Boswell bestsellers, week ending September 14, 2024

Boswell bestsellers, week ending September 14, 2024

Hardcover Fiction:
1. By Any Other Name, by Jodi Picoult (signed copies)
2. Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt
3. James, by Percival Everett
4. Somewhere Beyond the Sea V2, by TJ Klune
5. Tell Me Everything, by Elizabeth Strout
6. Creation Lake, by Rachel Kushner
7. The Devil Raises His Own, by Scott Phillips (signed copies)
8. Colored Television, by Danzy Senna
9. Spirit Crossing V20, by William Kent Krueger
10. Here One Moment, by Liane Moriarty

Wow, this is the first really competitive week for hardcover fiction new releases in a long time, but none of them hit #1, outflanked by our Jodi Picoult event for By Any Other Name, to say nothing Shelby Van Pelt selling out copies as her conversation partner. The top debut is Somewhere Beyond the Sea, the latest from TJ Klune, a writer so popular even his reissued backlist is selling in bestseller numbers. It's got yellow sprayed edges, which means that the standard image we pick up from the publisher is 3D to show it off. From Library Journal: "The follow-up to The House in the Cerulean Sea is another heart-wrenching tale of being perceived as different, finding acceptance, and having a place in the world."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Experiencing the American Dream, by Mark Matson
2. The Rediscovery of America, by Ned Blackhawk
3. Little Frog's Guide to Self Care, by Maybell Eequay
4. Bone of the Bone, by Sarah Smarsh (Boswell September 19 event)
5. The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson
6. What's Next, by Melissa Fitzgerald
7. Nexus, by Yuval Noah Harari
8. Autocracy Inc, by Anne Applebaum
9. The Dane County Farmers Market Cookbook, by Terese Allen
10. The Creative Act, by Rick Rubin

Top debut with traditional sales is Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI, one of many titles about AI coming out this fall. I even read one, just not this one. Yuval Noah Harari, author of the Sapiens phenomenon, has gotten mixed reviews per BookMarks. Dennis Duncan writes in The New York Times: "After a lot of time, we have arrived at a loose proof of what we hopefully felt already: Systems that are self-correcting - because they promote conversation and mutuality - are preferable to those that offer only blind, disenfranchised subservience."

Paperback Fiction:
1. Wish You Were Here, by Jodi Picoult
2. 19 Minutes, by Jodi Picoult
3. Mad Honey, by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
4. Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver
5. The Bookshop of Hidden Dreams, by Karen Hawkins 

6. Whalefall, by Daniel Kraus
7. Some Desperate Glory, by Emily Tesh
8. My Brilliant Friend, by Elena Ferrante
9. Weyward, by Emilia Hart
10. Pay the Piper, by George A Romero and Daniel Kraus

I used the British pop chart model of only including the top 3 backlist titles on the list, avoiding flashbacks of the old New York Times list with seven Garfield titles. Had I not, we would feature eight Jodi Picoult titles. But then I wouldn't be able to note that the paperback release of Whalefall coincides with another Kraus new release, as he completes the second unfinished manuscript of classic filmmaker George A Romero. Pay the Piper got a negative Publishers Weekly, contrasted with upbeat reviews from Library Journal and Booklist, to say nothing of enthusiastic blurbs from contemporary horror greats Paul Tremblay, Grady Hendrix, Tananarive Due, and Joe Hill. From Booklist: "The pervasive unease and steady pacing will lead readers eagerly to the book's final third, where it all breaks wide open, violently revealing the epic root of the terror."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Caste, by Isabel Wilkerson
2. American Whitelash, by Wesley Lowery
3. As Long as Grass Grows, by Dina Gilio-Whitaker
4. River Profiles, by Pete Hill
5. A Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros
6. The Art Thief, by Michael Finkel
7. Murdle, by GT Karber
8. Frightful Folklore of North America, by Mike Bass (Boswell September 18 event)
9. How to Listen, by Thich Nhat Hanh
10. Awakening the Heart, by Thich Nhat Hanh

Our top debut from individual sales this week is the latest pull-out from the late Thich Nhat Hanh, How to Listen. Years ago we pulled out this series from Parallax Press and had a little chair on a table inspired by the How to Sit entry. Over half a million Mindfulness Essentials books have been sold since 2015, all illustrated by Jason DeAntonis.

Books for Kids:
1. Shot Clock V1, by Caron Butler and Justin A Reynolds
2. Clutch Time V2, by Caron Butler and Justin A Reynolds
3. The Yellow Bus, by Loren Long
4. Popcorn, by Rob Harrell (Shorewood Library event September 20)
5. Impossible Creatures, by Katherine Rundell
6. Running in Flip Flops from the End of the World, by Justin A Reynolds
7. We Are Big Time, by Hena Khan (Milwaukee Public Library event today, 2 pm)
8. Peekaboo Pumpkin, by Camilla Reid, illustrated by Ingela P Arrhenius
9. Buffalo Fluffalo, by Bess Kalb, illustrations by Erin Kraan
10. Everything We Never Had, by Randy Ribay (Wauwatosa Library event October 2)

Impossible Creatures, Katherine Rundell's detour into classic kids fantasy has been a huge success in the UK (it was the Waterstone's Book of the Year for 2023), and now it's published Stateside. Kirkus: "An epic fantasy with timeless themes and unforgettable characters." Publishers Weekly: "A boy with an affinity for animals, a girl who can fly when the wind blows, and a secreted-away world in need of saving propel this realms-roving dazzler, a trilogy opener from Rundell" School Library Journal: "A quintessential fantasy that will delight readers of all ages who can handle intense storylines." And I think, despite the 2D cover, that sprayed edges are involved.

Boswell bestsellers, week ending September 7, 2024

Boswell bestsellers, week ending September 7, 2024

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Spirit Crossing V20, by William Kent Krueger (signed copies available)
2. Creation Lake, by Rachel Kushner
3. Death at the Sign of the Rock V6, by Kate Atkinson
4. The Price You Pay V8, by Nick Petrie
5. The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore
6. James, by Percival Everett
7. Familiaris, by David Wroblewski
8. Blue Sisters, by Coco Mellors
9. Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt
10. The Life Impossible, by Matt Haig

Best reviewed fiction of the week and #1 Indie Next Pick for September is Creation Lake, by Rachel Kushner. From Ron Charles in The Washington Post: "Creation Lake bears all the hallmarks of her inquisitive mind and creative daring... a spy thriller laced with a killer dose of deadpan wit... Kushner inhabits the spy’s perspective with such eerie finesse that you feel how much fun she’s having... the real covert operative here is Kushner, who’s never felt more cunning than in this novel about the clashing ideological claims that have left us bereft at the end of time. Bore through this noir posing and wry satire of radical politics, and you feel something vital and profound prowling around in the darkness beneath."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Where Rivers Part, by Kao Kalia Yang (HAWA October 17 event - almost at capacity)
2. The Interbellum Constitution, by Alison LaCroix
3. The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson
4. Lovely One, by Ketanji Brown Jackson
5. The Little Frog's Guide to Self Care, by Maybell Eequay
6. When the Clock Broke, by John Ganz
7. Out of the Darkness, by Ian O'Connor
8. Turning to Stone, by Marcia Bjornerud
9. The Eastern Front, by Nick Lloyd
10. The Situation Room, by George Stephanopoulos

Second week on sale is a top 10 showing for Lovely One, from Supreme Court Jusice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Alexandra Jacobs reviewed the book for The New York Times,  noting that she had a stint as a reporter/researcher: "Jackson also considered becoming a Broadway actress, teaching herself to sing for a college revue about Billie Holiday, and her book could probably be optioned for a bio-musical itself. (Imagine the big 'Immunity' number!) Lovely One is about motivation and mentors, swooshing through a résumé without apparent flaw. It’s a great glass elevator of uplift."

It's been a few weeks of sale for Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers. Ian O'Connor's biography of the man whose relationship with the Green Bay Packers was complicated in the later years, and that's perhaps why our sales are softer than one might expect. From the Star Tribune a review from Chris Hewitt: "O’Connor is a terrific writer who spends about three-fourths of the book recounting, absorbingly, the highlights of Rodgers’ career, from severely undersized high school quarterback to community college star to the University of California to Green Bay...O’Connor’s interview with Rodgers doesn’t seem to have produced much new, off-the-field information, but if an insightful look at the magic he has made on the gridiron is what you seek, Out of the Darkness could be for you."

JR Radcliffe in the Journal Sentinel didn't review the book so much as highlight the, well, highlights.

Paperback Fiction:
1. The Drifter, by Nick Petrie
2. For Her Consideration, by Amy Spalding
3. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
4. Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver
5. Fraud, by Zadie Smiht
6. Black Sheep, by Rachel Harrison
7. Bunny, by Mona Awad
8. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, by Sangu Mandanna
9. The Three Body Problem, by Cixin Liu
10. Herscht 07769, by László Krasznahorkai

Hey, when a book translated from German (Herscht 07769) hits our top ten from the new release table, I feel compelled to highlight it as our next two Lit Group selections are Kairos and Austerlitz. László Krasznahorkai received the 2019 National Book Award for Translated Literature and the 2015 Man Booker International Prize for lifetime achievement. His new novel covers neo-Nazis, particle physics, and Johann Sebastian Bach. Pub date is September 24 but not strict on-sale for this one.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. While You Were Out, by Meg Kissinger
2. The Art Thief, by Michael Finkel 

3. Frightful Folklore of North America, by Mike Bass (Boswell September 18 event)
4. Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi
5. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
6. Three Women, by Lisa Taddeo
7. Crying in H Mart, by Michelle Zauner
8. Murdle V1 by GT Karber
9. Storytelling with Data, by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic
10. John Gurda's Milwaukee, by John Gurda

Sometimes the most drama isn't in the book but the backstory. Three Women, by Lisa Taddeo was picked up to air on Showtime/Paramount+, only to be shelved later, in the great streaming cancellation-for-tax-writeoff of 2023. A few weeks later, Starz picked it up and it is airing now. Mikey O'Connell reports in The Hollywood Reporter. On being put in a box: "If you write about female desire, you are suddenly the voice for that..So many women creatives are put in boxes. We even do it to Taylor Swift!"

Books for Kids:
1. Shot Clock V1, by Caron Butler and Justin A Reynolds (Racine Library September 11 event)
2. Daphne Draws Data, by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic
3. Everything We Never Had, by Randy Ribay (Wauwatosa Library October 2 event)
4. Buffalo Fluffalo, by Bess Kalb, illustrated by Erin Kraan
5. Caraval, by Stephanie Garber
6. Peekaboo Pumpkin, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
7. Lulu and Rocky in Milwaukee, by Barbara Joosse, illustrations by Renée Graef
8. Orris and Trimble: The Beginning, by Kate DiCamillo, illustrations by Carmen Mok
9. Peekaboo House, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
10. A Dictionary Story, by Oliver Jeffers, illustrations by Sam Winston

Current and future events take the top three spots this week - that's what happens when school is back in session. Caron Butler and Justin A Reynolds are visiting Racine schools for Shot Clock and Clutch Time, while Randy Ribay will be in the Milwaukee area for Everything We Never Had. And Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic has programs set up in Waukesha County for Daphne Draws Data. If you are an educator getting on our list for school visits, contact jenny@boswellbooks.com.

Boswell bestsellers, week ending August 31, 2024

Boswell bestsellers, week ending August 31, 2024:

Hardcover Fiction:
1. A Season of Perfect Happiness, by Maribeth Fischer
2. Eagle Rock V4, by Ian K Smith
3. The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore
4. The Dark Wives V11, by Ann Cleeves
5. Spirit Crossing V20, by William Kent Krueger (St Marks September 7 event is at capacity)
6. James, by Percival Everett
7. Familiaris, by David Wroblewski
8. The Wedding People, by Alison Espach
9. Sandwich, by Catherine Newman
10. Funny Story, by Emily Henry

To my knowledge, the Vera Stanhope novels from Ann Cleeves no longer work in tandem with the Vera series. But reviews for The Dark Wives are excellent - this installment would probably make a great episode, perhaps a two parter. From Kirkus: "In the north of England, DI Vera Stanhope and her team labor to uncover the connection between a teen missing from a children's care home and a pair of murders...An excellent character-driven entry that highlights major problems in Britain's child welfare system."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. The Eastern Front, by Nick Lloyd
2. What's Next, by Melissa Fitzgerald and Mary McCormack
3. Land Rich, Cash Poor, by Brian Reisninger
4. The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson
5. Hitler's People, by Richard J Evans
6. The Wide, Wide Sea, by Hampton Sides
7. The Backyard Bird Chronicles, by Amy Tan
8. The Weekday Vegetarians Get Simple, by Jenny Rosenstarch
9. A Gentleman and a Thief, by Dean Jobb
10. A Walk in the Park, by Kevin Fedarko

The Eastern Front: A History of the Great War, 1914-1918 leads this week's list  Nick Lloyd's The Western Front came out in 2021. From William Anthony Hay's rave in The Wall Street Journal: "Mr. Lloyd’s harrowing narrative in The Eastern Front reminds us that the fighting in Eastern Europe shattered empires and normalized violence there, fostering an instability that has lasted for more than a century. Indeed, today’s war in Ukraine follows in some ways from the catastrophe of 1914."

Paperback Fiction:
1. Kairos, by Jenny Erpenbaeck (Boswell book club selections)
2. Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver
3. Austerlitz, by WG Sebald
4. Trust, by Hernan Diaz
5. The Postcard, by Anne Berest
6. Good Night Irene, by Luis Alberto Urrea
7. The Pairing, by Casey McQuiston
8. A Court of Thorns and Roses V1, by Sarah J Maas
9. The House of Earth and Blood V1, by Sarah J Maas
10. My Brilliant Friend, by Elena Ferrante

The New York Times best 100 of the 21st century has three entries this week - My Brilliant Friend at #1, Demon Copperhead at #61 (which was the readers' #1 choice) and Austerlitz at #8, which is our November Lit Group selection. From John Banville in The Guardian: "His masterpiece, and one of the supreme works of art of our time."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. A Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros
2. The Art Thief, by Michael Finkel
3. A Promised Land, by Barack Obama
4. Poverty, by America, by Matthew Desmond
5. King Leopold's Ghost, by Adam Hochschild
6. The Girls of Atomic City, by Denise Kiernan
7. Cream City Chronicles, by John Gurda
8. Random Acts of Medicine, by Anupam B Jena and Christopher Worsham
9. Crying in H Mart, by Michelle Zauner
10. Going Infinite, by Michael Lewis

After four years, Crown released A Promised Land in paperback on August 13. Looking back at its 2020 reviews on Bookmarks, I note how many more there were compared to a major 2024 release, in part due to the disappearance of regular reviews at a number of city papers. Ron Elving on NPR: "Whatever one's feelings about this man, they are likely to be brought to the surface by this book. We hear his voice in every sentence, almost as if he were physically present and reading the book aloud."

Books for Kids
1. Shot Clock V1, by Caron Butler and Justin A Reynolds (Racine Public Library September 11 event)
2. We Are Big Time, by Hena Khan (Milwaukee Public Library September 15 event)
3. Daphne Draws Data, by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic (Boswell September 4 event)
4. How We Play, a board book by Dolisha Mitchell
5. Peekaboo Lion, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
6. Hello Hands, a board book by Aya Khalil
7. Bear's Lost Glasses, by Leo Timmers, translated from Dutch by David Colmer
8. A Dictionary Story, by Oliver Jeffers, illustrations by Sam Winston
9. Lulu and Rocky in Milwaukee, by Barbara Joosse, illustrations by Renée Graef
10. Happy Halloween, by Harriet Stone

Bear's Lost Glasses is one of Jenny's picture book picks for fall. Kirkus loves it too: "This comical charmer, originally published in the Netherlands, will engage children as they laughingly correct Bear's misnomers. Set against white backdrops, the caricature-esque illustrations capture the expressive protagonists' close friendship. A humorous, delightful tale about finding wonderful new ways to see the world."