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!

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.

Boswell bestsellers, week ending October 26, 2024

Boswell bestsellers, week ending October 26, 2024

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Intermezzo, by Sally Rooney
2. Absolution, by Jeff VanderMeer
3. Tell Me Everything, by Elizabeth Strout
4. The Mighty Red, by Louise Erdrich (UWM October 28 event)
5. Karla's Choice, by Nick Harkaway
6. James, by Percival Everett
7. We'll Prescribe You a Cat, by Syou Ishida
8. Familiaris, by David Wroblewski
9. The Empusium, by Olga Tokarczyuk
10. The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore

Absolution is a coda to the Southern Reach trilogy that has gotten six raves and two positive reviews on BookMarks. It's a little confusing to me, because I still associate the title with Alice McDermott's last novel, which comes out in paperback this Tuesday. Jess Keiser's review in The Washington Post puts the series in the context of Burke's Law of Horror Fiction: "Against all odds, Absolution is, in large part, just as good as the first three novels. It works for the same reason the others did. It manages, once again, to find that rare balance between revealing (the task of the novel) and revealing too much (the danger horror must avoid). Even when it threatens to settle down into the established pattern of its predecessors, it veers, in its final third, into something entirely more alien and alienating." I have no idea why this theory is so named, but it led me to read more about the old Gene Barry TV series.

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. An Unfinished Love Story, by Doris Kearns Goodwin (Today, at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center)
2. The Message, by Ta-Nehisi Coates
3. Band People, by Franz Nicolay
4. Frightful Folklore of North America, by Mike Bass
5. Why I Cook, by Tom Colicchio
6. Be Ready When Luck Happens, by Ina Garten
7. Well Plated Every Day, by Erin Clarke
8. One Life, by Barbara Winton
9. Patriot, by Alexei Navalny
10. Soups, Salads, and Sandwiches, by Matty Matheson

The late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's Patriot debuts to five raves and a positive on BookMarks. From Luke Harding in The Guardian: "This is a brave and brilliant book, a luminous account of Navalny’s life and dark times. It is a challenge from beyond the grave to Russia’s murder-addicted rulers. You can hear his voice in the deft translation by Arch Tait and Stephen Dalziel: sharp, playful and lacking in self-pity. Nothing crushes him. Up until the end – his final 'polar' entry is on 17 January 2024 – he radiates indomitable good humour."

Paperback Fiction:
1. The Crescent Moon Tearoom, by Stacy Sivinski (signed copies)
2. Big Girl, by Mecca Jamilah Sullivan (also)
3. Sorcery and Small Magics, by Maiga Doocy
4. After World, by Debbie Urbanski
5. Austerlitz, by WG Sebald
6. The Future, by Naomi Alderman
7. Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, by Jesse Q Sutanto
8. The Marlow Murder Club V1, by Robert Thorogood
9. Fourth Wing V1, by Rebecca Yarros
10. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir

Four reads for Maiga Doocy's Sorcery and Small Magics, though one of our booksellers is now at an area library, where they are probably building up the customer holds. Booklist labels it "queer cozy fantasy," while Jenny Chou's rec explains the subcategorization as "not-so-dark Dark Academia." I am paraphrasing. And Publishers Weekly explains the plot set-up: "Doocy's enchanting debut brings readers into a world where magic is divided between those who can write spells and those who can cast them. The disreputable and chaos-prone Leovander Loveage falls into the former category. When he's paired with the grumpy, prim-and-proper spellcaster Sebastian Grimm in one of their classes at the Fount, a school for magic users, both men strain at the partnership. A collision on the way to class mixes Leo's spells with more advanced materials from the Fount library and results in Sebastian performing an unknown spell on Leo."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Being Henry, by Henry Winkler
2. The Flesh and the Fruit, by Vanya Leilani
3. The Art Thief, by Michael Finkel
4. The Dictionary People, by Sarah Ogilvie
5. How to Piss Off Men, by Kyle Prue
6. Paris Lost and Found, by Scott Dominic Carpenter (Boswell October 30 event)
7. Murdle V1, by GT Karber
8. Unruly, by David Mitchell
9. The Future Is Disabled, by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
10. Malört, by Josh Noel

First week out for The Dictionary People: The Unsung Heroes Who Created the Oxford English Dictionary, which had nine raves and two positives on BookMarks. From Michael Dirda's Washington Post review: "Again and again, The Dictionary People emphatically demonstrates that even seemingly dry-as-dust scholars weren’t that at all. Joseph Wright started work as a donkey-boy in a quarry at age 6 and didn’t learn to read until he was 15. Yet he ended his life as professor of comparative philology at Oxford and author of a multivolume dictionary of English dialects."

Books for Kids:
1. Big, by Vashti Harrison
2. I Want to Read All the Books, by Debbie Ridpath Ohi
3. My First Book of Fancy Letters, by Jessica Hische (signed copies)
4. Brownie the War Dog, by Kelly Nelson, illustrated by Aaron Boyd
5. Sora's Seashells, by Helena Ku Rhee, illustrated by Stella Lim
6. The Paper Kingdom, by Helena Ku Rhee, illustrated by Pascal Campion
7. Hot Mess, by Jeff Kinney (Riverside event November 3)
8. Giving Good, by Aaron Boyd
9. The Wild Robot, by Peter Brown
10. Garbage Crew to the Rescue, by Sherri Duskey Rinker, illustrated by AG Ford


Both Vashti Harrison and Debbie Ridpath Ohi were in town this week for school visits. We've already written about Big, so let's take a moment for I Want to Read All the Books. From Children's Book Watch: “A charming celebration of the delight and value of reading, I Want To Read All The Books ...is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community/public library picture book collections for children’s ages 4-8." Debbie Ridpath Ohi's illustrations have appeared in books by Judy Blume, Linda Sue Park, and Michael Ian Black (or as he is referred to on Another Period, Peepers).