Boswell bestsellers, week ending May 30, 2026

Boswell bestsellers, week ending May 30, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Boswell bestsellers, week ending May 23, 2026

Boswell bestsellers, week ending May 23, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Boswell bestsellers, week ending May 16, 2026

Boswell bestsellers, week ending May 16, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Boswell bestsellers, week ending May 9, 2026

Boswell bestsellers, week ending May 9, 2026

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Yesteryear, by Claire Caro Burke (our event is close to capacity)
2. The Things We Never Say, by Elizabeth Strout
3. The Calamity Club, by Kathryn Stockett (Bernie's Book Bank event May 20 - this is the last day to buy tickets)
4. Monster in the Moonlight, by Annelise Ryan
5. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
6. John of Johns, by Douglas Stewart
7. Our Perfect Storm, by Carley Fortune
8. Platform Decay V8, by Martha Wells
9. The Keeper V3, by Tana French
10. Lost Lambs, by Madeline Cash

Wow, this looks like a national bestseller list with all these brand new titles (well, five) crowding our top 10. Top honors goes to Elizabeth Strout's The Things We Never Say, which is getting buzz for not being connected to her other series. BookMarks rates the reviews as nine raves, three positives, and three mixeds. Here's one raves from Adam Begley in The Atlantic: "How does she do it? Not just the neat trick of beguiling highbrow critics while at the same time pleasing millions of readers who don’t care about literary bona fides. The real feat is harpooning the reader artlessly (or so it seems), with language as plain as a Congregational church, a paucity of dramatic incident, and a cast of characters no more exotic than your neighbors."

Very strong first week sales here, with more of a sense of urgency because lots of titles now have signed tip-in editions. We usually are allowed a limited amount, so it's best not to wait. But we don't usually promote them in advance because publishers have warned us that things can go wrong and they won't always show up.

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Make Believe, by Mac Barnett
2. Unruly, by Shelah Marie
3. The US Constitution, by Melissa Murray
4. London Falling, by Patrick Radden Keefe
5. Famesick, by Lena Dunham
6. Strangers, by Belle Burden
7. Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I've Cried About, by Isabel Klee
8. Milwaukee Flavor, by Visit Milwaukee, text from Ann Christenson, photos by Kevin J Miyazaki
9. The Chicago Way, by Michael Gebert (Boswell May 15 event)
10. This Vast Enterprise, by Craig Fehrman

We had a good first week for Melissa Murray's The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader, which would be a good selection for a America 250 table. The author is a Law Professor at NYU and a podcast host of Strict Scrutiny, with Leah Litman and Kate Shaw. The top seller is Mac Barnett's #1 Indie Next pick for May, Make Believe. It's also the first week on for the April 21 release, This Vast Enterprise: A New History of Lewis and Clark.

Paperback Fiction:
1. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
2. The Supper Club Saints, by Claire Swinarski (signed paperbacks plus one hardcover)
3. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
4. Perfection, by Vincenzo Latronico (June 1 book club pick -list here)
5. A Death in Door County, by Annelise Ryan
6. Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Hearon
7. Dungeon Crawler Carl V1, by Matt Dinniman
8. Slow Horses V1, by Mick Herron
9. I Who Have Never Known Men, by Jacqueline Harpman
10. The Road to Tender Hearts, by Annie Hartnett

It's time for the Lit Group sales pop, where some of the folks who came to talk about Hisham Matar's My Friends purchase upcoming selections. Alas, our reorder of Tangerinn did not arrive in time, so  we couldn't sell that well enough to hit the list. But the June (Perfection) and early August (Slow Horses) selections did well. 

We had a nice evening at the Shorewood Public Library where librarian Noah Weckwerth and I did a book talk. Noah did reader's advisory while I just pushed books on people to buy. Oh the nobleness of a library! In any case, Noah did well with The Road to Tender Hearts, which we featured two weeks ago.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. When Democrats Won the Heartland, by Cory Haala (signed copies)
2. The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson
3. Raising Hare, by Chloe Dalton
4. Get a Financial Life, by Beth Kobliner
5. Book and Dagger, by Elyse Graham
6. Random Acts of Medicine, by Anupam B Jena and Christopher Worsham
7. Beer Hiking Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula, by Kristen Radaich (Black Husky event June 5)
8. Thirty Two Worlds for Field, by Manchan Magan
9. Birds of the Great Lakes, by Dexter Patterson
10. No Straight Road Takes You There, by Rebecca Solnit

The Osher Book Club is reading Book and Dagger: How Scholars and Librarians Became the Unlikely Spies of World War II, and it's also a staff rec for Rachel. Elyse Graham's history got two raves, four positives, and a mixed on BookMarks. This seems like the kind of book that would do well in Great Britain, but there are no reviews listed, so maybe it wasn't published there? I am too distracted to check. From the starred Booklist: " Readers fascinated by espionage will be eager to checkout Graham's fresh telling of the surprising story of the OSS."

Books for Kids:
1. Change of Plans, by Sarah Dessen (signed copies)
2. Kat and Mouse: I Like Cheese, by Salina Yoon
3. Kat and Mouse: Let's Have a Sleepover, by Salina Yoon
4. Double Crossed, by Rebecca EF Barone
5. Penguin and Pinecone, by Salina Yoon
6. Mountain of Fire, by Rebecca EF Barone
7. Unbreakable, by Rebecca EF Barone
8. Oh My Affogato, by Daphne Ang and Donna Ghorbanpoor
9. Lulu and Rocky in Milwaukee, by Barbara Joosse, illustrations by Renée Graef
10. Uh-Oh, Hugo!, by Jonathan Stutzman, illustrations by Jay Fleck (Boswell event today at 3 pm!)

Did you guess that we hosted some school visits with Rebecca EF Barone? Her new book is Double Crossed: The WWII Spies Who Saved D-Day. From Betty Carter in Horn Book: "As she did in Unbreakable and Mountain of Fire, Barone presents the story of a pivotal historical event through the actions of some major players. This time, she's covering D-Day and the myriad ways British intelligence duped German forces about the invasion, including creating fake armies and a nonexistent naval convoy...This fine book concludes with a bibliography and substantial documentation." Hey, this is not that different from the plot of Bookshop of Secrets!

Boswell bestsellers for the week ending May 2, 2026

Boswell bestsellers for the week ending May 2, 2026

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Yesteryear, by Caro Claire Burke (moved to a new venue - will probably hit capacity again soon - registration required)
2. Sanctuary, by James Cleary (Jim DeVita)
3. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
4. Heart the Lover, by Lily King
5. The Keeper, by Tana French
6. Into the Blue, by Emma Brodie
7. Kin, by Tayari Jones
8. Faither of Beasts V2, by James SA Corey
9. American Fantasy, by Emma Straub
10. We Burned So Bright, by TJ Klune

Because I am not the buyer, I often miss the answer to what happened and when. All I know is that I looked at our galley shelf and saw a copy of Into the Blue with a July pub date, and was confused because the book was clearly published already. I am assuming the good people at Reese's Book Club picked it as their April selection and pub date was moved up - which is interesting because the book is published by Jenna Bush Hager (through Ballantine), another book club staple. A blurb from Taylor Jenkins Reid: "An achingly romantic, compulsively readable love story - with chemistry that burns up every page."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. It's Time to Talk, by Sheila Schroeder
2. Rewired, by Eric Lamarre
3. Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I've Cried Foul About, by Isabel Klee
4. Lessons from Cats for Surviving Fascism, by Stewart Reynolds
5. London Falling, by Patrick Radden Keefe
6. Strangers, by Belle Burden
7. How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay, by Jenny Lawson
8. The Beginning Comes After the End, by Rebecca Solnit
9. The Noma Guide to Building Flavour, by René Redzepi
10. We the Women, by Norah O'Donnell

Because I don't follow social media, influencer books kind of appear like Mary Poppins (which I just rewatched, long story). The marketing pitch on Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I've Cried About: A Memoir (per Edelweiss) imagines Dolly Alderton writing Marley and Me. Kirkus was meh, but Publishers Weekly is a fan: "Social media influencer Klee's sweet debut sets her coming-of-age against the backdrop of her experiences fostering dogs...Throughout, Klee proves an endearing, unfussy guide to growing up. Readers will be charmed." I like the jacket.

Paperback Fiction:
1. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
2. Monsters We Have Made, by Lindsay Starck
3. All That It Seems, by Jim Landwehr
4. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
5. Dungeon Crawler Carl, by Matt Dinniman
6. I Who Have Never Known Men, by Jacqueline Harpman
7. The Joy Luck Club, by Amy Tan
8. Little Alleluias, by Mary Oliver
9. James, by Percival Everett
10. Audition, by Katie Kitamura

I should let this bestseller thing go and instead read this month's Lit Group selection, My Friends, which I haven't finished yet. Worse still, I have to do a book club talk at Shorewood Library on Wednesday (register here) and have my last appearance on Larry Meiller's show (he's retiring - here's the link) on Thursday. Which is why I'm always glad to pick 200 page books like Audition (September selection - August 31), which pops off our new paperback table this week.  It's BookMarks score is 17 raves, a pan, and everything else in between - 32 review citations altogether. 

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Coyote America, by Dan Flores
2. Be Ready When Luck Happen, by Ina Garten
3. Raising Hare, by Chloe Dalton
4. Thirty Two Words for Field, by Manchan Magan
5. A Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros
6. Dog Days, by Emily Labarge
7. Irreplaceable, by Maya Bialik
8. Birdscaping for Wisconsin and the Great Lakes Regions, by Mariette Nowak
9. The Pastor as Gardener, by Matthew Erickson
10. Don't Say Please, by Sahan Jayasuriya

I was almost going to write up Coyote America when I realized it was featured last February. You really can make magic things happen with a little repackaging, particularly with nonfiction, which really doesn't get enough love from publishers. How about trying this with Karachi Vice or Squirrel Hill or that memoir about mini golf I liked so long ago that I don't remember the title? Meanwhile, Ina Garten gets a rare paperback reprint because Be Ready When Luck Happens is a memoir, not a cookbook. Because I didn't know the Garten lore, I only learned recently that she was not coined The Barefoot Contessa, but had bought an existing business. 

Books for Kids:
1. Kat and Mouse: I Like Cheese, by Salina Yoon
2. Found Sound, by Meg Wolitzer and Charlie Panek
3. A Sack Full of Feathers, by Debby Waldman
4. A Potion, a Powder, a Little Bit of Magic, by Philip Stead
5. Penguin and Pinecone, by Salina Yoon
6. Kat and Mouse: Let's Have a Sleepover, by Salina Yoon
7. Summer Pops Up, by Aurore Petit
8. Mille Fleur Saves the Night, by Christy Mandin
9. Lulu and Rocky in Milwaukee, by Barbara Joosse, illustrations by René Graef
10. Valiant Vel, by Jerrianne Hayslett, illustrations by Aaron Boyd

Not a school visit, not an event, not some organization purchasing a bunch of books, and the result of a big marketing push, Summer Pops Up is a true impulse buy, an eye-catching board book selling off our here-comes-summer table. Please note that Summer Pops Up is winner of the 2025 Best Baby Book Prize from the French Ministry of Culture. I am a little confused because the very distinctive palate of the book is yellow and salmon on some images and more of a mustard and salmon on others. No worries - I can come up with a matching outfit for either option. But I draw the line at flip flops.