Three self-published books over a background of print books

Recommended Reads

Indie picks: 8 self-published books you shouldn’t miss

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In the past several years, authors like Carly Phillips, Susan Stoker, and Jan Moran have become as familiar to me as James Patterson, Nora Roberts, or Sarah J. Maas. The boom of self-published authors is well established at this point, in part thanks to authors who started indie and then hit the big time, like Colleen Hoover, Lisa Genova, and Andy Weir. (I still think Weir’s The Martian might be the most popular book in my 20 years as a librarian.)

There are some authors who have gone the other direction, too, like Grace Burrowes and Jennifer Estep, who were established traditional authors before switching primarily to self-publishing. In fact, many authors take advantage of the ability to slide back and forth between traditional and self-publishing these days, like Rebecca Zanetti, Kristin Ashley, and even Brandon Sanderson.

So, how do you find these hidden gems from indie authors? Yes, some of them have blown up on BookTok, but I’m also here to recommend some great titles you might not know about that are available on the Libby app. I’ve pulled together some authors who are old favorites of mine, new discoveries, and even a personal friend! In addition to being great reads, many of these are also now fantastic listens, as more and more self-published books are also getting audiobook productions. Let’s dive in!


Empire of ShadowsEmpire of Shadows by Jacquelyn Benson
🎧 Audiobook

I might as well start with this book, since anyone who knows me will tell you I haven’t been able to shut up about it for the last two weeks. It’s an adventure romance, which is one of the hottest subgenres at the moment, and I think it can best be described as The Mummy moved from Egypt to Central America.

Our stuffy English heroine, Ellie, is a suffragist and scholar who stumbles upon a treasure map to a lost Mayan city in British-controlled Honduras. She sails off as quickly as she can, since there are other, more violent people who would also like the map. When she reaches Belize Town, she needs a guide to lead her up the mountains and into the jungle, and of course, the only person able to fill this role is the handsome American. The romance is slow burn, the adventure thrilling, and this is just the first book in the series!


The Librarian of Crooked LaneThe Librarian of Crooked Lane by C. J. Archer
🎧 Audiobook

Archer is one of those prolific authors I see mentioned all the time, so I finally decided to take the plunge with the first book in her The Glass Library series (and book 6, The Journal of a Thousand Years is due out in March!).

There’s a possibility that I have a type, because this series also features a sassy, educated British woman from a century ago, only instead of running off adventuring on another continent with her slow burn romantic partner, she’s a librarian in London helping him solve crimes. Archer’s series is very much set in a world with magic, as some people have the ability to control a specific substance, like oil paints. And that’s significant here in the series opener, as Sylvia and Gabe must unravel the theft of a painting made with magic. The book also intriguingly lays the groundwork for deeper mysteries that run through the series.


Make a SceneMake a Scene by Mimi Grace
🎧 Audiobook

Retta is perfectly happy without her ex-boyfriend. After all, she owns a successful bakery, so who needs a man or dating apps? Well, it turns out that she needs a date—fast— because for some reason, she RSVPed with a plus one to attend the wedding of her ex to her younger cousin.

Enter the owner of the boxing gym next door, Duncan Gilmore. Focused on his work and down on love thanks to his parents’ divorce, Duncan isn’t looking for a girlfriend so much as better parking for his employees at the gym. But parking is something Retta and her bakery employees are willing to go to the mat over, or at least seriously negotiate. And that’s when Retta gets her brilliant idea—parking spaces in return for a fake date to the wedding that she’s dreading, which is a deal Duncan can’t pass up.

Honestly, these two are adorable, and this is just the beginning, as Duncan’s sister gets to look for love in book 2, What a Match!


Wicked is the ReaperWicked is the Reaper by Nisha J. Tuli
🎧 Audiobook

The Fae have imposed some very specific rules on the kingdom of Aetherus. One of these is a ritual, the Hunt, for choosing the spouse of the princess and future king. Any man in the realm may enter the forest on the specified day and compete in this stag hunt, and the man who bags the largest stag is the winner of the princess and the kingdom.

The Princess Rowan is rooting for Ellis, a friend and honorable man who will make a good king. Since he’s also an excellent hunter, there’s a real chance that her wish will come true. But there’s a last-minute entry—the Reaper who lives in the forest, and who just might have a penchant for ripping the hearts out of the chests of girls who go wandering in the woods. What does the future hold for Rowan? Well, this a rather spicy dark romantasy, so it’s certainly not going to be boring!


A Thief in the NightA Thief in the Night by KJ Charles

As I mentioned, some authors these days seem as likely to publish traditionally as to put out a book on their own. One of those authors is incredibly close to my heart—the incomparable KJ Charles. I first read her ten years ago when her Society of Gentlemen series was published by Random House, and I’ve followed her to other publishers, big and small.

Her latest indie title is this novella, set in Regency England. The story opens with two men meeting at an inn and, ahem, having a pleasant evening together. This is until Toby robs Miles when he falls asleep. Later on, though, they meet up again, and the question becomes can they learn to trust each other and maybe, also, fall in love. As always with Charles, the answer is equal parts moving and spicy.


A Taste of Torment🎧 A Taste of Torment by Stacey Trombley

Remember how I said there’d be a friend of mine on this list? Well, here you go! I’ve known Stacey for ages (she even came to a writer’s group I led at the library back in the day!), and I could not be more thrilled that her amazing YA romantasy series she self-published is now available on audio.

Book 1, A Taste of Torment, finds Candace enrolling in magic school—Shadow Hills Academy, to be exact—to find her sister’s killer. The most popular and powerful boy at the school is Jarron, who is part old friend, part terrifying demon. He’s also the person most likely to be able to help with the murder investigation…assuming he isn’t the killer. Oh, and did I mention that he’s really hot? Just know that once you start this series, you’re going to want to finish the whole trilogy before you can concentrate on anything else.


Val VegaVal Vega: Secret Ambassador of Earth by Ben Francisco

The indie author world is full of great YA, and another excellent choice for teen readers (and folks who just like to read teen books!) is this sci-fi adventure. How good is this one? Well, Publishers Weekly called it one of the best self-pubbed titles of 2024. And how could they pass this up?

Val is a junior in high school, struggling with the usual high-school things: prepping for the SAT, the softball team, her crush on her best friend. But suddenly, getting into a good college seems a lot less pressing when her uncle dies, because it turns out he was secretly Earth’s ambassador to an intergalactic organization. And can you guess who is expected to replace him? Go on—guess!


Extra FocusExtra Focus: The Quick Start Guide to Adult ADHD by Jesse J. Anderson
🎧 Audiobook

And lest you think all self-published titles are fiction, there are some very hot nonfiction titles from indie authors as well.

(Aside: Did you know Rich Dad Poor Dad, which has sold about a bajillion copies, is one of the original self-pub success stories?)

One of the hottest indie books right now is by Jesse J. Anderson who has a successful tech career, but also finds time to advocate for folks like himself with ADHD. The book opens with an explanation of just what ADHD is, since Anderson didn’t realize for a long time that he has it. But once he made his discovery, he decided to stop fighting himself and find strategies for working with his own particular brain. The productivity tips in here can be great for anybody, and you can listen to the author read the audiobook in just 3 hours! (Which you might want to do while tackling chores.)


Load your Libby with these under-the-radar reads by indie authors. You might not know these folks yet, but you’ll be happy for the introduction when one of them turns out to be the next E. L. James. And even if they don’t, you’re still likely to enjoy the read.

*Title availability may vary by library & region.

RELATED READ: Our favorite indie book picks from 2023

Published Dec 11, 2024

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About the Author

Shelia Mawdsley did everything from answering questions at the Reference Desk to tech training to running a classic lit book club in her 17 years in public libraries. Now she helps other public libraries make the most of their OverDrive collections. In her spare time, she’s either writing or reading, usually with an opera playing in the background. If you ever run into her, ask Shelia about #WITMonth.

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