they have no idea what will be expected of them. Conner, the regent, wants to rule the country using one of the boys as his puppet prince. Soon they will find themselves in great danger in a world filled with deception, treachery, and murder. Each of the boys will have to decide how far they will go to stay alive.

-Recommended by Gretchen, store volunteer 

Southern Fried Lies by Susan Cozart Snowden (Archer Hill Publishing, paperback, $16.95)

The well-to-do Claiborne family in Atlanta have perfected their image right down to the special Christmas candies ordered from England. But reality contains an underachieving older brother, a chubby younger sister, a wild younger brother, and Sarah, an intellectual tomboy. Sarah's mother cannot cope with adversity, and as her perfect family begins to unravel, so does she, and Sarah is the unfortunate target for most of her mom's anger. Any southern woman would adore this book and be reminded of at least one relative, if not more.

-Recommended by Jackie, store volunteer 

Aloha, Lady Blue by Charley Memminger (Minotaur Books, hardcover, $24.99)

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis (Razorbill, hardcover, $18.99)

After being awoken from her cryogenically frozen state earlier than intended and thrust into the life and politics of a generation starship, Amy and the ship's leader, Elder, have discovered that they've already arrived at their new planet. After making the decision to inhabit Centauri-Earth, the colonists now have to contend with the newly-revived Earthborn frozens and the monsters the shipborns were warned of -- but first they have to determine who the monsters are. A satisfying conclusion to the Across the Universe trilogy. Meet the author at our Breathless Reads event on February 12th! 

-Recommended by Melissa Oates, store employee 

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood (Speak, paperback, $9.99)

Cate Cahill and her sisters are witches. They've spent their lives trying their best to hide this fact, especially from the Brotherhoood. Cate can't stand it, but what can she do? Then she discovers a prophecy set to come to fruition before the turn of the 20th century, of which the three Cahill girls could very well be the subject, and Cate is even more desperate to make sure her sisters are safe -- even if that means sacrificing her own happiness. Romance and magic make this a great book for the romantic teen reader. Meet the author at our Breathless Reads event on February 12th! 

-Recommended by Melissa Oates, store employee 

Venom by Fiona Paul (Philomel, hardcover, $17.99)

A murder mystery with a side of illicit romance -- or perhaps that should be the other way around? After noble-born Cass and artist Falco are thrown together to solve a murder in Renaissance Venice, things get complicated when Cass discovers Falco's secret midnight business and begins to think that he may be the killer they're looking for . . . after they've fallen in love. While there's no magic involved in Cass and Falco's relationship, or their quest to find a killerwho may be after Cass next, this story is magical all the same. An impressive debut. Meet the author at our Breathless Reads event on February 12th! 

-Recommended by Melissa Oates, store employee

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker (Random House, paperback, $15.00)

Karen's original, haunting debut novel is a dystopian coming-of-age fable for adults set on a near-future Earth whose rotation has slowed, leading to longer days and a host of other side effects. The story is told from the view of Julia, an ordinary Californian girl, as she and her family try to cope with their uncertain times. The Age of Miracles is a great bookclub book by a  brilliant new writer. A January 2013 Indie Next Pick. 

-Recommended by Jill Hendrix, store owner 

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (Feiwel & Friends, hardcover, $17.99)

In the second book in Meyer's Lunar Chronicles series, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing, and the people who took her seem to think she's hiding something. When street fighter Wolf shows up and says he knows who's behind the kidnapping, Scarlet feels she has no choice but to follow him despite her mistrust. Another fast-paced futuristic story that has everything you could want from a fairy tale -- action, great characters, and a little romance. And of course you find out what Lunar cyborg Cinder's up to, as well. I can't wait for the next one!

-Recommended by Melissa Oates, store employee

Bossypants by Tina Fey (Reagan Arthur Books, paperback, $8.99)

From stories about her birth being a "wonderful surprise" eight years after her brother was born to explaining that most women know they've entered womanhood because "some dude did something nasty to them," from brown-haired girls trying to survive in a world filled with "yellow-haired" girls to the male vs. female days at SNL, I found myself laughing and crying at the same time. The more serious undercurrent throughout the book is how difficult it can be for a talented female to succeed in a man's world. The great thing for us is that Tina Fey not only succeeded, but has flourished in that world.

-Recommended by Nancy Rechtman, store employee 

The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley (William Morrow, paperback, $15.99)

Neurosurgeon Matt Beaulieu's wife, Elle, has suffered irreparable brain damage after a fall, and everyone knows that dying slowly and painfully, like her mother, is her greatest fear. Matt is ready to pull the plug on her life support . . . until he finds out she's pregnant. She wanted a baby desperately, but is it worth drawing out her death? And can he convince the rest of their family that she would do anything for a baby? Navigating flawlessly between the hospital, the courtroom, and the back story, this emotional novel is perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult. A February 2013 Indie Next Pick. 

-Recommended by Melissa Oates, store employee 

Little Wolves by Thomas Maltman (Soho Press, hardcover, $25.00) 

Set in the farmland of the Minnesota prairie in the late 80s, the reader follows Grizz, a grief-stricken father, who is trying to understand why his teenage son would commit a shocking crime; and Clara, the boy's teacher and the new pastor's wife, who is searching for the truth about the mother she's never known. The dark secrets they uncover converge as neither of them could have imagined. Maltman artfully intertwines folklore and mythology to set the atmosphere for this gripping, literary, page-turning murder mystery. A January 2013 Indie Next Pick. 

-Recommended by Kathleen Perry, store employee

Everbound by Brodi Ashton (Balzer + Bray, hardcover, $17.99)

-Recommended by Melissa Oates, store employee 

Serendipity & Me

In this touching middle-grade verse novel, Sara's campaign to convince her dad to let her adopt an abandoned kitten acts to bring the two together to finally begin to heal from the grief of her mother's death several years before.

-Recommended by Jill Hendrix, store owner 

One Came Home by Amy Timberlake (Alfred A. Knopf, hardcover, $16.99)