1. The City and Its Uncertain Walls, by Haruki Murakami
2. James, by Percival Everett
3. How to Read a Book, by Monica Wood
4. Intermezzo, by Sally Rooney
5. The Time of the Child, by Niall Williams
6. The Mighty Red, by Louise Erdrich
7. The Life Impossible, by Matt Haig
8. Like Mother, Like Mother, by Susan Rieger
9. Tell Me Everything, by Elizabeth Strout
10. Sipsworth, by Simon Van Booy
Top release this week is Haruki Murakami's The City and Its Uncertain Walls, which is a reworking of the short story that become Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, being the same place as the other book, but a totally different conception. Did I get that right? BookMarks decided to play coy and not list the ratings of the reviews it cataloged, but right now, it's 10 raves, one positive, four mixed, five pans. Laura Miller, a rave in Slate, notes the differences between the two stories: "All science-fiction and detective elements—borrowings from Western pop culture that abound in Murakami’s earlier work—have been purged from The City and Its Uncertain Walls. This novel is instead meditative and melancholy, its mysteries less a matter of conspiracies than self-discovery."
1. The Anxious Generation, by Jonathan Haidt
2. The Serviceberry, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
3. Kingdom of the Poor, by Charles Strobel, with Katie Seigenthaler
4. Well-Plated Every Day, by Erin Clarke (Signed copy offer)
5. The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson
6. The History of the Railroad in 100 Maps, by Jeremy Black
7. Vanishing Treasures, by Katherine Rundell
8. The Backyard Bird Chronicles, by Amy Tan
9. Be Ready When Luck Happens, by Ina Garten
10. The Message, by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Top debuts is The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World, the first new book for Robin Wall Kimmerer since Braiding Sweetgrass. Printed on recycled paper using sustainable printing practices, The Serviceberry is also the #1 Indie Next pick for December. From Laurie Hertzel in The Washington Post, on the giving economy: "Over the course of roughly 100 pages, Kimmerer makes her point repeatedly, but the variety of her examples keep the book from feeling redundant. Kimmerer is not naive or unrealistic; she acknowledges that avarice can upend the delicate balance between giving and receiving - and that a gift economy works best in a 'close, tight-knit community.' Still, The Serviceberry is an optimistic book, one that trusts in the ability of people to do the right thing."
And congratulations to James, which won The National Book Award, after missing out on the Booker Prize. More to come, most likely!
Paperback Fiction:
1. Orbital, by Samantha Harvey
2. Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver
3. The Christmas Tree Farm V3, by Laurie Gilmore
4. The Cinnamon Bun Store V2, by Laurie Gilmore
5. The Wren, the Wren, by Anne Enright
6. Hampton Heights, by Dan Kois
7. Sorcery and Small Magics, by Maiga Doocy
8. Black Sheep, by Rachel Harrison
9. Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries, by Heather Fawcett
10. The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon
Several months ago, I asked Jason, what's with this Laurie Gilmore novel, The Pumpkin Spice Cafe? We brought it in from Ingram, and it has continued to explode, being the TikTok Shop Book of the Year, with distribution from HarperCollins. Books #2 and #3, The Cinnamon Bun Book Store and The Christmas Tree Farm are on our bestseller list this week. The things one misses when one doesn't spend a lot of time on social media. Call this blog unsocial media. By the way, these are called grumpy x sunshine cozy romances. Coming in March 2025 is The Strawberry Patch Pancake House.
Paperback Nonfiction:
1. On Tyranny, by Timothy Snyder
2. Struggle for the City, by Derek G Handley
3. While You Were Out, by Meg Kissinger
4. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
5. All Creation Waits, by Gayle Boss
6. The Art Thief, by Michael Finkel
7. Extra Extra Eat All About It, Randi Julia Ramsden and Jan Conway
8. Typhoid Mary, by Anthony Bourdain
9. Alfie and Me, by Carl Safina
10. A Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros
Another book which appears to be growing in demand each holiday is All Creation Waits: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings, by Gayle Boss. There's also a gift edition and a kids version, which is sold out everywhere. It's a cross between a book and an advent calendar. From Richard Rohr: "Each of the beautiful creatures in this little book is a unique word of God, its own metaphor, all of them together drawing us to the One we all belong to."
Books for Kids:
1. Giving Good, by Aaron Boyd
2. Buffalo Fluffalo, by Bess Kalb, illustrations by Erin Kraan
3. The Bletchley Riddle, by Ruta Sepetys and Steven Sheinkin
4. Peekaboo Santa, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
5. The Great Lakes, by Barb Rosenstock, illustrations by Jamey Cristoph
6. Knight Owl and Early Bird, by Christopher Denise
7. Spooky Lakes, by Geo Rutherford (it's back!)
8. Santa's First Christmas, by Mac Barnett, illustrations by Sydney Smith
9. Peekaboo Lion, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
10. Impossible Creatures, by Katherine Rundell
A Christmas picture book that the publishers hope will be an evergreen is Santa's First Christmas, by the irrepressible Mac Barnett with illustrations by Sydney Smith. From Kirkus: "Barnett narrates with a pitch-perfect mixture of droll amusement and holiday charm: Santa initially appears to be humoring his elves, only to really get into the spirit himself. Smith's signature illustrations rely on bright colors and shapes. This seeming simplicity is belied by each scene's unique lighting and reflections, imbuing everything with a singular warmth. Santa is pink-skinned and rosy-cheeked; the elves vary in skin tone. Cozier than a roaring fire and sweeter than milk and cookies, this earns its 'Christmas classic' stripes with flying colors."
1. Orbital, by Samantha Harvey
2. Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver
3. The Christmas Tree Farm V3, by Laurie Gilmore
4. The Cinnamon Bun Store V2, by Laurie Gilmore
5. The Wren, the Wren, by Anne Enright
6. Hampton Heights, by Dan Kois
7. Sorcery and Small Magics, by Maiga Doocy
8. Black Sheep, by Rachel Harrison
9. Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries, by Heather Fawcett
10. The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon
Several months ago, I asked Jason, what's with this Laurie Gilmore novel, The Pumpkin Spice Cafe? We brought it in from Ingram, and it has continued to explode, being the TikTok Shop Book of the Year, with distribution from HarperCollins. Books #2 and #3, The Cinnamon Bun Book Store and The Christmas Tree Farm are on our bestseller list this week. The things one misses when one doesn't spend a lot of time on social media. Call this blog unsocial media. By the way, these are called grumpy x sunshine cozy romances. Coming in March 2025 is The Strawberry Patch Pancake House.
1. On Tyranny, by Timothy Snyder
2. Struggle for the City, by Derek G Handley
3. While You Were Out, by Meg Kissinger
4. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
5. All Creation Waits, by Gayle Boss
6. The Art Thief, by Michael Finkel
7. Extra Extra Eat All About It, Randi Julia Ramsden and Jan Conway
8. Typhoid Mary, by Anthony Bourdain
9. Alfie and Me, by Carl Safina
10. A Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros
Another book which appears to be growing in demand each holiday is All Creation Waits: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings, by Gayle Boss. There's also a gift edition and a kids version, which is sold out everywhere. It's a cross between a book and an advent calendar. From Richard Rohr: "Each of the beautiful creatures in this little book is a unique word of God, its own metaphor, all of them together drawing us to the One we all belong to."
1. Giving Good, by Aaron Boyd
2. Buffalo Fluffalo, by Bess Kalb, illustrations by Erin Kraan
3. The Bletchley Riddle, by Ruta Sepetys and Steven Sheinkin
4. Peekaboo Santa, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
5. The Great Lakes, by Barb Rosenstock, illustrations by Jamey Cristoph
6. Knight Owl and Early Bird, by Christopher Denise
7. Spooky Lakes, by Geo Rutherford (it's back!)
8. Santa's First Christmas, by Mac Barnett, illustrations by Sydney Smith
9. Peekaboo Lion, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
10. Impossible Creatures, by Katherine Rundell
A Christmas picture book that the publishers hope will be an evergreen is Santa's First Christmas, by the irrepressible Mac Barnett with illustrations by Sydney Smith. From Kirkus: "Barnett narrates with a pitch-perfect mixture of droll amusement and holiday charm: Santa initially appears to be humoring his elves, only to really get into the spirit himself. Smith's signature illustrations rely on bright colors and shapes. This seeming simplicity is belied by each scene's unique lighting and reflections, imbuing everything with a singular warmth. Santa is pink-skinned and rosy-cheeked; the elves vary in skin tone. Cozier than a roaring fire and sweeter than milk and cookies, this earns its 'Christmas classic' stripes with flying colors."
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