Boswell bestsellers for the week of August 24, 2024

Boswell bestsellers for the week of August 24, 2024

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Familiaris, by David Wroblewski
2. Spirit Crossing, by William Kent Krueger
3. The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore
4. James, by Percival Everett
5. Sandwich, by Catherine Newman
6. The Woman, by Kristin Hannah
7. Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt
8. All Fours, by Miranda July
9. The Ministry of Time, by Kaliane Bradley
10. A Season of Perfect Happiness, by Maribeth Fischer (Boswell August 28 event)

A Season of Perfect Happiness takes place in the Milwaukee area, with Ten Chimneys (the Lunt-Fontaine home) figuring prominently, and other scenes set at the Lakefront, State Fair, and at Kopps. Several couples are torn apart by secrets. As my friends Lisa and Ken said to me, "There's a lot to talk about after reading this book!" It's got some nice blurbs, including one from Liam Callanan, who called it "exquisite."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Land Rich, Cash Poor, by Brian Reisinger
2. Happy Days: The Official Cookbook, by Christina Ward
3. Men Have Called Her Crazy, by Anna Marie Tender
4. The Backyard Bird Chronicles, by Amy Tan
5. Celebrate with Babs, by Barbara Costello
6. On the Edge, by Nate Silver
7. The Art of Power, by Nancy Pelosi
8. The Bookshop, by Evan Friss
9. Turning to Stone, by Marcia Bjornerud
10. The Little Frog's Guide to Self Care, by Maybell Eequay

Men Have Called Her Crazy is a bestselling memoir with seven reviews on BookMarks and a lot of nice blurbs, including this from Carmen Maria Marchado: "Men Have Called Her Crazy is so many things I didn't know I needed: a testament to the work of healing, a raw howl of anger, and an indictment of misogyny's insipid, predictable, infuriating reign."

Paperback Fiction:
1. The Pairing, by Casey McQuiston
2. Ex-Wife, by Ursula Parrottt
3. The Iliad, by Homer, translated by Emily Watson
4. The Thursday Murder Club, by Richard Osman
5. The Silent Patient, by Alex Michaelides
6. Western Lane, by Chetna Maroo (Boswell upcoming book club selections)
7. It Ends with Us, by Colleen Hoover
8. The Overstory, by Richard Powers
9. Blood Meridian, by Cormac McCarthy
10. Goodnight Tokyo, by Atsuhiro Yoshida

I don't know what this indicates, but six of this week's top 10 were published more than a year ago, and one of the four new books is a new translation of The Iliad. I should also note that none of them are school or other bulk orders - we just sell a lot of these title. One new title (at least for English-language readers) is Goodnight Tokyo, by Atsuhiro Yoshida, which is also out of stock at all of Ingram's warehouses. The publisher calls it a cross between Agatha Christie, Teju Cole, and Hieronymus Bosch, though one of the blurbs compares it to Murakami. It's not currently on his rec shelf, but it also has a rec from Jason.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Future Tense, by Tracy Dennis-Tiwary
2. We Had Fun and Nobody Died, by Amy T Waldman and Peter Jest
3. King Leopold's Ghost, by Adam Hochschild
4. The Girls of Atomic City, by Denise Kiernan
5. Unmask Alice, by Rick Emerson
6. What an Owl Knows, by Jennifer Ackerman
7. Born a Crime, by Trevor Noah
8. John Gurda's Milwaukee, by John Gurda
9. A Promised Land, by Barack Obama
10. Let's Make Bread, by Ken Forkish, illustrations by Sarah Becan

Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries, written by Rick Emerson, looks at the life of Beatrice Sparks, a psychologist (maybe) who penned Go Ask Alice and several follow-ups, including Jay's Journal, which was to scare folks about Satanism the way Alice did LSD. From William Tipper in The Wall Street Journal: "Beatrice Sparks 'discovered' and 'edited' a half-dozen more such journals before her death at 95 in 2012... Her biographer makes her into something of a villain whose presence seems almost oppressive in these pages."

Books for Kids:
1. The Yellow Bus, by Loren Long
2. A Magic Fierce and Bright, by Hemant Nayak (Boswell September 29 event)
3. Buffalo Fluffalo, by Bess Kalb, illustrated by Erin Kraan
4. We Are Big Time, by Hena Khan (MPL/MMWC September 15 event)
5. Shot Clock V1, by Caron Butler and Justin A Reynolds (Racine Library September 11 event)
6. Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch, by Codie Crowley
7. Peekaboo House, by Camilla Reid, illustratitons by Ingela P Arrhenius
8. Peekaboo Pumpkin, by Camilla Reid, illustratitons by Ingela P Arrhenius
9. Bluey Beach, from Penguin Young Readers licensees - there is apparently no actual person involved with this book
10. Break to You, by Neal Shusterman, Debra Young, and Michelle Knowlden

Break to You with lead writer Neal Shusterman is the story of, to quote the author "Romeo and Juliet in juvie." We don't usually have coauthors downloaded into the author field of our inventory database. I guess this system was invented before coauthors and illustrators, but we sometimes add them by hand later. I was interested to see there two coauthor for this one. Shusterman and Knowlton worked together previously and brought in Young, a mutual friend. Alas, Young passed away before publication. More in Nerd Daily.

Boswell bestsellers, week ending August 17, 2024

Boswell bestsellers, week ending August 17, 2024

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Familiaris, by David Wroblewski (Boswell event August 22)
2. Sandwich, by Catherine Newman
3. Bad River V6, by Marc Cameron
4. The Women, by Kristin Hannah
5. Table for Two, by Amor Towles
6. The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore
7. Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt
8. Brothersong V4, by TJ Klune
9. Funny Story, by Emily Henry
10. How to Read a Book, by Monica Wood

Brothersong is the final book in the classic Green Creek saga from TJ Klune about "a pack of secret werewolves and other shifters in a small town," now available in hardcover editions. The enthusiastic blurb from Charlaine Harris for the first in the series is like a visit from an old friend: "Wolfsong is so well written that I'm in awe of TJ Klune's talent."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Land Rich, Cash Poor, by Brian Reisinger (Boswell event August 20)
2. The Lucky Ones, by Zara Chowdhary 
3. The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson
4. On the Edge, by Nate Silver
5. The Art of Power, by Nancy Pelosi
6. The Little Frog's Guide to Self Care, by Maybell Eequay
7. The Backyard Bird Chronicles, by Amy Tan
8. White Robes and Broken Badges, by Joe Moore
9. Men Have Called Her Crazy, by Anna Marie Tendler
10. Autocracy Inc, by Anne Applebaum

On the Edge: The Art of Risking Everything is the new book from Nate Silver, author of The Signal and the Noise. The book has two raves and two mixed on BookMarks. From Kirkus, one of the raves: "A thought-provoking examination of how society has become increasingly divided between the risk-tolerant and the risk-averse...Silver provides a clever look into a unique realm. An enlightening study of the people who play the game of risk and win."

 

Paperback Fiction:
1. The Pairing, by Casey McQuiston
2. The Iliad, by Homer, translated by Emily Watson
3. A History of Burning, by Janika Oza
4. A Curious Beginning V1, by Deanna Raybourn
5. Reyjavik, by Ragnar Jonasson
6. A Novel Love Story, by Ashley Poston
7. The House in the Cerulean Sea, by TJ Klune
8. Gravity Lost V2, by LM Sagas
9. Peace, by Gene Wolfe
10. The Lightest Object in the Universe, by Kimi Eisele

O. Henry Prize Winner Janika Oza's debut gets a fresh cover treatment in paperback for A History of Burning, something we see less of than in previous times. The book had a nice New York Times review (plus three from the advance trades - that made four reviews on BookMarks all told) that led to a NYT Notable Book of 2023.From S Kirk Walsh: "The result is a haunting, symphonic tale that speaks to the nuanced complexities of class and trauma for this particular family."

Paperback Nonfiction: and Comic Strips
1. Pearls Seeks Enlightenment, by Stephan Pastis
2. Pearls Await the Tide, by Stephen Pastis
3. A Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros
4. The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel van der Kolk
5. Sand County Almanac, by Aldo Leopold
6. Floundering Fathers, by Stephan Pastis
7. A Life of One's Own, by Joanna Biggs
8. The Sisterhood, by Liza Mundy
9. Murdle V1, by GT Karber
10. Wild Girls, by Tiya Miles

Seven reviews for A Life of One's Own: Nine Women Writers Begin Again, according to BookMarks. One of the raves was from Lauren Michele Jackson in The New Yorker: "Biggs hails her guides in mononyms, like intimates or pop stars: Mary, George, Zora, Virginia, Simone, Sylvia, Toni, Elena. Within their differences (of eras, means, race), each charged herself with writing while woman, thus renegotiating their relationship to marriage and child rearing, endeavors long considered definitive of womanhood."

Books for Kids:
1. We Are Big Time, by Hena Khan (MPL Centennial Hall event September 15)
2 Timmy Failure V1, by Stephan Pastis
3. Squirrel Do Bad V1, by Stephan Pastis
4. Buffalo Fluffalo, by Bess Kalb, illustrations by Erin Kraan
5. The White Guy Dies First, edited by Terry J Benton-Walker
6. Death at Morning House, by Maureen Johnson
7. Lulu and Rocky in Milwaukee, by Barbara Joosse, illustrated by Renee Graef
8. Peekaboo Bear, by Camilla Reid, illustrated by Ingela P Arrhenius
9. A Natural History of Dragons, by Emily Hawkins
10. The Yellow Bus by Loren Long

The fall books are creeping into the store, notably the ones that use old-fashioned pub dates instead of on-sale dates and don't have street-smart markers. One of them is A Natural History of Dragons from Emily Hawkins, with illustrations by Jessica Roux. Last year's A Natural History of Magical Beasts was a hit for us. The series also includes Fairies and Mermaids. From The Bookseller, which is like the Publishers Weekly of Great Britain: "Presented as a handbook from the late 1800s written for the students of the Academie Solomanar: the only school for dragon-riders."

Boswell bestsellers, week ending August 10, 2024

Boswell bestsellers, week ending August 10, 2024

Hardcover Fiction:
1. The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore
2. All Fours, by Liz Moore
3. The Mercy of Gods: The Captives War V1, by James SA Corey
4. Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt
5. Sandwich, by Catherine Newman
6. Familiaris, by David Wroblewski (August 22 Boswell event)
7. The Women, by Kristin Hannah
8. Spellshop, by Sarah Beth Durst
9. Funny Story, by Emily Henry
10. The Daughters' War, by Christopher Buehlman

When it's Renaissance Faire in Bristol, our thoughts turn to Christophe the Insultor, who is also known as Christopher Buehlman, poet, playwright, and novelist. The Daughters' War is the prequel to The Blacktongue Thief, a breakout fantasy hit (we've sold over 100 copies) after a series of excellent horror novels that were published too early to catch the genre's resurgence. From the starred Booklist: "Fans of the previous book will relish this prequel, while those who have never read Blacktongue will find much to enjoy in this unflinching look at family, loss, love, and war. Highly recommended for all fantasy collections."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson
2. The Anxious Generation, by Jonathan Haidt
3. The Creative Act, by Rick Rubin
4. The Art of Power, by Nancy Pelosi
5. The Horse, by Timothy Winegard
6. While You Were Out, by Meg Kissinger
7. How to Know a Person, by David Brooks
8. Shameless, by Brian Tyler Cohen
9. The Dragon from Chicago, by Pamela D Toler

10. Consent, by Jill Ciment

Another quiet week for hardcover nonfiction, but in it's second week, The Horse: A Galloping History of Humanity trots into our top 10. The author is teaches at Colorado Mesa University. From Kirkus: "Sometimes weighed down by too-abundant detail, but a thorough, comprehensive look at the horse across time and space." Too much detail for horse lovers? Seems impossible.

Paperback Fiction:
1. Dark Restraint: Dark Olympus V7, by Katee Roberts
2. The Air He Breathes V1, by Brittainy Cherry
3. Camera Lake, by Alex Pickett
4. The Pairing, by Casey McQuiston
5. The Fires Between High and Lo V2, by Brittainy Cherry
6. Pearls Seek Enlightenment, by Stephan Pastis (August 16 Boswell event)
7. Neon Gods: Dark Olympus V1, by Katee Robert
8. Western Lane, by Chetna Maroo (Boswell book club selections)
9. Apprentice to the Villain V2, by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
10. The Iliad, by Homer, translated by Emily Watson

Sprayed edges are going crazy! Just take a look at the fantasy tables in the rear-right corner of the bookstore. Casey McQuiston's The Pairing is the latest, but if you don't buy it quickly, we'll only have the plain white edges, and who wants to read that? Two bisexual exes meet on a food and wine tour. From Library Journal: "Lush scenery, well-drawn secondary characters, and believable, grounded conflicts lead to a sweet and satisfying ending for Kit and Theo in McQuiston's funniest, sexiest novel to date."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. We Had Fun and Nobody Died, by Amy T Waldman and Peter Jest
2. A Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros
3. River Profiles, by Pete Hill
4. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
5. The Truths We Hold, by Kamala Harris
6. How to Think Like a Woman, by Regan Petaluma
7. Heartland, by Sarah Smarsh (September 19 Boswell event)
8. The Shortest History of Israel and Palestine, by Michael Scott Baumann
9. The Sisterhood, by Liza Mundy
10. Say Nothing, by Patrick Radden Keefe

Inflation may have abated, but a lot of titles are still playing catchup. We have an event coming up where the price of the paperback went up three dollars, and converted from traditional printing to print-on-demand to boot. And Kamala Harris's The Truths We Hold: An American Journey has one copy left at Boswell at $18, but the next books we order will come in at $20. You can imagine why demand jumped enough to warrant a new printing.

Books for Kids:
1. We Are Big Time, by Hena Khan (September 15 Milwaukee Public Library/MMWC event)
2. Big, by Vashti Harrison
3. Buffalo Fluffalo, by Bess Kalb, illustrations by Erin Kraan
4. The Dictionary Story, by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston
5. Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch, by Codie Crowley
6. Lulu and Rock in Milwaukee, by Barbara Joosse, illustrations by Renée Graef
7. The Dot, by Peter H Reynolds
8. A Magic Fierce and Bright, by Hemant Nayak (September 29 Boswell event)
9. Gertie the Darling Duck of World War II, by Shari Swanson, illustrations by Renée Graef
10. The Yellow Bus, by Loren Long

The Dictionary Story is the latest collaboration from Jeffers and Winston, following A Child of Books. From Kirkus: "The creators of A Child of Books (2016) are back with another charming work of metafiction. A little dictionary notices that while other books tell stories, she's just a list of definitions. Eager for change, Dictionary decides to bring her words to life, and things almost immediately get out of hand."

Boswell bestsellers, week ending August 3, 2024

Boswell bestsellers, week ending August 3, 2024

Hardcover Fiction:
1. God of the Woods, by Liz Moore
2. A Collection of Lies V5, by Connie Berry
3. The Best Lies, by David Ellis
4. The Women, by Kristin Hannah
5. James, by Percival Everett
6. Slow Dance, by Rainbow Rowell
7. All Fours, by Miranda July
8. Housemates, by Emma Eisenberg
9. Real Americans, by Rachel Khong
10. North Woods, by Daniel Mason

Slow Dance is Rainbow Rowell's first novel for adults since Landline. Her latest is about teenage best friends who drifted apart and it's a Reese's Book Club pick and an August Indie Next Pick. From the starred Booklist: "Their dance is sweet and sexy, and Rowell draws out the whole, simmering affair as she ping-pongs through her characters' past and present, step, together, step, together...this romantic one is sure to be a crowd-pleaser."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. The Backyard Bird Chronicles, by Amy Tan
2. The Lucky Ones, by Zara Chowdhary (Boswell August 15 event)
3. Autocracy Inc, by Anne Applebaum
4. The Demon of Unrest, Erik Larson
5. The Creative Act, by Rick Rubin
6. Conflict, by David Petraeuus
7. What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking, by Caroline Chambers
8. More Is More, by Molly Baz
9. The Great River, by Boyce Upholt
10. Guilty Creatures, by Mikita Brottman

It isn't taking much to get in our top ten hardcovers this summer. I'm hoping things pick up in the fall. But with a second week on, I can give a shout out to Guilty Creatures: Sex, God, and Murder in Tallahassee, Florida, a tale of two couples where the swampiness just seeps out of the pages. From Kirkus: "An atmospheric tale that unwraps the wholesome, God-fearing exterior of two lovers to show the rot underneath."

Paperback Fiction:
1. Happy Place, by Emily Henry
2. Summers End V5, by Juneau Black
3. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski (Boswell August 22 event)
4. The Weaver and the Witch Queen, by Genevieve Gornichec
5. Cuckoo, by Gretchen Felker-Martin
6. The Searcher, by Tana French
7. All This Could Be Different, by Sarah Thankam Mathews
8. A Little Life, by Hanya Yanagihara
9. Shady Hollow V1, by Juneau Black
10. Dune, by Frank Herbert

The Weaver and the Witch Queen is a historical fantasy by the author of The Witch's Heart and is an Oli staff rec. From Kristi Chadwick in Library Journal: "Gornichec's latest gives quasi-historical figure Gunnhild, Mother of Kings, a magical life and love story...Gornichec showcases her knowledge of Icelandic folklore and history, while her storytelling reveals the complex and engrossing lives and emotions of her characters"

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Grief Is a Sneaky Bitch, by Lisa Feefauver
2. We Had Fun and Nobody Died, by Amy T Waldman and Peter Jest
3. A Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros
4. You Could Make This Place Beautiful, by Maggie Smith
5. Loving Corrections, by adrienne maree brown
6. The Art Thief, by Michael Finkel
7. Crying in H Mart, by Michelle Zauner
8. Milwaukee Ghosts and Legends, by Anna Lardinois
9. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
10. Holding the Note: Profiles in Popular Music, by David Remnick

When is a pub date a pub date and when is it an on-sale date? I often don't know. Loving Corrections from adrienne marie brown has an August 20 pub date, but I looked it up on Edelweiss and there are plenty of sales already, with at least two stores selling in double digits. From the Foreword review: "Probing, fierce, and honest, the essays of Loving Corrections advocate for more compassionate, inclusive understandings of family, community, and oneself...The provocative, tender, inspiring essays in Loving Corrections approach contemporary topics with a gentle spirit and fresh perspective."

Books for Kids:
1. The Night Diary, by Veera Hiranandani
2. The Night Before First Grade, by Natasha Wing, illustrations by Deborah Zemke
3. Linked, by Gordon Korman
4. The Great Lakes, by Barb Rosenstock, illustrations by Jamey Christoph
5. Peekaboo House, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
6. Such Charming Liars, by Karen M McManus
7. The Yellow Bus, by Loren Long
8. The Grandest Game, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
9. Buffalo Fluffalo, by Bess Kalb, illsutrations by Erin Kraan
10. The Good Girl's Guide to Murder, by Holly Jackson

From Karen McManus, the author of the popular One of Us Is Lying series (for which she appeared at a group event put together with Boswell) comes Such Charming Liars, the story of two long separated stepsiblings, one with a jewel thief mother and the other with a con artist dad. Can they make it through one last heist? From Kate Patterson in School Library Journal: "Told through Kat and Liam's dual perspectives, this novel's twists take readers on a wild ride until the very last page. While the mystery is thrilling, McManus also deftly explores themes of family, loyalty, love, and class...This might be McManus's best yet."

Boswell bestsellers week ending July 27, 2024

Boswell bestsellers week ending July 27, 2024

Hardcover Fiction:
1. The Summer Pact, by Emily Giffin
2. Sandwich, by Catherine Newman
3. The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore
4. The Women, by Kristin Hannah
5. James, by Percival Everett
6. Long Island Compromise, by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
7. The Bright Sword, by Lev Grossman
8. The Book of Elsewhere, by Keanu Reeves and Chia Miéville
9. The Midnight Feast, by Lucy Foley
10. All Fours, by Miranda July

Keanu Reeves has teamed up with science fiction writer Chia Miéville for The Book of Elsewhere. From Booklist: "A warrior who can't be killed and who doesn't understand why. A government agency studying him. Ancient powers who worship him and seek to destroy him. And an immortal deer-pig...Set in the same universe as Reeves' BRZRKR graphic novel series, the nature of the narrative is revealed somewhat slowly, and the writing style is oddly anachronistic and very erudite." It was announced last year at San Diego Comicon and published in time for this year's show.

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Good to Great, by Jim Collins
2. The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson
3. Autocracy Inc, by Anne Applebaum
4. Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell, by Ann Powers
5. Outlive, by Peter Attia and Bill Gifford
6 .This Earthly Globe, by Andrea Di Robilant
7. The Lucky Ones, by Zara Chowdhary (Boswell August 15 event)
8. The Anxious Generation, by Jonathan Haidt
9. Guilty Creatures, by Mikita Brottman
10. Democracy or Else, by Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett et al

Pulitzer Prize winner Anne Applebaum's latest is Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World, out this week, earning two raves, five positives, and a mixed from BookMarks. From Ruth Ben-Ghiat in The Washington Post: "Applebaum argues that dictators like those in Iran, Venezuela, China and Russia differ from despots of earlier ages because their partnerships are born less from ideological commonalities than from 'a ruthless, single-minded determination to preserve their personal wealth and power.' Applebaum rightly places kleptocratic institutionalized thievery at the center of her analysis."

Paperback Fiction:
1. Death's End V3 by Liu Cixin
2. The Three Body Problem V1, by Liu Cixin
3. Ex-Wife, by Ursula Parrott
4. Summers End V5, by Juneau Black
5. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
6. Three Keys, by Laura Pritchett
7. Adventure Zone V6: The Suffering Game, by Griffin McElroy
8. Throne of Glass V2: Crown of Midnight, by Sarah J Maas
9. Throne of Glass V1, by Sarah J Maas
10. The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah

One of our regulars noted how many high profile books there are about women in their fifties, including Sandwich, All Fours, and Same As It Ever Was. Add to that Three Keys, by Laura Pritchettt, the story of a woman's travels after the death of her husband and estrangement from her son. From Kirkus: "The author's nuanced descriptions of Ammalie's determination, joy, and trepidation as she meets people, as well as the lessons she takes away from each of the encounters, are engaging enough to get you through the slower portions. The book examines weighty topics like grief, marriage struggles, and growing older in a manner that is thought-provoking and insightful. A satisfying examination of one woman's journey of self-discovery.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Arise, by Elena Aguilar
2. The Art Thief, by Michael Finkel
3. Riding More with Less, by Sam Tracy
4. Grief Is a Sneaky Bitch, by Lisa Keefauver (Boswell July 29 event)
5. We Had Fun and Nobody Died, by Amy T Waldman and Peter Jest
6. World Travel, by Anthony Bourdoin
7. It Didn't Start Out That Way, by Judy Bridges
8. A Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros
9. Secret Milwaukee, by Jim Nelsen
10. The 1619 Project, created by Nikole Hannah-Jones

Two books from a book club presentation on Wednesday hit the list. On the fiction side was Ex-Wife, which Jason noted has been selling consistently since its release. We have the best sales on Edelweiss in the Midwest/Great Lakes region. And on the nonfiction list is The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession, a national bestseller for which we are #16 on Edelweiss. Oru rule of thumb, gathered from publisher conversations, is that if we're ranking higher than the mid-thirties, we're punching above our weight.

Books for Kids:
1. Lulu and Rocky in Milwaukee, by Barbara Joosse, illustrations by Renée Graef
2. Peekaboo Car, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
3. Children of Anguish and Anarchy V3 by Tomi Adeyemi
4. Children Just Like Me, from DK
5. Ladybug Girl, by David Soman, illustrated by Jackie Davis
6. Wild, by Yuval Zommer
7. Elephant and Piggie Biggie V1, by Mo Willems
8. Children of Blood and Bone V1, by Tomi Adeyemi
9. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin
10. If Only I Had Told Her, by Laura Nowlin

Another relatively quiet week for the bestsellers. The Wild is a picture book by Yuval Zommer that hit the March/April kids Indie Next liast. It's got a nice Publishers Weekly: "Zommer's latest makes a plea for environmental awareness as his signature visuals highlight the life-sustaining beauty of the natural world. A classic fairy tale opening belies the true-to-life aspects of the tale that follows, about a harmonious place called The Wild, which humans initially appreciate, then gradually destroy until discovering their misguided ways."

Boswell bestsellers, week ending July 20, 2024

Boswell bestsellers, week ending July 20, 2024

Hardcover Fiction:
1. The Black Bird Oracle, by Deborah Harkness
2. The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore
3. James, by Percival Everett
4. Sandwich, by Catherine Newman
5. Table for Two, by Amor Towles
6. The Women, by Kristin Hannah
7. Fourth Wing, by Rebecca Yarros
8. Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt
9. The Heart in Winter, by Kevin Barry
10. The Wilds, by Sarah Pearse.

After six years, The Black Bird Oracle, the long-awaited fifth book in the All Souls series releases from Deborah Harkness, having moved from Viking to Ballantine, at two separate divisions of Penguin Random House. From Library Journal: "Marked by Harkness's deft evocations and appreciation of learning, this is a book to treasure. The portentous ending, rife with new story threads and threats, will leave readers hoping that she doesn't wait another six years to continue the series."

Hardcover Nonfiction
1. When the Clock Broke, by John Ganz
2. On Call, by Anthony Fauci
3. Mr Churchill in the White House, by Robert Schmuhl
4. The Comfort of Crows, by Margaret Renkl
5. Nuclear War, by Annie Jacobson

No doubt about it, this is our worst showing on the hardcover nonfiction bestseller list in years. It's partly the time of year, and partly due to the loss of sales from the RNC. Many of our regulars went away, and we're too far to draw attendees. Or maybe there's the lack of draw for a store whose bestselling book in the category is When the Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked Up in the Early 1990s.

I'm guessing some attendees might have found Mr Churchill in the White House: The Untold Story of a Prime Minister and Two Presidents interesting, which published on July 2. From Michael O'Donnell in The Wall Street Journal: "Mr. Schmuhl, an emeritus professor of American studies and journalism at the University of Notre Dame, knows that he is covering well-trodden ground. There is no shortage of books about Churchill...yet Mr. Schmuhl has found a fresh angle by focusing on the White House visits themselves, from the intimacies of the close quarters to the tensions hiding behind smiling pictures.:

Paperback Fiction:
1. Adventure Zone: The Suffering Game V6, by Griffin, Clint, Justin, and Travis McElroy, with illustrations by Carey Pietsch
2. Happy Place, by Emily Henry
3. A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J Maas
4. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin
5. Wellness, by Nathan Hill
6. The Overstory, by Richard Powers
7. What Moves the Dead, by T Kingfisher
8. Sword Catcher, by Cassandra Clare
9. Carnivale of Curiosities, by Aimee Gibbs
10. Heir of Fire V3, by Sarah J Maas

Adventure Zone is a graphic adaptation of the McElroy family's Dungeons and Dragons podcast, for those of you didn't know there could be a thing like that. From the publisher: "As we enter the home stretch of this campaign, there's never been a better time to join the party! And if you're a fan of Critical Role and Dimension 20, then this here's a bet that'll sure to pay off."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. We Had Fun and Nobody Died, by Amy T Waldman and Peter Jest
2. A Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros
3. Grief Is a Sneaky Bitch, by Lisa Keefauver (Boswell event July 29)
4. The Hundred Year's War on Palestine, by Rashid Khalidi
5. Evicted, by Matthew Desmond
6. A Fever in the Heartland, by Timothy Egan
7. Random Acts of Medicine, by Anupam B Jena and Christopher Worsham
8. Crying in H Mart, by Michelle Zauner
9. The Shortest History of Italy, by Ross King
10. Justice for All, by Lloyd A Barbee

Based on previous works like Brunelleschi's Dome and Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling, Ross King seems a good fit for writing The Shortest History of Italy: 3,000 Years from the Romans to the Renaissance to a Modern Republic - A Retelling for Our Times. Booklist agreed! From the starred review: "King, who has written extensively on the history, art, and culture of Italy and is known for his impeccable research and engaging style, is the perfect Virgil to guide us from The Aeneid to COVID-19 in this densely packed volume of tantalizing details. ..Each page brims with Bill Bryson-like trivia that is sure to delight."

Books for Kids:
1. A Magic Fierce and Bright, by Hemant Nayak (Boswell September 29 event)
2. Buffalo Fluffalo, by Bess Kalb, illustrations by Erin Kraan
3. Gertie the Darling Duck of World War II, by Shari Swanson, illustrations by Renée Graef
4. Reckless V2, by Lauren Roberts
5. If You Spot a Shell, written and illustrated by Aimée Sicuro

Another quiet list. If You Spot a Shell published in May and is a great summer picture book from the author of If You Find a Leaf. From Kirkus: "Nature lovers can cross-check shells from each scene with the endpapers, which depict neat rows of photographed whelks, scallops, and more, accompanied by labels in cursive. Others will revel in wondering what else shells could be used for. Either way, they'll enjoy this tale, which encourages kids to use their imaginations and think outside the box."

Boswell bestsellers, week ending July 13, 2024

Boswell bestsellers, week ending July 13, 2024

Hardcover Fiction:
1. The Heart in Winter, by Kevin Barry (signed copies)
2. All This and More, by Peng Shepherd (signed copies)
3. James, by Percival Everett
4. Familiaris, by David Wroblewski (Boswell event August 22)
5. The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore
6. The Women, by Kristin Hannah
7. Funny Story, by Emily Henry
8. Sandwich, by Catherine Newman
9. A Death in Cornwall V24, by Daniel Silva
10. Long Island Compromise, by Taffy Brodesser-Akner

Long Island Compromise is the follow-up novel to Fleishman Is in Trouble, which was adapted into a series for Hulu. Taffy Brodesser-Akner's latest has itself received 11 raves, 2 positives, and 3 mixed on BookMarks. From Leigh Haber in the Los Angeles Times: "I’m not going to say whether the first line of the book is prophetic, but it almost doesn’t matter. Brodesser-Akner has written a humane, brazen, gorgeous novel whose words dance exuberantly on the page."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Never Enough, by Andrew Wilkinson
2. On Call, by Anthony Fauci
3. The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson
4. What We See in the Stars, by Kelsey Oseid
5. Democracy in Retrograde, by Sami Sage and Emily Amick
6. The Wide, Wide Sea, by Hampton Sides
7. The Book Makers, by Adam Smyth
8. While You Were Out, by Meg Kissinger
9. The Wager, by David Grann
10. The Anxious Generation, by Jonathan Haidt

Books on books usually have some market in a bookstore and The Book-Makers: A History of the Book in Eighteen Lives is no exception. From Kirkus: "Fascinating stories about books and the people who made them. Smyth, a professor of English literature and history, nimbly traverses more than five centuries as he illuminates some influential men and women in the bookmaking trade."

Paperback Fiction:
1. Summers End V5, by Juneau Black (signed copies)
2. Shady Hollow V1, by Juneau Black
3. Happy Place, by Emily Henry
4. Just for the Summer, by Abby Jimenez
5. Wellness, by Nathan Hill
6. Goodnight, Tokyo, by Yoshida Atsuhiro
7. More Days a the Morisaki Bookshop, by Satoshi Yagisawa
8. Kairos, by Jenny Erpenbeck
9. The Cartographers, by Peng Shepherd
10. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin

The Boswell Lit Group is reading Kairos, by Jenny Erpenbeck for October, the Booker International winner and yet another author I've never read before. BookMarks proclaims 15 raves and nine positives. From Dwight Garner in The New York Times: "If Kairos were only a tear-jerker, there might not be much more to say about it. But Erpenbeck, a German writer born in 1967 whose work has come sharply to the attention of English-language readers over the past decade, is among the most sophisticated and powerful novelists we have."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. We Had Fun and Nobody Died, by Amy T Waldman and Peter Jest (MPL event July 20)
2. Grief Is a Sneaky Bitch, by Lisa Keefauver (Boswell event July 25)
3. This Place of Silence, by Ian Adams
4. Latinos in Milwaukee, by Joseph A Rodriguez
5. Fatherland, by Burkhard Bilger
6. Cream City Chronicles, by John Gurda
7. A Fever in the Heartland, by Timothy Egan
8. The Earth Transformed, by Peter Frankopan
9. Milwaukee in Stone and Clay, by Raymond Wiggers
10. The Heat Will Kill You First, by Jeff Goodell

If The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet was helped in getting attention by a record breaking hot summer, the paperback edition finds us hotter still. Also hot is the price increase of the paperback. The paperback edition is a very minimal $5 lesss than the hardcover at $23.99. The thinking there might have been that if the book had come out in hardcover in 2024, it would have been between $32 and $35. From Shannon Osaka in The Washington Post: "In 14 whirlwind chapters, Goodell, a longtime climate journalist and contributing editor for Rolling Stone, earns his book’s grim title. The chapters travel from the Arctic Circle to the tropics and back again, tracing the effects of heat on melting ice and suffering corals, but also on enthused mosquitoes, whose ranges are stretching wider as temperatures warm."

Books for Kids:
1. The Yellow Bus, by Loren Long
2. One Person, No Vote, young adult edition, by Carol Anderson
3. A Magic Fierce and Bright, by Hemant Nayak (Boswell September 29 event)
4. Fungarium, by Ester Gaya
5. Oceanarium, by Loveday Trinick
6. The Secret World of Plants, by Ben Hoare
7. How Big Were Dinosaurs, by Lita Judge
8. Lulu and Rocky in Milwaukee, by Barbara Joosse, illustrations by Renée Graef
9. The Lightning Thief V1, by Rick Riordan
10. The One and Only Family V4, by Katherine Applegate

Loren Long's The Yellow Bus came out, as many school-focused titles do, in June, with the idea that they are ready for back to school sales in August. From Kadie Seitz in School Library Journal: "What happens to the objects around us after they leave our lives? This bittersweet tale evokes Virginia Lee Burton's The Little House as it traces the long life of a yellow school bus... A must-purchase, this book will leave readers looking at objects around them differently long after its covers are closed."

Boswell bestsellers, week ending July 6, 2024

Boswell bestsellers, week ending July 6, 2024

Hardcover Fiction
1. The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore
2. The Women, by Kristin Hannah
3. James, by Percival Everett
4. Sandwich, by Catherine Newman
5. Familiaris, by David Wroblewski
6. The Cliffs, by J Courtney Sullivan
7. Table for Two, by Amor Towles
8. Midnight Feast, by Lucy Foley
9. All Fours, by Miranda July
10. Same As It Ever Was, by Claire Lombardo

We had a great read from Kim on The God of the Woods, Liz Moore's folow-up to Long Bright River, and the book is the #1 Indie Next Pick as well. She also got eight raves and two positives on BookMarks. Maureen Corrigan compares Moore's latest to The Secret History in The Washington Post: "This summer, I once again felt that all-too-rare sense of being completely possessed by a story as I read The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore. There are some superficial similarities between the two novels: Both are intricate narratives featuring young people isolated in enclosed worlds - in Tartt’s story, a small cohort of classics students at the aforementioned college (modeled on Bennington); in Moore’s, a summer camp within a vast forest in New York’s Adirondack Mountains. A sense of predetermined doom also pervades both books. But the most vital connection for me is the beguiling force of these two literary suspense novels."

Hardcover Nonfiction
1 The Backyard Bird Chronicles, by Amy Tan
2. The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson
3. The Anxious Generation, by Jonathan Haidt
4. When the Clock Broke, by John Ganz
5. Democracy or Else, by Jon Favreau
6. On Call, by Anthony Fauci
7. Challenger, by Adam Higginbotham
8. A Gentleman and a Thief, by Dean Jobb
9. There's Always This Year, by Hanif Abdurraqib
10. There Was Nothing You Could Do, by Steven Hyden

John Ganz's When the Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked Up in the Early 1990s has gotten six raves (so far) on BookMarks. The author of the Unpopular Front column for substack looks at David Duke, Patrick Buchanan, and Ross Perot, among other figures. Jennifer Szalai, in The New York Times, notes of the 1990s: "This smooth hum of stability stands in obvious contrast to our current plight of fracture and chaos. But as John Ganz shows in his terrific new book, When the Clock Broke, the early 1990s were also a time of social unrest and roiling resentments, of growing alienation and festering anguish."

Paperback Fiction:
1. The Goddess of Warsaw, by Lisa Barr
2. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin
3. A Novel Love Story, by Ashley Poston
4. The Measure, by Nikki Erlick
5. The Searcher, by Tana French
6. Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club, by J Ryan Stradal
7. Just for the Summer, by Abby Jimenez
8. The Abyss, by Pilar Quintana
9. The Last Sane Woman, by Hannah Regel
10. Cuckoo, by Gretchen Felker-Martin

The Measure, by Nikki Erlick, took two years to go into paperback due to its strong word-of-mouth sales. It was a Read with Jenna Book Club selection too. Booklist noted: "Echoing Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven and Claire Fuller's Bitter Orange, Erlick's debut is a futuristic thought experiment set close to the present day. Using a thoughtful and genuine group of characters to outline society's widely varied reactions to the strings' arrival, Erlick highlights the Herculean efforts needed to look beyond prejudice and predisposition."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Arise, by Elena Aguilar
2. We Had Fun and Nobody Died, by Amy T Waldman and Peter Jest 
3. The Art Thief, by Michael Finkel
4. Grief Is a Sneaky Bitch, by Michael Finkel (Boswell July 29 event)
5. A Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros
6. What Does Israel Fear from Palestine?, by Raja Shehadeh
7. World Travel, by Anthony Bourdain
8. The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel van der Kolk
9. Murdle V1, by GT Karber
10. Frank Lloyd Wright's Wisconsin, by Kristine Hansen

A third event has been added to the We Had Fun and Nobody Died tour. In addition to Shank Hall on July 13 and the MPL Central Library event on July 20, Peter Jest and Amy Waldman will also be at the Milwaukee Press Club on July 31. Here's the link to the MPL event.

Books for Kids:
1. Woe: A Housecat's Story of Despair, by Lucy Knisley (signed copies)
2. Buffalo Fluffalo, by Bess Kalb, illustrations by Erin Kraan
3. Reckless V2, by Lauren Roberts
4. Bluey Beach, from Disney
5. Children of Anguish and Anarchy V3, by Tomi Adeyemi
6. The One and Only Ruby V3, by Katherine Applegate
7. The Great Lakes, by Barb Rosenstock, illustrations by Jamey Christoph
8. Powerless V1 by Lauren Roberts
9. What Feelings Do When No One's Looking, by Tina Oziewicz, illustrations by Aleksandra Zajac
10. The Rabbit Listened, by Cori Doerrfeld

Reckless, by Lauren Roberts is the follow up to Powerless, also in this week's top 10. The first book in this series was originally self-published and was then picked up by Simon and Schuster. #3 in the series will be called Fearless. From Shelf Awareness: "Powerless is a compelling tale of darkness and destruction, of a divide carved by a vicious king, and of the lure of freedom, choice, and power."