1. Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver
2. The Covenant of Water, by Abraham Verghese
3. Fourth Wing, by Rebecca Varros
4. Yellowface, by R.F. Kuang
5. Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club, by J. Ryan Stradal
6. Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus
7. Five Star Weekend, by Elin Hilderbrand
8. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin
9. All the Sinners Bleed, by S.A. Cosby
10. I Am Homeless If This Is Not My Home, by Lorrie Moore
We don't usually talk about a bestseller from Red Tower (an imprint of Entangled), but Fourth Wing has generated huge demand and is riding high in the national top 10. From Publishers Weekly: "Romance author Yarros blends the epic tale of a reluctant dragon rider's coming-of-age with a sexy dark academia aesthetic in her astounding debut fantasy." From Booklist: "Suspenseful, sexy, and with incredibly entertaining storytelling, the first in Yarros' Empyrean series will delight fans of romantic, adventure-filled fantasy."
Books will be back in stock in mid July.
Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. The Book of Nature, by Barbara Mahany (signed copies)
2. What an Owl Knows, by Jennifer Ackerman (Register for September 6 virtual event)
3. Poverty, by America, by Matthew Desmond
4. The Creative Act, by Rick Rubin
5. The New Art of Coffee, by Ryan Castelaz
6. A Waiter in Paris, by Edward Chisholm
7. What Is Antiracism?, by Arun Kundnani
8. Tenderheart, by Hetti Lui McKinnon
9. Earth Transformed, by Peter Frakopan
10. Love and Lemons: Simple Feel Good Food, by Jeanine Donofrio
Yes, we know that Jennifer Ackerman's event is not for a long time! There's just a lot going on with Schlitz Audubon Nature Center - summer is there high season. Here's a link to their calendar of programs. We've already gotten a great rec on What an Owl Knows, and I'm excited to say the book is on The New York Times bestseller list. We're also particularly grateful to Ackerman and Penguin Press. We wrote up five proposals for virtual bird events because ours go so well, but this was the only one that came through!
From Jennifer Szalai in The New York Times, after dropping some O bombs: "I recount these facts with a mix of astonishment and pleasure because Ackerman is a warm and companionable guide, so enthusiastic about her subject that I suspect even the avian-indifferent will be charmed by her encounters with owls and the dedicated people who study them."
Paperback Fiction:
1. The Bodyguard, by Katherine Center
2. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
3. The Museum of Ordinary People, by Mike Gayle
4. Lapvona, by Ottessa Moshfegh
5. Patricia Wants to Cuddle, by Samantha Allen
6. A Dreadful Splendor, by B.R. Myers
7. Dr. No, by Percival Everett (link to Boswell-run book club selections here)
8. The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemison
9. The Island, by Adrian McKinty
10. Search, by Michelle Huneven
We did a lot of promotion for Mike Gayle's All the Lonely People, and I think that our enthusiasm helped sell The Museum of Ordinary People, what with its similar cover design to the previous paperback. This one's a paperback original and because I didn't see one either, I'm also one of the buyers. Even without my purchase we're #3 on Edelweiss for sales at indie bookstores. Gayle's latest is about a young woman who finds out about a sort of found-object museum that's about to go under, and tries to save it. Found object isn't quite right; folks donate items that have profound meeting for them, and the museum curates them with accompanying personal stories. Kirkus called it "unrelentingly sweet" but they meant that in a good way. Like Gayle's last book, it's in that UK-focused uplit genre, with a little romance, a little self-empowerment, and something to say about the democratization of museums. I gave my copy to a friend at Milwaukee Art Museum after I was done.
Paperback Nofiction:
1. Unearthing Joy, by Gholdy Muhamad
2. The Gardener's Guide to Prairie Plants, by Neil Diboll
3. Frank Lloyd Wright's Wisconsin, by Kristine Hansen
4. Quietly Hostile, by Samantha Irby
5. The Rise and Reign of the Mammals, by Steve Brusatte
6. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
7. Empire of Pain, by Patrick Radden Keefe
8. God Is Round, by Jua Villoro
9. Murdle V1, by G.T. Karber
10. The Midwest Gardener's Handbook, by Melia Myers
The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History, from the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us is a paperback reprint that released on June 6. We had a nice sale in hardcover for Steve Brussatte's book and hope this is the beginning of a paperback run*. From Kirkus: "Another outstanding work of paleontology from the author of The Rise and Fall of Dinosaurs. Dinosaurs fascinate everyone, and Brusatte, professor of paleontology and adviser to the Jurassic World film franchise, has named more than 15 new species. However, mammals are his first love, and this delightful account will convert many readers." Listen to this interview with Ira Flatow on NPR Science Friday, who said of Brusatte: "One of my favorite authors, one of my favorite scientists."
1. The Book of Nature, by Barbara Mahany (signed copies)
2. What an Owl Knows, by Jennifer Ackerman (Register for September 6 virtual event)
3. Poverty, by America, by Matthew Desmond
4. The Creative Act, by Rick Rubin
5. The New Art of Coffee, by Ryan Castelaz
6. A Waiter in Paris, by Edward Chisholm
7. What Is Antiracism?, by Arun Kundnani
8. Tenderheart, by Hetti Lui McKinnon
9. Earth Transformed, by Peter Frakopan
10. Love and Lemons: Simple Feel Good Food, by Jeanine Donofrio
Yes, we know that Jennifer Ackerman's event is not for a long time! There's just a lot going on with Schlitz Audubon Nature Center - summer is there high season. Here's a link to their calendar of programs. We've already gotten a great rec on What an Owl Knows, and I'm excited to say the book is on The New York Times bestseller list. We're also particularly grateful to Ackerman and Penguin Press. We wrote up five proposals for virtual bird events because ours go so well, but this was the only one that came through!
From Jennifer Szalai in The New York Times, after dropping some O bombs: "I recount these facts with a mix of astonishment and pleasure because Ackerman is a warm and companionable guide, so enthusiastic about her subject that I suspect even the avian-indifferent will be charmed by her encounters with owls and the dedicated people who study them."
1. The Bodyguard, by Katherine Center
2. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
3. The Museum of Ordinary People, by Mike Gayle
4. Lapvona, by Ottessa Moshfegh
5. Patricia Wants to Cuddle, by Samantha Allen
6. A Dreadful Splendor, by B.R. Myers
7. Dr. No, by Percival Everett (link to Boswell-run book club selections here)
8. The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemison
9. The Island, by Adrian McKinty
10. Search, by Michelle Huneven
We did a lot of promotion for Mike Gayle's All the Lonely People, and I think that our enthusiasm helped sell The Museum of Ordinary People, what with its similar cover design to the previous paperback. This one's a paperback original and because I didn't see one either, I'm also one of the buyers. Even without my purchase we're #3 on Edelweiss for sales at indie bookstores. Gayle's latest is about a young woman who finds out about a sort of found-object museum that's about to go under, and tries to save it. Found object isn't quite right; folks donate items that have profound meeting for them, and the museum curates them with accompanying personal stories. Kirkus called it "unrelentingly sweet" but they meant that in a good way. Like Gayle's last book, it's in that UK-focused uplit genre, with a little romance, a little self-empowerment, and something to say about the democratization of museums. I gave my copy to a friend at Milwaukee Art Museum after I was done.
1. Unearthing Joy, by Gholdy Muhamad
2. The Gardener's Guide to Prairie Plants, by Neil Diboll
3. Frank Lloyd Wright's Wisconsin, by Kristine Hansen
4. Quietly Hostile, by Samantha Irby
5. The Rise and Reign of the Mammals, by Steve Brusatte
6. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
7. Empire of Pain, by Patrick Radden Keefe
8. God Is Round, by Jua Villoro
9. Murdle V1, by G.T. Karber
10. The Midwest Gardener's Handbook, by Melia Myers
The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History, from the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us is a paperback reprint that released on June 6. We had a nice sale in hardcover for Steve Brussatte's book and hope this is the beginning of a paperback run*. From Kirkus: "Another outstanding work of paleontology from the author of The Rise and Fall of Dinosaurs. Dinosaurs fascinate everyone, and Brusatte, professor of paleontology and adviser to the Jurassic World film franchise, has named more than 15 new species. However, mammals are his first love, and this delightful account will convert many readers." Listen to this interview with Ira Flatow on NPR Science Friday, who said of Brusatte: "One of my favorite authors, one of my favorite scientists."
I don't think anyone left the event and drove to the store, but I should note that Juno Dawson had Empire of Pain on her list of recommended books.
Books for Kids:
1. Ginny Off the Map, by Caroline Hickey
2. Lulu and Rocky in Milwaukee, by Barbara Joosse, illustrated by Renee Graef
3. The Eyes and the Impossible, by Dave Eggers
4. Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea, by Dav Pilkey
5. The Sun and the Star, by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro
6. Gertie the Darling Duck of World War II, by Shari Swanson, illustrated by Renee Graef
7. Weather Together, by Jessie Sima
8. Babu's Song, by Stephanie Stuve, illustrations by Aaron Boyd
9. The Good Girls Guide to Murder, by Holly Jackson
10. Luigi and the Barefoot Races, by Dan Paley, illustrations by Aaron Boys
What can we say about Ginny Off the Map? When I talk about Holly Goldberg Sloan's Pieces of Blue being classic middle grade fiction for adults, some people might not know what I mean by classic middle grade fiction for kids? But Ginny Off the Map, which may or may not someday become a classic, strikes the notes. Ginny's family moves (transition) while at the same time her father is stationed in Afghanistan (worry, processing possible grief). She doesn't get into the camp of her choice and is waitlisted at her stem school (disappointment) so she considers her options - a camp that is less to her taste, starting her own camp (making friends, fitting in). Plus it's got lots of geography facts, and as someone who passed time with my campmate Glenn doign state capitol quizzing, I can identify. Kirkus wrote " It's hard to write with such simple authenticity: The world needs more stories like this."
1. Ginny Off the Map, by Caroline Hickey
2. Lulu and Rocky in Milwaukee, by Barbara Joosse, illustrated by Renee Graef
3. The Eyes and the Impossible, by Dave Eggers
4. Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea, by Dav Pilkey
5. The Sun and the Star, by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro
6. Gertie the Darling Duck of World War II, by Shari Swanson, illustrated by Renee Graef
7. Weather Together, by Jessie Sima
8. Babu's Song, by Stephanie Stuve, illustrations by Aaron Boyd
9. The Good Girls Guide to Murder, by Holly Jackson
10. Luigi and the Barefoot Races, by Dan Paley, illustrations by Aaron Boys
What can we say about Ginny Off the Map? When I talk about Holly Goldberg Sloan's Pieces of Blue being classic middle grade fiction for adults, some people might not know what I mean by classic middle grade fiction for kids? But Ginny Off the Map, which may or may not someday become a classic, strikes the notes. Ginny's family moves (transition) while at the same time her father is stationed in Afghanistan (worry, processing possible grief). She doesn't get into the camp of her choice and is waitlisted at her stem school (disappointment) so she considers her options - a camp that is less to her taste, starting her own camp (making friends, fitting in). Plus it's got lots of geography facts, and as someone who passed time with my campmate Glenn doign state capitol quizzing, I can identify. Kirkus wrote " It's hard to write with such simple authenticity: The world needs more stories like this."
*But unlikely, alas. The paperback is only $5 cheaper than the hardcover.
