Here is the new Boswell annotated bestseller list for the week ending January 14, 2017

Hardcover Fiction:
1. The Mothers, by Brit Bennett (event Mon Feb 6, 7 pm, at Boswell)
2. Burning Bright, by Nick Petrie (events Fri, Jan 20, 6:30 pm at Greendale Library's Hose Tower and Sat, Jan 21, 1 pm, at Whitefish Bay Library)
3. History of Wolves, by Emily Fridlund
4. The Drifter (cloth), by Nick Petrie
5. The Underground Railroad, by Colson Whitehead
6. The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah
7. Commonwealth, by Ann Patchett
8. Swing Time, by Zadie Smith
9. The Sleepwalker, by Chris Bohjalian
10. Another Brooklyn, by Jacqueline Woodson

Chris Bohjalian's new novel, The Sleepwalker, has had some buzz in the store, both from customers asking for more info about what it's about and how close Mr. Bohjalian was coming to Milwaukee. I'd say you'd have to go to St. Louis. To answer the new question, The Washington Post review from Carol Memmott writes: "Sex, secrets and the mysteries of sleep: These are the provocative ingredients in Chris Bohjalian’s spooky thriller The Sleepwalker. It’s a dark, Hitchcockian novel featuring two beautiful icy blondes reminiscent of those found in many of the renowned director’s films."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. I Hate Everyone, Except You, by Clinton Kelly
2. The Great Equalizer, by David Smick
3. Evicted, by Matthew Desmond
4. Born to Run, by Bruce Springsteen
5. Hillbilly Elegy, by J.D. Vance
6. Freakin' Fabulous, by Clinton Kelly
7. Hamilton, by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter
8. The Undoing Project, by Michael Lewis
9. When Breath Becomes Air, by Paul Kalanithi
10. Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, by Carol Rovelli

We had a good time with Clinton Kelly. He mentioned a number of books he's liked, including All the Light We Cannot See and more recently, Zadie Smith's Swing Time. We have signed copies of I Hate Everyone, Except You.

Paperback Fiction:
1. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
2. The Pearl, by John Steinbeck
3. American Dervish, by Ayad Akhtar (at Boswell Sat Jan 21, 11 am)
4. The Miracle Worker, by William Gibson
5. The Drifter, by Nick Petrie
6. Selected Stories, by Anton Chekhov
7. A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman
8. More Than Human, by Theodore Sturgeon
9. The Sellout, by Paul Beatty
10. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry, by Frederick Backman

As you can see from this week's bestseller list, there's a lot of classroom buying going on. We've also got Theodore Sturgeon's More Than Human, which is the not selection for our Science Fiction Book Club. It has its own Wikipedia entry.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. On the Clock, by Tim Enochs
2. We Should All Be Feminists, by Chimananda Ngozi Adichie
3. The Lost Tudor Princess, by Alison Weir
4. How to Speak Midwestern, by Edward McClelland
5. The Power of Kindness, by Piero Ferrucci
6. Searching for and Maintaining Peace by Jacques Philippe
7. Nonstop Metropolis, by Rebecca Solnit
8. Mary Nohl Inside and Out, by Barbara Manger and Janine Smith
9. Milwaukee Frozen Custard, by Kathleen McCann and Robert Tanzilo
10. What Color is Your Parachute 2017, by Richard N. Bolles

Nostalgia! I haven't seen an Alison Weir nonfiction book on our bestseller list in a while so seeing The Lost Tudor Princess brought me back to the days of Schwartz, when we had some very strong sales on her books. The Washington Post had Philippa Gregory review the book, who said "This is a substantial, detailed biography of a fascinating woman who lived her extraordinary life to the full, taking desperate chances for love and for ambition. It will appeal to anyone with an interest in the powerful women of the Tudor period."

Books for Kids:
1. Egg, by Kevin Henkes
2. Waiting, by Kevin Henkes
3. Heart to Heart, by Lois Ehlert (event Sat, Feb 11, 2 pm, at Boswell)
4. My Garden (hardcover), by Kevin Henkes
5. Owen (hardcover), by Kevin Henkes
6. Chrysanthemum (hardcover), by Kevin Henkes
7. Old Bear (board book), by Kevin Henkes
8. Julius, Baby of the World (paperback), by Kevin Henkes
9. Lily's Purple Plastic Purse (hardcover), by Kevin Henkes
10. A Weekend with Wendell (hardcover), by Kevin Henkes

As you can see from our event books, for picture books, as opposed to middle grade and young adult titles, the hardcovers, if available, often do better than the paperbacks at public events (as opposed to schools). I think the reason Julius Baby of the World did better in paperback is that I didn't bring in as many hardcovers. Egg appears to be part of the "Waiting Trilogy", along with When Spring Comes and Waiting. Mr. Henkes knew how many times the word "waiting" was used in each book. Signed copies of Egg are available.

Over at the Journal Sentinel book page, there are three features this week.

Mike Fischer reviewed Human Acts, the new novel from South Korean writer Han Kung, whose 2007 novel The Vegetarian has become a surprise bestseller. This story is of the 1980 Gwangju massacre, when hundreds of protestors were killed for protesting a military coup. He notes: "Despite Deborah Smith’s poetically rendered translation, reading about human acts like these can be excruciating. But true to the urgency conveyed through its frequent use of second-person narration, Han’s book is also filled with human acts involving profiles in courage that inspire hope."

Erin Kogler takes on Robin Roe's A List of Cages, a debut novel for young adults, which she calls "engaging, personal, heartwarming and tragic." The setup: "Cages tells the story of two high school boys: Adam, a popular senior, and Julian, a quiet freshman and outcast. When Adam becomes an aide to the school psychologist, he finds out that one of the students who sees her (or rather had been avoiding his appointments with her) is Julian, his former foster brother."

And finally, Book Editor Jim Higgins offers a roundup of some upcoming author events. If you're wondering a little more about events with Michael Tisserand, Brit Bennett, Elinor Lipman, Kelly Jensen, Christina Baker Kline, Will Schwlabe, Nickolas Butler, Margaret George, Dan Egan, and Jami Attenberg, you can find out more in this roundup.