Octobers Indie Bestsellers, BIPOC Edition

From his perspective as an immigrant who came to the West, El Akkad argues that while America claims to be the land of the free, its funding of violence in Palestine is one of many examples of America treating others as less than human. One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This became a New York Times bestseller, was shortlisted for the 2025 Palestine Books Awards, and was longlisted for the National Book Award in Nonfiction. — Kendra Winchester

Here it finally is, one of the most anticipated books of 2025! Following up on the dark academia fantasy Babel, this new standalone novel follows two students going through hell—literally. Alice and Peter are rivals at Cambridge, but they’ll have to work together to rescue their professor from Hell after he dies in an accident. Partly because they need his recommendation to advance their careers, and partly because his death might be Alice’s fault. — Liberty Hardy

Nosrat surprised people a bit by coming out with a cookbook full of recipes after her bestseller Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat espoused learning to cook without them. The 125 recipes listed here include everything from ricotta custard pancakes to chewy focaccia, which she delivers with the warmth and creativity that has influential chefs like Alice Waters labeling her as “America’s next great cooking teacher.”

I haven’t come across anyone who’s read Braiding Sweetgrass by Kimmerer who doesn’t recommend it emphatically. Here, the Indigenous scientist considers the gift economy and how we can better position ourselves when it comes to reciprocity and community, based on lessons from nature. Which is, of course, in direct contrast to the capitalist-driven culture of scarcity we currently live in.

Also, this has been on the Indie List for 48 weeks.

In this Booker Prize-nominated book, two people’s fates intertwine across continents and years, race, country, and class. Sonia’s loneliness comes as a result of her being a homesick writer living in Vermont. The relationship she develops with an older male artist will curse her for years to come. And Sunny’s loneliness is similarly sourced: he is also originally from India and is having a hard time understanding his American girlfriend. Then Sonia’s and Sunny’s families arrange for them to meet, and it’s so awkward and clumsy that it may drive the two away from each other before they’ve even given the thought of them a chance.

Here, Harris details her historic career in politics as the first woman/person of color to be the vice president of the United States. She specifically homes in on how she ran the shortest presidential campaign ever in 2024.

To see the rest of the list, visit IndieBound.org.