Boswell bestsellers for the week ending December 24, 2022 (catching up from the holiday!)

Boswell bestsellers for the week ending December 24, 2022

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver
2. Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus
3. The Passenger, by Cormac McCarthy
4. A World of Curiosities, by Louise Penny
5. Stella Maris, by Cormac McCarthy
6. All This Could Be Different, by Sarah Thankam Mathews
7. Liberation Day, by George Saunders
8. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin
9. The Rabbit Hutch, by Tess Gunty
10. Sea of Tranquility, by Emily St John Mandel

Lessons in Chemistry may be number one on The New York Times, but at independents (according to the American Booksellers Association), including Boswell, Demon Copperhead is the novel of the holiday season. It is her fourth novel since we've been open (2009) and by far our biggest seller. Is it possible we lost the edge on Bonnie Garmus since a certain other retailer gets to sell a nicer looking edition?

For purposes of this list, I split the boxed Cormac McCarthy sets up and gave the sales to the individual books, The Passenger and Stella Maris. We sold a decent number last week. I can't really compare sales to any other Cormac novel as these are his first two since we've been open. But as of our next sale, we'll have sold more Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow than we did of Gabrielle Zevin's The Storied Life of AJ Fikry, her previous top seller for us, in hardcover. And with that, I should note that our Knopf/Doubleday sales rep sold in six of this week's top 10.

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. The Light We Carry, by Michelle Obama
2. An Immense World, by Ed Yong
3. What If 2, by Randall Munroe
4. Cinema Speculation, by Quentin Tarantino
5. A Book of Days, by Patti Smith
6. I'm Glad My Mom Died, by Jennette McCurdy
7. The Philosophy of Modern Song, by Bob Dylan
8. And There Was Light, by Jon Meacham
9. Revolutionary: Samuel Adams, by Stacy Schiff
10. Birds and Us, by Tim Birkhead (Register for January 18 virtual event here)

The Book of Days is our second best Patti Smith hardcover since we've been open. Number one is not Just Kids, which had a modest hardcover sale for us before exploding in paperback, by M Train. And There Was Light beats out Revolutionary on the historical bio side. Our bestselling Stacy Schiff hardcover continues to be Cleopatra, for which she made an appearance locally. Meacham's bestselling hardcover is, by a nose, His Truth Is Marching On (over The Soul of America). 

Paperback Fiction:
1. The Sentence, by Louise Erdrich
2. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
3. Cloud Cuckoo Land, by Anthony Doerr
4. The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, by Shehan Karunatilaka
5. Black Cake, by Charmaine Wilkerson
6. The Sleeping Car Porter, by Suzette Mayr (Register for January 10 virtual event here)
7. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, by Taylor Jenkins Reid
8. A Visit, by Shirley Jackson, illustrated by Seth
9. Legends and Lattes, by Travis Baldree
10. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, by Sangu Mandanna

More than half the books on this top 10 have some sort of speculative element, with ghosts (not witches for once!) being the most popular trope. The Sentence, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, and A Visit, part of Seth's Christmas haunting graphic short stories series, are all ghost stories of a sort.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Brewtown Tales, by John Gurda
2. A Book of Delights by Ross Gay
3. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
4. Entangled Life, by Merlin Sheldrake
5. Mushrooms of the Upper Midwest, by Terea Marrone
6. Happy Holiday Book of Mini Crosswords, from The New York Times
7. Vegan Cooking for Two by America's Test Kitchen
8. Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Extra Good Things, by Noor Murad and Yotam Ottolenghi
9. 111 Places in Milwaukee You Must Not Miss, by Michele Madden

We were running two to three hardcover cookbooks in our top 10 since the start of the season, but this week, the only appearances were on our paperback list, where Vegan Cooking for Two and Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Extra Good Things both placed. With price poitns of $32 and $34.99, they are priced within range of our top hardcover cookbook bestseller, Smitten Kitchen Keepers. I should also note they didn't exactly outsell their hardcover friends; they were just on a less competitive list, which I can assure you is true for the national lists too. 

Books for Kids:
1. Peekaboo: Love, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela Arrhenius
2. Lulu and Rocky in Milwaukee, by Barbara Joosse, illustrations by Renée Graef
3. Diper Överlöde V17: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, by Jeff Kinnney
4. Book of Questions, by Pablo Neruda, illustrations by Paloma Valivia
5. Farmhouse, by Sophie Blackall
6. The Three Billy Goats Gruff, by Mac Barnett, illustrations by Jon Klassen
7. What Feelings Do When No One's Looking, by Tina Oziewicz, illustrations by Aleksandra Zajac
8. Collaborations V4: Cat Kid Comic Club, by Dav Pilkey
9. Christmas Eve with Veranda Santa, a Bluey Book
10. Spin to Survive: Deadly Jungle, by Emily Hawkins

You might have noticed that we had a different Peeakaboo book on our bestseller list last week, with Peekaboo: Love replacing Peekaboo: Moon. Jen has been rotating the display and they all sell! Coming up in 2023 - Peekaboo: Baby in January and Peekaboo: Pumpkin in October. Apparently it's all about the slider mechanism!

Another week with no traditional middle grade or YA books, unless you include the two graphic series, which to me straddle early readers. Five are traditional picture book hardcovers, though I should note that two (Book of Questions and What Feelings Do When No One's Looking) are translated, the former by Sara Lissa Paulson and the latter by Jennifer Croft.

Boswell bestsellers, week ending December 17, 2022

Boswell bestsellers for the week ending December 17, 2022

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver
2. A World of Curiosities, by Louise Penny
3. Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus
4. All This Could Be Different, by Sarah Thankam Mathews
5. The Passenger, by Cormac McCarthy
6. The Ingenue, by Rachel Kapelke-Dale
7. Stella Maris, by Cormac McCarthy
8. The Boy and the Dog, by Seishu Hase 
9. Trust, by Hernan Diaz
10. Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt
11. Lark Ascending, by Silas House
12. The Rabbit Hutch, by Tess Gunty
13. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin
14. Our Missing Hearts, by Celeste Ng
15. Death in Door County, by Annelise Ryan

Demon Copperhead could well double the hardcover sales of 2018's Unsheltered at Boswell by the end of its run. Unlike her last novel, the book is top 10 on both The New York Times and Washington Post for the year, with Ron Charles saying it is his book of the year. But Unsheltered had something Demon Copperfield did not - Boswell reads, including a top 5. Perhaps we move the needle more for lesser known authors.

Similarly, A World of Curiosities hasn't passed up sales for The Madness of Crowds yet, but I expect it will within the next two weeks. Jason has noted in the past that our Louise Penny sales are stronger with November releases than the August ones - I think the idea is that the early books don't get on so many gift lists and perhaps are accessed in less expensive formats - through downloads or library circulation. But if you're #217 on the library waiting list in early December, you might be inclined to say, "Just buy me a copy"

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. The Light We Carry, by Michelle Obama
2. What If? 2, by Randall Munroe
3. An Immense World, by Ed Yong
4. Smitten Kitchen Keepers, by Deb Perelman
5. The Philosophy of Modern Song, by Bob Dylan
6. What's for Dessert?, by Claire Saffitz (signed copies still available)
7. The Book of Days, by Patti Smith
8. Stuff They Don't Want You to Know, by Ben Bowlin, Matt Frederick, Noel Brown
9. Surrender, by Bono
10. Dinners with Ruth, by Nina Totenberg
11. Crying in H Mart, by Michelle Zauner
12. And There Was Light, by Jon Meacham
13. The Revolutionary, by Stacy Schiff
14. We Don't Know Ourselves, by Fintan O'Toole
15. Go-To Dinners, by Ina Garten

No question, this season is not like the years before COVID. Lots of out-of-stocks and just-in-times did not pay off. And because the printers and warehouses are struggling, even promised two-day shipping will only work if they can process the order. At the same time, many customers' expectations have reverted to "normal" - late shopping with the expectation that stores are overstocked in everything, which is partly due to early media and pundit stories. And yes, mass merchants have too much beachwear and shorts, if that's what you were planning to buy!

Another category that tends to be fourth quarter-driven is offbeat reference books. Our top 15 reflects two - What If? 2 and Stuff They Don't Want You to Know, which is sort of an almanac of conspiracy theories. I should also note it's a podcast, which helps break out so many bestsellers nowadays. Further down our list is Atlas of Forgotten Places - 2022 is not as map-heavy as some previous years for bestsellers. We have good stock on all three titles. 

Paperback Fiction:
1. Ukrainian American Poets Respond, edited by Olena Jennings
2. The Sleeping Car Porter, by Suzette Mayr (Register for January 10 event here)
3. The Sentence, by Louise Erdrich
4. Still Life, by Sarah Winman
5. Black Cake, by Charmaine Wilkerson
6. Legends and Lattes, by Travis Baldree
7. Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
8. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
9. Cloud Cuckoo Land, by Anthony Doerr
10. The House in the Cerulean Sea, by TJ Klune

Just a year ago I wasn't aware of the subgenre cozy fantasy, even though we were already selling The House in the Cerulean Sea so well (2022 sales are close to 2021, but probably will not eclipse them). Now with the breakout of Legends and Lattes, I'm curious as to whether our buyer is thinking about a cozy fantasy subcategory. My thought is that maybe it would make more sense to breakout mysteries cozies first, which also have a dedicated fan base and also have a formerly self-published book doing well in the market (#17's Shady Hollow). We'll find out his thoughts in 2023.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Brewtown Tales, by John Gurda
2. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
3. Cream City Chronicles, by John Gurda
4. Heart Speak, by Sherill Knezel
5. Entangled Life, by Merlin Sheldrake
6. Nudge: The Final Edition, by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein
7. Fuzz, by Mary Roach
8. 111 Places in Milwaukee You Must Not Miss, by Michelle Madden
9. All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days, by Rebecca Donner
10. Empire of Pain, by Patrick Radden Keefe

I think 2022 might be the first year since the 2015 publication that Braiding Sweetgrass will sell less at Boswell than it did the year before. But to be clear - it's very close. One book that did more than double sales in its second year of paperback publication is Merlin Sheldrake's Entangled Life. Firmly entrenched on our mushroom table (it's not up now - too many holiday and year-end displays) and our well-shopped award case, plus a strong staff rec from Oli, helped drive momentum.

Books for Kids:
1. Will We Always Hold Hands?, by Christopher Cheng, illustrations by Stephen Michael King
2. Farmhouse, by Sophie Blackall
3. Meanwhile Back on Earth, by Oliver Jeffers
4. The Book of Questions, by Pablo Neruda, illustrations by Paloma Valdivia, translated by Sara Lissa Paulson
5. The Snowy Day board book, by Ezra Jack Keats
6. Britannica's Baby Encyclopedia, by Sally Symes, illustrations by Hanako Clulow
7. Unstoppable Us V1: How Humans Took Over the World, by Yuval Noah Harari, illustrations by Richard Zaplana Ruiz
8. The Three Billy Goats Gruff, by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen
9. Collaborations V4: Cat Kid Comic Club, by Dav Pilkey
10. Peekaboo Moon, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Angela Arrhenius

In the past I would separate this list out in the weeks of Christmas to multiple lists, notably separating pictures books and board books from middle grade and YA, but well, I clearly skipped that step this year. And in a way, not doing this makes one holiday trend clearer - in the week's leading up to Christmas, our picture book sales surge, particularly our staff suggestions. Our #1 title, Will We Always Hold Hands?, is also Jen's buyers pick for the fall, and features a rat and a panda contemplating their friendship. Cheng is a Sydney based writer who is Co-Chair of the International Advisory Board for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

There's no question that many of our customers feel more comfortable buying books for younger kids than for older ones, which might be a reason why the middle grade titles don't kick in until further down the bestseller list, and there's no YA book (12 and up) in our top 25 this week. I have theories! But board books? That's another story. Jen's pick, the Britannica's Baby Encyclopedia, is selling very well out of our newsletter and is a fun book to talk about too. It's an oversized board book that mimics an encyclopedia in its breadth of topics. I have no idea how practical it is, but I can't imagine a better shower gift. It screams smart baby!

Last event blog of the year! Hannah Morrissey for The Widowmaker, Rachel Kapelke-Dale at Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, Olena Jennings for Ukrainian-American Poets Respond, Sarah Winman for Still Life (virtual), and John Gurda signing at Boswell

Conversation, conversation, conversation, conversation, signing! 

Hannah Morrissey, author of The Widowmaker
in conversation with Carissa Greve, in-person at Boswell
Monday, December 12, 6:30 pm - click here to register. 

Boswell welcomes the return of Wisconsin thriller author Hannah Morrissey, who joins us for a Thrillwaukee evening featuring her new novel, The Widowmaker, in which a wealthy family shrouded in scandal, a detective with an impossible cold case and a woman with a dark past collide in Black Harbor, Wisconsin. In conversation with Carissa Greve, The Grim Readers Bookstagrammer and BookToker.

Ever since business mogul Clive Reynolds disappeared, the name Reynolds has become synonymous with murder and mystery. Lured by a cryptic note, Morgan Mori returns home to Black Harbor and into a web of their family secrets and double lives. As Morgan exposes her own dark demons, could her sordid history be the key to unlocking more than one mystery?

How about this praise from The House Across the Lake author Riley Sager: "The Widowmaker confirms Hannah Morrisey's status as one of the brightest new voices in crime fiction. An unflinching look at two damaged people trying to do right in a world full of wrong, told in scalpel-sharp prose with a poet's eye for detail."

Wisconsin’s Hannah Morrissey is author of Hello, Transcriber. She studied writing at UW-Madison.

Daniel: How crazy is it that our two author's with local ties publish their second books on the same day from the same publisher - Minotaur is the mystery imprint of St. Martin's Press. 

Rachel Kapelke-Dale, author of The Ingenue

in conversation with Brynn Teaman, in-person at Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, 1584 N Prospect Ave
Tuesday, December 13, 6:30 pm - click here to register. 

Boswell hosts a special event featuring Milwaukee native Rachel Kapelke-Dale, author of The Ingenue, in conversation with Brynn Teaman. My Dark Vanessa meets The Queen's Gambit in Kapelke-Dale’s novel of suspense about piano prodigy who returns home to Milwaukee and discovers the risks of ambition, and the rewards of revenge.

For this special event, St. Martin's Press has rented the lot at 1684 N. Prospect Ave. (Milwaukee Eye Care Associates) for attendees. 

When former piano prodigy Saskia Kreis returns to Milwaukee after her mother's unexpected death, she expects to inherit the family estate, the Elf House. But with the discovery that her mother's will bequeathed the Elf House to a man that Saskia shares a complicated history with, she is forced to reexamine her own past - and the romantic relationship that changed the course of her life - for answers. Can she find a way to claim her heritage while keeping her secrets buried, or will the fallout from digging too deep destroy her?

Set against a post #MeToo landscape, The Ingenue delves into mother-daughter relationships, the expectations of talent, the stories we tell ourselves, and what happens when the things that once made you special are taken from you. Moving between Saskia's childhood and the present day, this dark, contemporary fairy tale pulses with desire, longing, and uncertainty, as it builds to its spectacular, shocking climax.

Rachel Kapelke-Dale is author of The Ballerinas and co-author of Graduates in Wonderland. Kapelke-Dale spent years in intensive ballet training before receiving a BA from Brown University, an MA from the Université de Paris VII, and a PhD from University College London.

A note from Daniel: This mansion in this book is inspired by a real house on Lake Drive, but the story surrounding it is completely made up.

Olena Jennings, editor of Ukrainian-American Poets Respond
in conversation with Krystia Nora, in-person at Boswell
Wednesday, December 14, 6:30 pm - click here to register. 

Boswell hosts Olena Jennings, editor of Ukrainian American Poets Respond, a book that encompasses 29 poets' responses to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in the spring of 2022. In conversation with Krystia Nora, of Wisconsin Ukrainians, our event cosponsor. Wisconsin Ukrainians is a nonprofit organization founded to help connect Ukrainians in our state, share and celebrate the Ukrainian culture, and help provide support to important causes in Ukraine. They will be joined by anthology contributor Valya Dudycz Lupescu.

Ukrainian American Poets Respond collects work by poets from Boston to Austin, New York to Chicago, including names recognized in Ukraine such as Oksana Lutsyshyna and Serhiy Zhadan as well as rock favorite Eugene Hutz, front man for Gogol Bordello. Many poets work in English and Ukrainian, but included are poets who also work in other languages. The poems range in style from lyrical to narrative to song. Some poems create a dialogue with Ukrainian literature, while others address events in the United States.

Editor Olena Jennings is the author of the poetry collection Songs from an Apartment and the chapbook Memory Project. She holds an MFA from Columbia University and an MA from the University of Alberta. She is the founder and curator of the Poets of Queens reading series.

Sarah Winman, author of Still Life
in conversation with Daniel Goldin and Lisa Baudoin for a virtual event
Friday, December 16, 2 pm - click here to register. 

Readings from Oconomowaukee, the virtual event series we host in partnership with Books & Company of Oconomowoc, features Sarah Winman, who joins us virtually from the UK for the December edition. Winman will chat about her novel Still Life, a captivating, bighearted, richly tapestried novel of people brought together by love, war, art, flood, and the ghost of EM Forster. Please note this is a spoiler-friendly event, which means, yes, you can ask about plot twists and the ending.

Tuscany, 1944: As Allied troops advance and bombs sink villages, a young English soldier, Ulysses Temper, finds himself in the wine cellar of a deserted villa. There, he has a chance encounter with Evelyn Skinner, a middle-aged art historian intent on salvaging paintings from the ruins. In each other, Ulysses and Evelyn find a kindred spirit amidst the rubble of war-torn Italy and paint a course of events that will shape Ulysses’s life for the next four decades. With beautiful prose, extraordinary tenderness, and bursts of humor and light, Still Life is a sweeping portrait of unforgettable individuals who come together to make a family, and a deeply drawn celebration of beauty and love in all its forms.

From Ron Charles in The Washington Post: "A tonic for wanderlust and a cure for loneliness. It’s that rare, affectionate novel that makes one feel grateful to have been carried along. Unfurling with no more hurry than a Saturday night among old friends, the story celebrates the myriad ways love is expressed and families are formed... The novel never feels anything less than captivating because Winman creates such a flawless illusion of spontaneity, an atmosphere capable of sustaining these characters’ macabre wit, comedy of manners and poignant longing."

A special Daniel note: Our book club loved this book (with only one exception)! It starts a bit slow, but don't give up - by the end, you'll love it! It's the perfect holiday gift, celebrating the joy of friendship, family (both the one you're given and the one you find), and artistic creation. 

Sarah Winman is author of the novels Tin Man, A Year of Marvelous Ways, and When God Was a Rabbit.

Book Signing - John Gurda, author of Brewtown Tales: More Stories from Milwaukee and Beyond at Boswell
Saturday, December 17, 2pm

John Gurda, the premier chronicler of Cream City history, will be at Boswell for an afternoon book signing. Get copies of his latest book, Brewtown Tales, autographed along with any other of Gurda’s many Milwaukee titles. The only gift better than a John Gurda book for the Brew City history buff in your life is an autographed John Gurda book!

No registration required, but we highly recommend you purchase a copy of Brewtown Tales (and any other Gurda books you want) in advance to make sure we have a copy for you. You can designate picking it up at the bookstore on the afternoon of the program.

Drawing from Gurda’s long-running Sunday Milwaukee Journal Sentinel column, Brewtown Tales contains an assortment of captivating stories about the city. Readers will find in these pages the biography of a bridge, a requiem for a union, odes to both autumn and spring, a poem about aging, tales of two shipwrecks, a frank take on segregation, a visit to a junkyard, and memories of the summer of ’68, among many other things. With Gurda’s characteristic wit and eye for detail, these essays convey the distinctive flavors of Milwaukee, as well as a few more exotic places, from Vilas County to Vietnam.

John Gurda is author of twenty-three books, including Cream City Chronicles, Milwaukee: A City Built on Water, The Making of Milwaukee, and Milwaukee: City of Neighborhoods. Click here to see a full list of available Gurda titles.

A note from Daniel: Don't wait for the event to buy your copy (or copies) of Brewtown Tales. The publisher is out of stock and we may run out at the signing!

Photo credits

Hannah Morrissey by Tracy Koeper Hungry Heart Photography

Olena Jennings by Iryna Sosnovska
Sarah Winman by Patricia Niven
John Gurda by Max Thomsen

Boswell bestsellers for the week ending December 10, 2022

Boswell bestsellers for the week ending December 10, 2022

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver
2. Stella Maris, by Cormac McCarthy
3. A World of Curiosities, by Louise Penny
4. Liberation Day, by George Saunders
5. Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus
6. The Ingenue, by Rachel Kapelke-Dale (Register for December 13 offsite event here)
7. Musical Tables, by Billy Collins
8. The Passenger, by Cormac McCarthy
9. The Marriage Portrait, by Maggie O'Farrell
10. Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt

Penguin Random House holds six of our top ten bestselling titles, with Knopf claiming two slots for Cormac McCarthy and one for Maggie O'Farrell's The Marriage Portrait, my sister's current book club book and also the current selection of the Reese's Book Club (shockingly enough, not at pub month!) Our sales are great, but they still are dwarfed by Hamnet,  which was a virtual event, and being in the midst of COVID, was the lucky recipient of Boswell selling more copies, but of fewer books. Browsing really spreads sales out over more books.

It took four weeks, but Bill Collins muscles into the top ten with his Musical Tables, a collection of bite-sized poems. Once again, not sure why it's not a Book Marks title, but looking through searches, I can't really find any reviews, but here's Scott Simon talking to Collins on Weekend Edition.

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. An Immense World, by Ed Yong
2. The Light We Carry, by Michelle Obama
3. The Number Ones, by Tom Breihan
4. The Book of Days, by Patti Smith
5. Smitten Kitchen Keepers, by Deb Perelman
6. Dinners with Ruth, by Nina Totenberg
7. Birds and Us, by Tim Birkhead (Register for January 18 virtual event here)
8. Atlas of the Heart, by Brené Brown
9. Number One is Walking, by Steve Martin, illustrations by Harry Bliss
10. The Philosophy of Modern Song, by Bob Dylan

Surprise! A hardcover nonfiction book, without an event or a bulk order, is outselling Michelle Obama. An Immense World has been popular at Boswell since its release and showing up on two big best-of lists (top ten on both The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal) didn't hurt.

I mentioned a few week's ago that cookbooks have a particularly strong fourth quarter, but another genre that tends to save a lot of heavy hitters (especially ones that skew a little older) for this season is music. We've got three in the top ten, from Patti Smith, Bob Dylan, and the one I'm pushing, Tom Breihan's The Number Ones, not to be confused with Steve Martin's Number One Is Walking: My Life in Movies and Other Diversions. And come to think of it, Martin once hit Billboard's top 20 with a comic song from a Saturday Night Live sketch. Plus all those banjo bits. But I don't think he counts.

Paperback Fiction:
1. The Wizard's Dream, by Louisa Loveridge Gallas
2. The Sleeping Car Porter, by Suzette Mayr (Register for January 10 virtual event here)
3. The Drifter, by Nick Petrie 

4. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, by Sangu Mandanna (Watch Rachel's video event here)
5. Still Life, by Sarah Winman (Register for December 16 virtual event here)
6. The Thursday Murder Club V1, by Richard Osman
7. Circe, by Madeline Miller
8. A Child's Christmas in Wales, by Dylan Thomas
9. Cloud Cuckoo Land, by Anthony Doerr
10. The House in the Cerulean Sea, by TJ Klune

We're trying to up our virtual events for January and February to two a week (when we can!), and the nice thing is that for books that are already out, we're also seeing benefits in holiday sales. Birds and Us (on the hardcover nonfiction list), The Sleeping Car Porter, and Still Life (both on this list) are all doing nicely and with good reason - they are great books! It's also nice to see fall event favorite The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches continuing to place here. We just looked up sales on Edelweiss and we're in the top five for indie bookstore sales for Sangu Mandanna's adult debut.

Paperback Nonfiction event:
1. Brewtown Tales, by John Gurda
2. Fuzz, by Mary Roach
3. Cream City Chronicles, by John Gurda
4. The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel van der Kolk
5. An Entangled Life, by Merlin Sheldrake
6. These Precious Days, by Ann Patchett
7. A Short History of Queer Womenn, by Kirsty Loehr
8. Happy Holiday Book of Mini-Crosswords, from The New York Times
9. Wisconsin Waters, by Scott Spoolman
10. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer

A Shory History of Queer Women was selling steadily since its November 1 release, but had a nice pop in sales this week. At first I thought this was from the Random House One World imprint, but no, it's distributed by Simon and Schuster and is a UK publisher (that by the way, has the UK rights for The Rabbit Hutch). Is Oneworld being one word enough to distinguish it from One World? Being that we had a discussion about whether books could have the same title (they can, but someone argued they shouldn't, referencing Still Life), I guess everything is up for grabs. Some references come up to podcast interviews, but goodness they are hard to find on search engines - it's an impulse buy off our paperback tables.

Speaking of same names, here's a shout out to a different Daniel Goldin and his label, Exploding in Sound Records. 

Books for Kids:
1. A Place to Belong: Debbie Friedman Sings Her Way Home, by Deborah Lakritz, illustrations by Julie Castano (signed copies available)
2. Green Is for Christmas, by Drew Daywalt, illustrations by Oliver Jeffers
3. The Crayons' Christmas, by Drew Daywalt, illustrations by Oliver Jeffers
4. The Three Billy Goats Gruff, by Mac Barnett, illustrations by Jon Classen
5. The Greatest in the World, by Ben Clanton
6. The Snowy Day board book, by Ezra Jack Keats
7. Farmhouse, by Sophie Blackall
8. Collaborations V4: Cat Kid Comic Club, by Dav Pilkey
9. Meanwhile Back on Earth, by Oliver Jeffers
10. Peekaboo Love, by Camilla Reid

Oliver Jeffers may not have had an event at Boswell, but a visit from Green Crayon was enough for him to get three books in our kids top ten. His latest picture book is Meanwhile Back on Earth...Finding Our Place in Time and Space, which is one of Jen's picks. Billed as "a cosmic view on conflict," the editor notes: "This book is based on a huge installation exhibit Oliver created that is traveling the world, showing people just how far the Earth is from other planetary objects - and just how special it is that we’re all living here"

Four events coming up: John Gurda at Best Place (SOLD OUT), Deborah Lakritz for A Place to Belong, The Green Crayon story time, and Hannah Morrissey for The Widowmaker

The December 6 event with John Gurda is sold out. There is a Boswell book signing for Brewtown Tales on December 17. There is also a Historic Milwaukee Zoom event on December 13.

Wednesday, December 7, 6:30 pm

Deborah Lakritz, author of A Place to Belong: Debbie Friedman Sings Her Way Home
in-person at Boswell - click here to register. Light snacks will be served. 

Boswell presents an evening with Milwaukee author of books for children Deborah Lakritz, author of the new picture book biography A Place to Belong: Debbie Friedman Sings Her Way Home. Lakritz’s book is a lyrical, uplifting story about how Jewish singer and songwriter Debbie Friedman got her start as a musician.

Debbie’s voice soars with passion. Her eyes sparkle with life. Everyone cheers. Debbie Friedman is one of the most famous Jewish musicians of our time. But at the start of her journey, she was just a girl looking for a place to belong. Through music, she learned how to connect with her feelings, her heritage, and her community. Now her music belongs to the world, and Debbie does too.

Deborah Lakritz has a master's degree in social work from the University of Minnesota. Her previous books include Say Hello, Lily (Kar-Ben), and Joey and the Giant Box.

Saturday, December 10, 11 am

The Green Crayon, star of Green Is for Christmas
in-crayon at Boswell - click here to register! 

Boswell hosts a Saturday morning visit from the Green Crayon, hero of the latest book in the Crayons series, Green is for Christmas, in which the crayons get into a fight over who is the true color of Christmas.

This event will feature a story time, and then Green Crayon will sign crayon books with his special green stamp. And best of all, Green Crayon will pose for photos with your kids or the whole family, creating memories you can cherish all year long. 

Following in the footsteps of The Grinch, Bad Kitty, Elephant and Piggie, and Bruce the Bear, all of whom have appeared at Boswell events, we’ll be hosting Green Crayon (Esteban), the star of the breakout bestseller, The Day the Crayons Quit and the new release, Green Is for Christmas.

When Green Crayon claims that green is the only color for Christmas, other crayons let him know that there would be no Christmas without them either. No candy canes or Santa without Red, no snow without White, no bells or stars without Silver, and no cookies or reindeer without Tan. The crayons agree that they all need to come together to make Christmas special. It’s the perfect stocking stuffer!

Monday, December 12, 6:30 pm

Hannah Morrissey, author of The Widowmaker
in conversation with Carissa Greve, in-person at Boswell - click here to register! 

Boswell welcomes the return of Wisconsin thriller author Hannah Morrissey, who joins us for a Thrillwaukee evening featuring her new novel, The Widowmaker, in which a wealthy family shrouded in scandal, a detective with an impossible cold case and a woman with a dark past collide in Black Harbor, Wisconsin. In conversation with Carissa Greve, The Grim Readers Bookstagrammer and BookToker.

Ever since business mogul Clive Reynolds disappeared, the name Reynolds has become synonymous with murder and mystery. Lured by a cryptic note, Morgan Mori returns home to Black Harbor and into a web of their family secrets and double lives. As Morgan exposes her own dark demons, could her sordid history be the key to unlocking more than one mystery?

How about this praise from The House Across the Lake author Riley Sager: "The Widowmaker confirms Hannah Morrisey's status as one of the brightest new voices in crime fiction. An unflinching look at two damaged people trying to do right in a world full of wrong, told in scalpel-sharp prose with a poet's eye for detail."

Wisconsin’s Hannah Morrissey is author of Hello, Transcriber. She studied writing at UW-Madison.

Photo credits
John Gurda by Max Thomsen
Hannah Morrissey by Tracy Koeper Hungry Heart Photography

Boswell bestsellers for the week ending December 3, 2022

Boswell bestsellers for the week ending December 3, 2022

Hardcover Fiction:
1. A World of Curiosities, by Louise Penny
2. All This Could Be Different, by Sara Thankam Mathews
3. Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver
4. Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus
5. Liberation Day, by George Saunders
6. The Passenger, by Cormac McCarthy
7. Horse, by Geraldine Brooks
8. Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt
9. Our Missing Hearts, by Celeste Ng
10. Foster, by Claire Keegan

Readers have been anxiously awaiting Louise Penny's latest, A World of Curiosities. Her almost December pub date is a repeat of a publishing strategy from several years ago for 2018's Kingdom of the Blind. To us, this is not a negative - that book was one of our biggest Penny sellers. From Tom Nolan in The Wall Street Journal: "This is a spooky and sometimes hair-raising book, perhaps Ms. Penny’s best. It offers a fine balance of humane values, spellbinding prose, Dickensian revelations and nail-biting suspense."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Bar Menu, by Andre Darlington
2. The Light We Carry, by Michelle Obama
3. How to Navigate Life, by Belle Liang and Timothy Klein
4. What's for Dessert?, by Claire Saffitz
5. The Number Ones, by Tom Breihan
6. Surrender, by Bono
7. An Immense World, by Ed Yong
8. Dinners with Ruth, by Nina Totenberg
9. Stay True, by Hua Hsu
10. Smitten Kitchen Keepers, by Deb Perelman

I have gone on at length about how much I love Tom Breihan's The Number Ones, but apparently I didn't have enough faith in my judgment to bring enough copies to the Shorewood Public Library fundraiser yesterday - I sold out and had requests for two more. I love his voice, and so appreciate the way he turns each song into a culturally historic moment. I asked him if he was sad that he could use any particular songs because they did not hit #1 and he immediately came up with two - "Shop Around," by The Miracles, and "Material Girl," by Madonna.

Paperback Fiction:
1. Once Upon a December, by Amy E Reichert
2. Entry Level, by Wendy Wimmer
3. Black Cake, by Charmaine Wilkerson
4. Circe, by Madeline Miller
5. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
6. Legends and Lattes, by Travis Baldree
7. Bewilderment, by Richard Powers
8. A Court of Thorn and Roses, by Sarah J Maas
9. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, by Sangu Mandanna
10. Still Life, by Sarah Winman (Register for December 16 virtual event here)

You've heard of cozy mysteries, but maybe not cozy fantasies. It appears to be a flourishing genre, with Legenda and Lattes the latest in this subgenre. It's being championed by Oli at Boswell, but the book is also on the ABA indie bookstore bestseller list as well. From Booklist: "Legends and Lattes is a novel, and shop, that will delight anyone who enjoys coffee-shop alternate universes, slow-burn romances, and the vindication of friendship."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Brewtown Tales, by John Gurda (September 17 signing at Boswell - we suggest you preorder your copy)
2. The Book of Delights, by Ross Gay
3. Vegan Cooking for Two, by America's Test Kitchen
4. These Precious Days, by Ann Patchett
5. Lost and Found, by Kathryn Schulz
6. Woodrow on the Bench, by Jenna Blum
7. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
8. The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel van der Kolk
9. Milwaukee Scavenger, by Jenna Kashou
10. Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid, by Thor Hanson

I was convinced that America's Test Kitchen's Vegan Cooking for Two: 200+ Recipes for Everything You Love to Eat was some sort of bulk order, but no, that's all individual sales. I think the pop in sales came from a NPR Morning Edition piece where Jack Bishop (who has appeared at Boswell!) shared a recipe for plant-based meat chili with A Martínez. From Bishop: "I promise you when you're done with this, if you were to serve this to someone, they would think it was beef."

Books for Kids:
1. Moving to Mars, by Stef Wade, illustrations by Erin Taylor
2. Green Is for Christmas, by Drew Daywalt, illustrations by Oliver Jeffers (Meet Green Crayon on December 10)
3. Cat Kid Comic Club: Collaborations V4, by Dav Pilkey
4. The Snowy Day board book, by Ezra Jack Keats
5. Farmhouse, by Sophie Blackall
6. A Rover's Story, by Jasmine Warga
7. The Mitten board book, by Jan Brett
8. Every Little Thing, by Bob Marley, adapted by Celia Marley, illustrations by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
9. Where Butterflies Fill the Sky, by Zahra Marwan
10. Will We Always Hold Hands?, by Christopher Cheng

In Will We Always Hold Hands?, one of Jen's holiday picks (she calls it the perfect "I love you" picture book"), a rat and a panda discuss their friendship as they traverse different terrains. Kirkus called this "Simultaneously quietly soothing yet deeply empowering - a friendship tale for the ages." And from School Library Journal, when questioning Rat's pessimism: "Bear's answers ring with sincerity and convey how connection and memories can be treasured beyond compare and will remain unbroken."

Four events this week: Tom Breihan for The Number Ones (virtual), Amy Reichert for Once Upon a December (at Boswell), Wendy Wimmer for Entry Level (at Boswell), and the Shorewood Public Library Holiday Book Talk featuring Daniel Goldin

Tuesday, November 29, 7 pm

Tom Breihan, author of The Number Ones: Twenty Chart-Topping Hits That Reveal the History of Pop Music
in conversation with Daniel Goldin for a virtual event - click here to register.

Beloved music critic and Stereogum Senior Editor Tom Breihan joins us for a conversation about his new book, The Number Ones, a fascinating narrative of the history of popular music through the lens of game-changing #1 singles from the Billboard Hot 100. In conversation with Daniel Goldin of Boswell. Cosponsored by Lilliput Records, the new record store on Farwell off Brady, run by Exclusive Company veterans.

Special offer - five lucky people who register and attend our virtual event will win a Lilliput Records $10 gift card. 

Breihan launched his Sterogum column, "The Number Ones," figuring he’d post capsule-size reviews
for each song, but discovered was so much more to uncover. The column, in which he has been writing about every #1 hit in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 in chronological order, has taken on a life of its own, sparking online debate and occasional death threats. The Billboard Hot 100 began in 1958, and after four years of posting the column, Breihan has written into the early aughts. But readers no longer have to wait for his brilliant synthesis of what the history of #1s has meant to music and our culture. In The Number Ones, Breihan writes about twenty pivotal #1s throughout chart history, revealing a remarkably fluid and connected story of music that is as entertaining as it is enlightening.

Here is Billboard Hot 100 enthusiast Daniel Goldin’s take on Breihan’s book: "I am completely obsessed with Tom Breihan’s 'Number Ones' column in Stereogum. What started as capsule summaries have now turned into essays that almost always have something interesting to say about pop music and popular culture in general. But was this enough to make a book? You bet it was! Breihan looks at 20 particularly influential songs and the artists that created them and offers original-to-this-book essays that dig even deeper than his column. I’m sure there will be arguments about who made the cut, who was left out, and when it came to some of the artists, whether this was their move-the-needle #1, or was it another cut? And there’s always the problem of those groundbreakers, like Bob Dylan, who never got higher than #2 on the singles chart. The key here is that it doesn’t matter if you know the songs or not, especially now that you can listen to just about anything almost instantly. No less than enthralling!”

Tom Breihan is the senior editor at the music website Stereogum, and has written for Pitchfork, the Village Voice, and the Ringer, among other outlets.

Wednesday, November 30, 6:30 pm

Amy E Reichert, author of Once Upon a December
in-person at Boswell - click here to register.

Boswell is so pleased to host an evening featuring Wisconsinite Amy E Reichert, author of novels such as The Simplicity of Cider and The Kindred Spirits Supper Club, for a conversation about her newest book, Once Upon a December, in which a trip to the Milwaukee Christmas market offers holiday magic and romance.

With a name like Astra Noel Snow, holiday spirit isn’t just a seasonal specialty, it’s a way of life. But after a stinging divorce, Astra’s yearly trip to the Milwaukee Christmas market takes on a whole new meaning. For Jack Clausen, the Julemarked with its snowy lights and charming shops stays the same, while the world outside the joyful street changes, magically leaping from one December to the next every four weeks. He’s never minded living this charmed existence until Astra shows him the life he’s been missing outside of the festive red brick alley. After a swoon-worthy series of dates, some Yuletide magic, and the unexpected glow of new love, Astra and Jack must decide whether this relationship can weather all seasons, or if what they’re feeling is as ephemeral as marshmallows in a mug of hot cocoa.

Jenny Bayliss, author of Meet Me Under the Mistletoe, says: "For all those who still revel in the enchantment of the festive season, this is the book for you. Friendships, romance and magical Christmas markets abound in this feel-good novel." And from Christina Lauren, author of In A Holidaze: "Delightful in every possible way! With Reichert's trademark bone-deep wisdom threaded beautifully throughout a riotous, otherworldly, and marvelously unexpected novel, Once Upon a December is an absolutely perfect holiday hug."

Amy E Reichert is author of novels such as The Coincidence of Coconut Cake, The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go, and Luck, Love & Lemon Pie. She earned an MA in English Literature, serves on her library’s board of directors, and is a member of Tall Poppy writers.

Thursday, December 1, 6:30 pm

Wendy Wimmer, author of Entry Level: Stories
in conversation with Christina Clancy, in-person at Boswell - click here to register. 

Wisconsinite Wendy Wimmer visits Boswell in-person for a conversation about her debut story collection, Entry Level, winner of the Autumn House Fiction Prize. Wimmer’s book offers up tales of characters trying to find their way through the struggles of underemployment. In conversation with Christina Clancy, author of Shoulder Season and The Second Home.

In Entry Level, characters are trying to find, assert, or salvage their identities. Wimmer pushes the boundaries of reality, creating stories that are funny, fantastic, and at times terrifying as her characters undergo feats of endurance, heartbreak, and loneliness while trying to succeed in a world that undervalues them. From a young marine biologist suffering from imposter syndrome to a haunting to a bingo caller facing another brutal snowstorm, Wimmer’s characters confront a universe that is, at best, indifferent to them. These stories reflect on the difficulties of modern-day survival and remind us that piecing together a life demands both hope and resilience.

National Book Award finalist Deesha Philyaw says: "In the world of Entry Level, no job is too small, nor is it ever just a job. In cities and across rural landscapes and dreamscapes, we find clerks and corpses, mothers and daughters, cruise entertainers and scientists, grappling with longing and loss. The stories are, at turns, heartfelt and hilarious, wry and whimsical, full of magic and mayhem. These are well-crafted love stories, ghost stories, and stories of everyday people just trying to navigate life’s cruelties and impossibilities. Wimmer writes with an intimacy and immediacy that take you down a fresh rabbit hole from the first line, each time. Each tale is as smart, exquisite, and surprising as the next. I really didn’t want this collection to end!"

Wendy Wimmer earned an MA in Creative Writing at UWM, and her work has been published in Barrelhouse, The Believer, Blackbird, and several other journals.

Saturday, December 3, 11 am

Shorewood Public Library Holiday Book Talk featuring Daniel Goldin
in-person at Shorewood Public Library, 3920 N Murray Ave

The Friends of Shorewood Public Library present Boswell Book Company's proprietor Daniel Goldin for a presentation on the best books to look for during the holiday season. Daniel is known for giving interesting and varied suggestions, perfect for discerning readers. Cohosted by Boswell.

Books will be available for purchase, and a portion of the sales supporting the Friends of the Shorewood Public Library. This is the perfect opportunity to shop for book lovers on your list - including yourself! For more information about this event and the Library, click here to visit the Shorewood Public Library’s event page on their website now.

Boswell bestsellers, week ending November 26, 2022

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus
2. Liberation Day, by George Saunders
3. Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver
4. Foster, by Claire Keegan
5. Our Missing Hearts, by Celeste Ng
6. Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt
7. The Boys from Biloxi, by John Grisham
8. Horse, by Geraldine Brooks
9. Ithaca, by Claire North
10. The Marriage Portrait, by Maggie O'Farrell

Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These was one of our breakout books of 2021 and it looks like Foster is following in its footsteps. Originally published as a shorter piece in The New Yorker in 2010 and released in the UK and Ireland as a stand-alone novella, it has been named one of the Times (UK) 50 great novels of the 21st century, with David Mitchell calling it "as good as Chekhov."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. What's for Dessert?, by Claire Saffitz
2. Modern Classic Cocktails, by Robert Simonson
3. The Light We Carry, by Michelle Obama
4. I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
5. The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams, by Stacy Mitchell
6. Go-To Dinners, by Ina Garten
7. Smitten Kitchen Keepers, by Deb Perelman
8. American Midnight, by Adam Hochschild
9. A Book of Days, by Patti Smith
10. Crying in H Mart, by Michelle Zauner

Smitten Kitchen Keepers: New Classic from Your Forever Files is the new book from Deb Perelman. From Neal Wyatt for Library Journal: "In her third cookbook, Perelman returns with a gathering of the best versions of her key dishes - recipes that she has tested, trialed, and tweaked until they became what she wants her kids and readers to learn by heart and cook with delight... The book is a joy to read, with Perelman’s confiding, cheering voice showcased in short prefaces and recipe notes."

Paperback Fiction:
1. Once Upon a December, by Amy E. Reichert (Last call for November 30 in-person event-register here)
2. The Art of the Break, by Mary Wimmer
3. The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, by Shehan Karunatilaka
4. Kiss Her Once for Me, by Alison Cochrun
5. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, by Sangu Mandanna
6. Still Life, by Sarah Winman (Register for December 16 virtual event - register here)
7. The Family Chao, by Lan Samantha Chang
8. A Child's Christmas in Wales, by Dylan Thomas
9. The Priory of the Orange Tree, by Samantha Shannon
10. Crossroads, by Jonathan Franzen

Is A Child's Christmas in Wales the literary equivalent of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You"? It shows up most years on our bestseller list. They reissued the 1954 edition this year, so we switched to that, after several years of stocking a 2016 edition with illustrations from the person who did Pablo Neruda's Love Poems - I can't find the artist of either edition anywhere, alas.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Brewtown Tales, by John Gurda (December 6 event sold out - no registration required for December 17, 2 pm signing at Boswell)
2. Cream City Chronicles, by John Gurda
3. Heart Speak, by Sherrill Knezel
4. Ejaculate Responsibly, by Gabrielle Blair
5. Entangled Life, by Merlin Sheldrake
6. The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel van der Kolk
7. Pastoral Song, by James Rebanks
8. These Precious Days, by Ann Patchett
9. Say Nothing, by Patrick Radden Keefe
10. The Book of Delights, by Ross Gay

From Malcolm Forbes in The Wall Street Journal: "James Rebanks’s The Shepherd’s Life was an illuminating, warts-and-all memoir about working as a sheep farmer in the Lake District in northern England - an area that Wordsworth termed “a perfect Republic of Shepherds.” Six years on, Mr. Rebanks has returned with a second autobiographical work - not about a shepherd’s life but, as its subtitle has it, a farmer’s journey. Pastoral Song chronicles Mr. Rebanks’s development from youth to adult and from novice to full-fledged farmer. Superbly written and deeply insightful, the book captivates the reader until the journey’s end."

Books for Kids:
1. Construction Site: Farming Strong, All Year Long, by Sherri Deskey Rinker
2. Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site, by Sherri Duskey Rinker
3. The Tower of Life, by Chana Stiefel, illustrations by Susan Gal
4. Diper Overlode V17, by Jeff Kinney
5. Scattered Showers, by Rainbow Rowell
6. The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats
7. Moo Baa Fa La La La La, by Sandra Boynton
8. Snowscape, by Yoojin Kim
9. Noodle and the No Bones Day, by Jonathan Graziano with illustrations by Dan Tavis
10. Green Is for Charismas, by Drew Daywalt, illustrations by Oliver Jeffers (Meet Green Crayon - Saturday, December 10, 11 am, at Boswell - register here)

Jen's pop-up book pick for the year is Snowscape by Yoojin Kim, who neither wrote the story (that's Nicole Yen) nor did the artwork (illustrations by Kathryn Selbert) but did the pop-up engineering, the job that generally gets top billing in this genre. It was interesting for me to figure out that Jumping Jack Press is part of Up with Paper, a popular pop-up card line we've carried in the past.