Boswell bestsellers, week ending July 4, 2026

Boswell bestsellers, week ending July 4, 2026

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Whistler, by Ann Patchett
2. Land, by Maggie O'Farrell
3. Blood River Witch, by TJ Martinson
4. Yesteryear, by Caro Claire Burke
5. The Shampoo Effect, by Jenny Jackson (Boswell/WCW July 10 event - see below)
6. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
7. The Calamity Club, by Kathryn Stockett
8. John of John, by Douglas Stewart
9. Dead but Dreaming of Electric Sheep, by Paul Tremblay
10. The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook V3, by Matt Dinniman

 
Despite Emily C Hughes in The New York Times writing Dead but Dreaming of Electric Sheep will likely be a divisive novel, even among the Tremblay die-hard," there seems to be no divisiveness from critics, as Paul Tremblay's latest novel, with the title referencing Philip K Dick, got six raves on BookMarks.

I want to give a shout out to The Shampoo Effect, but which I am excited to now be reading for the second time, so I can do the best conversation I can with Lauren Fox when we speak to Jenny Jackson at the Woman's Club of Wisconsin on Friday. Tickets are still available but I they will be closing out shortly.

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Obstinate Daughters, by Denise Kiernan 
2. Regime Change, by Maggie Hoberman and Jonathan Swan
3. The Creative Act, by Rick Rubin
4. The Land and Its People, by David Sedaris
5. What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking, by Caroline Chambers
6. The Lost Cities of El Norte, by Peter Stark (Boswell July 7 event)
7. Famesick, by Lena Dunham
8. America USA, by Eddie S Glaude Jr
9. Spain My Way, by Jose Andres
10. The Book of Birds, by Robert MacFarlane and Jackie Morris

More American history than we usually see on a bestseller list, from Obstinate Daughters: The Rebels, Writers, and Renegade Women Who Ignited the American Revolution to America, U.S.A.: How Race Shadows the Nation's Anniversaries to The Lost Cities of El Norte: Coronado's Quest, the Unconquered West, and the Birth of American Indian Resistance. Peter Stark's Young Washington was source material for the current film of the same name, showing at area Marcus Theaters and the AMC at Mayfair. 

Paperback Fiction:
1. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
2. Atmosphere, by Taylor Jenkins Reid
3. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
4. Dungeon Crawler Carl, by Matt Dinniman
5. Sunburn, by Chloe Michelle Howarth
6. The Mysterious Affair of Judith Patts V5, by Robert Thorogood
7. I Who Have Never Known Men, by Jacqueline Harpman
8. A Death in Door County V1, by Annelise Ryan
9. The Someday Garden, by Ashley Poston
10. The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant V1, by Liza Tully

We did a preorder campaign for Robert Thorogood's The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts (some goodies still available - ask a bookseller), the fifth installment of The Marlow Murder Club, now on PBS. This from Kirkus: "The fatal shooting of footballer Gary Wise, late of the Wycombe Wanderers, in the woods near the Hurley Manor House serves as a starting gun for crossword puzzle designer Judith Potts, dog walker Suzie Harris, and vicar's wife Becks Starling... Fiendishly clever in all the most decorous ways."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. The Wager, by David Grann
2. Is a River Alive, by Robert MacFarlane
3. Forest Euphoria, Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian
4. All the Beauty in the World, by Patrick Bringley
5. The Möbius Book, by Catherine Lacey
6. The Reverse Center's Guide to Life After AI, by Cory Doctorow
7. The Tonality of Thought, by Byung-Chul Han
8. Mark Twain, by Ron Chernow
9. Frank Lloyd Wright's Illinois, by Kristine Hansen (Boswell July 8 event)
10. Beer Hiking Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula, by Kristin Radaich

Several fresh releases showed interest on the new paperback table including Forest Euphoria: The Abounding Queerness of Nature. From Publishers Weekly: "Kaishian, a mycology curator at the New York State Museum, debuts with reverent celebration of the natural world's diversity. Highlighting 'queer' animals, fungi, and plants that complicate 'our ideas of what is normal versus what is deviant.'...This will leave readers in awe of nature's many splendors"

Books for Kids:
1. Pete the Kitty: Five Pawsome Tales, by James Dean
2. Peekaboo Dog, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
3. Inside Out and Back Again, by Thanhhà Lai
4. Sunrise on the Reaping, by Suzanne Collins
5. The Heirs, by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
6. Wombat Waiting, by Katherine Applegate
7. Breakout, by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon
8. Baseball for Breakfast, by Judy Campbell-Smith, illustrations by Maggie Carroll
9. Lulu and Rocky in Milwaukee, by Barbara Joosse, illustrations, by Renée Graef
10 The Warriors Graphic Novel: New Prophecy V1, by Erin Hunter, adapted by Gibson Twist, illustrated by Sammy Savos

Wombat Waiting, Katherine Applegate's latest is a stand-alone middle grade novel in verse about a stray dog in the California wildfires, based on a true story. From Booklist: " The stirring story is told via urgent, elegant verse, alternating between animal and human viewpoints as the Santa Ana winds and wildfires sweep across a Californian community. The mounting tension and moments of grief are countered by familial affection, burgeoning community, and flashes of levity (Wombat's increasing annoyance with the disembodied voice is particularly amusing), while occasional sketches are adorable. Animal lovers and Applegate appreciators alike will adore the gripping, gorgeous story."

Boswell bestsellers for the week ending June 27, 2026

Boswell bestsellers for the week ending June 27, 2026

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Whistler, by Ann Patchett
2. Daughters of the Sun and Moon, by Lisa See
3. Things We Never Say, by Elizabeth Strout
4. Land, by Maggie O'Farrell
5. Yesteryear, by Caro Claire Burke
6. The Calamity Club, by Kathryn Stockett
7. Carl's Doomsday Scenario V2, by Matt Dinniman
8. John of John, by Douglas Stuart
9. Villa Coco, by Andrew Sean Greer
10. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans

The beginning of June was packed with bestsellers, so I wasn't able to call out Villa Coco, Andrew Sean Greer's latest novel, until now. BookMarks counted six raves, five positives, a mixed, and two pans. If you can't take the charm, get out of the 19th century parlor, I always say. Ron Charles, whose reviews continue to be must-reads for me, notes, on the author following him his Pulitzer winning Less: "Greer has brought the same iconoclastic verve to his new book, Villa Coco, about an indomitable baronessa in Italy. If you think “charming” is a dismissive, diminutive compliment, wait till you see that term restored to its original enchantment. Villa Coco isn’t mere ice cream; it’s stracciatella gelato served in one of the most beautiful places on earth."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. When Memory Fades, by Nathaniel Chin (signed copies)
2. Infinite, by Brian Solis
3. The Land and Its People, by David Sedaris
4. Regime Change, by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan
5. The Killer and Frank Lloyd Wright, by Casey Sherman
6. Milwaukee Flavor, by Visit Milwaukee/Ann Christenson
7. America USA, by Eddie Glaude
8. Strangers, by Belle Burden
9. The Veiled Prophet, by Devin Thomas O'Shea (Boswell August 20 event)
10. All We Say, by Ben Rhodes

Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump was one of those add-on titles with very little info for indie bookstores, so we had to play a little catch-up on this one.  BookMarks gives the book four raves and a positive, but with political books, it does depend on who is doing the reviewing. From David Remnick in The New Yorker: "Part of the high-wire act of such books is that the authors and their publishers work at unaccustomed speed to provide the end product with a history-as-it-is-happening varnish. The results are usually as perishable as week-old bananas. Regime Change is exceptional. It transcends its genre."

Paperback Fiction:
1. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
2. Island of Sea Women, by Lisa See
3. Atmosphere, by Taylor Jenkins Reid
4. Dungeon Crawler Carl V1, by Matt Dinniman
5. Lady Tan's Circle of Women, by Lisa See
6. Tangerinn, by Emanuela Anechoum (upcoming book clubs)
7. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
8. A Death in Door County V1, by Annelise Ryan
9. The Someday Garden, by Ashley Poston
10. What We Can Know, by Ian McEwan

Daughters of the Sun and Moon was a big hit on our hardcover list with Lisa See's recent visit to the Milwaukee Public Library. Attendees were also really interested in her previous novels, of which the most recent one was Lady Tan's Circle of Women, about a female doctor in 15th century China. Like her new novel, See plays off history to highlight the voices of women of different circumstances. from the starred Booklist: " See creates a cultural smorgasbord as she adeptly depicts the strict delineation and separation of the sexes and the minute details of the social hierarchy, especially among the women, from wives to concubines, widows, daughters, and servants. Based on the writings of an historical Ming dynasty female physician, See's accomplished novel immerses readers in a fascinating life lived within a fascinating culture."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Truth and Beauty, by Ann Patchett
2. Midwestern Death Trip, by Meaghan Garvey
3. Who Is Government, edited by Michael Lewis
4. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
5. A Resistance History of the United States, by Tad Stoermer
6. A Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros
7. These Precious Days, by Ann Patchett
8. The Hidden Life of Trees, by Peter Wohlleben
9. The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson
10. Raising Hare, by Chloe Dalton

In addition to a nice pop for Ann Patchett's nonfiction and books for children (I guess the crowd had read the novels), we saw good sales on several of her recommendations. Truth and Beauty, her memoir of her friendship with poet Lucy Grealey, also had a few day after sales from folks visiting the store after the event, inching it above The Verts, her 2024 title.

Books for Kids:
1. Baseball for Breakfast, by Judy Campbell-Smith, illustrations by Maggie Carroll
2. Brains On Presents It's Alive, by Molly Bloom, Marc Sanchez, and Sanden Totten
3. Brains on Presents Road Trip Earth, by Molly Bloom, Marc Sanchez, and Sanden Totten
4. Brains on Presents Meet My Micro Pets, by Molly Bloom, Marc Sanchez, and Sanden Totten
5. Verts, by Ann Patchett, illustrations by Robin Preiss Glasser
6. Lulu and Rocky in Milwaukee, by Barbara Joosse, illustrations by Renée Graef
7. Lambslide, by Ann Patchett, illustrations by Robin Preiss Glasser
8. Captain Underpants the First Manga, by Dav Pilkey
9. Peekaboo House, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
10. Peekaboo Lion, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius

I was planning on writing about us selling books for the Brains On folks at Turner Hall Ballroom, and how one of the books took off because it just went out of print*, but now I'm switching it up for the Judy Campbell-Smith's Baseball for Breakfast, as I was charmed by the picture book about the minor league Milwaukee Brewers morning games during World War II. Someone wrote to me and said, I think you got the team name wrong, but no, the major league Brewers were named after the minor league team, which, for a time, was owned by the innovative baseball team owner and promoter, Bill Veeck.

*So yes, we're out of Brains On: It's Alive and we can't order more, but we still have signed copies of Brains On: Road Trip Earth.

Boswell bestsellers, week ending June 20, 2026

Boswell bestsellers, week ending June 20, 2026

Hardcover Fiction
1. Yesteryear, by Caro Claire Burke
2. Land, by Maggie O'Farrell
3. Whistler, by Ann Patchett (tomorrow)
4. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
5. Contrapposto, by Dave Eggers
6. The Keeper, by Tana French
7. The Midnight Train, by Matt Haig
8. Villa Coco, by Andrew Sean Greer
9. Things We Never Say, by Elizabeth Strout
10. Phoebe Berman's Gonna Lose It, by Brooke Averick
11. Daughters of the Sun and Moon, by Lisa See (MPL June 23 event)
12. Heather, by Caitlin Mullen
13. The Calamity Club, by Kathryn Stockett
14. Kin, by Tayari Jones
15. A Parade of Horribles V8, by Matt Dinniman

I had to dig into 11-15 to find a new book to talk about. Heather, by Caitlin Mullen, is one of those over-exposed tree covers that we're seeing a lot of. Kirkus writes: "A young woman returns as police chief of her hometown in New Jersey's Pine Barrens only to find herself challenged by a local drug ring and a haunting cold case...A slow-burn mystery held together by an admirable cast of strong, flawed women." Mullen won the Edgar for Best First Mystery with Please See Us.

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. The Land and Its People, by David Sedaris
2. The Killer and Frank Lloyd Wright, by Casey Sherman
3. The Wreck of the Mentor, by Eric Jay Dolin
4. All We Say, by Ben Rhodes
5. The Book of Birds, by Robert McFarlane and Jackie Morris
6. Famesick, by Lena Dunham
7. America USA, by Eddie S Glaude
8. Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I've Cried About, by Isabel Klee
9. The Feather Wars, by James H McCommons
10. Milwaukee Flavor, by Visit Milwaukee, Ann Christenson, photos by Kevin J Miyazaki

Unlike fiction, we've got several new releases in our top 10. Top honors goes to The Killer and Frank Lloyd Wright: The True Story of Mass Murder in Paradise, by Casey Sherman, which chronicles the famous Taliesin fire of 1914, which was the subject of Nancy Horan's bestselling Loving Frank almost 20 years ago. From Publishers Weekly: "Journalist Sherman recounts the murder of Frank Lloyd Wright's lover in this fascinating work of true crime..Sherman exhibits both a novelist's sense of pace and a reporter's eye for detail in this arresting true crime narrative of great passion and great tragedy. It's a heartbreaker."

Paperback Fiction:
1. Bakers Dozen, by Dasha Kelly 
2. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
3. Someday Garden, by Ashley Poston
4. The Lion Women of Tehran, by Marjan Kamali
5. Angel Down, by Daniel Kraus
6. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
7. A Death in Door County, by Annelise Ryan
8. Dungeon Crawler Carl, by Matt Dinniman
9. A River is Waiting, by Wally Lamb
10. Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt

New to the top 10 is The Someday Garden, by Ashley Poston, from the author of Sounds Like Love. A horticulturist takes a job in Maine and falls in love with a man trapped in a magical portal in the garden. From Beth Gabriel of Library Journal and also East Library (!): "Poston continues her trend of lightly magical stories, perfect for readers seeking the magic of Sarah Addison Allen blended with the humor and romance tropes of Emily Henry."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Midwestern Death Trip, by Meaghan Garvey 
2. Beer Hiking Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula, by Kristen Radaich
3. Say Nothing, by Patrick Radden Keefe
4. Invisible Women, by Caroline Criado Perez
5. Murdoku V2: Back in Time, by Manuel Garand
6. The Friendship Bench, by Dixon Chibanda
7. Speak with the Earth and It Will Teach You, by Daniel Cooperrider
8. Dinner with King Tut, by Sam Kean
9. The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson
10. Come As You Are, by Emily Nagosaki

Selling off of Shannon's rec shelf is Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men, from Caroline Criado Perez, which argues that male bias is built into, well, everything. From Susan McKay in The Irish Times (there was no New York Times review though the Washington Post did print a guest essay from the author): "Criado Perez’s thesis is stark: 'Most of recorded human history is one big data gap ... the lives of men have been taken to represent those of humans overall. When it comes to the lives of the other half of humanity, there is often nothing but silence.'"

Books for Kids:
1. Big Jim Believes, by Dav Pilkey
2. Baseball for Breakfast, by Judy Campbell Smith (Wauwatosa Library June 27 event)
3. Make Tracks Vacation, by Johnny Dyrander
4. Sunrise on the Reaping, by Suzanne Collins
5. Dad, by Christian Robinson
6. Oh the Places You'll Go, by Dr Seuss
7. Fire Pups to the Rescue, by Lisa Desimini
8. Lulu and Rocky in Milwaukee, by Barbara Joosse, illustrated by Renée Graef
9. The Tea Dragon Society, by K O'Neill
10. Elephants Cannot Dance V9, by Mo Willems

Happy Father's Day! Christian Robinson's Dad is selling off our holiday table with his beautifully illustrated, nuanced celebration of fatherhood. From Publishers Weekly: "Dedicated to " When concluding pages pivot to human relationships, the depth-filled and textured paint and collage artwork captures fatherhood with tenderness and honesty: one dad wipes away a child's tears, and another 'sheds a few of his own.' Even amid the examples' push-and-pull, an underlying message of steadying care reassures, 'Dad is with you,/ even when he's not.'"

Boswell bestsellers for the week ending June 13, 2026

Boswell bestsellers for the week ending June 13, 2026

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Whistler, by Ann Patchett (not sold out yet)
2. Land, by Maggie O'Farrell
3. The Calamity Club, by Kathryn Stockett
4. Contrapposto, by Dave Eggers
5. Yesteryear, by Caro Claire Burke
6. Things We Never Say, by Elizabeth Strout
7. Daughters of the Sun and Moon, by Lisa See (MPL event June 23)
8. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans (Woman's Prize winner)
9. Carl's Doomsday Scenario V2, by Matt Dinniman
10. Cat Love, by Tomas Q Morin

Top debut this week is Contrapposto, the first adult novel from Dave Eggers in five years, though his kids book, The Eyes and the Impossible, made a big splash too. It's about the friendship between an artist and his collaboarator/friend over many years. His BookMarks score is four raves, three positives, and two mixed. From Alexandra Jacobs in The New York Times: "What a relief to be able to recommend the new Dave Eggers novel (almost!) without reservation. Eggers has in the past been testy about criticism. His Y2K injunction in The Harvard Advocate — 'Do not dismiss a book until you have written one' — continues to ring reprovingly around the blogosphere. His own early reviewing, he said then, 'came from a smelly andPas ignorant place in me.'"

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. The Land and Its People, by David Sedaris
2. Famesick, by Lena Dunham
3. When Memory Fades, by Nathaniel Chin (Boswell June 24 event)
4. Dogs Boys and Other Things I've Cried About, by Isabel Klee
5. Milwaukee Flavor, by Visit Milwaukee, Ann Christenson, with photos by Kevin J Miyazaki
6. The Gales of November, by John U Bacon
7. Strangers, by Belle Burden
8. 1929, by Andrew Ross Sorkin
9. London Falling, by Patrick Radden Keefe
10. The Secret War Against Hate, by Steven J Ross

Considering that The New York Times hardcover nonfiction list can sometimes be mostly debuts, it's notable that on our list, nothing is brand new. But I don't think we've yet highlighted The Secret War Against Hate: American Resistance to Antisemitism and White Supremacy. USC Professor Stephen J Ross looks at the rise in antisemitism and racism in the United States in the years after World War II. From Kirkus: "This book should be read by every American who wants to know how courageous men and women can resist hatred." I'm not sure why BookMarks isn't tracking this title. It's also of note that the book hit our bestseller list from individual sales without up-front store placement.

Paperback Fiction:
1. The Last Time We Drowned, by Saratoga Schaefer
2. Moving Targets V3, by Harry Pinkus
3. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
4. Dungeon Crawler Carl V1, by Matt Dinniman
5. Trad Wife, by Saratoga Schaefer
6. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
7. Horse, by Geraldine Brooks
8. Angel Down, by Daniel Kraus
9. The Republic of Memory, by Mahmud El Sayed (Boswell upcoming book clubs)
10. Tangerinn, by Emanuela Anechoum (same)

The Boswell Science Fiction Book Club met this week and that helped pop their next pick, The Republic of Memory, which is in the subgenre Arabfuturist fiction. This is the first volume in the The Song of the Safina series, into our top 10. From Erin Neiderbeger in Library Journal: "With its centering of Arab culture, the novel is a fresh take on generation-ship stories but still delivers the beats sci-fi fans love. The novel culminates with a major shift to the Safina's status quo, and readers will be eager to see what comes next."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1 Irreplaceable, by Maya Blalik
2. Purified, by Peter Annin
3. Puerto Rico, by Jorell Meléndez-Badillo
4. The Great Lakes Water Wars, by Peter Annin
5. The Oregon Trail, by Rinker Buck
6. Who Is Government, edited by Michael Lewis
7. Raising Hare, by Chloe Dalton
8. Experiencing God, by Jon M Sweeney
9. A Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros
10. Midwestern Death Trip, by Meaghan Garvey (Boswell June 15 event)

Anthologies can sometimes break through - see Alice Hoffman's recent The Best Dog in the World or Michael Lewis's Who Is Government?: The Untold Story of Public Service, which had a nice run in hardcover. Among the contributors were Geraldine Brooks and Dave Eggers, represented elsewhere on the list. From Garrett M Graff's review in The Washington Post: " The book, an outgrowth of a project led by The Washington Post’s now-departed Opinions editor David Shipley*, examines some of the remarkable people who make up the federal workforce — career civil servants who have accomplished the extraordinary in quiet ways, people whose jobs are normally buried layers below any partisan rancor. Perhaps never before has there been a book better timed or more urgent." *And now there's no book reviews either.

Books for Kids:
1. Crenshaw, by Katherine Applegate
2. Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
3. The Patron Saints of Nothing, by Randy Ribay
4. Valiant Vel, by Jerrianne Hayslett, illustrations by Aaron Boyd
5. Lulu and Rocky in Milwaukee, by Barbara Joosse, illustrations by Renée Graef
6. Will's Race for Home, by Jewell Parker Rhodes
7. Sunrise on the Reaping, by Suzanne Collins
8. The Heirs, by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídév
9. Rainbow Cookies, by Lesléa Newman, illustrations by ZB Asterplume
10. Dragonborn, by Struan Murray

Rainbow Cookies is selling off this month's LGBTQ display. When The Cookie Cubby features a rainbow cookie for pride month and faces backlash, young Cookie organizes community support. From Kirkus: "With an emphasis on friendship and love rather than fear or negativity, this book will gently guide conversations with young children that leave them feeling empowered...A sweet story about the effectiveness and impact of community and kindness."

Boswell bestsellers, week ending June 6, 2026

Boswell bestsellers, week ending June 6, 2026

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Whistler, by Ann Patchett (not sold out yet)
2. Land, by Maggie O'Farrell
3. Yesteryear, by Caro Claire Burke
4. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
6. John of John, by Douglas Stuart
7. Things We Never Say, by Elizabeth Strout
8. A Parade of Horribles V8, by Matt Dinniman
9. Phoebe Berman's Gonna Lose It, by Brooke Averick
10. The Keeper, by Tana French

Top debut this week is Whistler, which had a large first week of sales, helped along by signed first editions, despite folks all the folks waiting for the June 22 Pabst Theater event to get their books. I loved the new novel and hope you will too.

Up next is Land, the latest from Maggie O'Farrell, which got a great advance read from McKenna at Boswell. She is not annotated on BookMarks, but critics did offer 14 raves, a positive, three mixed, and a pan. One rave is from The Atlantic, and I was finally able to get through the paywall with our print subscription so I can quote Hillary Kelly's review, which is a rave - the headline used the word "genius": "O’Farrell’s new novel, Land, provokes that same unlikely combination in ways that annihilate critiques of her work as 'grief porn.' If the raison d’être of the tearjerker is to lure the reader into disorienting sorrow, O’Farrell’s fiction has a more complicated calling - her characters are endowed with a dignity that gives their despair power and meaning. She knows that anguish cannot properly infiltrate a reader who isn’t experiencing the full spectrum of emotions: disappointment, amazement, contentment, frustration, pride, and even unbridled bliss."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. The Land and Its People, by David Sedaris (signed copies)
2. The Wreck of the Mentor, by Eric Jay Dolin (signed copies)
3. Don't Call It Art, by Austin Kleon
4. When Memory Fades, by Nathaniel Chin (Boswell June 24 event)
5. Judy Blume, by Mark Oppenheimer
6. The Fix, by Barbara McQuade
7. Famesick, by Lena Dunham
8. One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, by Omar El Akkad
9. Little Frog's Guide to Life, by Maybell Eequay
10. The Gales of November, by John U Bacon

We hosted Austin Kleon several times, and in addition to a traditional in-store event with slides, we also worked with an business/entrepreneur group to put together a morning presentation. I just want to give the old Workman publicity department a shout out - you could count on their events to be creative and fun, with a team that actually chased media and partnerships. The world has changed. Kleon's latest is Don't Call It Art: 10 Ways to Create Like a Kid Again. From Kirkus: " Full of fun, wryly witty wisdom (and quotes from such artists as John Cleese, Ray Bradbury, and Doris Lessing), this serves as a charming - if not wholly novel* - reminder to let go in order to tap into one's freest creative self." *To be fair, his most popular book is Steal Like an Artist.

Paperback Fiction:
1. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
2. The Last Time We Drowned, by Saratoga Schaefer (Boswell June 9 event)
3. The Girls Who Grew Big, by Leila Mottley
4. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
5. Tangerinn, by Emanuela Anechoum (Boswell book clubs)
6. Angel Down, by Daniel Kraus
7. Moving Targets, by Harry Pinkus (Boswell June 12 event)
8. Disappoint Me, by Nicola Dinan
9. All That Refuses to Die, by Michael Imossan (signed copies)
10. For the Bride, by Becca Grischow

Having just finished Ann Patchett's The Patron Saint of Liars**, about a home run by nuns for expectant mothers in Kentucky, I am newly intrigued by The Girls Who Grew Big, a novel about teen moms from Leila Mottley, with a re-imagined paperback jacket and five raves, three positives, and a pan from BookMarks. From Nina LaCour in The New York Times: "Mottley, who is known for her acclaimed debut, Nightcrawling, writes with unabashed reverence for these young mothers, never sanitizing or romanticizing their lives but instead valuing them on the page in all the ways they are not valued in their lives."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Best Hiking Minnesota Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula, by Kristen Radaich (signed copies)
2. Midwestern Death Trip, by Meagan Garvey (Boswell June 15 event)
3. There Is No Place for Us, by Brian Goldstone
4. Invisible Women, by Caroline Criado Perez
5. The Resistance History of the United States, by Tad Stoermer
6. Liberal Fascisms, by Slavoj Zizek
7. The Complete Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi
8. Johann Sebastian Bach, by Christopher Wolff
9. Mapmatics, by Paulina Rowinska
10. Raising Hare, by Chloe Dalton

A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and now in paperback, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician sells not out of the award case (it's from the previous round of Pulitzers, not the current one) or the new paperback table, but just because some people wanted it, with the understanding that nonfiction paperback is not a particularly competitive list. I love that the paperback edition is updated - you wouldn't believe what Bach has been up to since the hardcover was published!

Up a little higher is There Is No Place for Us, by Brian Goldstone, which received the Pulitzer Prize (different category) and because it's from the recent round of honors, it is in the awards case.

Books for Kids:
1. Each and Every Spark, by Claire Swinarski
2. The Selfish Sister, by David Sedaris, illustrated by Bob Staake (signed copies)
3. Kaleidoscope of Hope, by Miranda Paul (signed copies)
4. Captain Underpants: The First Epic Manga, by Dav Pilkey
5. Summer Pops Up, by Aurore Petit
6. Lulu and Rocky in Milwaukee, by Barbara Joosse, illustrated by Renée Graef
7. Carry On, by Rainbow Rowell
8. Sunrise on the Reaping, by Suzanne Collins
9. Shadow Reaper, by Lynette Noni
10. Gertie the Darling Duck of World War II, by Shari Swanson, illustrated by Renée Graef

David Sedaris's recent picture book, The Selfish Sister, got some second looks at his event, especially when I went up and down the line hawking it. Copies are signed. From the starred Kirkus: "Wit snaps and crackles in humorist Sedaris' tale of narcissism run amok...Blessedly bad behavior gets its day in the sun, and we are HERE for it!"

**I have now read all Patchett adult fiction and nonfiction. I am not sure I read all the picture books.

Boswell bestsellers, week ending May 30, 2026

Boswell bestsellers, week ending May 30, 2026

Hardcover Fiction:
1. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
2. The Calamity Club, by Kathryn Stockett
3. Yesteryear, by Caro Claire Burke
4. Phoebe Berman's Gonna Lose It, by Brooke Averick
5. John of Johns, by Douglas Stuart
6. Things We Never Say, by Elizabeth Strout
7. The Midnight Train, by Matt Haig
8. Heart the Lover, by Lily King
9. A Parade of Horribles V8, by Matt Dinniman
10. Our Perfect Storm, by Carley Fortune

Top debut this week is from debut author Phoebe Berman's Gonna Lose It from Brooke Averick, helped, no doubt, by staff recs from Rachel, Ingrid, and McKenna. From Booklist: "Anxious, funny, and unexpectedly tender, this debut follows Phoebe Berman as she approaches her thirtieth birthday, still a virgin and increasingly convinced something is wrong with her...With sharp humor, surprising turns, and a deeply empathetic heroine, Phoebe Berman's Gonna Lose It updates the spirit of classic rom-coms while centering vulnerability, mental health, and friendship."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Crisis of the Common Good, by Chris Murphy
2. The Land and Its People, by David Sedaris (free signing after sold-out event June 3)
3. Israel: What Went Wrong, by Omer Bartov
4. America USA, by Eddie S Glaude Jr
5. Milwaukee Flavor, by Visit Milwaukee and Ann Christenson, photos by Kevin J Miyazaki
6. Make Believe, by Mac Barnett
7. Famesick, by Lena Dunham
8. All We Say, by Ben Rhodes
9. London Falling, by Patrick Radden Keefe
10. The Feather Wars, by James H McCommons

A range of books about the United States 250th anniversary are landing for this summmer. Princeton professor Eddie S Glaude Jr's America, U.S.A.: How Race Shadows the Nation's Anniversaries looks back on past anniversaries to comment on the present. There are blurbs from Annette Gordon-Reed, Jill Lepore, and Ken Burns, who wrote: "No one understands the excruciating interiors of our 'original sin' better than Eddie Glaude. His scholarship extends into the darkest corners of our past. His insight offers fragments of a map leading to higher ground."

Paperback Fiction:
1. Dungeon Crawler Carl, by Matt Dinniman
2. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
3. Martyr, by Kaveh Akbar
4. Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt
5. Dolly All the Time, by Annabel Monaghan
6. The Road to Tender Hearts, by Annie Hartnett
7. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
8. Hamnet, by Maggie O'Farrell
9. Betwitching, by Silvia Moreno Garcia
10. Devotions, by Mary Oliver

First week out for Good Morning America book club selection Dolly All the Time, a paperback original with a simultaneous hardcover release, which I don't see as often at the Penguin Random House imprints, compared to, say, HarperCollins. From Kirkus: "A single mom winds up fake dating an incredibly wealthy man in her hometown...A charming love story that absolutely radiates warmth."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. World of Wonders, by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
2. Midwestern Death Trip, by Meaghan Garvey (Boswell June 15 event)
3. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
4. Coyote America, by Dan Flores
5. The Loves of my Life, by Edmund White
6. Playing Possum, by Susana Monsó
7. Beer Hiking Minnesota Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula, by Kristen Radaich (Black Husky June 15 event)
8. The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron
9. A Walk in the Park, by Kevin Fedarko
10. Raising Hare, by Chloe Dalton

Edmund White has written other memoirs, but The Loves of My Life is subtitled a sex memoir, which is I guess what you need to know. The hardcover had eight raves, a positive, and a mixed on BookMarks. From Alexandra Jacobs's rave review in The New York Times, referencing one interlude: "This is a PG-rated passage from a book for which we should claw back the now-cursed letter X — as in explicit, yes, but also excavatory and excellent."

Books for Kids:
1. Louder than Hunger, by John Schu
2. Will's Race for Home, by Jewell Parker Rhodes
3. Indivisible, by Daniel Aleman
4. Kaleidoscope of Hope, by Miranda Paul, illustrated by Hari and Deepti (Boswell event today at 3 pm)
5. A Potion a Powder a Little Bit of Magic, by Philip Stead
6. Good Night Escargot, by Dashka Slater
7. This Must Be the Place, by Kelly Quindlen
8. We Are Mighty, by Kelly Quindlen
9. Dad, by Christian Robinson
10. Seahorse is Furious, by Morag Hood

Great reviews on Miranda Paul's latest, Kaleidoscope of Hope, which we originally wanted to host at an outside venue until we were told that we were not allowed to cohost an event there. It happens! Our event today at 3 has a storytime and butterfly craft. Registration requested but not required. From School Library Journal: "Butterflies and the butterfly life cycle are the big idea of this stunningly illustrated picture book. Paul uses the kaleidoscope to help readers understand the depth and breadth of the variety of butterflies as well as their importance to life on earth...For would-be scientists, environmentalists, and artists, this is a must for most collections."

Boswell bestsellers, week ending May 23, 2026

Boswell bestsellers, week ending May 23, 2026

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Yesteryear, by Caro Claire Burke (signed copies)
2. Weaving Sundown in a Scarlet Light, by Joy Harjo
3. Things We Never Say, by Elizabeth Strout
4. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
5. The Ballad of Falling Dragons V2, by Sarah A Parker
6. A Parade of Horribles V8, by Matt Dinniman
7. The Calamity Club, by Kathryn Stockett
8. John of Johns, by Douglas Stuart
9. Our Perfect Storm, by Carley Fortune
10. Palaces of the Crow, by Ray Nayler

The Ballad of Falling Dragons, the sequel to When the Moon Hatched, is available in a regular and deluxe edition. Jason brought in the deluxe edition and I suspect he will convert to the regular (it's only $2 more for deluxe) when the deluxe is no longer available. There's a Booklist review - ""A spellbinding slow-burn, romance-laced fantasy featuring two fascinating protagonists" - but for some reason, neither edition lists it in full on ipage. And weirder than that, it's not showing up on the Booklist website. What a mystery! Where is Richard Osman when you need him?

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Girl Warrior, by Joy Harjo
2. The Five-Year Century, by Mihir Shukla and Nancy Hauge
3. The Lao Kitchen, by Saeng Douangdara (signed copies)
4. London Falling, by Patrick Radden Keefe
5. How to Rule the World. by Theo Baker
6. American Patriarch, by HW Brands
7. The Gales of November, by John U Bacon
8. The Story of Birds, by Steve Brusatte
9. Dangerous, Dirty, Violent, and Young, by Zayd Ayers Dohrn
10. Famesick, by Lena Dunn

Four weeks out and first time in our top ten (or on our bestseller list at all) for The Story of Birds: A New History from Their Dinosaur Origins to the Present, which is already on and off the New York Times bestseller list. Lots more books get their week in the sun than I remember from earlier days. Once again, no reviews on ipage - Kirkus, PW, Booklist. Are books just not being submitted? I did notice that a good number of reviews in Kirkus magazine are later than I would have expected. In any case, Jennifer Ackerman blurbed the book as "sensational."

Paperback Fiction:
1. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
2. American Sunrise, by Joy Harjo
3. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
4. Angel Down, by Daniel Kraus
5. Dirty 20, by Bill Schweigart (signed copies)
6. The Crucible, by Arthur Miller
7. Trad Wife, by Saratoga Schaefer (Boswell June 9 event)
8. The Lion Women of Tehran, by Marjan Kamali
9. Dungeon Crawler Carl, by Matt Dinniman
10. The Life of Pi, by Yann Martel

Angel Down breaks the current curse of the even-yeared Pulitzers not breaking out. Both 2022's The Netanyahus and 2024's Night Watch did not, to my recollection, spend much time on the national bestseller lists, but Kraus's latest jumps onto the New York Times and has a nice pop at Boswell. I should note that it is the favorite novel of 2025 from not one but two Boswellians.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Cultura and Cash, by Giovanna Gonzalez
2. Bear Tracks, by Sherman Funmaker
3. Crazy Brave, by Joy Harjo
4. Puerto Rico, by Jorell Melendez Badillo
5. Midwestern Death Trip, by Meaghan Garvey (Boswell June 15 event)
6. Dinner with King Tut, by Sam Kean
7. Three Women, by Lisa Taddeo
8. Beer Hiking Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula, by Kristen Radaich (Boswell June 5 event)
9. Penelope's Bones, by Emily Hauser
10. Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel

Selling off the new paperback table (it's actually before pub date, but that's okay with most university presses) is Penelope's Bones: A New History of Homer's World Through the Women Written Out of It. From a review of the hardcover in Choice: "In this eloquent book, Hauser aims to put the experiences of Homeric women and goddesses center stage, countering the silence imposed on them by the epics. This is needed, she states, to address the 'fundamental incompatibility between the claim the epics make that women don't matter, and the fact that in every case they are essential to the story and the myth.'"

Books for Kids:
1. Lulu and Rocky in Milwaukee, by Barbara Joosse, illustrations by Renée Graef
2. After the ABCs, by D Marie Grainkeeper
3. Life on Mars, by Jon Agee
4. For a Girl Becoming, by Joy Harjo, illustrated by Adriana Garcia
5. Remember, by Joy Harjo, illustrated by Michaela Goade
6. The Story of All Stories, by Emily Stimpson Chapman
7. Spy School Secret Service graphic novel V5, by Stuart Gibbs
8. Peekaboo Dinosaurs, by Camilla Reid, illustrations Ingela P Arrhenius
9. Valian Vel, by Jerrianne Hayslett, illustrations by Aaron Boyd
10. We Are Mighty, by Sharon McMahon

Note that I normally limit titles from one author to three, especially when they sold because of an event. But Joy Harjo gets six on today's write up because she's the first author I can remember to get books on all five of our bestseller lists. I include just the top seller on each of the four adult categories, and you can just fill in that we sold lots of different Joy Harjo books in quantity. 

Harjo's two picture books that sold were  Remember (2023) and From a Girl Becoming (2025). Remember was named an American Indian Library Association Honor Book, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book and was a best of the year for most of the trades (Kirkus etc). From a Girl Becoming got starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and Kirkus, who called it "a boon to any bookshelf."

Boswell bestsellers, week ending May 16, 2026

Boswell bestsellers, week ending May 16, 2026

Hardcover Fiction:
1. The Calamity Club, by Kathryn Stockett
2. The Foursome, by Christina Baker Kline
3. A Parade of Horribles V8, by Matt Dinniman
4. Yesteryear, by Caro Claire Burke
5. The Correspondent (2 editions), by Virginia Evans
6. The Last Mandarin, by Louise Penny and Mellissa Fung
7. The Things We Never Say, by Elizabeth Strout
8. John of Johns, by Douglas Stuart
9. The Keeper V3, by Tana French
10. American Fantasy, by Emma Straub

I think the first week out for The Last Mandarin falls short of Louise Penny's usual first-week numbers or her collaboration with Hillary Clinton. It didn't help that the Indies Exclusive edition had a printing error. But reviews are good - from Booklist: "Penny joins forces with award-winning Canadian journalist Fung for a thriller in which an estranged mother and daughter must put aside their differences to prevent a terrorist attack that could disrupt the fragile peace among the world's superpowers...a solid political thriller."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. The Mission Generation, by Arun Gupta and Thomas Fewer
2. The New Craft of the Cocktail, by Dale Degroff
3. Make Believe, by Mac Barnett
4. Morning Baker, by Roxana Jullapat
5. Milwaukee Flavor, by Visit Milwaukee and Ann Christenson, photos by Kevin J Miyazaki
6. American Bacon, by Mark A Johnson
7. A Proper Drink, by Robert Simonson
8. A Fishable Feast, by Kirk Deeter
9. The Feather Wars, by James H McCommons
10. Famesick, by Lena Dunham

You don't think of spring being cookbook season but several events in succession gave us a top ten that was more than half eating and drinking. Robert Simonson is hosting A Proper Drink series at Bryant's, as part of the book's tenth anniversary, as well as Simonson moving back to the area. Having talked to Dale Degroff last week, he'll be in conversation with David Wondrich on July 6 - more info here.

Paperback Fiction:
1. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
2. Angel Down, by Daniel Kraus
3. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
4. Strange Pictures, by Uketsu
5. Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurtry
6. Dungeon Crawler Carl V1, by Matt Dinniman
7. The Starving Saints, by Caitlin Starling
8. On the Calculation of Volume V1, by Solvej Balle
9. Moving Targets V3, by Harry Pinkus (Boswell June 12 event)
10. Horse, by Geraldine Brooks

It's the second week out in paperback for The Starving Saints, which is described as medieval horror with a touch of fantasy. From Library Journal: "A brilliantly constructed and thoroughly unnerving fever dream that Starling's fans will gulp down. It will also appeal to readers nestled in the space where Brom's Slewfoot, Agustina Bazterrica's The Unworthy, and Nick Cutter's The Queen overlap." It's also a staff rec from Alex.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. How to Sell a Genocide, by Adam H Johnson
2. Cultura and Cash, by Giovanna Gonzalez
3. Frank Lloyd Wright and the Path to Beauty, by Kenneth Dahlin
4. Raising Hare, by Chloe Dalton
5. Midwestern Death Trip, by Meaghan Garvey (Boswell June 15 event)
6. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
7. A Walk in the Park, by Kevin Fedarko
8. A Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros
9. Who Is Govenment, edited by MIchael Lewis
10. Puerto Rico, by Jorrell Badillo

Just published is Midwestern Death Trip by Chicago writer Garvey, which is already out at Ingram's wholesale warehouses, though I should note they started modestly. From the publisher: "Part memoir, part gonzo reportage, in which the great American road trip meets an unsparing coming-of-age story."

Books for Kids:
1. Uh-Oh, Hugo, by Jonathan Stuzman, illustrations by Jay Fleck
2. Tiny T Rex and the Impossible Hug, by Jonathan Stutzman, illustrations by Jay Fleck
3. Bad Kitty Gets a Job, by Nick Bruel
4. A Potion, a Poswer, a Little Bit of Magic, by Philip Stead
5. When the Sun Goes Down, by Greg Pizzoli
6. Lulu and Rocky in Milwauckee, by Barbara Joosse, illustrations by Renée Graef
7. Bad Kitty Party Animal, by Nick Bruel
8. Ohy the Places You'll Go, by Dr Seuss
9. Alphabet of Alphabets and Number of Numbers, by AJ Wood
10. World's Best Dad, by Isabel Otter, illustrations by Lynn Giunta

When the Sun Goes Down is a nature-themed bedtime story that's been out for about a month. From Publishers Weekly: "Employing cozy textures and pared-down visual geometries, Pizzoli creates a beguilingly simple wind-down story that's equal parts lullaby and primer...With a build reminiscent of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, it's an inviting picture book that gently wishes sweet dreams for all."