1. The City and Its Uncertain Walls, by Haruki Murakami
2. All Fours, by Miranda July
3. Sipsworth, by Simon Van Booy
4. The Women, by Kristin Hannah
5. Intermezzo, by Sally Rooney
6. Sandwich, by Catherine Newman
7. The Grey Wolf, by Louise Penny
8. Playground, by Richard Powers
9. Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt
10. Real Americans, by Rachel Khong
I'm not sure why we saw a post-Christmas bump on Real Americans, being that we've been promoting it all season in our holiday newsletter and display, except I noticed that one of our local book clubs chose it for when it comes out in paperback, and some members might have been getting a head start. I think Sipsworth is also showing up on spring book club lists. No surprises - still selling 2024 favorites. Khong also appears on the Harvard Crimson top 10 of 2024 and the top books we love list on NPR - and I read six of their top ten, which made me happy.
I'm not going to say much about the special Barnes & Noble edition except that it's interesting that publishers think sprayed edges are only economically feasible on specific genre titles (fantasy and romance) but our chain competitor continues to push for them on more literary titles. I noticed this was not raised in the recent New York Times piece.
1. The Serviceberry, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
2. The Message, by Ta-Nehisi Coates
3. Ottolenghi Comfort, by Yotam Ottolenghi
4. The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson
5. Women and the Reformations, by Merry E Wiesner Hanks (January 17 2 pm St Marks event)
6. The Creative Act, by Rick Rubin
7. Basketball 100, by The Athletic
8. The Small and the Mighty, by Sharon McMahon
9. The Anxious Generation, by Jonathan Haidt
10. Didion and Babitz, by Lili Anolik
The Small and the Mighty, profiles of little known Americans who made a difference, was a bit under the radar for us this holiday, but an appearance on Oprah's Favorite Things let to a post-holiday pop. Sharon McMahon posts the Here's Where It Gets Interesting podcast, and yes, podcasts seem to be the marketing hook that publishers are looking for. You probably can't do better than these blurbs from David Grann, Isabel Wilkerson, and Adam Grant to market a book. Thesis, a Penguin imprint launched in 2023, appears to be part of Portfolio
1. Orbital, by Samantha Harvey
2. Cascade Failure and Gravity Lost, by LM Sagas
3. Martyr, by Kaveh Akbar
4. The Vegetarian, by Han Kang
5. The Berry Pickers, by Amanda Peters
6. The Bee Sting, by Paul Murray
7. Weyward, by Emilia Hart
8. The Secret History, by Donna Tartt
9. The Divine Comedy, by Dante, translated by John Ciardi
10. North Woods, by Daniel Mason
Oli had the idea to package together the two volumes of the Ambit's Run series (Cascade Failure and Gravity Lost) this holiday and it was a big success. We created a special code that it turns out would not show up in our bestseller reporting., so we split the books this week. From Publishers Weekly: "Sagas debuts with a fun romp through a faraway galaxy where three political powers' jittery coexistence is threatened when a mysterious disaster strikes a terraformed planet...Add in a charming found family--and even a space-faring cat--and this spirited space opera is a resounding success."
1. The Art Thief, by Michael Finkel
2. Strong On, by Pat Flynn (Boswell January 17 event)
3. Poverty, by America, by Matthew Desmond
4. Your Brain on Art, by Susan Magsamen
5. Democracy Awakening, by Heather Cox Richardson
6. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
7. While You Were Out, by Meg Kissinger
8. Dylan Goes Electric, by Elijah Wald
9. Random Acts of Medicine, by Anupam B Jena and Christopher Worsham
10. Wisconsin State Parks, Forests, and Recreation Areas, by James Bucholz
We had a paperback pop for Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us, after steady sales for the hardcover. This New York Times bestseller was a finalist for the Bloomberg and Porchlight book awards. From Kirkus: "This fascinating account of the science behind this phenomenon will inspire readers to establish their own concrete plans to incorporate as much art into their lives as possible. Regularly engaging with the arts can make you live longer, and this absorbing book explains how."
1. Dog Man V19: Big Jim Begins, by Dav Pilkey
2. Fifty True Tales from Our Great National Parks, by Stephanie Pearson
3. Murdle Jr: Curious Crimes for Curious Minds, by GT Karber
4. Peekaboo Sun, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
5. Iron Widow V2: Heavenly Tyrant, by Xiran Jay Zhao
6. The Man Who Didn't Like Animals, by Deborah Underwood, illustrations by LeUyen Pham
7. Impossible Creatures, by Katherine Rundell
8. Little Shrew, by Akiko Miyakoshi
9. Darkly, by Marisha Pessl
10. The First Cat in Space and the Wrath of the Paperclip, by Mac Barnett, illustrations by Shawn Harris
Heavenly Tyrant is the second book in the Iron Widow series. School Library Journal wrote that "Returning fans will find many things to love in this cathartic power fantasy," but noted there's more political discourse than you might get in a YA novel. I am more taken by the 12/24 on-sale date, which is very rare for a high-profile release.
Heavenly Tyrant is the second book in the Iron Widow series. School Library Journal wrote that "Returning fans will find many things to love in this cathartic power fantasy," but noted there's more political discourse than you might get in a YA novel. I am more taken by the 12/24 on-sale date, which is very rare for a high-profile release.
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