Boswell bestsellers, week ending December 14, 2024

Boswell bestsellers, week ending December 14, 2024

Hardcover Fiction:
1. James, by Percival Everett
2. Small Things Like These, by Claire Keegan
3. Wind and Truth V5, by Brandon Sanderson
4. All Fours, by Miranda July
5. The Mighty Red, by Louise Erdrich
6. The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore
7. The Women, by Kristin Hannah
8. Playground, by Richard Powers
9. I Cheerfully Refuse, by Leif Enger
10. The City and Its Uncertain Walls, by Haruki Murakami
11. The Grey Wolf V19, by Louise Penny
12. Sipsworth, by Simon Van Booy
13. Like Mother, Like Mother, by Susan Rieger
14. How to Read a Book, by Monica Wood
15. Before the Coffee Gets Cold V1, by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

James is outselling our #2 fiction book by three-to-one and the #1 nonfiction book by two-to-one. If we had The Serviceberry in stock, that would not be the case. I went to 15 titles on this list because the #15 book is outselling the #10 book on the other three adult lists. Plus I am hand-selling #12, 13, and 14 and I wanted to list them.

And one last thing to note - Small Things Like These, the current Oprah pick, has been in hardcover only since 2021. But Before the Coffee Gets Cold has had no paperback since its release in 2020. I am happy to say I liked them both, but I hardly expected a multi-year run.

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. The Backyard Bird Chronicles, by Amy Tan
2. The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson
3. Be Ready When Luck Happens, by Ina Garten
4. The Wide Wide Sea, by Hampton Sides
5. The Message, by Ta-Nehisi Coates
6. The History of the Railroad in 100 Maps, by Jeremy Black
7. When Women Ran Fifth Avenue, by Julie Satow
8. The Creative Act, Rick Rubin
9. Little Frog's Guide to Self Care, by Maybell Eequay
10. The Universe in 100 Colors, by Tyler Thrasher

The Universe in 100 Colors is, per the publisher, a "Larger format book celebrating the intersection of science, art and design and featuring 100 colors pulled from the universe itself and organized by where they fall on the spectrum." It's also get a foreword by Hank Green, who appeared at UWM last week. Its publisher, Sasquatch Press, was owned by Penguin Random House from 2017 until this summer, when it was sold to indie Blue Star Press.

Paperback Fiction:
1. Orbital, by Samantha Harvey
2. Echo V3, by Tracy Clark
3. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin
4. The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon
5. Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver
6. Slow Horses V1, by Mick Herron
7. In Ascension, by Martin MacInnes
8. The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig
9. The Amethyst Cross, by Mary Fitt, illustrations by Seth
10. Sorcery and Small Magics, by Maiga Doocy

Martin MacInnes debuts on this list with In Ascension, which is the winner of this year's Arther C Clarke Award. It was also on the Booker longlist. It received 10 raves and three positives on BookMarks, including a Wall Street Journal review from Heller McAlpin, who calls the book "A thrilling, thought-provoking celebration of the marvels and mysteries of the universe."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Lost Literacies, by Alex Beringer
2. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
3. The Art Thief, by Michael Finkel
4. Extra Extra Eat All About It, by Randi Julia Ramsden and Jan Conway
5. A Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros
6. We Had Fun and Nobody Died, by Amy Waldman and Peter Jest
7. While You Were Out, by Meg Kissinger
8. Democracy Awakening, by Heather Cox Richardson
9. Typhoid Mary, by Anthony Bourdain
10. Happy Holiday Book of Mini Crosswords, from The New York Times

In hardcover, Democracy Awakening received a rave, a positive, three mixed, and a pan from BookMarks, and the book was named one of the best nonfiction books of the year by Kirkus and The Washington Post. It has been selling well of the new paperback table. The Guardian review from Charles Kaiser wasn't indexed on BookMarks.

Books for Kids:
1. Big Jim Begins V13, by Dav Pilkey
2. Impossible Creatures, by Katherine Rundell
3. The Snowy Day board book, by Ezra Jack Keats
4. Buffalo Fluffalo, by Bess Kalb, illustrations by Erin Kraan
5. Peekaboo Santa, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
6. The Bletchley Riddle, by Reta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
7. How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney, by Mac Barnett, illustrations by Jon Klassen
8. Hot Mess V19, by Jeff Kinney
9. Giving Good, by Aaron Boyd
10. The Great Lakes, by Barb Rosenstock, illustrations by Jamey Christoph

Second week at #1 for Dog Man #13: Big Jim Begins. We still have some dog tags or pen toppers (your choice) for folks who buy the book. From the publisher: "Discover the origin of our beloved characters from the Dog Man series as they join forces to stop the Space Cuties from destroying the city." Here's the trailer.

Boswell bestsellers, week ending December 7, 2024

Boswell bestsellers, week ending December 7, 2024

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Wind and Truth V5, by Brandon Sanderson
2. James, by Percival Everett
3. The Mighty Red, by Louise Erdrich
4. The City and Its Uncertain Walls, by Haruki Murakami
5. Tell Me Everything, by Elizabeth Strout
6. Playground, by Richard Powers
7. How to Read a Book, by Monica Wood
8. Small Things Like These, by Claire Keegan (new Oprah pick)
9. Somewhere Beyond the Sea V2, by TJ Klune
10. Sipsworth, by Simon Van Booy

In an unusual move, Wind and Truth, volume 5 of the Stormlight Archive, released on a Friday. Many years in the making and Sanderson's longest book (over 1300 pages) ever, it's the final book in the first arc, following 2020's Rhythm of War.

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Well Plated Every Day, by Erin Clarke
2. Eli's Cheesecake Cookbook, by Maureen Schulman, Tara Lane, Diana Moles, Jolene Worthington (WWBIC speaker)
3. The Serviceberry, by Robin Wall Kimmerer (still waiting for more stock)
4. The Backyard Bird Chronicles, by Amy Tan
5. The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson
6. Be Ready When Luck Happens, by Ina Garten
7. The Hidden Life of Trees graphic adaptation, by Peter Wohlleben, Fred Bernard, Benjamin Flao
8. The Message, by Ta-Nehisi Coates
9. Freedom, by Angela Merkel
10. Why I Cook, by Tom Colicchio

The Hidden Life of Trees has been a phenomenon, not just in the sales it generated, but in the many different editions, including an The Hidden Life of Trees illustrated edition, Wisdom of the Hidden Life of Trees, and a kids version, Can You Hear the Trees Talking? And now The Hidden Life of Trees graphic edition, which to be clear, is different from the illustrated edition. Kay said the new edition is fabulous. Speaking of graphic, someone cam in looking for a Christmas-themed graphic novel. Any ideas?

Paperback Fiction:
1. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing V1, by Hank Green (UWM appearance)
2. Miracles Along County Q, by Mike McCabe
3. Orbital, by Samantha Harvey
4. A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor V2, by Hank Green
5. The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon
6. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
7. The Hunter, by Tana French
8. A Bit Much, by Lyndsay Rush
9. Throne of Glass V1, by Sarah J Maas
10. Absolution, by Alice McDermott

Something I learned about Alice McDermott's Absolution. Recommend that someone in the book club read Graham Greene's The Quiet American. Also, make sure the customer doesn't buy the Jeff VanderMeer bestseller by mistake. It's also great, but maybe not what they want - plus it's the fourth book in a series.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. The Rediscovery of America, by Ned Blackhawk
2. The Art Thief, by Michael Finkel
3. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
4. The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel van der Kolk
5. Murdle V1, by GT Karber
6. 60 Songs that Explain the 90s, by Rob Harvilla
7. An Entangled Life, by Merlin Sheldrake
8. Extra Extra Eat All About It, by Randi Julia Ramsden and Jan Conway
9. We Had Fun and Nobody Died, by Amy Waldman and Peter Jest
10. Unruly, by David Mitchell

I didn't really pay attention to 60 Songs That Explain the 90s in hardcover, but we had a decent sales pop off the paperback this past week. From Library Journal: "Written with the ultracasual and conversational style of his podcast, his book's personal anecdotes and thoughts on the origins and values of '90s music are consistently engaging; some readers might even be reminded of Chuck Klosterman's prose style."

Books for Kids:
1. Dog Man V13: Big Jim Begins, by Dav Pilkey
2. The Snowy Day board book, by Ezra Jack Keats
3. How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney, by Mac Barnett, illustrations by Jon Klassen
4. Little Shrew, by Akiko Miyakoshi
5. The Bletchley Riddle, by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
6. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh, by Mo Willems
7. Diary of a Wimpy Kid V19: Hot Mess, by Jeff Kinney
8. Santa's First Christmas, by Mac Barnett, illustrations by Sydney Smith
9. Buffalo Fluffalo, by Bess Kalb, illustrations by Erin Kraan
10. Impossible Creatures, by Katherine Rundell

Everybody's looking for the new holiday perennial, and maybe Mo Willems has one in Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh, which is having a very strong second year. Union Square, the publisher, formerly Sterling, was just sold by Barnes and Noble to Hachette Book Group. My guess is that the Mo Willems books are the big prize.

Boswell bestsellers, week ending November 30, 2024

Boswell bestsellers, week ending November 30, 2024

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Tooth and Claw, by Craig Johnson
2. James, by Percival Everett
3. The Mighty Red, by Louise Erdrich
4. The City and Its Uncertain Walls, by Haruki Murakami
5. How to Read a Book, by Monica Wood
6. The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore
7. The Grey Wolf, by Louise Penney
8. Tell Me Everything, by Elizabeth Strout
9. Intermezzo, by Sally Rooney
10. I Cheerfully Refuse, by Leif Enger

Were it not for our very popular event for Tooth and Claw (signed copies available) last week, James would stand out as dominating holiday shopping, what with its National Book Award win capping a year of raves. I still vowed to read Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by the end of the year.  

It appears that How to Read a Book has momentum well beyond an appearance in my holiday books. Book clubs have been choosing it and it's been a big bestseller in the Northeast region, according to Edelweiss. We're still in the top 10 for sales and #1 in the Midwest/Great Lakes regions. We're also top ten for I Cheerfully Refuse and The Mighty Red, both Minnesota writers with strong Wisconsin followings (despite our tendency to define regional at the state border, unlike the South, West, and New England) and more notably, both with Tim as the conversation partner!

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. The Serviceberry, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
2. The Backyard Bird Chronicles, by Amy Tan
3. Be Ready When Luck Happens, by Ina Garten
4. Vanishing Treasures, by Katherine Rundell
5. Freedom, by Angela Merkel
6. Cher, by Cher
7. Soups, Salads, Sandwiches, by Matty Matheson
8. What I Ate in One Year, by Stanley Tucci
9. Accidentally Wes Anderson Adventures, by Wally Koval
10. The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson

It is a rare thing when an author has a simultaneous hit on the adult and kid lists, but that's the case with Katherine Rundell, author of Impossible Creatures  which has been a big middle grade fantasy hit in the USA and a phenomenon in the UK and Vanishing Treasures: A Bestiary of Extraordinary Endangered Creatures, which as shown up on many best-of-lists this fall. Seven raves and a positive from BookMarks, including Maureen Corrigan's review on NPR's Fresh Air: "Vanishing Treasures makes readers see, really see, some of the miraculous creatures we still share this fragile world with. Like any wise environmentalist, Rundell also leavens terror with possibility."

Paperback Fiction:
1. Orbital, by Samantha Harvey
2. Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver
3. Fourth Wing, by Rebecca Yarros
4. Starter Villain, by John Scalzi
5. The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon
6. The Berry Pickers, by Amanda Peters
7. A Curious Beginning, by Deanna Raybourn
8. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin
9. North Woods, by Daniel Mason
10. Lost and Lassoed, by Lyla Sage

Rachel has another hit off her staff rec section. A Curious Beginning is the first book in the Veronica Speedwell series, which came out in 2016. This Victorian series features an intrepid adventuress and has blurbs from Alan Bradley, Rhys Bowen, and Amanda Quick  (Jayne Ann Krentz).

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. All Creation Waits, by Gayle Boss
2. Murdle V1, by GT Karber
3. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
4. Extra Extra Eat All About It, Randi Julia Ramsden and Jan Conway
5. The Art Thief, by Michael Finkel
6. Spydle, by National Archives UK with Gareth Moore and Laura Jayne Ayres
7. Doppelganger, by Naomi Klein
8. A Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros
9. Happy Holiday Book of Mini Crosswords, by the New York Times
10. Wisconsin for Kennedy, by BJ Hollars

One doesn't always think about the holiday jump in sales for puzzle book until there are three such books in the top 10. I guess Murdle is enough of a phenomenon that there is a knockoff (I'd say spinoff if it were the same creators, but while that sounds bad, I can't think of a better word), Spydle.  Per the publisher, Spydle has you "decode messages, untangle clues, and test your logic," using real espionage history, and is "the perfect gift for "WWI and WWII enthusiasts, lovers of British spy tales from James Bond to Sherlock Holmes, and puzzlers of all kinds."

Books for Kids:
1. Buffalo Fluffalo, by Bess Kalb, illustrated by Erin Kraan
2. Peekaboo Santa, by Camilla Reid, illustrated by Ingela P Arrhenius
3. How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?, by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen
4. Hot Mess, by Jeff Kinney
5. Impossible Creatures, by Katherine Rundell
6. Giving Good, by Aaron Boyd
7. Spooky Lakes, by Geo Rutherford
8. The Great Lakes, by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Jamey Cristopher
9. Little Shrew, by Akiko Miyakoshi
10. Knight Owl and Early Bird, by Christopher Denise

The New York Times/New York Public Library named Little Shrew one of the ten best illustrated books of the year. This should not be a surprise, as Akiko Miykoshi received the same honor for her 2017 book, The Way Home in the Night. It's also Jen's buyer pick in our holiday newsletter. I love this from the School Library Journal review: "Chapter book in size, but almost beginning reader-esque in the use of white space, picture book in concept - where to shelve this?" We don't usually see these practical questions raised!