Boswell bestsellers, week ending November 23, 2024

Boswell bestsellers, week ending November 23, 2024

Hardcover Fiction:
1. The City and Its Uncertain Walls, by Haruki Murakami
2. James, by Percival Everett
3. How to Read a Book, by Monica Wood
4. Intermezzo, by Sally Rooney
5. The Time of the Child, by Niall Williams
6. The Mighty Red, by Louise Erdrich
7. The Life Impossible, by Matt Haig
8. Like Mother, Like Mother, by Susan Rieger
9. Tell Me Everything, by Elizabeth Strout
10. Sipsworth, by Simon Van Booy

Top release this week is Haruki Murakami's The City and Its Uncertain Walls, which is a reworking of the short story that become Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, being the same place as the other book, but a totally different conception. Did I get that right? BookMarks decided to play coy and not list the ratings of the reviews it cataloged, but right now, it's 10 raves, one positive, four mixed, five pans. Laura Miller, a rave in Slate, notes the differences between the two stories: "All science-fiction and detective elements—borrowings from Western pop culture that abound in Murakami’s earlier work—have been purged from The City and Its Uncertain Walls. This novel is instead meditative and melancholy, its mysteries less a matter of conspiracies than self-discovery."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. The Anxious Generation, by Jonathan Haidt
2. The Serviceberry, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
3. Kingdom of the Poor, by Charles Strobel, with Katie Seigenthaler
4. Well-Plated Every Day, by Erin Clarke (Signed copy offer)
5. The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson
6. The History of the Railroad in 100 Maps, by Jeremy Black
7. Vanishing Treasures, by Katherine Rundell
8. The Backyard Bird Chronicles, by Amy Tan
9. Be Ready When Luck Happens, by Ina Garten
10. The Message, by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Top debuts is The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World, the first new book for Robin Wall Kimmerer since Braiding Sweetgrass. Printed on recycled paper using sustainable printing practices, The Serviceberry is also the #1 Indie Next pick for December. From Laurie Hertzel in The Washington Post, on the giving economy: "Over the course of roughly 100 pages, Kimmerer makes her point repeatedly, but the variety of her examples keep the book from feeling redundant. Kimmerer is not naive or unrealistic; she acknowledges that avarice can upend the delicate balance between giving and receiving - and that a gift economy works best in a 'close, tight-knit community.' Still, The Serviceberry is an optimistic book, one that trusts in the ability of people to do the right thing."

And congratulations to James, which won The National Book Award, after missing out on the Booker Prize. More to come, most likely!

Paperback Fiction:
1. Orbital, by Samantha Harvey
2. Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver
3. The Christmas Tree Farm V3, by Laurie Gilmore
4. The Cinnamon Bun Store V2, by Laurie Gilmore
5. The Wren, the Wren, by Anne Enright
6. Hampton Heights, by Dan Kois
7. Sorcery and Small Magics, by Maiga Doocy
8. Black Sheep, by Rachel Harrison
9. Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries, by Heather Fawcett
10. The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon

Several months ago, I asked Jason, what's with this Laurie Gilmore novel, The Pumpkin Spice Cafe? We brought it in from Ingram, and it has continued to explode, being the TikTok Shop Book of the Year, with distribution from HarperCollins. Books #2 and #3, The Cinnamon Bun Book Store and The Christmas Tree Farm are on our bestseller list this week. The things one misses when one doesn't spend a lot of time on social media. Call this blog unsocial media. By the way, these are called grumpy x sunshine cozy romances. Coming in March 2025 is The Strawberry Patch Pancake House.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. On Tyranny, by Timothy Snyder
2. Struggle for the City, by Derek G Handley
3. While You Were Out, by Meg Kissinger
4. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
5. All Creation Waits, by Gayle Boss
6. The Art Thief, by Michael Finkel
7. Extra Extra Eat All About It, Randi Julia Ramsden and Jan Conway
8. Typhoid Mary, by Anthony Bourdain
9. Alfie and Me, by Carl Safina
10. A Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros

Another book which appears to be growing in demand each holiday is All Creation Waits: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings, by Gayle Boss. There's also a gift edition and a kids version, which is sold out everywhere. It's a cross between a book and an advent calendar. From Richard Rohr: "Each of the beautiful creatures in this little book is a unique word of God, its own metaphor, all of them together drawing us to the One we all belong to."

Books for Kids:
1. Giving Good, by Aaron Boyd
2. Buffalo Fluffalo, by Bess Kalb, illustrations by Erin Kraan
3. The Bletchley Riddle, by Ruta Sepetys and Steven Sheinkin
4. Peekaboo Santa, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
5. The Great Lakes, by Barb Rosenstock, illustrations by Jamey Cristoph
6. Knight Owl and Early Bird, by Christopher Denise
7. Spooky Lakes, by Geo Rutherford (it's back!)
8. Santa's First Christmas, by Mac Barnett, illustrations by Sydney Smith
9. Peekaboo Lion, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
10. Impossible Creatures, by Katherine Rundell

A Christmas picture book that the publishers hope will be an evergreen is Santa's First Christmas, by the irrepressible Mac Barnett with illustrations by Sydney Smith. From Kirkus: "Barnett narrates with a pitch-perfect mixture of droll amusement and holiday charm: Santa initially appears to be humoring his elves, only to really get into the spirit himself. Smith's signature illustrations rely on bright colors and shapes. This seeming simplicity is belied by each scene's unique lighting and reflections, imbuing everything with a singular warmth. Santa is pink-skinned and rosy-cheeked; the elves vary in skin tone. Cozier than a roaring fire and sweeter than milk and cookies, this earns its 'Christmas classic' stripes with flying colors."

Boswell bestsellers, week ending November 16, 2024

Boswell bestsellers for the week ending November 16, 2024

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Like Mother, Like Mother, by Susan Rieger (signed copies)
2. How to Read a Book, by Monica Wood
3. The Mighty Red, by Louise Erdrich
4. The Women, by Kristin Hannah
5. The Grey Wolf, by Louise Penny
6. We Solve Murders, by Richard Osman
7. Somewhere Beyond the Sea, by TJ Klune
8. City in Glass, by Nghi Vo
9. Intermezzo, by Sally Rooney
10. Sipsworth, by Simon Van Booy

This is only the second week in the top ten for Monica Wood's How to Read a Book, and her highest rank to date. It's a selection of a local book club and was also in our just-landed holiday newsletter. It has been showing up on the bottom reaches of our bestseller list almost every week from publication. Kathy and I were are the rec-ers for this one. I didn't expect it to get indexed on BookMarks, but it is and has three raves and a positive, including this from Helen Simonson in The New York Times: "A charming, openhearted novel, deceptively easy to read but layered with sharp observations, hard truths and rich ideas."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Cabinet of Curiosities, by Aaron Mahnke with Harry Marks
2. Moments of Happiness, by Mike Leckrone and Doug Moe
3. Well-Plated Every Day, by Erin Clarke
4. Be Ready When Luck Happens, by Ina Garten
5. The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson
6. Catland, by Kathryn Hughes
7. The Hidden Life of Trees, Graphic Adaptation, by Peter Wohlleben
8. When Women Ran Fifth Avenue, by Julie Satow
9. Revenge of the Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell
10. Little Frog's Guide to Self Care, by Maybell Eequay

First week out for Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities: A Historical Tour of the Unbelievable, the Unsettling, and the Bizarre, and we sold books at Turner Hall Ballroom for his post-event signing. We sold out of a lot of books! And to be clear, we sold out of books. His podcast Lore is considered one of the most successful ever. Cabinet of Curiosities is also a podcast, named one of Apple's "most downloaded."

Paperback Fiction:
1. Orbital, by Samantha Harvey
2. The Killer's Terms, by Kevin Kluesner
3. Homeland Elegies, by Ayad Akhtar
4. To Sense a Passion, by Audrey Lynden
5. The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon
6. Hampton Heights, by Dan Kois
7. North Woods, by Daniel Mason
8. The Bee Sting, by Paul Murray
9. The Crescent Moon Tearoom, by Stacy Sivinski
10. The Secret History, by Donna Tartt

Guess what book won the Booker Prize? Orbital has eight raves and six positives from Bookmarks, including this from James Wood in The New Yorker: "Samantha Harvey, one of the most consistently surprising contemporary British novelists, becomes something like the cosmic artificer of our era with her slim, enormous novel Orbital, which imaginatively constructs the day-to-day lives of six astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Orbital is the strangest and most magical of projects, not least because it’s barely what most people would call a novel but performs the kind of task that only a novel could dare."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. White Women Get Ready, by Amanda Gross (signed copies available)
2. Monstrous Creatures V1, by Aaron Mahnke
3. Between the Lines, by Eric Simonson (signed copies)
4. Wicked Mortals V2, by Aaron Mahnke
5. Dreadful Places V3, by Aaron Mahnke
6. Struggle for the City, by Derek G Handley (November 19 Boswell event)
7. Mechanic Shop Femme's Guide to Car Ownership, by Chaya M Milchtein
8. The Art Thief, by Michael Finkel
9. On Tyranny, by Timothy Snyder
10. Assyria, by Eckart Frahm

Struggle for the City: Citizenship and Resistance in the Black Freedom Movement, by UWM Assistant Professor Derek G Handley looks at strategies to combat urban renewal in the Black communities of Milwaukee, Saint Paul, and Pittsburgh. We're excited about the talk on November 19 - recommend you buy your book in advance, as like many of our featured titles nowadays, the book is print on demand and that meant when it took off, we weren't able to restock in a short time frame. We have the same issue for Katie Seigenthaler's event on Monday for Kingdom of the Poor. More here on that one.

Books for Kids:
1. The Swifts, by Beth Lincoln
2. A Gallery of Rogues, by Beth Lincoln
3. Impossible Creatures, by Katherine Rundell
4. Hot Mess, by Jeff Kinney
5. Peekaboo Santa board book, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
6. Buffalo Fluffalo, by Bess Kalb, illustrations by Erin Kraan
7. Winter Light board book, by Aaron Becker
8. Garbage Crew to the Rescue, by Sherri Duskey Rinker, illustrations by AG Ford
9. The Bletchley Riddle, by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
10. Little Shrew, by Akiko Miyakoshi

The Swifts and A Gallery of Rogues are volumes one and two of a popular new middle grade series from Beth Lincoln - Lincoln visited area schools this week. From Booklist: "Taking the classic manor house whodunit for a wild ride, Lincoln mixes hidden rooms and agendas, a sprawling family with unusual naming practices, gender identity discoveries, high comedy and low punning, murder, and more, then stirs briskly." And Kirkus writes: "An absolutely delightful debut with heartwarming character growth and a clever, genre-savvy country-house mystery." Volume two's reviews were just as good, and reviews were also plentiful, which isn't always the case for the second book in a series.

Boswell Book Company, week ending November 9, 2024

Boswell Book Company, week ending November 9, 2024

Hardcover Fiction:
1. The Grey Wolf, by Louise Penny
2. The Mighty Red, by Louise Erdrich
3. Playground, by Richard Powers
4. Intermezzo, by Sally Rooney
5. Somewhere Beyond the Sea, by TJ Klune
6. Small Things Like These, by Claire Keegan
7. Familiaris, by David Wroblewski
8. Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt
9. The Wood at Midwinter, by Susanna Clarke
10. Under the Oak Tree, by Suji Kim

Under the Oak Tree is an English-language novelization of a Korean web novel about a young woman of means who is married off to a stranger who goes off to fight dragons for several years. The online catalog doesn't really talk plot - I learned it from the Kirkus review. We get the tropes instead: Arranged marriage, strangers-to-lovers, misunderstandings, cold love interest, unlikely heroine, plus 4/5 on the pepper scale. The first edition comes with sprayed page edges, full-color patterned endpapers, silver foil stamping on the cover, and a ribbon bookmark. plus there was a preorder campaign with pins.

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Unhappy Achiever, by Ashley Jordan
2. The Message, by Ta-Nehisi Coates
3. Patriot, by Alexei Navalni
4. The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson
5. Soups, Salads, Sandwiches, by Matty Matteson
6. Revenge of the Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell
7. Sage Warrior, by Valarie Kaur
8. On Freedom, by Timothy Snyder
9. Kingdom of the Poor, by Charles Strobel and Katie Seigenthaler (Seigenthaler Boswell event November 18)
10. Big Book of Bread, by King Arthur Baking Company

Soups, Salads, Sandwiches may be Matty Matheson's first bestselling cookbook at Boswell, but he already has multiple claims to fame, including his role on The Bear, his popular videos, and his brands Matheson Cookware, Matheson Food Company, and a workwear line called Rosa Rugosa. From Library Journal: "Decadent photos remind readers that eating these dishes will be worth the cooking and are combined with a glimpse into Matheson's family, home, and kitchen."

Paperback Fiction:
1. The Berry Pickers, by Amanda Peters (Boswell-run book club schedule here)
2. Sleeping with the Frenemy, by Natalie Caña
3. The Vegetarian, by Han Kang
4. Sorcery and Small Magics, by Maiga Doocy
5. A Dish Best Served Hot, by Natalie Caña
6. The Wren, the Wren, by Anne Enright
7. Shady Hollow, by Juneau Black
8. Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier
9. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin
10. The House of Doors, by Tan Twan Eng

We had a particularly strong week of book club books, with The Berry Pickers showing nice uptick in sales in its second week. Our next selection is The Wren, The Wren, which was the best reviewed book on BookMarks for 2023 with 18 raves and two positive reviews. From Maureen Corrigan in her Fresh Air review: "Not all literary men have been cads in real life, but misbehavior makes for a more dramatic tale. That's certainly the case with The Wren, The Wren, which, despite its precious title, is a tough, mordant story about the mess one particular Great Man of Letters leaves behind when he walks out the door."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Struggle for the City, by Derek G Handley (Boswell November 19 event)
2. On Tyranny, by Timothy Snyder 
3. A Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros
4. Democracy Awakening, by Heather Cox Richardson
5. Typhoid Mary, by Anthony Bourdain
6. Doppelganger, by Naomi Klein
6 The Dictionary People, by Sarah Ogilvie
7. On Tyranny, by Timothy Snyder
8. We Had Fun and Nobody Died, by Amy T Waldman and Peter Jest
9. White Women Get Ready, by Amanda Gross (Boswell November 13 event)
10. Say Nothing, by Patrick Radden Keefe

There appears to be a post-election surge for Timothy Snyder's books. Snyder's On Freedom is still on our hardcover bestseller list, while On Tyranny, in both traditional type and graphic editions, combined for a strong showing on our paperback nonfiction list.

Books for Kids:
1. Hot Mess V19, by Jeff Kinney
2. Diary of a Wimpy Kid V1, by Jeff Kinney
3. No Brainer V18, by Jeff Kinney
4. Rowley Jefferson's Super Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories, by Jeff Kinney
5. Garbage Crew to the Rescue, by Sherri Duskey Rinker, illustrations by AG Ford
6. The Bletchley Riddle, by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
7. The Wild Robot, by Peter Brown
8. The Heir, by Sabaa Tahir
9. Impossible Creatures, by Katherine Rundell
10. What Feelings Do When No One's Looking, by Tina Oziewicz, illustrations by Aleksandra Zajac

Guess what we did last Sunday?  There are signed copies of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hot Mess in the bookstore. Mr Kinney signs on a conveyer belt with blue Bic ballpoints! Here's the official video of Kinney signing on his new conveyer belt.

Boswell bestsellers, week ending November 2, 2024

Boswell bestsellers, week ending November 2, 2024

Hardcover Fiction:
1. The Mighty Red, by Louise Erdrich (a few signed copies left)
2. The Grey Wolf V19, by Louise Penny
3. Intermezzo, by Sally Rooney
4. Tell Me Everything, by Elizabeth Strout
5. The Blue Hour, by Paula Hawkins
6. The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore
7. Playground, by Richard Powers
8. Like Mother, Like Mother, by Susan Rieger (OFS lunch event November 12)
9. Fear the Flame, by Olivia Rose Darling
10. The Ministry of Time, by Kaliane Bradley

I'm not sure I would have released The Blue Hour on the same day as The Grey Wolf, but I can't argue that it doesn't make a nice color palette. Sales for the latest Louise Penny are down for us from the 2022 release - I don't know how that bodes and whether that is national. Lesa Holstine says in Library Journal: "It's a frightening novel of duality, of good versus evil, with an allegorical tale for today's world, as only Penny can write." And be prepared, as the story ends on a cliffhanger.

As for The Blue Hour, Kirkus writes: "Hawkins keeps her cast tight, her wild setting ominous, and her plot moving fast. This propulsive thriller twists into the dark and bloody underbelly of the world of fine art." It's also got a staff rec from Kim.

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Classic German Cooking, by Luisa Weiss (signed copies)
2. Moments of Happiness, by Mike Leckrone and Doug Moe (signed copies)
3. Kingdom of the Poor, by Charles Strobel with Katie Seigenthaler (Boswell November 18 event)
4. An Unfinished Love Story, by Doris Kearns Goodwin (signed copies)
5. Unlocking the Heart, by James Crews (signed copies)
6. Classic German Baking, by Luisa Weiss
7. 50 Years of Happy Days, by Bryan Levant and Fred Fox (signed copies)
8. Be Ready When Luck Happens, by Ina Garten
9. John Lewis, by David Greenberg
10. On Freedom, by Timothy Snyder

Needless to say, with all these signed copies offered, we had a busy week with hardcover nonfiction events. There were lots of highlights from this week's programs, but I particularly enjoyed selling books at the German dinner for Luisa Weiss. Several attendees already had her Classic German Baking, and for those who did not, we sold copies of this backlist title quickly, as they make a nice set together. That means the bestselling non-event book in the category is David Greenberg's John Lewis. 

Paperback Fiction:
1. The Waters, by Bonnie Jo Campbell (signed paperbacks)
2. The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig
3. Ancient Light, by Kimberly Blaeser
4. Signs of the Imminent Apocalypse, by Heidi Bell (signed copies)
5. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin
6. Future Home of the Living God, by Louise Erdrich
7. Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver
8. The Night Watchman, by Louise Erdrich
9. Mistborn V1, by Brandon Sanderson
10. The Berry Pickers, by Amanda Peters

The Berry Pickers, just out in paperback this week, is the Boswell Lit Group selection for February 2025. It is also the winner of the Carnegie Medal (awarded by the American Library Association) and the Barnes and Nobel Discovery Prize. The book had four raves, two positives, and mixed in BookMarks. From Marion Winik in The Washington Post: "The Berry Pickers is not meant to be a mystery. The strength of Amanda Peters’s novel lies in its understanding of how trauma spreads through a life and a family, and its depiction of the challenges facing Indigenous people."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Paris Lost and Found, by Scott Dominic Carpenter (signed copies)
2. Mechanic Shop Femme's Guide to Car Ownership, by Chaya M Milchtein (also signed copies)
3. Team of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin
4. My Berlin Kitchen, by Luisa Weiss
5. No Ordinary Time, by Doris Kearns Goodwin
6. A Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros
7. Assyria, by Eckart Frahm
8. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
9. The Hundred Years War on Palestine, by Rashid Khalidi
10. Pig Years, by Ellyn Gaydos

Hey, it's a new book that's not event related! Pig Years has only been out for two weeks in paperback. It had four raves and three positives in BookMarks. From Library Journal: "An ode to pig farming that waxes poetic in its simple majesty; readers will revel in the beautiful imagery and lyricism of this tribute to farm life in Vermont and upstate New York. Husbandry is portrayed with the rhythmic storytelling of Gaydos's masterful, rapturously refreshing, and immersive writing: a delicate balance between the graceful beauty and cruel reality of farm life, loss and abundance, longing and belonging."

Books for Kids

1. We Are Big Time, by Hena Khan, illustrations by Safiya Zerrougui
2. Let It Glow, by Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy
3. Big, by Vashti Harrison
4. How Many Squirrels Are in the World, by Ben "Mister G" Gundersheimer, illustrations by Marcos Almada Rivero
5. Señorita Mariposa, by Ben "Mister G" Gundersheimer, illustrations by Marcos Almada Rivero
6. Lilah Tov Good Night, by Ben "Mister G" Gundersheimer, illustrations by Noar Lee Naggan
7. The Leadership Journey, by Doris Kearns Goodwin
8. Cece Loves Science and Adventure, by Kimberly Derting, illustrations by Vashti Harrison
9. Hot Mess, by Jeff Kinney (Riverside Theater event today)
10. Hello Star, by Stephanie Licanovic, illustrations by Vashti Harrison

Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy were in Milwaukee to visit three area schools. Let It Glow is about two girls who swap homes for the holidays. From Booklist: " Aviva and Holly, two 12-year-old girls, discover that they are identical twins. Each was adopted; their parents weren't ever told that their daughter had a twin. When both girls volunteer to help with a December holiday pageant, they meet by chance - leading to many questions and an immediate bond...Meyer, who usually writes for teens, and Levy, who writes middle-grade fiction, offer a lively, engaging narrative. 

Speaking of schools, Mister G (Ben Gundersheimer) visited an area school this week. his How Many Squirrels Are in the World? released in 2023. Like many of his books, they are based on songs from his albums. This book is a counting primer. Per Kirkus: "A modest neighborhood adventure offers some upbeat one-to-20 counting practice. (squirrel facts)." I have never really seen this parenthetical end to a Kirkus review. Perhaps they are mimicking a 1970s song title.