The American Booksellers Association (ABA) Indies Choice Book Awards recognize the array of unique and thought-provoking titles championed by independent bookstores nationwide. In addition to the winners, 5 honor books and authors are selected for each of the six categories.

On April 16, 2009, the American Booksellers Association (ABA) announced the winners of their first ever Indies Choice Book Awards --- formerly the Book Sense Book of the Year Awards --- which were chosen by the owners and staff of ABA member stores. The Awards recognize the array of unique and thought-provoking titles championed by independent bookstores nationwide. In addition to the winners, 5 honor books and authors were selected for each of the six categories.

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2009 Winners

Best Indie Buzz Book (Fiction)
THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (The Dial Press)

Best Conversation Starter (Nonfiction)
THE WORDY SHIPMATES by Sarah Vowell (Riverhead)

Best Author Discovery
THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE by David Wroblewski (Ecco)

Best Indie Young Adult Buzz Book (Fiction)
THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins)

Best New Picture Book
BATS AT THE LIBRARY by Brian Lies (Houghton Mifflin)

Most Engaging Author
Sherman Alexie

Best Indie Buzz Book (Fiction) Honor Books
CITY OF THIEVES by David Benioff (Viking)
THE GIVEN DAY by Dennis Lehane (Morrow)
NETHERLAND by Joseph O'Neill (Pantheon)
PEOPLE OF THE BOOK by Geraldine Brooks (Viking)
UNACCUSTOMED EARTH by Jhumpa Lahiri (Knopf)

Best Conversation Starter (Nonfiction) Honor Books
AMERICAN BUFFALO: In Search of a Lost Icon, by Steven Rinella (Spiegel & Grau)
THE FOREVER WAR by Dexter Filkins (Knopf)
HURRY DOWN SUNSHINE: A Memoir, by Michael Greenberg (Other Press)
A VOYAGE LONG AND STRANGE: On the Trail of Vikings, Conquistadors, Lost Colonists, and Other Adventurers in Early America, by Tony Horwitz (Holt)
WHAT I TALK ABOUT WHEN I TALK ABOUT RUNNING by Haruki Murakami (Knopf)

Best Author Discovery (Debut) Honor Books
CHILD 44 by Tom Rob Smith (Grand Central)
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by Stieg Larsson (Knopf)
MUDBOUND by Hillary Jordan (Algonquin)
THE STORY OF FORGETTING by Stefan Merrill Block (Random House)
WHITE TIGER by Aravind Adiga (Free Press)

Best Indie Young Adult Buzz Honor Book (Fiction)
GRACELING by Kristin Cashore (HMH)
THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
LITTLE BROTHER by Cory Doctorow (Tor)
MY MOST EXCELLENT YEAR by Steve Kluger (Dial)
SAVVY by Ingrid Law (Dial)

Best New Picture Book Honor Books
LOUISE, THE ADVENTURES OF A CHICKEN by Kate DiCamillo; illustrated by Harry Bliss (HarperCollins)
MONKEY AND ME by Emily Gravett (Simon & Schuster)
THE POUT POUT FISH by Deborah Diesen; illustrated by Dan Hanna (FSG)
TEN LITTLE FINGERS AND TEN LITTLE TOES by Mem Fox; illustrated by Helen Oxenbury (Harcourt)
WAVE by Suzi Lee (Chronicle)

Most Engaging Author Honor Recipients
Michael Chabon
Ann Patchett
Jon Scieszka
David Sedaris
Terry Tempest Williams

2009 Finalists

Best Indie Buzz Book (Fiction)
CITY OF THIEVES by David Benioff (Viking)
THE GIVEN DAY by Dennis Lehane (Morrow)
THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows (Dial)
NETHERLAND by Joseph O'Neill (Pantheon)
PEOPLE OF THE BOOK by Geraldine Brooks (Viking)
UNACCUSTOMED EARTH by Jhumpa Lahiri (Knopf)

Best Conversation Starter (Nonfiction)
AMERICAN BUFFALO by Steven Rinella (Spiegel & Grau)
THE FOREVER WAR by Dexter Filkins (Knopf)
HURRY DOWN SUNSHINE by Michael Greenberg (Other Press)
A VOYAGE LONG AND STRANGE by Tony Horwitz (Holt)
WHAT I TALK ABOUT WHEN I TALK ABOUT RUNNING by Haruki Murakami (Knopf)
THE WORDY SHIPMATES by Sarah Vowell (Riverhead)

Best Author Discovery (Debut)
CHILD 44 by Tom Rob Smith (Grand Central)
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by Stieg Larsson (Knopf)
MUDBOUND by Hillary Jordan (Algonquin)
THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE by David Wroblewski (Ecco)
THE STORY OF FORGETTING by Stefan Merrill Block (Random House)
WHITE TIGER by Aravind Adiga (Free Press)

Best Indie Young Adult Buzz Book (Fiction)
GRACELING by Kristin Cashore (HMH)
THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins)
HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
LITTLE BROTHER by Cory Doctorow (Tor)
MY MOST EXCELLENT YEAR by Steve Kluger (Dial)
SAVVY by Ingrid Law (Dial)

Best New Picture Book
BATS AT THE LIBRARY by Brian Lies (Houghton Mifflin)
LOUISE, THE ADVENTURES OF A CHICKEN by Kate DiCamillo & Harry Bliss (HarperCollins)
MONKEY AND ME by Emily Gravett (Simon & Schuster)
THE POUT POUT FISH by Deborah Diesen & Dan Hanna (FSG)
TEN LITTLE FINGERS AND TEN LITTLE TOES by Mem Fox & Helen Oxenbury (Harcourt)
WAVE by Suzi Lee (Chronicle)

Most Engaging Author (The author who is an in-store star with a strong sense of the importance of indie booksellers to their local communities.)
Sherman Alexie
Michael Chabon
Ann Patchett
John Scieszka
David Sedaris
Terry Tempest Williams

Picture Book Hall of Fame
ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY by Judith Viorst & Ray Cruz (Atheneum)
CHICKA CHICKA BOOM BOOM by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault & Lois Ehlert (Simon & Schuster) CORDUROY by Don Freeman (Viking)
CURIOUS GEORGE by H. A. Rey (Houghton Mifflin)
DON'T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS by Mo Willems (Hyperion)
GOODNIGHT GORILLA by Peggy Rathmann (Putnam)
THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD by Watty Piper (Grosset & Dunlap/Philomel)
MADELINE by Ludwig Bemelmans (Viking)
MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS by Robert McCloskey (Viking)
NAPPING HOUSE by Audrey Wood (Harcourt) STELLALUNA by Janelle Cannon (Harcourt)
THE STORY OF FERDINAND THE BULL by Munro Leaf & Robert Lawson (Viking)
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE by Maurice Sendak (HarperCollins)