Books written by authors with ties to Indianapolis

What’s better than a good book? A good book written by your neighbor (or former neighbor). Brew up a batch of your favorite tea from Tea’s Me or grab a latte from Kaffeine Coffee and get ready to meet your next read, because we’re talking about locally written books in the Indy area.

Fiction

• “Cat’s Cradle” by Kurt Vonnegut | Release date: 1963 | You might have read this dark sci-fi novel that satirizes technology, religion, and science in school.
• “All Good People Here” by Ashley Flowers | Release date: 2022 | This debut thriller novel is written by the host of the wildly popular true crime podcast “Crime Junkie.”
• “When Stars Rain Down” by Angela Jackson-Brown | Release date: 2021 | Explore the Deep South through this portrait of a family and their community in 1936.

For the family

• “You Should See Me in a Crown” by Leah Johnson | Release date: 2020 | This TIME Magazine “Best YA Book of All Time” depicts the life of a high school girl in a fictional Indiana town.
• “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green | Release date: 2012 | The novel-turned-movie is a coming-of-age romance that features The Funky Bones sculpture seen in 100 Acres Park at Newfields.
• “Dear Black Girl: Letters From Your Sisters on Stepping Into Your Power” by Tamara Winfrey Harris | Release date: 2021 | The voices of Black women take center stage in this collection of affirmations and empowerment for girls everywhere.

Photo by @loudmouthindy

Learn something new

• “You Are an Artist: Assignments to Spark Creation” by Sarah Urist Green | Release date: 2020 | Break through a creative rut with over 50 prompts, ideas, and assignments.
• “Roller Derby: The History of an American Sport” by Michella M. Marino | Release date: 2021 | Learn how roller derby made waves as a coed sport through media coverage, archival materials, and personal experiences.
• “The Ku Klux Klan in the Heartland” by James H. Madison | Release date: 2020 | This book tells the history of the KKK’s creation and reign in Indiana and the Midwest.

Part of a series

• “King Maker” by Maurice Broaddus | Release date: 2010 | “The Knights of Breton Court” series is a retelling of King Arthur set among rival gangs.
• “The Magnificent Ambersons” by Booth Tarkington | Release date: 1918 | The second in Tarkington’s “Growth” trilogy, the story revolves around a fictionalized version of Woodruff Place and the declining fortunes of three generations of the aristocratic Ambersons.
• “Princess Diaries” by Meg Cabot | Release date: 2000 | This former IU Hoosier’s series was made popular by its film adaptation starring Anne Hathaway.

Photo by INDYtoday team

Personal stories

• “Somebody’s Daughter” by Ashley C. Ford | Release date: 2021 | Explore the complicated relationship between Ashley and her mother in this New York Times bestseller set in Fort Wayne.
• “Hillbilly Queer” by J.R. Jamison | Release date: 2021 | Travel through a rural landscape and watch the differences unfold between a father and son.
• “Bad Feminist” by Roxane Gay | Release date: 2014 | This book of essays from a former Purdue professor discusses a number of political and cultural issues.
• “Transangelicism” by Jody Galadriel Friend | Release date: 2024 | The frontwoman of local band Public Universal Friend brings you the story of her transformation from Southern evangelist to trans punk musician.

Is there another book you love by a local author? Write in.