What's Selling This Week at Boswell...Along with Not Particularly Snappy Asides.

Here are our hardcover nonfiction bestsellers for the week:

1. In the Garden of Beasts, by Erik Larson

2. Bossypants, by Tina Fey

3. Life, on the Line, by Grant Achatz and Nick Kakonas

4. On China, by Henry Kissinger
5. Area 51, by Annie Jacobsen

I don't know what's happening nationally, but at Boswell, the hardcover books with the most pop right now are nonfiction. Tina Fey seems to have continued past Mother's Day, momentum-wise, and nothing seems to be able to stop Erik Larson, which has already sold better with us in a few weeks than Thunderstruck did at our location (when it was Schwartz) for the complete life of the hardcover.

Hardcover fiction:
1. Caleb's Crossing, by Geraldine Brooks
2. The Long-Shinging Waters, by Danielle Sosin
3. Dead Reckoning, by Charlaine Harris
4. Dreams of Joy, by Lisa See
5. The Snowman, by Jo Nesbo

Yesterday we put up our Milwaukee Art Museum Summer of China display.  At least two books from our bestsellers, Kissinger's and See's, were included. And don't forget about Danielle Sosin this Wednesday.  Don't worry, I'll remind you again tomorrow.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. This American Family, by Chris Christie (get a)
2. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot
3. Cardboard Gods, by Josh Wilker (signed copy)
4. Heaven is for Real, by Todd Burpo
5. Life, by Keith Richards
 
All three events this week went very well, as you'll see on our bestseller lists.  The audience at Chris Christie's This American Family encouraged her to do more speaking.
 

Paperback fiction:
1. I Thought You were Dead, by Pete Nelson (signed copies available)
2. Room, by Emma Donoghue
3. A Visit from the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan
4. The Help, by Kathryn Stockett
5. Volt, by Alan Heatchcock (get a book signed)
 
Here's my event experience with each book on this list:
1. Just hosted an event at a bar.
2. Came by to sign stock in conjunction with hardcover event.
3. Ran into at another store.
4. I think the tour for the paperback is over.
5. Coming to Boswell Monday, which is tomorrow!
 

Kids books:
1. Rrralph, by Lois Ehlert (signed copies available)
2. Hooray for Amanda and Her Alligator, by Mo Willems
3. On the Night You were Born, by Nancy Tillman
4. Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes, by Mem Fox
5. The Adventures of Tintin, Volume 1, by Herge
 
Tintin is just one reminder that Cafe Benelux is opening in the Third Ward on June 9.  And as I still search for a store hosting Mo Willems who will let me get a book personalized (we had a mixup at the store and the wrong name got attached to a book), I am hoping that we hit gold at the Garden District Bookshop on June 25. Mr. Willems signs there from 3 to 5 pm.
 
As his been my habit of late, I have linked a few, but not all, of the titles to our website. All the titles listed here are available with a few clicks of your mouse.

So what's going to be on fututre lists?  There's a good chance that many of the titles are in today's Journal Sentinel roundup of "52 to Pickup", Jim Higgins's book preview.  Read more here.