Boswell and Books

Boswell bestsellers, week ending April 4, 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Goldin) — Sun, 05 Apr 2026 14:33:00 +0000

Boswell bestsellers, week ending April 4, 2026

Hardcover Fiction:
1. The Keeper V3, by Tana French
2. Vengeance in Venice V7, by Erica Ruth Neubauer (signed copies)
3. Kin, by Tayari Jones
4. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
5. The Night We Met, by Abby Jimenez
6. Heart the Lover, by Lily King
7. Python's Kiss, by Louise Erdrich
8. The Dark Time, by Nick Petrie
9. The News from Dublin, by Colm Tóibín
10. Lost Lambs, by Madeline Cash

Only two leftovers from 2025 on this list. Top debut is Tana French's The Keeper, the third (and final?) entry in the Cal Hooper series, which received six raves, four positives, and a mixed, from Publishers Weekly. I saw there is a rave from Bob Hoover in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette: "Tana French offers no answers herself, only us giving clues to follow. So enjoy her musical language, told in the Irish vernacular funny and profane, and wash it down with a pint of Guinness." The review is paywalled, and when I tried to access it, it offered me a deal - 99 cents for eight weeks. The only catch? The paper is shutting down in a month."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. The Anatomy of Awakening, by Sue Morter
2. Strangers, by Belle Burden
3. How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay, by Jenny Lawson
4. The Best Dog in the World, edited by Alice Hoffman
5. The Gales of November, by John U Bacon
6. The World Appears, by Michael Pollan
7. The Meaning of Your Life, by Arthur C Brooks
8. Milwaukee Flavor, by Visit Milwaukee/Ann Christenson
9. Judy Blume, by Mark Oppenheimer
10. Unsettling Territory, by Douglas Metoxen Kiel

Several new releases this week have good first week sales, but let's focus on Jenny Lawson, because she once visited Boswell and she also owns a bookstore in San Antonio. From Library Journal on How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay: "Thanks to Lawson's humor, frankness, and insight, her book ends up being much more than just another standard self-help guide. Lawson's words will likely bring comfort and aid to readers with anxiety, chronic illness, ADHD, and depression in the times when they might be struggling the most."

Paperback Fiction:
1. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
2. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
3. Fever Beach, by Carl Hiaasen
4. Two Bodies Are Better Than One, by Erica Ruth Neubauer (signed copies)
5. Nightmare of the Embryos, by Mariella Mehr
6. I Who Have Never Known Men, by Jacqueline Harpman
7. Dungeon Crawler Carl, by Matt Dinniman
8. The Lion Women of Tehroan, by Marjan Kamali
9. City of Rats, by Copi

10. A Woman's Guide to True Crime, by Mary Thorson

We had a strong first week for Nightmare of the Embryos, with more special orders on the way, and its one of two New Directions in our top ten. While you might not be familiar with Mariella Mehr, a groundbreaking Swiss German Yenish writer, you might know the translator Caroline Froh, a former Boswellian. From the starred Publishers Weekly: "Historical trauma, unusual figures, and marginalized outsiders shape this kaleidoscopic volume of vignettes, prose poems, and fables from Swiss writer Mehr, who died in 2022...Mehr bears witness to the traumas suffered by the Yenish community and immortalizes their enduring joy and resilience in this masterfully translated collection. It’s not to be missed."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Letters from Clara, by Janet Newman

2. Absolute Justice, by Chris Chan (Boswell April 7 event)
3. The Beginning Comes After the End, by Rebecca Solnit
4. The Pastor as Gardener, by Matthew Erickson
5. The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson
6. We Will Be Jaguars, by Nemonte Nenquimo with Mitch Anderson
7. After 1177 BC, by Eric H Cline
8. Native Nations, by Kathleen Duval
9. Plant This, Not That, by Elise Howard
10. A Walk in the Park, by Kevin Fedarko

The big news this week is that the New York Times has reduced its nonfiction paperback list to once monthly instead of weekly. I've been heartbroken in the past when some of my favorite nonfiction hardcovers never got a paperback release, and this probably won't help. We Will Be Jaguars: A Memoir of My People, by Nemonte Nenquimo did get a paperback release, being that it was a Reese book club pick. From Kirkus: " An essential memoir of Indigenous resistance to economic subjugation and cultural extinction."

Books for Kids:
1. Be You, by Peter H Reynolds
2. Zip Zap Wickety Wack, by Matthew Diffee
3. Lulu and Rocky in Milwuakee, by Barbara Joosse, illustrations by Renée Graef
4. Peekaboo Farm, by Camilla Reid, illustrated by Ingela P Arrhenius
5. A Natural History of Mermaids, by Emily Hawkins, ilustrated by Jessica Roux
6. Tell Me a Story, by Hannah Fleece
7. Myths and Legends for Fearless Girls, by Samantha Newman
8. Nightmare on Nightmare Street, by RL Stine
9. Queso Just in Time, by Ernesto Cisneros
10. The Lions' Run, by Sara Pennypacker

Released earlier in March, Queso Just in Time is a follow-up to Efrén Divided and Falling Short. From Publishers Weekly: "A tween receives a second chance to commune with his late father in this heartfelt time travel tale with Back to the Future flair...It's a gentle and thoughtful story brimming with familial love."

Boswell bestsellers, week ending March 28, 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Goldin) — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 12:22:00 +0000

Boswell bestsellers, week ending March 28, 2026

Hardcover Ficton:
1. Life: A Love Story, by Elizabeth Berg*
2. The Dark Time, by Nick Petrie
3. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
4. Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief, by Benjamin Stevenson
5. Between Two Fires, by Christopher Buehlman
6. Brawler, by Lauren Groff
7. Lost Lamb, by Madeline Cash
8. Kin, by Tayari Jones
9. Python's Kiss, by Louise Erdrich
10. Children of Strife V4, by Adrian Tchaikovski

It's the second week out for #4 in the Ernest Cunningham mysteries. Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief is recommended by our buyer Jason and also by fans and reviewers. From Publishers Weekly: "As always, Stevenson plays scrupulously fair with readers, offering all the evidence needed to solve his devilishly intricate puzzle from the jump. Still, even the most seasoned mystery fans will struggle to beat him to the final reveal. This series continues to impress."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Everything Is Tuberculosis, by John Green
2. Hello Home Cooking, Ham El-Waylly
3. The World Appears, by Michael Pollan
4. The Gales of November, by John U Bacon
5. Good Writing, by Neal ALlen and Anne Lamott
6. The Best Dog in the World, edited by Alice Hoffman
7. Art but Make It Sports, by JJ Rader
8. Stuff Every Bird Lover Should Know, by Alice Sun
9. Fishable Feast, by Kirk Deeter (Boswell May 13 event)
10. Garden Voices, by edited by Claire Masset

Nice first week out for Hello, Home Cooking: Do-Able Dishes for Every Day. Ham El-Waylly is not just a chef (his restaurant is Strange Delight in Brooklyn) but a contributor to NYT cooking and one half of the cohost of the video series Mystery Menu with his wife Sohla. From Library Journal: " Alive with flavor and packed with technique, El-Waylly's book delivers fusion without fuss."

Paperback Fiction:
1. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
2. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
3. Happiness Falls, by Angie Kim (Shorewood Library event April 23, book club discussion April 2)
4. Dungeon Crawler Carl, by Matt Dinniman
5. Heated Rivalry, by Rachel Reid
6. Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver
7. 33 Place Brugmann, by Alice Austen
8. The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon
9. I Who Have Never Known Men, by Jacqueline Harpman
10. Frankenstein (1818 text), by Mary Shelley

There are so many programs going on for Shorewood Reads featuring Happiness Falls that it gets its own paragraph instead of a parenthetical remark next to the title. I'm leading a book club discussion at North Shore Boulangerie on Thursday at 9 am (registration requested) and it all leads up to three author events on April 23 - There's a writing talk at 10 am, a discussion of working with non-speakers at 2 pm, Y, and a traditional converstaion at 6:30 in the evening at the library, on 3920 N Murray. No registration required for the evevning program, which is the one where we'll be selling books.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. The Pastor as Gardener, by Matthew Erickson*
2. Making a Life, by Kate Ward
3. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
4. Frank Lloyd Wright's Wisconsin, by Kristine Hansen (Boswell July 8 event for FLW Illinois - registration should be up shortly)
5. The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson
6. Raising Hare, by Chloe Dalton
7. A Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros
8. The Beginning Comes After the End, by Rebecca Solnit
9. The 388 Tattoos of Captain George and the 389 Tales of How He Got Them, by Amelia Klem Osterud
10. Secret Wisconsin, by Tom Manus and Kristi Flick Manus

I am noticing more outdoorsy books on the hardcover and paperback nonfiction lists, so folks are really thinking spring now, despite some reports of not-so-great weather on Thursday. Gardening, birding, walking, regional traveling, and yes, even the rare fishing book!

*No signed copies at the moment - we sold out!

Books for Kids:
1. I'm Trying to Love Farts, by Bethany Barton
2. I'm Trying to Love Germs, by Bethany Barton
3. I'm Trying to Love Rocks, by Bethany Barton
4. It's Spring, by Renée Kurilla
4. Lulu and Rocky in Milwaukee, by Barbara Joosse, illustrated by Renée Graef
5. Each and Every Spark, by Claire Swinarski
6. Kat and Mouse: Let's Have a Sleepover, by Salina Yoon
7. If You Make a Call on a Banana Phone, by Gideon Sterer, illustrated by Emily Hughes
8. Sunrise on the Reaping special edition, by Suzanne Collins
9. America Is Wild, by Brad Timm, illustrated by Margaux Samson Abadie and Jill De Haan
10. Bud Finds Her Gift, by Robin Wall Kimmerer, illustrated by Naoko Stoop

It's not often that I look up a Wide-Eyed book and it's out of stock at all of Ingram's warehouses, but I've been told that since Baker and Taylor closed their library services, this is not as unusual. Brad Timm's America Is Wild!: A State-By-State Encyclopedia of American Wildlife follows the adult trend of springtime outside interests. School Library Journal wrote: "This richly detailed encyclopedia transports readers across the US, supporting an appreciation for the flora and fauna of the country and enhancing STEM curricula."

Boswell bestsellers, week ending March 21, 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Goldin) — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 13:54:00 +0000

Boswell bestsellers, week ending March 21, 2026

Hardcover Fiction:
1. The Lost Daughter of Sparta, by Felicia Day (signed copies)
2. Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line V6, by Elle Cosimano (signed copies)
3. Life: A Love Story, by Elizabeth Berg (Boswell March 25 event)
4. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
5. The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss (signed)
6. The Dark Time, by Nick Petrie (WFB event 3/23 and Tosa event 3/26)
7. Children of Strife V4, by Adrian Tchaikovsky
8. Between Two Fires, by Christopher Buehlman
9. Dog Show, by Billy Collins
10. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, by Kiran Desai

The fourth book in the Children of Time series is Children of Strife, and comes from Hachette's Orbit line. Is it my imagination or was that originally distributed as a Pan paperback through Macmillan. I was trying to make sense of our sales history. From Saif Shaikh in Medium: "Have I said that after reading the Children of Time series, his grimdark fantasy Tyrant Philosophers series, and a smattering of other standalones, Adrian Tchaikovsky has shot up to my favorite authors of all time? At this point, I will read nearly anything with his name on it, and Children of Strife only further cements my fervor. A strong contender for a favorite-of-the-year entry."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Judy Blume, by Mark Oppenheimer (signed copies)
2. Adult Braces, by Lindy West
3. American Struggle, by Jon Meacham
4. Chain of Ideas, by Ibram X Kendi
5. How the New World Became Old, by Caroline Winterer
6. The World Appears, by Michael Pollan
7. Everything Is Tuberculosis, by John Green
8. Good Writing, by Neal Allen and Anne Lamott
9. Milwaukee Flavor, by Ann Christensen
10. The Art of Gluten Free Bread, by Aran Goyoaga

Adult Braces: Driving Myself Sane is a memoir of a cross country road trip. From Publishers Weekly: "West blends her signature sharp wit with endearing vulnerability in this luminous memoir of a cross-country road trip she took to rebuild herself and her marriage. Spurred by her love of the Beach Boys song Kokomo, West rented a van to drive from Seattle to Key West after learning that her husband, Aham, had another partner and wanted a polyamorous marriage...The result is a madcap, rewarding journey that demystifies the unsexy work of self-actualization."

Paperback Fiction:
1. A Woman's Guide to True Crime, by Mary Thorson (more copies coming - Thorson will sign!)
2. The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss
3. The Good Pornographer, by Brian Bouldrey (signed copies)
4. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
5. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
6. Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, by Elle Cosimano (signed copies)
7. Happiness Falls, by Angie Kim (Shorewood Library April 23 event)
8. The Sirens, by Emelia Hart
9. The Narrow Road Between Desires, by Patrick Rothfuss
10. I Who Have Never Known Men, by Jacqueline Harpman

While The Sirens performed well in hardcover, just a few copies short of her breakout Weyward, the book has a long way to go before it catches the paperback of the previous novel, which has sold close to 200 copies at Boswell. From Library Journal: "In 19th-century Ireland, sisters Mary and Eliza were declared convicts and shipped to Australia. As they endured horrific conditions, they held on to hope and to each other. In 2019, recurring childhood nightmares continue to afflict first-year journalism student Lucy Martin...Hart's second novel weaves a lyrical story, intricately blending family dynamics with the magic of folklore."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Embrace Your Weird, by Felicia Day (signed copies)
2. You're Never Weird on the Internet Almost, by Felicia Day (signed copies)
3. American Enlightenments, by Caroline Winterer
4. Thirty Two Words for Field, by Manchan Magan
5. The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson
6. Raising Hare, by Chloe Dalton
7. Black in Blues, by Imani Perry (ABHM April 6 ticketed event)
8. Teaching Writing in the Age of AI, by Troy Hicks
9. Making a Life, by Kate Ward (Boswell March 23 event)
10. Dead Man Walking graphic edition, by Helen Prejean (Mount Mary April 17 event)

At Felicia Day's event, there were a lot of folks remembering our in-store program for You're Never Weird on the Internet Almost ten years ago, which is probably why why we sold substantially more copies of her second nonfiction book, Embrace Your Weird. There were a lot of folks still discovering Patrick Rothfuss at the program, which is why we had bestseller sales for the various versions of The Name of the Wind.

Books for Kids:
1. When the Rain Came, by Matthew Eicheldinger
2. Each and Every Spark, by Claire Swinarski (signed copies, plus Boswell May 5 event)
3. Take It from the Top, by Claire Swinarski
4. A Year Without Home, by VT Bidania
5. What Happened to Rachel Riley, by Claire Swinarski
6. The Curse Breaker V2, by Jen Calonita
7. Peekaboo Chick, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
8. Goodnight Bruce, Ryan T Higgins
9. Isle of Ever V1, by Jen Calonita
10. Loops, by Jashar Awan

We're in full swing of spring school events, plus more sales from the WEMTA conference.

Geisel winner Jashar Awan's latest picture book Loops is about a kid learning to tie shoelaces and is featured in our new picture book display. From the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books: "In the opening pages of this bright, optimistic picture book, an unnamed protagonist finds their missing sneaker and promptly invites the audience to watch them tie their shoes, a true milestone and mark of being a big kid... Awan has again offered a warm little pocket of the world where a child is loved, respected, protected, and confident"

Boswell bestsellers, week ending March 14, 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Goldin) — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 15:11:00 +0000

Boswell bestsellers, week ending March 14, 2026

Hardcover Fiction:
1. The Dark Time, by Nick Petrie (signed copies)
2. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
3. Vigil, by George Saunders
4. Brawler, by Lauren Groff
5. Kin, by Tayari Jones
6. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, by Kiran Desai
7. Shadow Ticket, by Thomas Pynchon
8. Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter, by Heather Fawcett
9. Heart the Lover, by Lily King
10.Eradication, by Jonathan Miles

We had some nice reads from Jason and Kay of Eradication: A Fable, the new novel from Jonathan Miles, which also got four raves and two positives on BookMarks. From Jason: "Adi, a jazz musician turned teacher who is running from his past, takes a job that ships him to a remote island that’s overrun with goats. His task: eradicate the invasive species. An amazing story that sits with you for a long time after you finish."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Chasing Lewis's Monkeyflower, by Elizabeth Adelman (signed copies)
2. Kids, Wait Till You Hear This, by Liza Minelli
3. The World Appears, by Michael Pollan
4. American Struggle, by Jon Meacham
5. Leaving the Ocean Was a Mistake, by Cara Giaimo
6. Strangers, by Belle Burden
7. Milwaukee Flavor, by Ann Christensen
8. Language as Liberation, by Toni Morrison
9. Little Frog's Guide to Self Care, by Maybell Eequay
10. Good Things, by Samin Nosrat

It's a relatively strong showing for Liza Minelli's Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! as our store can be hot and cold on celebrity bios. And bully for Michael Feinstein, who gets an official writing credit, though it's more of a conversation - it's noted the writers are Josh Getlin and Heidi Evans. There are highs and lows on BookMarks - one raves is from Fiona Sturges in The Guardian who says, "What elevates her book above the usual celebrity fare is her vulnerability and brutal candour in sharing her lowest moments, from the terrible marriages, to her mother’s manipulations, to the decades of substance abuse that once caused her to collapse in the street near her New York home, prompting pedestrians to step over her inert body."

Paperback Fiction:
1. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
2. A Woman's Guide to True Crime, by Mary Thorson (Boswell March 20 event)
3. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
4. Dungeon Crawler Carl, by Matt Dinniman
5. The Lion Women of Tehran, by Marjan Kamali
6. The Rites of Man, by Meg Bortin
7. Sunburn, by Chloe Michelle Howarth
8. The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore
9. Heated Rivalry, by Rachel Reid
10. For Human Use, by Sarah G Pierce

Selling off the front table, For Human Use is a novel about a dating app that pairs users with corpses for the ultimate romantic experience. From Booklist: " Pierce makes her debut with this very unique and hilarious horror rom-com that bends genre norms in every direction...Pierce manages to deliver genuine horror while also exploring questions about intimacy and relationships even as Liv increasingly takes over its users' lives.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson (signed copies)
2. The Splendid and the Vile, by Erik Larson
3. Letters from Clara, by Janet Newman
4. Isaac's Storm, by Erik Larson
5. The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson
6. The Beginning Comes After the End, by Rebecca Solnit
7. While You Were Out, by Meg Kissinger
8. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
9. Raising Hare, by Chloe Dalton
10. I'm Glad My Mom Died, by Jennette McCurdy

The Beginning Comes After the End: Notes on a World of Change, by Rebecca Solnit, has a special independent bookstore edition and has four raves, a positive, and a mixed on BookMarks. From Booklist: " In this remarkably lucid and fluent chronicle of social change over the last six decades or so, the course of her lifetime, she traces profound shifts in perceptions and convictions regarding race, gender, equality, and the environment."

Books for Kids:
1. Isle of Ever: Curse Breaker V2, by Jen Calonita
2. Isle of Ever #1, by Jen Calonita
3. The Hybrid Prince V16, by Tui T Sutherland
4. The Snowy Day board book, by Ezra Jack Keats
5. Chicka Chicka Peep Peep, by Julien Chung
6. Grumpy Monkey Spring Fever, by Suzanne Lang, illustrations by Max Lang
7. Peekaboo Farm, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
8. The Heir, by Sabaa Tahir
9. This Is Not My Hat, by Jon Klassen
10. Lulu and Rocky in Milwaukee, by Barbara Joosse, illustrations by Renée Graef

It bums me out that the Chicka Chicka phenomenon (the latest is Chicka Chicka Peep Peep) gives credit to Bill Martin, Jr and John Archambault, who wrote the original text, but not to Milwaukee's own Lois Ehlert, who created the much imitated illustrations. The new book has a positive Kirkus: "The alphabet appears in order (both upper- and lowercase letters) at the book's open and close. The rhyming text follows the iconic cadence of the source material, making for a worthy read-aloud that will keep little hands turning pages. A sweet, springtime-themed reworking of a beloved tale."

Boswell bestsellers, week ending March 7, 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Goldin) — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 15:33:00 +0000

Boswell bestsellers, week ending March 7, 2026

Hardcover Fiction:
1. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
2. The Star from Calcutta, by Sujata Massey (signed copies)
3. Vigil, by George Saunders
4. Kin, by Tayari Jones
5. Lake Effect, by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
6. Lost Lambs, by Madeline Cash
7. The Astral Library, by Kate Quinn
8. Operation Bounce House, by Matt Dinniman
9. Heart the Lover, by Lily King
10. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, by Kiran Desai

It's been out since mid-January, but Lost Lambs, a staff favorite, has its best week to date at Boswell. Madeline Cash's debut novel has lots of reviews too - BookMarks scores ten raves, five positives, and three mixed, including this from Sam Sacks in The Wall Street Journal: "It’s an engaging, slightly cartoonish story that shows off Ms. Cash’s talent for producing rapid-fire dialogue and amiably oddball characters. It helps that the author has clearly enjoyed herself." Looks like Picador is reissuing Cash's debut story collection, originally from Clash Books. That doesn't happen much anymore!

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Midwest Migrant, by Jonathan Mann Burkham (signed copies)
2. Chasing Lewis's Monkeyflower, by Elizabeth Adelman (Boswell March 13 event)
3. Spongebob Squarepants: The Art of the Undersea World, by Tracey Miller-Zarneke
4. A World Appears, by Michael Pollan
5. The Gales of November, by John U Bacon
6. We the Women, by Norah O'Donnell
7. The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson (UWM March 11 event)
8. Strangers, by Belle Burden
9. Young Man in a Hurry, by Gavin Newsom
10. The Bread of Angels, by Patti Smith

I don't think we would have even carried Spongebob Squarepants: The Art of the Undersea World had we not been asked to sell books for Tom Kenny, who hasn't written a book (to my knowlege) but has voiced Spongebob since its inception. We also didn't expect him to sign any books, but he was kind of hyped about seeing Tracey Miller-Zarneke's book for the first time - it only went on sale last week. So he offered his 'Best Fishes' to a few fans.

Paperback Fiction:
1. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
2. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
3. Dungeon Crawler Carl, by Matt Dinniman
4. A Woman's Guide to True Crime, by Mary Thorson (Boswell March 20 event)
5. No Matter What, by Cara Bastone
6. Sunburn, by Chloe Michelle Howarth
7. My Friends, by Hisham Matar (Boswell-run book clubs)
8. I Who Have Never Known Men, by Jacqueline Harpman
9. The Long Walk, by Stephen King
10. Heated Rivalry, by Rachel Reid

Cara Bastone's No Matter What is being published as a romance, but as Ingrid noted in her rec, it should cross over into the general fiction market, and I think the jacket appears to be reinforcing that pitch. Library Journal's Elizabeth Gabriel (of MPL's East Library) offers: "A stunning book by Bastone, who delivers another slow-burn and emotional romance that doesn't shy away from also exploring life's hardest moments. Recommended for readers who also enjoy Abby Jimenez."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Sticky Notes, by Matthew Eicheldinger
2. Improbable Mentors and Happy Tangents, by Michael Perry
3. Population 485, by Michael Perry
4. Montaigne in Barn Boots, by Michael Perry
5. The Beginning Comes After the End, by Rebecca Solnit
6. Making a Life, by Kate Ward (Boswell March 23 event)
7. Raising Hare, by Chloe Dalton
8. Enough, by Barbara Bugess
9. This Is an Uprising, by Mark Engler and Paul Engler
10. When Women Ran Fifth Avenue, by Julie Satow

Jenny and McKenna sold books at an educator media and technology conference and one of the keynotes was Michael Perry. One of his more recent books is Improbable Mentors and Happy Tangents: How Firefighters and Poets, Truckers and Nurses, Soldiers and Singers, and Other Improbable Individuals Can Show You the Way in Business and Creativity. I like that this is Perry's speaking platform book. Now you can be more than entertained when you bring in Perry for your business conference!

Books for Kids:
1. Maya's Big Question, by Meena Harris, illustrated by Marissa Valdez
2. A Year Without Home, by VT Bidania
3. Mythspeaker, by Christopher Roubique
4. Holes in My Underwear, by Matthew Eicheldinger
5. Matt Sprouts and the Curse of the Ten Broken Toes V1, by Matthew Eicheldinger
6. Extraordinary Eliana and the Magnificent Hmong New Year, by VT Bidania, illustrations by Suji Park
7. Peekaboo Love, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
8. Extraordinary Eliana and the Delightful Dance, by VT Bidania, illustrations by Suji Park
9. Six of Crows, by Leigh Bardugo
10. Spongebob Squarepants: Find a Missing Star, by David Lewman, illustrations by Francesco Francavilla

After a number of picture books and early readers, VT Bidania's first middle grade novel A Year Without Home, published in January. It was a hit at this week's conference. Jenny, a big fan, says it should be required reading at all elementary schools. From Publishers Weekly: "This edifying novel by Bidania, narrated in evocative verse by 11-year-old Gao Cheng, traces the year during which she and her extended family of 20 lived as refugees following the end of the Vietnam War...The protagonist's perceptive voice, at once gentle and firm, makes for a powerful story of personal growth as well as an affecting historical narrative."

Boswell bestsellers, week ending February 28, 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Goldin) — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 16:51:00 +0000

Boswell bestsellers, week ending February 28, 2026

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Away to Me, by Patricia B McConnell (signed copies)
2. Hemlock, by Melissa Faliveno (signed copies)
3. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
4. Brawler, by Lauren Groff
5. Heart the Lover, by Lily King
6. Kin, by Tayari Jones
7. Vigil, by George Saunders
8. Half His Age, by Jennette McCurdy
9. Dog Show, by Billy Collins
10. The Astral Library, by Kate Quinn

There are several high-profile releases this week, with sales pops, notably Brawler and Kin. Brawler had nine raves and a positive, including this from Alexander Alter in The New York Times: "If they have a shared theme, it is how the bedrock of family crumbles, and its members are forced to shift into new formations, occasionally tectonic."

Kin has eight raves and a mixed on BookMarks. From Heller McAlpin in The Wall Street Journal: "With understated force, Ms. Jones captures the systemic racism of the Jim Crow era in the years when the civil-rights movement was gaining momentum. The novel also touches on many social issues that cross color and time lines, including dangerous illegal abortions, the stultifying daily routines of middle-class housewives, and widespread hostility toward homosexuality." I am fascinated that BookMarks no longer offers a link for Wall Street Journal reviews, even though there are lots of other sources, like the Los Angeles Times, that have solid paywalls. There's a story here!

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. The Postwar Antisemite, by Lisa Silverman
2. American Struggle, by Jon Meacham
3. Chasing Lewis's Monkeyflower, by Elizabeth Adelman (Boswell March 13 event)
4. A Marriage at Sea, by Sophie Elmhirst
5. Football, by Chuck Klosterman
6. A World Appears, by Michael Pollan
7. The Let Them Theory, by Mel Robbins
8. Lessons from Cats for Surviving Fascism, by Stewart Reynolds
9. Milwaukee Flavor, from Visit Milwaukee, text by Ann Christensen
10. The Art of Gluten-Free Bread, by Aran Goyoaga

First week out for A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness and continuing this journey into BookMarks, he got six raves, three positives, a mixed, and a pan.Publshers Weekly said, "Readers Will Be Captivated," like a fortune telling machine. And from Charles Finch in The Atlantic: "Pollan’s real genius - the word is not too strong - remains intact ... Steals back for humanity some of the sensation of miraculousness that this era has largely outsourced to technology." Did this every happen to you? We have a print subscription to The Atlantic, but for the life of us, we can't get the digital long in to work.

Paperback Fiction:
1. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
2. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
3. Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë
4. Dungeon Crawler Carl, by Matt Dinniman
5. Sunburn, by Chloe Michelle Howarth
6. Service Model, by Adrian Tchaikovsky
7. Sirens, by Emilia Hart
8. The Long Game, by Rachel Reid
9. Strange Houses, by Uketsu
10. Slow Gods, by Claire North

How nice to have a hit from HarperVia. Uketsu's Strange Houses, the follow up to Strange Buildings, has been a Japanese phenomenon. From Booklist: ". What started out as a story based on pure speculation evolves into a generational tale involving murder, curses, revenge, and familial succession. Inclusion of the house-layout drawings as each plot twist is contemplated will draw readers into the increasingly complex horror-mystery." Strange Buildings arrives Tuesday, March 3.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Diselderly Conduct, by Judy Karofsky
2. Raising Hare, by Chloe Dalton
3. Thirty-Two Words for Field, by Manchán Magan
4. Black in Blues, by Imani Perry (ABHM April 6 ticketed event)
5. Tomboyland, by Melissa Faliveno
6. Native Nations, by Kathleen Duval
7. The Year's Best Sports Writing 2025, edited by Hanif Abdurraqib
8. The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson (UWM March 11 ticked event)
9. The Warmth of Other Suns, by Isabel Wilkerson
10. The Other End of the Leash, by Patricia McConnell

Chelsea Green appears to have its first hit (at least with us) since being acquired by Rizzoli Publications. Thirty-Two Words for Field: Lost Words of the Irish Landscape came out last week and is already out of stock at all the Ingram warehouses. That's happening more often as the wholesaler has to more carefully gauge library demand, or so I've heard. From Kirkus: "This book by author and broadcaster Magan (1970-2025) explores 'the enchantment, sublime beauty, and sheer oddness' of a three-millennia old, profoundly ecological, proto-Indo-European language (An Ghaeilge, or Gaelic) that honors the natural world and celebrates an age-old way of life."

Books for Kids:
1. Each and Every Spark, by Claire Swinarksi (Boswell May 5 event)
2. Take It from the Top, by Claire Swinarski
3. A Place for Pluto, by Stef Wade, illustrations by Melanie Demmer
4. Mythspeaker, by Christopher Roubique (signed copies)
5. Moving to Mars, by Stef Wade, illustrations by Erin Taylor
6. The Very Last Leaf, by Stef Wade, illustrated by Jennifer Davison
7. What Happened to Rachel Riley, by Claire Swinarksi
8. Dog Man: Big Jim Believes, by Dav Pilkey
9. Peekaboo Dinosaur, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
10. Sunrise on the Reaping, by Suzanne Collins

We just did school visits for Claire Swinarski for Each and Every Spark, her latest middle-grade novel. Publishers Weekly called the new book "stellar.": More: "Educational, empathetic, and emotional prose expertly weaves together alternating story lines in a timely and resonant read that offers accessible insight into the impact of war and the importance of art and its ability to sustain people through dark times."

Boswell bestsellers, week ending February 21, 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Goldin) — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 15:42:00 +0000

Boswell bestsellers, week ending February 21, 2026

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Murder Your Darlings, by Jenna Blum (signed copies)
2. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
3. Every Exit Brings You Home, by Naeem Murr (signed copies)
4. Vigil, by George Saunders
5. Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter, by Heather Fawcett
6. Flesh, by David Szalay
7. Operation Bounce House, by Matt Dinniman
8. My Friends, by Fredrik Backman
9. Heart the Lover, by Lily King
10. James, by Percival Everett

Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter is a cozy fantasy from the author of the Emily Wilde series. From the starred Booklist: "Fawcett's follow-up...is completely different in tone but just as charming, featuring a competent heroine, a powerful but slightly clueless hero, richly drawn side characters (both human and feline), and a 1920s Montreal setting that feels timeless."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Ladder or Lottery, by Gary A Hoover
2. Chasing Lewis's Monkeyflower, by Elizabeth Adelman (Boswell March 13 event)
3. Backlash Presidents, by Julia R Azari (signed copies)
4. The Postwar Antisemite, by Lisa Silverman (Boswell February 25 event)
5. The Creative Act, by Rick Rubin
6. Football, by Chuck Klosterman
7. The Separation of Church and Hate, by John Fogelsang
8. Making a Life, by Kate Ward (Boswell March 23 event)
9. American Struggle, by Jon Meacham
10. Bread of Angels, by Patti Smith

UWM alum Gary A Hoover returned to the Lubar Center for a talk on Ladder or Lottery: Economic Promises and the Reality of Who Gets Ahead. No reviews yet for this book from University of California Press - I'm not sure if the university presses consistently submit to the advance trades, as I don't generally check. His thesis is that the economy is more like the latter (lottery) than then former, and social unrest is often tied to the realization of this broken promise. The author is Professor of Economics and Law at Tulane.

Paperback Fiction:
1. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
2. Edge V4, by Tracy Clark (signed copies)
3. The Long Game V6, by Rachel Reid
4. Heated Rivalry V2, by Rachel Reid
5. I Who Have Never Known Men, by Jacqueline Harpman
6. Hamnet, by Maggie O'Farrell
7. Dungeon Crawler Carl V1, by Matt Dinniman
8. Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt
9. Like Mother Like Mother, by Susan Rieger
10. The Lion Women of Tehran, by Marjan Kamali

I've read four books in the top ten, but if I really wanted to get a handle on things, I would be closer to seven or eight. I am particularly happy that Like Mother Like Mother is selling well off our new paperback table, but less so that we are #2 on Edelweiss, as I hoped it would break out in more stores. Otherwise not much new on this list besides the event pop for Tracy Clark and Edge. I changed my day off so I could enjoy her always delightful appearances.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Angela Davis: An Autobiography, by Angela Y Davis
2. Women, Race, and Class, by Angela Y Davis
3. Freedom Is a Constant Struggle, by Angela Y Davis
4. Women, Culture, and Politics, by Angela Y Davis
5. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
6. I'm Glad My Mom Died, by Jennette McCurdy
7. A Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros
8. The Age of Magical Overthinking, by Amanda Montell

9. Cold Crematorium, by József Debreczeni

10. The 388 Tattoos of Captain George and the 389 Tales of How He Got Them, by Amelia Klem Osterud

Alas, Angela Y Davis, who appeared at UWM last week, did not sign books, in case you're wondering. I think it's the first week in our top ten for the paperback of linguist/podcaster Amanda Montell's The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, which released in paperback in January. From Booklist: "Refreshingly entertaining and informative, Montell links research and social science with humorous and touching anecdotes. The book reviews some common cognitive biases and fallacies that may be magnified by online culture and rampantly spread."

Books for Kids:
1. The Snowy Day board book, by Ezra Jack Keats
2. Goodnight Moon board book, by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrations by Clement Hurd
3. Sunrise on the Reaping, by Suzanne Collins
4. Valiant Vel, by Jerrianne Hayslett, illustrated by Aaron Boyd
5. Don't Eat Eustace, by Lian Cho
6. It's Spring, by Renée Kurilla
7. Dog Man: Big Jim Believes, by Dav Pilkey
8. Grace Year, by Kim Liggett
9. The Runaway Bunny board book, by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrations by Clement Hurd
10. Waiting Is Not Easy: Elephant and Piggie, by Mo Willems

We're being a little hopeful here, but let's highlight It's Spring, the new picture book written and illustrated by Renée Kurilla. It's Fall is already published - expect the other seasons to follow. She clearly has a fondness for the season - a previous title was One Springy Day. From Booklist: "Following a diverse group of youngsters, this inviting book takes a look at changes in weather and the natural world and, of course, at the variety of celebrations that coincide with the season. The text has a wonderful cadence, making it a fantastic read-aloud, and Kurilla manages to mix in some uncommon vocabulary while still keeping the text engaging and accessible for young readers."

Boswell Bestsellers, week ending February 14, 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Goldin) — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 16:28:00 +0000

Boswell Bestsellers, week ending February 14, 2026

Hardcover Fiction:
1. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
2. Operation Bounce House, by Matt Dinniman
3. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, by Kiran Desai
4. Vigil, by George Saunders
5. Half His Age, by Jennette McCurdy
6. Heart the Lover, by Lily King
7. Dog Show, by Billy Collins
8. This Book Made Me Think of You, by Libby Page
9. Always Remember, by Charlie Mackesy
10. Tom's Crossing, by Mark Z Danielewski

Penguin Random House published nine of this week's top ten (not Heart the Lover), with all four trade divisions represented by at least one book. The Random House group dominates with four entries, and also has #11 with Buckeye. A new title from the Penguin group (three entries) is This Book Made Me Think of You, by Libby Page, the story of a widow who received a last gift from her late husband of a book a month from a local bookstore. From Library Journal: "Page's second novel (after Mornings with Rosemary) is a beautifully crafted tribute to books, booksellers, and the transformative power of reading." Shelf Awareness likes it too, but describes it as her sixth novel.

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Whole Leaders, Wild Trust, by Rob McKenna
2. The Navigator's Letter, by Jan Cress Dondi (signed copies)
3. Original Sins, by Eve L Ewing
4. The Gales of November, by John U Bacon
5. Ten Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World, by Jean Twenge
6. Football, by Chuck Klosterman
7. Frog, by Anne Fadiman
8. Nobody's Girl, by Virginia Giuffre
9. 1929, by Andrew Ross Sorkin
10. The Look, by Michelle Obama

It feels harder to point to media hits as having an impact on book sales, but that Scott Simon interview with Anne Fadiman for Frog: And Other Essays on NPR's Weekend Edition directly generated orders. Fadiman notes: "The essayists I like best surprise me, and that's what I try to do in mine. I'm sure not always with success, but that's what I'm attempting." Three raves, all from publishing trade sources. But of course, we'll no longer be getting Washington Post reviews.

Paperback fiction:
1. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
2. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
3. Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë
4. Sunburn, by Chloe Michelle Howarth
5. Heated Rivalry, by Rachel Reid
6. Hamnet, by Maggie O'Farrell
7. Game Changer, by Rachel Reid
8. The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop, by Takuya Asakura
9. Outlaw Planet, by MR Casey
10. The Case of the Missing Maid, by Rob Osler (Boswell April 8 event)

The trick about deciding which editions of a classic combine for a bestseller list is a tough one, and Wuthering Heights is a prime example. Same text, different jacket - that counts. Hardcover binding? No, that's a separate list. Graphic edition? No, that's a different book. And in the kids section? I'm guessing that's edited. In the end, I combined the regular and movie tie-in jacket, and the rest must fend for yourself. If you don't like that solution, make your own bestseller list! The Hollywood Reporter is seeing it opening below expectations, alas.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. The 388 Tattoos of Captain George, by Amelia Klem Osterud (more coming soon)
2. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
3. Femina, byJanina Ramirez
4. Turning to Stone, by Marcia Bjornerud
5. On Tyranny, by Timothy Snyder
6. P Fkn R, by Vanesa Díaz and Petra R Rivera-Rideau
7. Your Brain on Ar, by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross
8. I'm Glad My Mom Died, by Jennette McCurdy
9. A Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros
10. Meditations for Mortals, by Oliver Burkeman

Several new pops of the new paperback table, with the best one-week sale coming from Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages, Through the Women Written Out of It, from BBC historian Janina Ramirez, a repint from 2023. BookMarks shows three positives, from the Times (UK), the Times Literary Supplement, and the Guardian, but I also found a good review from The London School of Economics. And there's a Publishers Weekly and Kirkus too, which BookMarks sometimes includes and sometimes does not. From PW: "Throughout, Ramirez's adept scene-setting segues gracefully into deeper considerations of these women's lives and work. This feminist history fascinates"

Books for Kids:
1. Fireworks, by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Cátia Chien
2. I'm Gonna Paint, by Ann Broyles, illustrations by Victoria Tentler-Krylov
3. Isle of Ever, by Jen Calonita (North Shore Library March 12 event)
4. The Very Last Leaf, by Stef Wade, illustrations by Jennifer Davison
5. Peekaboo Dog, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela Arrhenius
6. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Partypooper, by Jeff Kinney
7. Peekaboo Moon, by Camiulla Reid illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
8. A Bear, a Man, and a Donut Van, by Daniel Bernstrom, illustrations by Brandon James Scott
9. Same but Different Too, by Karl Newsom
10. Little Head Little Nose board book, by Yuli Yav, illustrations by Antonia Woodward

Selling off our new picture book display is A Bear, a Man, and a Donut Van, by Daniel Bernstrom, illustrated by Brandon James Scott. From Kirkus: "What happens when a bear hijacks a van filled with pastries? The tale's minimal text, made up of single words and extremely short phrases, nevertheless reveals an exciting, humorous storyline - a rare feat... Cleverly rendered rhymes and repetition encourage pre-readers to memorize the words and beginning readers to shine, while the art will tickle their funny bones. Short and utterly sweet."

Boswell bestsellers, week ending February 7, 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Goldin) — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 15:49:00 +0000

Boswell bestsellers, week ending February 7, 2026

Hardcover Fiction:
1. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
2. Vigil, by George Saunders
3. Half His Age, by Jennette McCurdy
4. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, by Kiran Desai
5. Every Exit Brings You Home, by Naeem Murr (Boswell February 19 event)
6. Heart the Lover, by Lily King
7. Always Remember, by Charlie Mackesy
8. Isles of the Emberdark, by Brandon Sanderson
9. Atmosphere, by Taylor Jenkins Reid
10. Buckeye, by Patrick Ryan

Am I correct in labeling Isles of the Emberdark minor Brandon Sanderson? That's the only explanation I have for a #8 placement, but on further inspection, I see this is a reprint of a July 2025 special edition. Per the publisher, "Sanderson expands his thrilling novella Sixth of the Dusk into a mythic novel of legends, lore, and warring galactic superpowers."

I was excited to have read four of this week's top 10, though three of the four are 2025 leftovers. I thought Naeem Murr's Every Exit Brings You Home was the last Ron Charles review in the Washington Post, but it turns out another staff favorite, Eradication, by Jonathan Miles, has the honor.

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Milwaukee Flavor, from Visit Milwaukee, written by Ann Christensen
2. Football, by Chuck Klosterman
3. The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson (UWM/Boswell March 11 ticketed event)
4. Lessons from Cats Surviving Fascism, by Stewart Reynolds
5. Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius, translated by Aaron Poochigian
6. Breakneck, by Dan Wang
7. The Let Them Theory, by Mel Robbins
8. Raising Hare, by Chloe Dalton
9. The Serviceberry, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
10. Baldwin: A Love Story, by Nicholas Boggs

The new translation of Marcus Aurelius's Meditations picks up momentum to hit our top 10 for the first week since its January 6 release. Kirkus praises Aaron Poochigian's translation: "This new translation makes Marcus' advice hit home in an English of unaffected dignity. A classic work of philosophical advice, rendered into our vivid modern vernacular."

Paperback Fiction:
1. Poltergeist, by Jocelyn Szczepaniak-Gillece (more soon!)
2. Heated Rivalry, by Rachel Reid
3. Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë
4. I Who Have Never Known Men, by Jacqueline Harpman
5. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
6. Sunburn, by Chloe Howarth
7. The Shred Sisters, by Betsy Lerner (Boswell-run book clubs)
8. 1984,by George Orwell
9. Slaughterhouse Five, by Amity Gaige
10. Heartwood, by Amity Gaige

Between film releases and students coming in for course books, our top ten has a classic tinge. But there's also a pop for Heartwood, a 1/27 paperback release that got strong reviews and a Read with Jenna pick in hardcover. BookMarks has it scoring two raves, three positives, and a mixed. From the Booklist rave: "A crackling adventure story, a meditation on the fraught human connection to nature, and a subtle examination of the rocky relationships between mothers and daughters that shape the lives of its three main characters, the novel tightens its grip as it moves toward uncovering its central mysteries."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. A Place to Be, JK Cheema (signed copies)
2. I'm Glad My Mom Died, by Jennette McCurdy
3. Murdoku, by Manuel Garand
4. A Sheepdog Named Oscar, by Dara Waldron
5. How to Know a Person, by David Brooks
6. Coyote America, by Dan Flores
7. Experiencing God, by Jon M Sweeney
8. Murdle V1, by GT Karber
9. On Tyranny, by Timothy Snyder
10. On Love, by Joseph Campbell

Second week in the top ten for Coyote America: A Natural and Supernatural History. This is actually a revised reprint from Dan Flores's 2016 publication, but clearly, it was a good idea. We are more than halfway to the life-of-the-book sales of the first paperback edition. From David Roberts in The Wall Street Journal: "In Coyote America, a masterly synthesis of scientific research and personal observation, Dan Flores tries to plumb the causes of what he calls 'the Hundred Years War on Coyotes in the American West,' as he recounts the fate of 'the most persecuted large mammal in American history.'"

Books for Kids:
1. Valentines Are the Worst, by Alex Willan
2. Yetis Are the Worst, by Alex Willan
3. Unicorns Are the Worst, by Alex Willan
4. Peekaboo Dog, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
5. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Partypooper, by Jeff Kinney
6. I'll Love You Till the Cows Come Home, by Kathryn Cristaldi
7. Sunrise on the Reaping, by Suzanne Collins
8. We Fell Apart, by E Lockhart
9. I'm So Happy You're Here, by Mychal Threets, illustrations by Lorraine Nam
10. Dog Man: Big Jim Believes, by Dav Pilkey

Hardcover in 2018, board book in 2020, padded board book in 2023, and sequels in 2024, 2025, and another planned for 2026, I'll Love You Till the Cows Come Home (this is the regular board book edition) has been very popular, but never featured on our kids list before. Kirkus offers a review and some category analysis of the original picture book: "Books that explore a parent's love for their child are a dime a dozen and feature characters that range from cartoon people to cuddly, round-faced forest animals and everything in between. The language is usually either straightforward or poetic and lyrical. This title offers an unusual variation. Rhyming verses tell readers they'll be loved until the scenarios described come to pass, and these grow more and more fantastical as the book progresses."

Boswell bestsellers, week ending January 31, 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Goldin) — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Boswell bestsellers, week ending January 31, 2026

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Vigil, by George Saunders
2. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
3. Half His Age, by Jennette McCurdy
4. Monster in the Moonlight V4, by Annelise Ryan (Boswell April 17 event)
5. Wreck Your Heart, by Lori Rader-Day (signed copies)
6. Elsewhere Express, by Samantha Sotto Yambao
7. This Is Where the Serpent Lives, by Daniyal Mueenuddin
8. James, by Percival Everett
9. Mona's Eyes, by Thomas Schlesser
10. The Wayfinder, by Adam Johnson

Random House continues their tradition of releasing George Saunders books in January, after the surprise breakout of Tenth of December over ten years ago. Vigil is long-awaited, but the reviews have been split, with BookMarks rounding up eight raves, seven positives, four mixed, and five pans. From Hamilton Cain's rave in the Boston Globe: "Vibrant, fiendishly clever ... Saunders varies pointillist technique with staccato dialogue, slapstick humor, even touches of horror. It’s all thrilling on the page."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. On Fire for God, by Josiah Hesse (signed copies)
2. Football, by Chuck Klosterman
3. Milwaukee Flavor, by Visit Milwaukee, written by Ann Christensen
4. A Marriage at Sea, by Sophie Elmhirst
5. Lessons from Cats for Fighting Fascism, by Stewart "Brittlestar" Reynolds
6. Where We Keep the Light, by Josh Shapiro
7. Attensity, by Friends of Attention
8. Abundance, by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson
9. One Day Everyone Will Have Been Against This, by Omar El-Akkad

10. To Die For, by Rosie Grant

Second week in the top ten for Attensity!: A Manifesto of the Attention Liberation Movement. The Friends of Attensity is billed as an underground collective, but the three folks driving the book are D Graham Burnett, Alyssa Loh, and Peter Schmidt. This Washington Post profile explains the Attention Liberation Movement as well as anyone: "The problem isn’t that you, personally, are addicted to your phone or that you can’t stay on task. It goes deeper than that: Our understanding of our attention has been shaped by lab research funded by the military and the ad industry — forces that define attention in terms of staring at screens and pressing buttons, with the aim of wringing more work or money out of us."

Paperback Fiction:
1. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
2. Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë
3. We the Animals, by Justin Torres
4. Passing, by Nella Larsen
5. Hamnet, by Maggie O'Farrell
6. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
7. The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore
8. Tough Guy V3, by Rachel Reid
9. The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon
10. Dungeon Crawler Carl, by Matt Dinniman

Theo of Golden, the self-published sensation that was picked up by Atria, continues to soar. I looked at Edelweiss and 75% of bookstores have sold it. My inside source told me that's about as high as it tends to go. There are just a lot of stores that use the digital catalog service that are very specialized. Needless to say, it's not being tracked on BookMarks, but the reader reviews are through the roof.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Contemplate, by Jacob Riyeff (signed copies)
2. Die with Zero, by Bill Perkins
3. Birdscaping for Wisconsin and the Great Lakes Region, by Mariette Nowak
4. A Place to Be, by JK Cheema (Boswell February 6 event)
5. Coyote America, by Dan Flores
6. A Brief History of the World in 47 Borders, by John Elledge
7. Black in Blues, by Imani Perry (ABHM April 6 event)
8. Living When a Loved One Has Died, by Earl Grollman
9. Seven Generations and the Seven Grandfather Teachings, by James Vukelich
10. Milwaukee Streets, by Carl Baehr

Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People is out this week, but Imani Perry is not coming to Milwaukee until April. The event is ticketed at the America's Black Holocaust Museum, but does not include the book, so we're hoping this gives attendees plenty of time to read it in advance. Both Boswell and Niche are selling copies. Seven raves and a positive on BookMarks, including this rave from Alexandra Jacobs in The New York Times: "The book drifts, like the ocean; it turns suddenly cloudy, like the heavens; it trills, like the jaybird (to which another chapter is devoted). It will have you looking afresh even at your corner mailbox."

Books for Kids:
1. The Wild Robot, by Peter Brown
2. Endling V1: The Last, by Katherine Applegate
3. Because of Mr Terupt, by Rob Buyea
4. Rise of the Earth Dragon, by Tracey West
5. Out of my Heart, by Sharon Draper
6. Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide, by Tony Diterlizzi and Holly Black
7. The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan
8. The Girl Who Drank the Moon, by Kelly Barnhill
9. Unicorns Are the Worst, by Alex Willan (Brookfield Library event today at 2 pm)
10. Lulu and Rocky in Milwaukee, by Barbara Joosse, illustrations by Renée Graef

Mostly school favorites on the list this week. School visits don't usually pick up until later in the season, but we are hosting Alex Willan tomorrow, and as mentioned above, he'll be at the Brookfield Public Library at 2 pm today, and by today, I mean February 1.

Boswell bestsellers, week ending January 24, 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Goldin) — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 17:58:00 +0000

Boswell bestsellers, week ending January 24, 2026

Hardcover Fiction:
1. The Fair-Weather Friend, by Jessie Garcia (signed copies)
2. This Is Where the Serpent Lives, by Daniyal Mueenuddin (signed copies)
3. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
4. Twelve Months V18, by Jim Butcher
5. The Hitch, by Sara Levine (signed copies)
6. Heart the Lover, by Lily King
7. Half His Age, by Jennette McCurdy
8. Departures, by Julian Barnes
9. Atmosphere, by Taylor Jenkins Reid
10. Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston

Jim Butcher returns with Twelve Months in his Harry Dresden series, urban fantasy about a professional wizard in Chicago. Both Booklist and Publishers Weekly had reviews, which seemed unusual for me for #18 in a series. From Booklist's starred write up: "Series fans will be intrigued by the new characters and changes in Harry's life as Butcher deftly explores the impacts of loss and grief." But PW warned new readers to not start with this book.

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Your Roots Don't Define You, by Chris Appleton
2. Attensity, by Friends of Attention
3. The Greatest Sentence Ever Written, by Walter Isaacson
4. Football, by Chuck Klosterman
5. Original Sins, by Eve L Ewing
6. Backlash Presidents, by Julia R Azari (Boswell Feb 16 event)
7. One Day Everyone Will Have Been Against This, by Omar El Akkad
8. 1929, by Andrew Ross Sorkin
9. Mother Mary Comes to Me, by Arundhati Roy
10. Dead and Alive, by Zadie Smith

Two great reads on Football from Chris and Jason. Jason said this is the first book he's read about football that reads like a book about baseball. They're different, he notes, and you can ask him to tell you more. BookMarks is two raves, a positive and a mixed. From Publishers Weekly: " Approaching the subject with rigor and drawing on his lifelong fascination with the game, Klosterman sheds light on football's "outsized and underrated" role in shaping contemporary culture. The result is a transcendent appraisal of America's favorite sport."

Paperback Fiction:
1. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
2. Heated Rivalry V2, by Rachel Reid
3. We the Animals, by Justin Torres
4. Passing, by Nella Larsen
5. Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte
6. Tangerinn, by Emanuela Anechoum
7. The Book of Laughter and Forgetting, by Milan Kundera
8. Mockingbird Court V6, by Juneau Black
9. The Shred Sisters, by Betsy Lerner (Boswell-run book clubs)
10. When the Cranes Fly South, by Lisa Ridzén

Selling off the new paperback table is Tangerinn, by Emanuela Anechoum, translated from Italian by Lucy Rand, and winner of the Città di Lugnano Debut Novel Prize, the Mastercard Debut Novel Prize, and the Bancarella Select Prize. Mastercard has a literary prize? Three raves and two positives on BookMarks, including this from Joumana Khatib in The New York Times: "Tangerinn is the kind of story I hope to encounter more often. In a novel where almost every character is a migrant, changing countries is practically a fact of life. It sounds like being human."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. How to Tell When We Will Die, by Johanna Hedva
2. How to Know a Person, by David Brooks
3. How the Other Half Eats, by Priya Fielding-Singh
4. Murdoku, by Manuel Garand
5. While You Were Out, by Meg Kissinger
6. The 388 Tattoos of Captain George..., by Amelia Klem Osterud (Boswell Feb 13 event-new date)
7. Don't Say Please, by Sahan Jayasuriya
8. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer

9. The Name of This Band Is REM, by Peter Ames Carlin
10. Your Brain on Art, by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross

How to Tell When We Will Die: On Pain, Disability, and Doom is one of several books in our top ten that are current book club picks (and several that begin with "how") - it's the selection of the Cactus Book Club. Winner of the Amber Hollibaugh Award for LGBTQ+ Social Justice Writing, Michelle Tea on Hedva's book of essays: "A tremendous work of thought and feeling, packed with profound insight and illuminated throughout with a radical vulnerability that transmutes before your eyes into phenomenal power. Important and revelatory."

Books for Kids:
1. Peekaboo Love, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
2. We Are Black Americans board book, illustrated by Tequita Andrews
3. I Affirm Me, by Nyasha Williams, illustrated by Sóf'ya Glushkó
4. Where There Is Love, by Shauntay Grant, illustrated by Letícia Moreno
5. Knight Owl, by Christopher Denise
6. Wrong Friend, by Charise Mericle Harper and Rorey Lucey
7. Brown Sugar Baby Sweetest Love, by Kevin Lewis, illustrations by Jestenia Southerland
8. Busy Builders: Dinos at Work, by Stacie Bradly, illustrations by Damien Barlow
9. Dream Big Little One, by Vashti Harrison
10. Follow Your Dreams Little One, by Vashti Harrison

Selling off our new graphic novel and nonfiction display is Wrong Friend by Charise Mericle Harper and Rorey Lucey, from the authors of Bad Sister. From Kasey Swords in School Library Journal: "This graphic novel (editor's note - though it's really a memoir), perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Shannon Hale, explores what happens when a BFF is no longer a forever friend...Featuring a tween girl's experience with friendships and personal discovery through the middle school years, this timeless book is a first purchase for all collections."

Boswell bestsellers, week ending January 17, 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Goldin) — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 13:42:00 +0000

Boswell bestsellers, week ending January 17, 2026

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Wildwood V2, by Amy Pease (signed copies)
2. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
3. The First Time I Saw Him, by Laura Dave
4. Buckeye, by Patrick Ryan
5. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, by Kiran Desai
6. What We Can Know, by Ian McEwan
7. This Is Where the Serpent Lives, by Daniyal Mueenuddin (Boswell January 20 event)
8. The School of Night V4, by Karl Ove Knausgaard
9. Shadow Ticket, by Thomas Pynchon
10. Anatomy of an Alibi, by Ashley Elston

For those reading multi-volume Norwegian novels, there's another option besides On the Calculation of Volume. Karl Ove Knausgaard's Morning Star series, translated by Martin Aitken. The School of Night is a take on Doctor Faustus, and the English reviews on BookMarks are three raves, three positives, a mixed, and three pans. One of the raves, from Layla Sanai in the Spectator (Australia): "I put down this book only to eat and sleep. Knausgaard has produced another addictive psychological thriller – by turns exciting, entertaining and tragic."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. The Gales of November, by John U Bacon
2. Milwaukee Flavor, by Visit Milwaukee, written by Ann Christenson
3. The Other Side of Change, by Maya Shankar
4. 1929, by Andrew Ross Sorkin
5. Bread of Angels, by Patti Smith
6. A Marriage at Sea, by Sophie Elmhirst
7. Good Things, by Samin Nosrat
8. Ginseng Roots, by Craig Thomson
9. How to Be a Rich Old Lady, by Amanda Holden
10. Strangers, by Belle Burden

We've got three January 13 debuts this week, let by The Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans, by Maya Shankar, cognitive scientist. From the starred Booklist: "Following the premise of her podcast, A Slight Change of Plans, Shankar, who has had her share of life disappointments, including the end of a promising career as a violinist and the loss of an expected child, extensively interviews a cast of survivors in this heart-breaking yet affirming study." And Publishers Weekly notes: "Though not all of Shankar's insights are groundbreaking, her explanations of the cognitive science involved are lucid and memorable."

Paperback Fiction:
1. Heated Rivalry V1, by Rachel Reid
2. Game Changer V1, by Rachel Reid
3. The Lion Women of Tehran, by Marjan Kamali
4. I Who Have Never Known Men, by Jacqueline Harpman
5. The Long Game V6, by Rachel Reid
6. When the Cranes Fly South, by Lisa Ridzén
7. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
8. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
9. Slow Gods, by Claire North
10. The Housemaid V1, by Freida McFadden

Slow Gods, by Claire North, is the February Science Fiction Book Club selection, and since most attendees really liked January's pick, Service Model, it helps that the new book has a blurb from Adrian Tchaikovsky. And this from Kirkus: "The pseudonymous North's latest is a deeply philosophical standalone SF epic that brilliantly and subtly utilizes elements of cosmic horror to complement its metaphysical speculations." And I now learned she also writes under the names Kate Griffin and Catherine Webb. Attendance is way up at our in-store groups, but I think that's a January resolution thing.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Experiencing God, by Jon M Sweeney
2. Genesis, by Henry A Kissinger, Craig Mundie, Eric Schmidt
3. Healing After Loss, by Martha Hickman
4. On Our Best Behavior, by Elise Loehnen
5. Stolen Focus, by Johann Hari
6. Your Brain on Art, by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross
7. How to Tell When We Will Die, by Johanna Hedva
8. The 388 Tattoos of Captain George, by Amelia Klem Osterud (Boswell January 23 event)
9. Milwaukee: A City Built on Water, by John Gurda
10. The Manuscripts Club, by Christopher de Hamel

On Our Best Behavior: The Price Women Pay to Be Good is another podcast success, this analyzing the Seven Deadly Sins and its affect on women's behavior. Elise Loehnen is the host of Pulling the Thread and the former Chief Content Officer of goop. From Kirkus: "An analysis of society's behavioral expectations for women...An engaging work that offers an opportunity for pause and reflection regarding our daily choices.

Books for Kids:
1. The Sausage Race Chase V22, by David A Kelly
2. The Rose Field V3, by Philip Pullman
3. If You Make a Call on a Banana Phone, by Gideon Sterer, illustrations by Emily Hughes
4. Dragonborn, by Struan Murray
5. Beth Is Dead, by Katie Bernet
6. Lady's Knight, by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
7. A Walk Through hte Woods, by Louise Greig
8. Buffalo Fluffalo, by Bess Kalb, illustrations by Erin Kraan
9. Zip Zap Wickety Wack, by Matthew Dieffee
10. A Sea Monster Conundrum V3, by Lisa Yang, illustrations by Dan Santat

Since I don't own any copyrights, I love celebrating public domain day, when books and other artistic endeavors are free for reinterpretation, which is also, by the way, long after the passing of the creators. Little Women actually entered public domain in 1924, so Beth Is Dead has been a long-time coming, a YA thriller about the March sisters. Publishers Weekly called it "an electrifying thriller," also noting that "One need not be familiar with Louisa May Alcott's work to appreciate debut author Bernet's brilliantly snappy contemporary riff on Little Women, which centers high school senior Jo March and her siblings - 15-year-old Amy and Harvard freshman Meg - as they investigate the violent murder of their 17-year-old sister Beth."

Boswell bestsellers, week ending January 10, 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Goldin) — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 13:58:00 +0000

Boswell bestsellers, week ending January 10, 2026

Hardcover Fiction:
1. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
2. My Friends, by Fredrik Backman
3. Heart the Lover, by Lily King
4. Shadow Ticket, by Thomas Pynchon
5. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, by Kiran Desai

6. Buckeye, by Patrick Ryan
7. Katabasis, by RF Kuang
8. Mona's Eyes, by Thomas Schlesser
9. Skylark, by Paula McLain
10. Wildwood V2, by Amy Pease (Shorewood Library January 14 event)

2026 releases are starting to pop, led by the celebrity book club announcements. Paula McLain is the GMA pick for Skylark, a dual-timeline, historical novel featuring Paris's underground tunnels. From Booklist: "With fine-tuned historical detail, McLain's latest is a compelling tale of human will, resilience, and connection"

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Skylark is one of three Atria titles in our top ten this week. The others are My Friends and Wildwood.

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. 1929, by Andrew Ross Sorkin
2. Milwaukee Flavor, from Visit Milwaukee/Ann Christenson
3. The Gales of November, by John U Bacon
4. Good Things, by Samin Nosrat
5. Bread of Angels, by Patti Smith
6. The Let Them Theory, by Mel Robbins
7. The Separation of Church and Hate, by John Fogelsong
8. One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, by Omar El Akkad
9. The Look, by Michelle Obama
10. Capitalism, by Sven Beckert

While The Look did not sell quite as well as Michelle Obama's Previous books - it is after all a $50 fashion book - according to Edelweiss, many stores ran out during the holiday season. We were able to scrounge some copies for post-holiday sales, but there are still an awful lot of books on order at Ingram. I'm guessing that will be adjusted down. Kirkus called it "a canny upbeat volume."

Paperback Fiction:
1. Happiness Falls, by Angie Kim (Shorewood Reads)
2. The Savior, by Eugene Drucker
3. Heated Rivalry V2, by Rachel Reid
4. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
5. The Long Game V6, by Rachel Reid
6. Tough Guy V3, by Rachel Reid
7. Joan Is Okay, by Weike Wang (Boswell-run book clubs)
8. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
9. Hamnet, by Maggie O'Farrell
10. The Shred Sisters, by Betsy Lerner

I'm continuing my rule following the British music charts of limiting an author to three titles in the top ten, but if I didn't, there'd be another two Rachel Reid (link to her titles on Boswell website here) books present. So yes, Heated Rivalry is still hot. I always wondered if they adapted #2 in the loosely connected series, because it's two hockey players instead of a hockey player and an outsider. I will leave it to others to give their opinions.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Experiencing God, by Jon M Sweeney (signed copies)
2. The Inextinguishable Symphony, by Martin Goldsmith
3. Alex's Wake, by Martin Goldsmith
4. The 388 Tattoos of Captain George and the 389 Tales of How He Got Them, by Amelia Klem Osterud (Boswell January 23 event)
5. Realm of Ice and Sky, by Buddy Levy
6. A Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros
7. Cold Crematorium, by Jozsef Debreczeni, translated by Paul Olchváry
8. Murdoku, by Manuel Garand
9. What Sheep Think About the Weather, by Amelia Thomas
10. Open Views of Latin America, by Eduardo Galeano

I don't think of paperback reprints dropping in November and December, but apparently St Martin's Griffin is all for it - Realm of Ice and Sky, a "narrative of polar exploration via airship," and Cold Crematorium, a Hungarian journalists recovered memoir of life in the Nazi labor camps, were published on November 25 and December 23, respectively. Both popped off our new paperback table.

Books for Kids:
1. Iceberg, by Jennifer A Nielsen
2. The Free State of Jax, by Jennifer A Nielsen
3. Uprising, by Jennifer A Nielsen
4. Diary of a Wimpy Kid V20: Partypooper, by Jeff Kinney

5. The Amazing Generation, by Jonathan Haidt anc Catherine Price
6. Peekaboo Zoo, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
7. Sunrise on the Reaping, by Suzanne Collins
8. Lucky Red Envelope, by Vikki Zhang
9. A Snow Day for Amos McGee, by Philip Stead and Erin Stead
10. Scarlet Morning, by ND Stevenson

The Amazing Generation: Your Guide to Fun and Freedom in a Screen-Filled World, cowritten by the author of The Anxious Generation, came out December 30. Despite its late pub date, it was still named a School Library Journal best book of the year. From SLJ: "A book of tips, tricks, and the science behind smartphone and device addiction that completely respects its audience. This brilliant volume is filled with hard truths that still ring with positivity, and the design and comic-style illustrations will keep readers' interest while making a case for the importance of unplugging."

Boswell bestsellers, week ending January 3, 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Goldin) — Sun, 04 Jan 2026 16:22:00 +0000

Boswell bestsellers, week ending January 3, 2026

Hardcover Fiction:
1. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
2. Buckeye, by Patrick Ryan
3. Flesh, by David Szalay
4. Small Things Like These, by Claire Keegan
5. Alchemised, by SenLinYu
6. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, by Kiran Desai
7. Shadow Ticket, by Thomas Pynchon
8. Heart the Lover, by Lily King
9. The Strength of the Few V2, by Matt Islington
10. Dungeon Crawler Carl V1, by Matt Dinniman

Nothing new yet debuting here, but I will note that we have a rare occurrence of a book on both the hardcover and paperback lists with volume one of Dungeon Crawler Carl. As every retailer and website follows the James Daunt-driven book of the year trend, this Dinniman's was the inaugural selection of Books-a-Million. The adaptation rights were bought by Universal Studios and Seth MacFarlane's Fuzzy Door Productions in 2024. It's only gotten bigger.

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Milwaukee Flavor, by Visit Milwaukee and Ann Christenson
2. Everything Is Tuberculosis, by John Green
3. Good Things, by Samin Nosrat
4. Something from Nothing, by Alison Roman
5. A Marriage at Sea, by Sophie Elmhirst
6. A Long Game, by Elizabeth McCracken
7. Buckley, by Sam Tanenhaus
8. Salt Fat Acid Heat, by Samin Nosrat
9. We the People, by Jill Lepore
10. Nobody's Girl, by Virginia Roberts Giuffre

Welcome to the top 10 for Elizabeth McCracken's A Long Game: Notes on Writing Fiction, which released on the unusual pub date of December 2. From Rob Schmitz's interview with McCracken on NPR Weekend Edition: "It's an entire book about how you shouldn't take anybody's advice, and it's crammed full of advice. I wanted to because, you know, I've taught writing for a long time, and my feeling as a teacher is that I can't teach anybody to write the work that only they can write. And that's what any writer should be writing is the work that only they can write. But I want to help them think the most interesting thoughts that they can."

Paperback Fiction:
1. When the Cranes Fly South, by Lisa Ridzén
2. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
3. Heated Rivalry V2, by Rachel Reid
4. Frankenstein (multiple editions), by Mary Shelley
5. Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver
6. Dungeon Crawler Carl V1, by Matt Dinniman
7. Game Changer V1, by Rachel Reid
8. Role Model V5, by Rachel Reid
9. Sunburn, by Chloe Howarth
10. In Your Dreams, by Sarah Adams

Game Changers is a six-book series (starting with Game Changer) and we've got three in this week's top ten, topped by Heated Rivalry, of course. Not appearing (yet) is The Long Game, which is the direct sequel to Heated Rivalry. I did notice that most of the other books in the series (more like a mystery series than fantasy - with the exception of the direct sequel) are romances between a hockey player and someone who is not a hockey player, and I'm wondering if having two athletes kicks it up a notch for readers. I will aske the fans on staff. And you should take a look at what the covers looked like before they were cartooned for mass consumption.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Experiencing God, by Jon M Sweeney (Boswell January 9 event)
2. Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before, by Julie Smith
3. Meditations for Mortals, by Oliver Burkeman
4. The Slicks: On Sylvia Plath and Taylor Swift
5. The Artists Way, by Julia Cameron
6. I Heard There Was a Secret Chord, by Daniel J Levitin
7. The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson (UWM ticketed March 11 event)
8. The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel van der Kolk
9. Mega Milk, by Megan Milks
10. On Love, by Joseph Campbell

Unlike the other lists, we've got a number of new titles hitting this week, with a bit of a swing to the personal growth area. Leading the pack is Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? a reprint of 2022 hardcover that didn't have reviews attached to the ipage listing. Usually they aren't there for the paperback reprint, but you can find them if you go to the older edition. But I digress. What I did learn is Dr Julie Smith is a popular TikTok therapist.

Books for Kids:
1. Sunrise on the Reaping collectors edition, by Suzanne Collins
2. Howl's Moving Castle limited edition, by Diana Wynne Jones
3. Rock Paper Incisors V3, by Amy Timberlake
4. Winging It, by Megan Wagner Lloyd with Michelle Mee Nutter
5. Nimona anniversary edition, by ND Stevenson
6. Dinosaurs, by Rachel Ignotofsky
7. My Presentation Today Is About the Anaconda, by Bibi Dumon Tak, illustrated by Annemarie Van Haeringen
8. Dog Man V14: Big Jim Believes, by Dav Pilkey
9. Diary of a Wimpy Kid V20: Partypooper
10. Refugee graphic edition, by Alan Gratz

Winging It was released in October and was featured on the November-December Indie Next List for kids. It's been selling steadily, but with the drop in bestseller picture book numbers after Christmas, it was able to make the top 10. From Amy Ribakove in Luna Juniper Wright-Evans moves with her father from California to DC to be closer to her grandmother. From School Library Journal: "Featuring authentic friendships and a diverse cast of characters, this is a must-have for upper elementary and middle school readers who enjoy heartfelt, slice-of-life stories."

Boswell bestsellers, week ending December 27, 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Goldin) — Sun, 28 Dec 2025 19:29:00 +0000

Boswell bestsellers, week ending December 27, 2025 - Day 6114

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Shadow Ticket, by Thomas Pynchon
2. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, by Kiran Desai
3. Buckeye, by Patrick Ryan
4. What We Can Know, by Ian McEwan
5. The Black Wolf, by Louise Penny
6. The Secret of Secrets, by Dan Brown
7. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
8. Heart the Lover, by Lily King
9. The Director, by Daniel Kehlmann
10. Queen Esther, by John Irving

At this point, the sales of Shadow Ticket far eclipse anything I saw as a bookseller going back to 1990's Vineland and 1997's Mason and Dixon. I don't think the four Schwartz stores sold as many copies together of either book as we have of Shadow Ticket, though I'm basing this on memory, not actual numbers. On a similar but more modest level, our sales of What We Can Know are about quadruple Lessons (2022) - these are his best hardcover sales since we've been open in 2009.

Our sales for The Secret of Secrets have topped Origin (2017) by a substantial amount, but I can't discount that our sales have grown since 2017. It would be interesting to know how the book fared on a national level. On the other hand, Queen Esther may soon match the final numbers of John Irving's last two novels, Avenue of Mysteries (2015) and The Last Chairlift (2022), and has topped In One Person (2012).

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Milwaukee Flavor, from Visit Milwaukee, written by Ann Christenson with photos by Kevin J Miyasaki
2. Good Things, by Samin Nosrat
3. Six Seasons of Pasta, by Joshua McFadden (signed copies)
4. The Gales of November, by John U Bacon
5. A Marriage at Sea, by Sophie Elmhirst
6. 1929, by Andrew Ross Sorkin
7. One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, by Omar El Akkad
8. Bread of Angels, by Patti Smith
9. The Anthony Bourdain Reader, edited by Kimberly Witherspoon
10. Puzzle Mania, by New York Times Games, edited by Joel Fagliano

Cookbooks and crashes dominated our top six. But perhaps the most unexpected appearance to me is Puzzle Mania!: Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Minis and More!, the hardcover collection of the most popular digital games of The New York Times. Our sales are good, but we were definitely not leading the charge on this one (#38 Edelweiss). This is also our first Authors Equity shout out.

I think it's also important to note that the lists are dependent on what we have in stock. And in the last week before Christmas, there are always a lot of books we don't have (including The Correspondent, The Gales of November, and the aforementioned Puzzle Mania)

Paperback Fiction:
1. When the Cranes Fly South, by Lisa Ridzén
2. Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt
3. Heated Rivalry, by Rachel Reid
4. Sunburn, by Chloe Howarth
5. The Lion Women of Tehran, by Marjan Kamali
6. Little Alleluias, by Mary Oliver
7. I Who Have Never Known Men, by Jacqueline Harpman
8. The Mighty Red, by Louise Erdrich
9. Hamnet, by Maggie O'Farrell
10. Death Stalks Door County, by Patricia Skalka

I haven't lately commented on the gender parity of our lists, but it is interesting, being that considering the Jacqueline Harpman novel's appearance, that there are no men in our top ten. Andy Weir sits at #11. Here's a Sunburn update. With a nice rec from McKenna, we're punching a little above our weight (#24 Edelweiss). It's nice to see a hit novel from Melville House. And if you're wondering, we've sold eight copies of Leonard and Hungry Paul off my rec shelf since it went to print on demand.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Experiencing God, by Jon M Sweeney (Boswell January 9 event)
2. Birds of the Great Lakes, by Dexter Patterson
3. A Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros
4. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
5. Welcome to Pawnee, by Jim O'Heir
6. Your Brain on Art, by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross
7. I'm Glad My Mom Died, by Jeanette McCurdy
8. A Sheepdog Named Oscar, by Dara Waldron
9. Didion and Babitz, by Lili Anolik
10. Crying in H Mart, by Michelle Zauner

Our ranking on Edelweiss has dropped to #19 on A Philosophy of Walking as more stores have discovered it. The Northeast now dominates the top ten stores. For a book where we're #1, there's Experiencing God: 36 Ways According to Saint Francis of Assisi Jon M Sweeney is returning to Milwaukee for an event after moving to Vermont, but it's clear that more than his friends and followers have been drawn to this book. I wonder if it would work on other stores' paperback tables.

Books for Kids:
1. Hansel and Gretel, by Stephen King and Maurice Sendak
2. Sunrise on the Reaping collectors edition, by Suzanne Collins
3. Dog Man V14: Big Jim Believes, by Dav Pilkey
4. Thieves' Gambit, by Kayvion Lewis
5. The Pigeon Won't Count to Ten, by Mo Willems
6. Peekaboo Dinosaur, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
7. The Snowy Day board book, by Ezra Jack Keats
8. Hello There Sunshine, by Tabitha Brown, illustrations by Olivia Duchess
9. If You Make a Call on the Banana Phone, by Gideon Sterer, illustrations by Emily Hughes
10. Diary of a Wimpy Kid V20: Partypooper, by Jeff Kinney

We had a nice last-minute pop on Hansel and Gretel, the Stephen King picture book based on Maurice Sendak illustrations that were created for an opera. From the publisher: "The opera premiered in 1997 at the Houston Grand Opera and was a coproduction with Juilliard, Canadian Opera Company, and the opera companies of Baltimore, Indianapolis, and San Diego." I can't help thinking that the featured spot in one of last week's emails helped this one a lot. The Sendak proceeds go to the Sendak Foundation. Their Fellowship program has alumni including Yuyi Morales, Terry and Eric Fan, and Doug Salati.

Apologies for the typos.

Boswell bestsellers, week ending December 20, 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Goldin) — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 16:09:00 +0000

Boswell bestsellers, week ending December 20, 2025 - Day 6,107

Hardcover Fiction:
1. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
2. Shadow Ticket, by Thomas Pynchon
3. Heart the Lover, by Lily King
4. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, by Kiran Desai
5. Dog Show, by Billy Collins
6. Dungeon Crawler Carl V1, by Matt Dinniman
7. The Antidote, by Karen Russell
8. Buckeye, by Patrick Ryan
9. The Director, by Daniel Kehlmann
10. What We Can Know, by Ian McEwan

Every year we have a display of the ten best books of the year from The New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal. It's very successful, with some caveats. The NYT works better than the other two, and in general, fiction works better than nonfiction, which can lean a little academic. So 11 copies of The Director (NYT), but only one of The Slip (WSP), which had a very enthusiastic endorsement from Patrick Ryan when he visited. It sounds good!

The Director, translated from the German by Ross Benjamin, has 12 raves and 3 positives on BookMarks. From Susan Newman in The New York Review of Books: "If you’re seeking an understanding of the ease with which anyone can be brought, step by small step, to sell her soul to fascism, you must read this book ... The Director is far timelier now than when it was first published in 20223." The link lets you read the first five (admittedly long) paragraphs.

The Director seems a fitting cap to a good year for the revived Summit Books imprint. I read three books from them - The Paris Express, Maggie, and Destroy This House. and liked them all. Chris is a big fan of The Rest of Our Lives, by Ben Markovits, which comes out on December 30.

The PBS Newshour book segment with Ann Patchett and Maureen Corrigan that aired last week continued to help the titles featured. Maureen Corrigan's book of the year was The Antidote, by Karen Russell. Jason is also a fan.

One last note - if you're wondering if a local setting help, here's an interesting data point. Shadow Ticket is the third Thomas Pynchon published since we've been open. We've sold more than six times as many books as 2009's Inherent Vice and 2013's Bleeding Edge.

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Milwaukee Flavor, from Visit Milwaukee, by Ann Christenson, with photos by Kevin J Miyasaki
2. The Gales of November, by John U Bacon
3. 1929, by Andrew Ross Sorkin
4. Good Things, by Samin Nosrat
5. A Marriage at Sea, by Sophie Elmhirst
6. Mother Mary Comes to Me, by Arundhati Roy
7. Everything Is Tuberculosis, by John Green
8. Raising Hare, by Chloe Dalton
9. Turtle Island, by Sean Sherman
10. Enshittification, by Cory Doctorow

Three cookbooks in the top ten this week, and while the category does okay for us all year despite online creep, it really picks up in fourth quarter. One top seller is Sean Sherman's Turtle Island: Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America, the follow up to the surprise 2017 bestseller and James Beard winner, The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen, which was published in 2017 and still sells well. From Robin Wall Kimmerer: "I've been completely seduced by Sean Sherman's new book--the only thing that could get me to put it down is the invitation to go harvest dandelion capers from the field. This is so much more than enticing recipes and gorgeous photos. Each imagined bite is a story, of the people and places that nourish us, of a history of resilience and ingenuity. These pages are an expression of Indigenous identity and a pathway for reconnection to the land. Gbekte ne?"

Enshittification is one of Jason's picks in the recent Journal Sentinel profile.

Paperback Fiction:
1. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
2. When the Cranes Fly South, by Lisa Ridzén, illustrated by Alice Menzies
3. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
4. Black Butterflies, by Priscilla Morris
5. Sunburn, by Chloe Howarth
6. The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon
7. Martyr, by Kaveh Akbar
8. Heated Rivalry, by Rachel Reid
9. The Lion Women of Tehran, by Marjan Kamali
10. The Housemaid, by Freida McFaddan

Wel what do you know - a fiction list with a substantial number of media tie-ins, and that doesn't include Hamnet, which fall off after a strong week. Topping the list is Project Hail Mary, which is scheduled for March 2026. We're selling the original and Ryan Gosling editions. Also on the big screen is The Housemaid, which went into wide release this weekend, probably not the last Freida McFadden adaptation we will see. And then there's Heated Rivalry, the Netflix series that has had a number of heated staff reads from Boswellians. And I did just see they are making When the Cranes Fly South into a film. As for The Lion Women of Tehran, the HBO deal fell through, according to my internet search.

Weird stat - I have read exactly three books in the top ten of the four adult lists.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. A Sheepdog Named Oscar, by Dara Waldron
2. Birds of the Great Lakes, by Dexter Patterson
3. Contemplate, by Jacob Riyeff (Boswell January 30 event)
4. Turning to Stone, by Marcia Bojornerud
5. Meditations for Mortals, by Oliver Burkeman
6. AI Snake Oil, Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor
7. Welcome to Pawnee, by Jim O'Heir
8. Wrecked, by Thomas Nelson and Jerald Podair
9. John Lewis, by David Greenberg
10. There's Always This Year, by Hanif Abudurraqib

We sold books for Marcia Bjornerud for her last book Timefulness, but alas, no visit this time for Turning to Stone: Discovering the Subtle Wisdom of Rocks, which is selling well off the new paperback table. She's one of two Larence profs in the top ten, the other being Jerald Podair, who did visit for Wrecked.

For some reason, we're the only indie in the country that is really trying to sell A Sheepdog Named Oscar who reports to the Edelweiss inventory sharing system. I just don't get it. Dog + Ireland = sale for a lot of readers. And we have a rec from McKenna, so we can vouch for its charms.

And finally, last week Jon M Sweeney was in our top ten as an author for Experincing God (event Jan 9), but this week, he's represented as the Associate Publisher of Monkfish for Jacob Riyeff's Contemplate.

Books for Kids:
1. Dog Man V14: Big Jim Believes, by Dav Pilkey
2. Diary of a Wimpy Kid V20: Partypooper
3. Buffalo Fluffalo and Puffalo, by Bess Kalb, illustrations by Erin Kraan
4. How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney, by Mac Barnett, illustrations by Jon Klassen
5. Lulu and Rocky in Milwaukee, by Barbara Joosse, illustrations by Renée Graef
6.The Snowy Day board book, by Ezra Jack Keats
7. If You Make a Call on a Banana Phone, by Gideon Sterer, illustrations by Emily Hughes
8. If Were Were Dogs, by Sophie Blackall
9. Skunk and Badger V3: Rock Paper Incisors, by Amy Timberlake, illustrations by Jon Klassen
10. The Adventures of Cipollino, by Gianni Rodari, illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova, translated by Antony Shugaar

Who would guess that an Italian children's book first published in 1951 would be one of our holiday hits? I guess this new edition of The Adventures of Cipollino saw the light of day when it was mentioned as one of Hayao Miyazaki’s (Spirited Away and so forth) 50 favorite children's books. From the publisher: "In this colorful, episodic adventure story, in which nearly everyone is animal, vegetable, or fruit, Cipollino leaves home and sets off into the world to free his wrongfully imprisoned father. In the process, he faces off against scoundrels of all kinds with wit and humor, while winning both allies and friends." From Kirkus: "Sly, silly fun with political and class-war overtones."

Apologies in advance for the typos!

Boswell bestsellers, week endning December 13, 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Goldin) — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 17:10:00 +0000

Boswell bestsellers, week endning December 13, 2025

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Tom's Crossing, by Mark Z Danielewski
2. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
3. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, by Kiran Desai
4. Buckeye, by Patrick Ryan
5. The Secret of Secrets, by Dan Brown
6. Heart the Lover, by Lily King
7. The Antidote, by Karen Russell
8. Shadow Ticket, by Thomas Pynchon
9. The Black Wolf, by Louise Penny
10. Atmosphere, by Taylor Jenkins Reid

If you are wondering how much Penguin Random House dominates hardcover fiction, they hold 80% of our top ten this week, with three from the Random House group, 3 from Knopf/Doubleday, and one each from Penguin and Crown. Mark Z Danielewski finalized our event series for the year. Folks came from pretty far away for Tom's Crossing, with at least one attendee heading back to Indianapolis that same evening. We have signed copies - both tip-ins and in-person-signed.

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Milwaukee Flavor, from Visit Milwaukee, Ann Christenson, with illustrations by Kevin J Miyasaki
2. The Gales of November, by John U Bacon
3. The Grave Robber, by Tim Carpenter (signed copies)
4. Good Things, by Samin Nosrat
5. Bread of Angels, by Patti Smith
6. Raising Hare, by Chloe Dalton
7. Something from Nothing, by Alison Roman
8. 1929, by Andrew Ross Sorkin
9. A Marriage at Sea, by Sophie Elmhirst
10. The Anthony Bourdain Reader, edited by Kimberly Witherspoon

I suppose it's not going to be surprising that of the top 10 stores on Edelweiss selling The Gales of November, eight are coded Midwest another store doesn't have a geographical classification, so it could be Midwest as well. But there's one Northeast coding, but that could be a Great-Lakes adjacent market in New York or Pennsylvania. The top West store is #16, but you have to get to store #54 to find a South classification.

Paperback Fiction:
1. When the Cranes Fly South, by Lisa Ridzén
2. The Mighty Red, by Louise Penny
3. Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt
4. Hamnet, by Maggie O'Farrell
5. The Lion Women of Tehran, by Marjan Kamali
6. Shady Hollow V1, by Juneau Black
7. The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon
8. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
9. The Covenant of Water, by Abraham Verghese
10. Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver

The relatively quiet bestseller numbers of the paperback fiction list are interesting to see compared to hardcovers. When the Cranes Fly South would be #8 if it were competing with its stiff-backed colleagues. There's also a little more publisher diversity - 3 from HarperCollins and 2 from Simon and Schuster imprints, and all the PRH representation is from Vintage, including local favorite Shady Hollow, The Frozen River, which is seasonally appropriate, and Hamnet, which just opened locally. There's been a lot of enthusiastic buzz from our customers about the film.

I think a lot of you haven't watched Lisa Baudoin and my interview with Lisa Ridzén. It's very interesting, and will add to your understanding of the novel. Click here to watch right now, as Chris says.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Birds of the Great Lakes, by Dexter Patterson
2. Experiencing God, by Jon M Sweeney (Boswell January 9 event)
3. Murdle V1, by GT Karber
4. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
5. Welcome to Pawnee, by Jim O'Heir
6. Holly Jolly Crosswords, from The New York Times, edited by Will Shortz
7. John Lewis, by David Greenberg
8. A Sheepdog Named Oscar, by Dara Waldron
9. A Brief History of the World in 47 Borders, by John Elledge
10. So Many Books, by Gabriel Zaid

A nice pop for John Lewis, which has been out since October. David Greenberg's bio had strong sales in hardcover, and the genre tends to be a hardcover game, but it would be nice to reach more people in a somewhat cheaper edition. The New Yorker hardcover review from Kalefa Sennah called the bio "appropriately weighty," and while its more of a meditation on Lewis than the book, it's clearly positive and stands beside four other raves.

Also nice to see Welcome to Pawnee selling off the new paperback table. I enjoyed it in hardcover.

Books for Kids:
1. The Christmas Sweater, by Jan Brett
2. Zip Zap Wickety Wack, by Matthew Diffee
3. Dog Man V14: Big Jim Believes, by Dav Pilkey
4. Peekaboo Santa, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius
5. Penguin and Pinecone, by Salina Yoon
6. If You Make a Call on a Banana Phone, by Gideon Sterer, illustrations by Emily Hughes
7. If We Were Dogs, by Sophie Blackall
8. Jan Brett's The Nutcracker
9. The Mitten Board Book, by Jan Brett
10. Peekaboo Dinosaur, by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius

I had a very enjoyable conversation with Rona Brinlee of The Bookmark of Neptune Beach, Florida, sharing how our Jan Brett event went last Sunday for The Christmas Sweater (signed bookplates still available). Their event is going on as I write this! Rona and I spoke to the late Susan Stamberg on NPR for several years, and we couldn't help but chat about books we're currently recommending. You can hear about her recommendations too - here's a video presentation.

Boswell bestsellers, week ending December 6, 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Goldin) — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 13:56:00 +0000

Boswell bestsellers, week ending December 6, 2025

Hardcover Fiction:
1. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
2. Always Remember, by Charlie Mackesy
3. Heart the Lover, by Lily King
4. Flesh, by David Szalay
5. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, by Kiran Desai
6. Shadow Ticket, by Thomas Pynchon
7. The Black Wolf, by Louise Penny
8. Buckeye, by Patrick Ryan
9. The Widow, by John Grisham
10. What We Can Know, by Ian McEwan

What's weird about this list? There's no genre romance, fantasy, or romantasy. I continue to be stumped as to where to include the Charlie Mackesy books. I noticed that the promo copy for Always Remember said it spent many weeks on the New York Times nonfiction list, but in fact, it was the advice/how to/miscellaneous list, which is where the book is now, and I believe was created because of the overwhelming presence of Garfield books. My rule of thumb - is this a fictional story? Then it's fiction, right?

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Milwaukee Flavor, from Visit Milwaukee, Ann Christenson, Kevin J Miyasaki
2. Delivering the Wow, by Richard Fain
3. The Gales of November, by John U Bacon
4. A Marriage at Sea, by Sophie Elmhirst
5. Bread of Angels, by Patti Smith
6. 1929, by Andrew Ross Sorkin
7. Good Things, by Samin Nosrat
8. Everything Is Tuberculosis, by John Green
9. Raising Hare, by Chloe Dalton
10. The Anthony Bourdain Reader, edited by Kimberly Witherspoon

The New York Times ten-best is out, and that surely gave a pop to A Marriage at Sea, as well as The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny on our fiction list. These were two of the titles that we had good stock on because they were in our holiday gift guide. Elmhirst's was the only book in the top 10 that I read. I was just talking to Dave, our WW Norton rep - he read seven!

And speaking of shipwrecks, The Gales of November is back in stock.

Paperback Fiction:
1. Everything We Could Do, by David McGlynn (signed copies)
2. When the Cranes Fly South, by Lisa Ridzén
3. Clear, by Carys Davies (Boswell-run book clubs)
4. On the Calculation of Volume V1, by Solvej Balle
5. The Door to Door Bookstore, by Carsten Henn
6. Nearly Beloved, by Kendra Broekhuis
7. The Mighty Red, by Louise Erdrich
8. The Plan of Chicago, by Barry Pearce
9. The Raven Scholar V1, by Antonia Hodgson
10. The Tainted Cup V1, by Robert Jackson Bennett

I know we're on V3 already, but doesn't On the Calculation of Volume seem like the new My Struggle? While we are still #1 on Edelweiss for When the Cranes Fly South, I should note that lots of stores are selling this book well. And I don't really feel like I'm leading the charge for the five (or was it six) booksellers who read and loved the book at Boswell. I feel it's Jason, our sales rep.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Wrecked, by Thomas M Nelson and Jerald Podair (signed copies)
2. Birds of the Great Lakes, by Dexter Patterson
3. Milwaukee Streets, by Carl Baehr
4. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
5. How to Dream, by Thich Nhat Hanh
6. The Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros
7. How to Know a Person, by David Brooks
8. The Age of Revolutions, by Fareed Zakaria
9. Experiencing God, by Jon M Sweeney (Boswell January 9 event)
10. Welcome to Pawnee, by Jim O'Heir

Milwaukee Streets (you have to call or visit Boswell for now to purchase - we haven't indexed it) is the second edition of a much beloved local reference book. I'm sure you know that Downer Ave was named after Judge Jason Downer, right? But Webster? It's not definitive. It could be a local named Nathan Webster or the famous lawyer Daniel Webster, who was a very popular personality for street naming in the 1800s.*

Books for Kids:
1. The New Girl, by Cassandra Calin
2. Zip Zap Wickety Wack, by Matthew Diffee
3. Dog Man V14: Big Jim Believes, by Dav Pilkey
4. The Christmas Sweater, by Jan Brett (UWM/Boswell event right now - unless there is some sort of weather delay)
5. The Picasso Curse, by Dan Gutman
6. The 13th Day of Christmas, by Adam Rex
7. The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli, by Karina Yan Glaser
8. Rosie and Raven, by Kayla Silber
9. Sunrise on the Reapin V5, by Suzanne Collins
10. If You Make a Call on a Banana Phone, by Gideon Sterer, illustrations by Emily Hughes

I've just gotten into reading Zip Zap Wickety Wack at book talks and now they are over for the season. Any of us would be happy to read it to you in the bookstore, as several Boswellians have called Diffee's picture book the funniest of the season. Kirkus also called it "unexpected and delightfully absurd."

*In a bit of a coincidence, both graduated from Dartmouth College, as did I, but I still insist my admission was a clerical error.

Boswell Book Company Weekly Bestsellers for week ending November 29, 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Goldin) — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 14:00:00 +0000

Boswell Book Company Weekly Bestsellers for week ending November 29, 2025

Hardcover Fiction:
1. The Christmas Stranger, by Richard Paul Evans
2. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
3. Shadow Ticket, by Thomas Pynchon
4. Flesh, by David Szalay
5. Heart the Lover, by Lily King
6. The Black Wolf, by Louise Penny
7. The Secret of Secrets, by Dan Brown
8. Dungeon Crawler Carl, by Matt Dinniman
9. Dog Show, by Billy Collins
10. Buckeye, by Patrick Ryan

The Booker Prize winner shipment has arrived, and we sold more copies of Flesh this week than we did life of the book for Turbulence, David Szalay's last collection of stories, or Spring, his previous novel, back in 2012. Despite the accolade, in addition to the 14 raves and two positives, it still got a mixed review in the Times Literary Supplement, which still thought it was better than his previous books, with their extraneous adverbs. From Cory Oldweiler in The Boston Globe: " Fascinating and unexpected ... If you’ve ever woken up to the realization that your life has become something you never planned for, anticipated, or desired, you’ll likely find Flesh all too human."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Milwaukee Flavor, from Visit Milwaukee
2. The Gales of November, by John U Bacon
3. 1929, by Andrew Ross Sorkin
4. Bread of Angels, by Patti Smith
5. The Anthony Bourdain Reader, edited by Kimberly Witherspoon
6. Something from Nothing, by Alison Roman
7. The Creative Act, by Rick Rubin
8. Alternative for the Masses, by Greg Prato
9. The Greatest Sentence Ever Written, by Walter Isaacson
10. Lessons from Cats for Surviving Fascism, by Stewart Reynolds

I haven't seen a bestseller from Motorbooks (formerly of Osceola, Wisconsin) in many years, and I certainly never expected it to be Alternative for the Masses: The '90s Alt-Rock Revolution - An Oral History. From Publishers Weekly: "Music journalist Prato delivers a comprehensive oral history of what he deems 'rock's last truly great movement'...It adds up to a multifaceted portrait of a vital chapter in rock history.

Paperback Fiction
1. How About Now, by Kate Baer
2. When the Cranes Fly South, by Lisa Ridzén
3. The City and Its Uncertain Walls, by Haruki Murakami
4. I Who Have Never Known Men, by Jacqueline Harpman
5. Best American Short Stories, edited by Celeste Ng
6. The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller
7. On the Calculation of Volume Book 1, by Solvej Balle
8. Frankenstein 1818 Text, by Mary Shelley
9. Little Alleluias, by Mary Oliver
10. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir

Here's a book you probably don't know about from New Directions that sells like crazy - On the Calculations of Volume. Book 1 is in on our bestseller list this week (and Jason's rec shelf), but there are seven volumes altogether. Solvej Balle was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize and the National Book Award for translated fiction, as well as showing up on several best-of lists. It also received Scandanvia's most important literature prize.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Birds of the Great Lakes, by Dexter Patterson
2. Wrecked, by Thomas Nelson with Jerald Podair (Boswell December 4 event)
3. On Tyranny, by Timothy Snyder
4. Lincoln's Counterfeiters, by Andrea Nolen
5. Don't Say Please, by Sahan Jayasuirya
6. I'm Glad My Mom Died, by Jennette McCurdy
7. A Place Called Yellowstone, by Randall K Wilson
8. This Earthly Globe, by Andrea Di Robilant
9. Meditations for Morals, by Oliver Burkeman
10. Welcome to Pawnee, by Jim O'Heir

A Place Called Yellowstone: The Epic History of the World's First National Park is a paperback reprint that received that Barbara and David Zalaznick Book Prize for history writing. From Booklist: "Tensions will always exist between the tourism industry and the conservation movement over Yellowstone's precious resources, but Wilson's account shows an unfolding awareness and sensitivity on both sides to the treasures that lie within those 2.2 million acres."

Books for Kids:
1. Deadpan, by Harold Eppley
2. Dog Man: Big Jim Believes, by Dav Pilkey
3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Partypooper, by Jeff Kinney
4. Dragonborn, by Struan Murray
5. Billie Jean Peet, Athlete, by Andrea Beaty, illustrations by David Roberts
6. If You Make a Call on a Banana Phone, by Gideon Sterer, illustrated by Emily Hughes
7. The Christmas Sweater, by Jan Brett (Ticketed UWM/Boswell event December 7)
8. Mythology Land, by Claire Cock-Starkey, illustrated by Pham Quang Phuc
9. Buffalo Fluffalo and Puffalo, by Bess Kalb, illustrations by Erin Kraan
10. If We Were Dogs, by Sophie Blackall

Mythology Land: 12 Classic Legends Imagined includes stories from the Welsh, Ghanian, Egyptian, Norse, and more. Claire Cock-Starkey worked with Ben Schott on several of his books. Each tale includes an exquisitely illustrated map of its world by Pham Quang Phuc.

Boswell bestsellers, week ending November 22, 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Goldin) — Sun, 23 Nov 2025 14:50:00 +0000

Boswell bestsellers, week ending November 22, 2025

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Brimstone V2: Fae and Alchemy, by Callie Hart
2. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
3. Shadow Ticket, by Thomas Pynchon
4. Black Wolf V20, by Louise Penny
5. James, by Percival Everett
6. Dog Show, by Billy Collins
7. The Secret of Secrets, by Dan Brown
8. Wreck, by Catherine Newman
9. I Medusa, by Ayana Gray
10. Heart the Lover, by Lily King

Top debut this week is Brimstone, the second volume of the Fae and Alchemy series after Quicksilver. For $3 extra, you get spayed edges, endpapers, and so forth. It's romantasy with magic, and while most reader reviews are very strong, a few noted that it has second-book-in-a-trilogy-series syndrome, where the plot can drag a bit as it tries to line up the finish. But you've got to read it to get to volume three!

And no, no Booker Prize or National Book Award fiction winner in our top 10 this week.

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Milwaukee Flavor, from Visit Milwaukee and Ann Christenson, with photos by Kevin J Miyasaki
2. The Gales of November, by John U Bacon
3. The American Revolution, by Geoffrey C Ward and Ken Burns
4. Good Things, by Samin Nosrat
5. The Bread of Angels, by Patti Smith
6. Finding My Way, by Malala Yousafzai
7. The Separation of Church and Hate, by John Fugelsang
8. Simply More, by Cynthia Erivo
9. Giving Up Is Unforgivable, by Joyce Vance
10. The Serviceberry, by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Jason noted a big pop for The American Revolution after the first airing, but I suppose the biggest multi-media event this week was the release of Wicked for Good, which was breaking all sorts of records. This was the perfect time to release Simply More: A Book for Anyone Who Has Been Told They're Too Much. No reviews (the book was sold in as anonymous) but there's a blurb from author Rebecca Yarros. It's a good thing the subtitle explains the book pretty well.

Paperback Fiction:
1. Simone in Pieces, by Janet Burroway (signed copies)
2. When the Cranes Fly South, by Lisa Ridzén
3. Little Alleluias, by Mary Oliver
4. Clear, by Carys Davies (Boswell-run book clubs)
5. The Melancholy of Resistance, by László Krasznahorkai
6. Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
7. The Safekeep, by Yael Van Der Wouden
8. Sandwich, by Catherine Newman
9. The Thursday Murder Club, by Richard Osman
10. I Who Have Never Known Men, by Jacqueline Harpman

Though released on October 3, we had a big pop on Theo of Golden this week, which was picked up by Atria after being self-published in 2023 by a Georgia-based attorney, judge, and singer/songwriter. From what I've read, strong Christian themes and there's a sequel coming.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Birds of the Great Lakes, by Dexter Patterson (signed copies)
2. Wrecked, by Thomas Nelson and Jerald Podair (Boswell December 4 event)
3. A Place Called Yellowstone, by Randall K Wilson
4. Meditations for Mortals, by Oliver Burkeman
5. Crying in H Mart, by Michelle Zauner
6. What If Fungi Win? by Arturo Casadevall and Stephanie Desmon
7. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
8. On Freedom, by Timothy Snyder
9. A Brief History of the World in 47 Border, by John Elledge
10. Murdle V1, by GT Karber

Also out in October and building steam is the paperback edition of Oliver Burkeman's Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts. Ingram has a lot of copies on hand! The hardcover had good sales with along tail, which is a good indicator to paperback success. From Publishers Weekly: "Burkeman's light touch when discussing such modern ills as doomscrolling, coupled with the smart balance he strikes between motivation and reassurance, make this an especially useful resource for burnt-out readers who want to ease their minds without upending their lives."

Books for Kids:
1. Dog Man: Big Jim Believes V14, by Dav Pilkey
2. The Last Kids on Earth and the Destructors Lair V10, by Max Brallier
3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Partypoopers V10, by Jeff Kinney
4. Hansel and Gretel, by Stephen King and Maurice Sendak
5. Rosie and Raven, by Kayla Silber (one of Oprah's favorite things)
6. A Snow Day for Amos McGee, by Philip Stead and Erin Stead
7. If You Make a Call on a Banana Phone, by Gideo Sterer with illustrations by Emily Hughes
8. Buffalo Fluffalo and Puffalo, by Bess Kalb, illustrations by Erin Kraan
9. Zip Zap Wickety Wack, by Matthew Diffee
10. Where Do Diggers Celebrate Christmas? by Brianna Caplan Sayres, illustrations by Christian Slade

Needless to say, our event with Dav Pilkey at the Riverside Theater with Books & Company is the big story of the week in kids, but it's also nice to see the new picture books getting traction, like If You Make a Call on a Banana Phone. From Booklist: "Riffing on the causational classic about a mouse and a cookie, this creative exploration of using a banana as a telephone shows how a silly act of imagination opens up a child's world...Fill up your fruit baskets, folks - this one's a bunch of fun!"

Boswell bestsellers, week ending November 15, 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Goldin) — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 12:12:00 +0000

Boswell bestsellers, week ending November 15, 2025

Hardcover Fiction:
1. The Strength of the Few V2, by James Islington
2. Shadow Ticket, by Thomas Pynchon
3. Heart the Lover, by Lily King
4. Buckeye, by Patrick Ryan
5. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
6. Brigands and Breadknives V3, by Travis Baldree
7. My Friends, by Fredrik Backman
8. Small Things Like These, by Claire Keegan
9. Alchemised, by SenLinYu
10. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, by Kiran Desai

James Islington's The Strength of the Few is the sequel to 2023's The Will of the Money, an epic fantasy set in a world akin to Ancient Rome. From Publishers Weekly: "Returning to a richly drawn fantasy world in which the elite wield a magical force called Will tithed from people in lower castes, bestseller Islington's brilliant middle volume of his Hierarchy trilogy clears the high bar set by the first installment...Readers will be on the edge of their seats--and impatient to learn how Islington pulls off the saga's conclusion."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Milwaukee Flavor, from Visit Milwaukee
2. The Gales of November, by John U Bacon
3. The Bread of Angels, by Patti Smith
4. 1929, by Andrew Ross Sorkin
5. Untethered, by Doug Bolton
6. Replaceable You, by Mary Roach
7. Something from Nothing, by Alison Roman
8. Injustice, by Carol Leonnig and Aaron C Davies
9. Raising Hare, by Chloe Dalton
10. Good Things, by Samin Nosrat

It's the first week out for Something from Nothing and Ingram's run out of the book at all warehouses, expecting more books in early December. From the starred Kirkus: " In her fourth cookbook, Roman conjures up over 100 high-low recipes to 'make the most of what you have, working a little magic from your (well-stocked) pantry.' Beginning with chapters for snacks, soups, vegetables, beans and grains, and pastas, a solid two-thirds of the book is vegetable forward, with an emphasis on hardy, long-lasting vegetables like cabbage, potatoes, squash, and celery." My celery has been wilting quickly the last two times I bought it. That's a side complaint.

Paperback Fiction:
1. Boswell, a play by Marie Kohler
2. When the Cranes Fly South, by Lisa Ridzén
3. Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt
4. Sandwich, by Catherine Newman
5. Midnight and Moll Flanders, a play by Marie Kohler
6. The Mighty Red, by Louise Erdrich
7. The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore
8. Like Mother, Like Mother, by Susan Rieger
9. Best American Short Stories, edited by Celeste Ng
10. Annihilation V1, by Jeff Vandermeer

My favorite book of last year, Like Mother, Like Mother, is now out in paperback, and I'm glad they kept the Ann Napolitano-esque cover, who also blurbed the book: "What a delight! Lila is a magnificent character, and I could not put this book down. Like Mother, Like Mother is sharp, fun, and witty." I am an unofficial member of the Ann Napolitano book club. I'm still debating my favorite book of 2025 - I got it down to the Daniel dozen.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Quick Leadership, by Selena Rezvani
2. Reading for Our Lives, by Maya Payne Smart
3. Refocus: The Films of Susan Seidelman, by Susan Kerns
4. Wrecked, by Thomas Nelson and Jerald Podari (Boswell December 4 event)
5. A Sheepdog Named Oscar, by Dara Waldron
6. Murdoku, by Manuel Garand
7. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
8. The Midwest Gardeners Handbook, by Melinda Myers
9. The Garden Against Time, by Olivia Laing
10. Brewtown Tales, by John Gurda

You know (I hope!) about Murdle, but now we're selling Murdoku, which combines "the elegant simplicity of games like sudoku with the storytelling of classic logic problems." The crime scenes include a bakery, a farm, and a chess tournament." No reviews anywhere, but it's still pretty new, at least with trade distribution here. Volume II comes out May 2026.

Books for Kids:
1. The Last Kids on Earth and the Destructors Lair V10, by Max Brallier
2. The Very Last Leaf, by Stef Wade, illustrations by Jennifer Davison
3. Dog Man: Big Jim Believes V14, by Dav Pilkey
4. The Gift of Words, by Peter H Reynolds
5. The Last Kids on Earth Graphic Novel, by Max Brallier
6. The Rose Field V3, by Philip Pullman
7. If We Were Dogs, by Sophie Blackall
8. The Mitten Board Book, by Jan Brett (Boswell/UWM ticketed event December 7)
9. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Partypooper V20, by Jeff Kinney
10. Our Little Adventure at Christmas, by Tabitha Paige

The Gift of Words is a holiday companion novel to an earlier Peter H Reynolds title, The Word Collector, but you don't have to read that to enjoy this. Tara Peace at School Library Journal called this "A lovely holiday story that speaks to the power of bringing community together during the holidays."

Boswell bestsellers for the week ending November 8, 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Goldin) — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 18:48:00 +0000

Boswell bestsellers for the week ending November 8, 2025

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Buckeye, by Patrick Ryan (signed copies)
2. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
3. Black Wolf V20, by Louise Penny
4. Shadow Ticket, by Thomas Pynchon
5. Heart the Lover, by Lily King
6. James, by Percival Everett
7. Queen Esther, by John Irving 8. Wreck, by Catherine Newman
9. The Secret of Secrets V6, by Dan Brown
10. What We Can Know, by Ian McEwan

Top debut is Queen Esther from John Irving, which is a companion to The Cider House Rules. Reviews have been mixed, but Booklist gave it a star: " Countless literary references, lyrical flourishes, and allusions add depth to the Dickensian motif as Irving brilliantly blends moral ambiguity and emotional truth in this essential addition to his oeuvre."

With sales for The Correspondent increasing every week since its April publication (I am quoting the NYT here), it's expected that the novel will return (it already had one week in the top 15) to the national bestseller list, probably next week. I finally read it so I could include it in book talks. The other big hits were The Gales of November and When the Cranes Fly South. But when it comes to that book, I think we don't have as much competition for hand-selling.

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. The Jailhouse Lawyer, by Calvin Duncan and Sophie Cull
2. A CEO for All Seasons, by Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, Vikram Malhotra, Kurt Strovnik
3. Milwaukee Flavor, Visit Milwaukee, Ann Christenson, Kevin Miyazaki (Boswell November 17 event)
4. The Gales of November, by John U Bacon
5. The Bread of Angels, by Patti Smith
6. The Separation of Church and Hate, by John Fugelsang
7. 1929, by Andrew Ross Sorkin
8. Dead and Alive, by Zadie Smith
9. Injustice, by Carol Leonig and Aaron C Davies
10. Finding My Way, by Malala Yousafzai

Lots of new releases on what is probably the last big release date of the year, but The Jailhouse Lawyer was quiet for us when it was published in July. Calvin Duncan appeared at Marquette Law School this week and after sales picking up a few weeks ago, the event hit capacity and we sold out of books. From the starred Booklist: "Readers will come away changed - angry, heartened, and galvanized."

Paperback Fiction:
1. Nearly Beloved, by Kendra Broekhuis (signed copies)
2. When and If, by DeWitt Clinton
3. When the Cranes Fly South, by Lisa Ridzén
4. The Safekeep, by Yael Der Wouden (Boswell-run book clubs)
5. How About Now, by Kate Baer
6. Martyr, by Kaveh Akbar
7. The Mighty Red, by Louise Erdrich
8. Playground, by RIchard Powers
9. Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt
10. Discontent, by Beatrice Serrano

Kate Baer's fourth poetry collection is our top non-event debut. Library Journal writes that Baer: "Explores motherhood, marriage, life in one's 40s, and finding joy...Baer still maintains her signature humor throughout the book. There is lightheartedness and an honesty in Baer's poetry that has earned her a large audience, and this latest work offers both virtues."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Struggle for the City, by Derek G Handley
2. Birds of the Great Lakes, by Dexter Patterson (Schlitz Audubon November 20 event)
3. A Philosophy of Walking, by Frédéric Gros
4. In the Room at the Top fo the World, by Ben McCormick
5. Wrecked, Thomas Nelson and Jerald Podair (Boswell December 4 event)
6. How to Drea, by Thich Nhat Hanh
7. On Tyranny, by Timothy Snyder
8. Reincarnation, by Thich Nhat Hanh
9. What if Fungi Win, by Arturo Casadeval

10. The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel van der Kolk

Though Thich Nhat Hanh passed away in 2022, his books continue to be published. Both Reincarnation (written with Phap Luu) and How to Dream were released in the last few months. How to Dream, which I think is taking writings and repackaging them by subject, is the final volume in the Mindfulness Essential series.

Books for Kids:

1. Tater Tales: The Sneakiest in the World V3, by Ben Clanton

2. Tater Tales: The Greatest in the World V1, by Ben Clanton

3. Tater Tales: King of the World V2, by Ben Clanton

4. The Free State of Jax, by Jennifer A Nielsen

5. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Partypooper V20

6. How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney, by Mac Barnett, illustrations by Jon Klassen

7. The Book of Dust: Rose Field V3, by Philip Pullman

8. Skunk and Badger: Rock Paper Incisors V3, by Amy Timberlake, illustrations by Jon Klassen

9. If We Were Dogs, by Sophie Blackall

10. Buffalo Fluffalo and Puffalo, by Bess Kalb, illustrations by Erin Kraan

Halloween is over, and that means Christmas books are here, though there is some sampling of Thanksgiving-flavored reading too. The first book to pop is a now perennial, the 2023 How Does Santa Go Down a Chimney, by Mac Barnett with illustrations by Jon Klassen. Several lf the images have been adapted into greeting cards. From Kirkus: "For all that it leans heavily on absurdity, this book exhibits some serious heart."

Boswell bestsellers, week ending November 1, 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Goldin) — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 12:26:00 +0000

Boswell bestsellers, week ending November 1, 2025

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Black Wolf V20, by Louise Penny
2. Shadow Ticket, by Thomas Pynchon
3. Alchemised, by SenLinYu
4. Tom's Crossing, by Mark Danielewski (Boswell ticketed event December 13)
5. King Sorrow, by Joe Hill
6. Buckeye, by Patrick Ryan (Ticket sales have ended for November 5 event)
7. The Impossible Fortune V5, by Richard Osman
8. Heart the Lover, by Lily King
9. What We Can Know, by Ian McEwan
10. The Secret of Secrets V6, by Dan Brown

Lead debut was Louise Penny's latest, which I'm glad to say sold a few more copies than #19 in its first week. While some mystery series can be read out of order, The Black Wolf is a continuation of the plot of The Grey Wolf. From Publishers Weekly: "Penny's talent for nail-biting suspense and quiet character moments fuse with surprisingly topical subject matter to deliver an unputdownable installment of an ever reliable series."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. Milwaukee Flavor, from Visit Milwaukee (Boswell November 17 event)
2. The Uncool, by Cameron Crowe
3. The Gales of November, by John U Bacon
4. 1929, by Andrew Ross Sorkin
5. Strong Ground, by Brené Brown
6. Expensive Basketball, by Shea Serrano
7. 107 Days, by Kamala Harris
8. Giving Up Is Unforgivable, by Joyce Vance
9. The Talisman of Happiness, by Ada Boni
10. We the People, by Jill Lepore.

Our top debut is The Uncool, by Cameron Crowe, but I loved the comment from a buyer of Shea Serrano's Expensive Basketball, so that's what I'm including. He said, "When I worked at Half Price Books, if a book came in looking like this (no dust jacket, cloth binding), it was considered unsellable and we put it straight in the discard bin." He bought it, of course - jacketless is the new jacketed! From Kirkus: "Serrano is great at exploring how fans' memories of their favorite players intermingle with important events from their lives...Infectiously enthusiastic appraisals of NBA and WNBA stars."

Paperback Fiction:
1. Cannery Row, by John Steinbeck
2. I Who Have Never Known Men, by Jacqueline Harpman
3. Little Alleluias, by Mary Oliver
4. The Dispossessed, by Ursula Le Guin
5. The Lion Women of Tehran, by Marjan Kamali
6. The Safekeep, by Yael Van Der Wouden (Boswell-run book clubs)
7. Your Name Here, by Helen DeWitt and Ilya Gridneff
8. The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoevsky
9. Mate, by Ali Hazelwood
10. Golden Son V2, by Pierce Brown

If you are surprised to see the new book from Helen (The Last Samurai and The English Understand Wool) DeWitt come from Dalkey Archive, you're probably not alone. That said, it's rather an unusual book! From the publisher: "A book of unparalleled scope and vision, Your Name Here is a spectacular honeycomb of books-within-books. In this death-defying feat of ambition, collaborators Helen Dewitt and Ilya Gridneff weave together America's 'War on Terror,' countless years of literary history, authorial sleight of hand, Scientology, dream analysis, multiple languages, emails, images, graphs, into something wondrous and unique."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Lincoln's Counterfeiters, by Andrea Nolen (signed copies)
2. A Sheepdog Named Oscar, by Dara Waldron (signed copies)
3. Rippel, by William Powers
4. Birds of the Great Lakes, by Dexter Patterson (Schlitz Audubon November 20 event)
5. Roar, by Stacy T Sims
6. The Artists Way, by Julia Cameron
7. The Chaos Machine, by Max Fisher
8. Book and Dagger, by Elyse Graham
9. Meet the Neighbors, by Brandon Keim
10. Don't Say Please, by Sahan Jayasuriya

Selling off the new paperback table is Book and Dagger: How Scholars and Librarians Became the Unlikely Spies of World War II, which had okay sales for us in 2024, but notably for paperback success, it continued to sell regularly in 2025. It has wo raves, four positives, and a mixed on BookMarks, including this from Bryn Stole in The Washington Post: "Graham’s account is well-researched and scrupulously footnoted, but she also writes with a pulpy panache that turns the book into a well-paced thriller."

Books for Kids:
1. Dragonborn, by Struan Murray
2. Sole Survivor, by Norman Ollestad and Brendan Kiely
3. Rock Paper Incisors V3, by Amy Klassen
4. The Free State of Jax, by Jennifer A Nielsen
5. Egg Marks the Spot V2, by Amy Timberlake
6. Skunk and Badger V1, by Amy Timberlake
7. Iceberg, by Jennifer A Nielsen
8. Uprising, by Jennifer A Nielsen
9. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Partypooper V20, by Jeff Kinney
10. Incredibly Penelope, by Lauren Myracle

We are at peak school visit this week with in-person programs from Struan Murray, Jennifer Nielsen, and Amy Timberlake, plus a virtual event with Norman Ollestad and Brendan Kiely. It's also release week for Jeff Kinney and Partypooper, who visited Milwaukee last year. Murray's Dragonborn is a hot kids book this fall, the latest dragon-centric fantasy, and with sprayed-edge flare too. Says Kirkus: "Come for the dragons but stay for the suspenseful reveals and relatable characters."

Boswell bestsellers, week ending October 25, 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Goldin) — Sun, 26 Oct 2025 19:45:00 +0000

Boswell bestsellers, week ending October 25, 2025

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Heart the Lover, by Lily King (signed copies)
2. Shadow Ticket, by Thomas Pynchon
3. King Sorrow, by Joe Hill
4. The Impossible Fortune, by Richard Osman
5. Angel Down, by Daniel Kraus
6. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
7. Buckeye, by Patrick Ryan
8. The Killing Stones, by Ann Cleeves
9. Katabasis, by RF Kuang
10. Alchemised, by SenLinYu

Top debut this week is Joe Hill's King Sorrow, sort of tieing in with the film release of Black Phone 2, which was based on a Hill short story. This is his first long-form novel since 2016's The Fireman. The advances are all spectacular. From Kirkus: "Hill, son of the master, turns in a near-perfect homage to Stephen King." From James Gardner in Library Journal: "The novel evokes elements of the revenge plot, fantasy quests, and thrillers featuring shadowy organizations to tell an outstanding tale about how power corrupts. Hill's fans will love it, as will those who like King's more fantastical works, such as Fairy Tale."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. The Harder I Fight the More I Love You, by Neko Case
2. The Gales of November, by John U Bacon
3. Milwaukee Flavor, from Visit Milwaukee (Boswell November 17 event)
4. Giving Up Is Unforgivable, by Joyce Vance
5. Nobody's Girl, by Virginia Roberts Giuffre
6. The Social Lives of Birds, by Joan E Strassmann (signed copies)
7. Slow Birding, by Joan E Strassmann
8. 1929, by Andrew Ross Sorkin
9. Separation of Church and Hate, by John Fugelsang
10. Good Things, by Samin Nosrat

Several new releases had news-generated pops - Giving Up Is Unforgivable and Nobody's Girl - while Separation of Church and Hate doubles its sales after bubbling below the top ten for several weeks. The blurbs are a mix of celebrities (Nick Offerman, Yvette Nicole Brown, Willie Nelson) with a sprinkling of politicians (Bonnie Watson Coleman) for this bestselling book . The Publishers Weekly and Booklist were very positive, but the Kirkus reviewer didn't take to it, calling it a "grating screed" and complained about its objectivity.

Paperback Fiction:
1. Starsong, by Patricia Skalka (signed copies)
2. Maze, by Ali Hazelwood
3. Mockingbird Court, by Juneau Black
4. Same, by Hannah Rosenberg
5. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
6. The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon
7. Sunburn, by Chloe Michelle Howarth
8. The Safekeep, by Yael Van Der Wouden
9. The Secret History, by Donna Tartt
10. Writers and Lovers, by Lily King

The Safekeep is the Boswell Lit Group selection for December 1. I am finally getting the hang of keeping up our newly revised upcoming book club selection page. The novel won the Woman's Prize and had three raves and three positives on BookMarks. From Lori Sonderlind in The New York Times: "What a quietly remarkable book. I’m afraid I can’t tell you too much about it...I would have liked this book in any case, just for the pleasure of reading it. But the story is resolved in such a bold and tender way that it becomes not merely clever, but indelible."

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. In the Room at the Top of the World, by Ben McCormick
2. Crux, by Jean Guerrero
3. While You Were Out, by Meg Kissinger
4. Hatemonger, by Jean Guerrero
5. Seventh Generation Earth Ethics, by Patty Loew
6. A Sheepdog Named Oscar, by Dara Waldron (Boswell October 30 event)
7. A World in Books, by Kenneth C Davis
8. The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel van der Kolk
9. Best American Essays, by Jia Tolentino
10. Read This When Things Fall Apart, edited by Kelly Hayes

With series editor Kim Dan Kupperman, Jia Tolentino did the final selection for this year's Best American Essays 2025. Contributors include Eula Biss, Sarah Aziza, Khalil Abu Sharekh, Christian Lorenzen, Hannah Keziah Agustin, and Jarek Steele, the former co-owner of Left Bank Books.

Books for Kids:
1. The Rose Field V3, by Philip Pullman
2. Partypooper V20, by Jeff Kinney
3. Sole Survivor, by Norman Ollestad and Brendan Kiely
4. The Poisoned King V2, by Katherine Rundell
5. Bunn's Rabbit, by Alan Barillaro
6. Lulu and Rocky in Milwaukee, by Barbara Joosse, illustrations by René Greaf
7. Goodnight Moon board book, by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrations by Clement Hurd
8. If You Make a Call on a Banana Phone, by Gideon Sterer, illustrations by Emily Hughes
9. A Snow Day for Amos McGee, by Philip Stead, illustrations by Erin Stead
10. The Slightly Spooky Tale of Fox and Mole, by Cecilia Heikkilä

The third volume of The Book of Dust has a strong opening week, though Jason thought it would have been multiples higher in the UK. The Rose Field. No BookMarks round-up for this one, though I suspect there are lots of British reviews, plus our Milwaukee-bred Dan Kois in The New York Times, who reflects on Lyla, in light of naming his daughter after her: "If the resolution of this book’s grand philosophical inquiries sounds familiar notes, that doesn’t decrease its power, or its correctness. Pullman, as ever, is a humanist, and keenly interested in what gives people spirit, will, the spark of life"

Boswell bestsellers, week ending October 18, 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Goldin) — Sun, 19 Oct 2025 13:49:00 +0000

Boswell bestsellers, week ending October 18, 2025

Hardcover Fiction:
1. Shadow Ticket, by Thomas Pynchon
2. State Champs, by Hilary Plum
3. The Secret of Secrets, by Dan Brown
4. The Unveiling, by Quan Barry (signed copies)
5. Heart the Lover, by Lily King (Boswell October 24 event)
6. Alchemised, by SenLinYu
7. The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
8. Always Remember, by Charlie Mackesy
9. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, by Kiran Desai
10. Twice, by Mitch Albom

It's only about three weeks until the Booker Prize is announced. One title on the shortlist is The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, which has had several weeks in our top ten since its September release. Desai received the prize for The Inheritance of Loss back in 2006. The new book has 12 raves, a positive, and two mixed on BookMarks. From Alexandra Jacobs in The New York Times: "Almost 20 years in the making, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, by Kiran Desai, is not so much a novel as a marvel. In an era of hot takes and chilly optimized productivity, here is sweet validation of the idea that to create something truly transcendent - a work of art depicting love, family, nature and culture in all their fullness - might take time."

Hardcover Nonfiction:
1. The Gales of November, by John U Bacon (signed copies)
2. The Promise of Heaven, by David Jeremiah
3. Milwaukee Flavor, from Visit Milwaukee (Boswell November 17 event)
4. Heartland Masala, by Jyoti Mukharji and Auyon Mukharji (signed copies)
5. 1929, by Andrew Ross Sorkin
6. 107 Days, by Kamala Harris
7. The Art of Gluten Free Bread, by Aran Goyoaga
8. We the People, by Jill Lepore
9. Little Woodchucks, by Nick Offerman
10. Schott's Significa, by Ben Schott

First week out for Andrew Ross Sorkin's 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History - and How It Shattered a Nation with a BookMarks tabulation of three raves, a positive, and a mixed in The New York Times, where Sorkin is a columnist. One rave is from Judge Glock in The Wall Street Journal: "Although Mr. Sorkin offers hints that the crash looms larger in our memory than it did in the moment, his focus is on portraying the lives of the people who lived through it. It is one of the best narrative histories I’ve read." I think BookMarks removed the WSJ links because they are always paywalled. But I hit paywalls from other newspaper links, so maybe there's another reason.

Paperback Fiction:
1. American Dawn V2, by Matthew J Flynn
2. Long Island Compromise, by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
3. I Who Have Never Known Men, by Juneau Black
4. Mockingbird Court V6, by Juneau Black
5. Mate, by Ali Hazelwood
6. Sunburn, by Chloe Howarth
7. When the Cranes Fly South, by Lisa Ridzén
8. The Empusium, by Olga Tokarczuk
9. The Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping, by Sangu Mandanna
10. The Lion Women of Tehran, by Marjan Kamali

David Sedaris came to Milwaukee for his biennial (I want to say biannual, but apparently that could also mean twice a year) visit to the Pabst Theater and this time, his book pick was Long Island Compromise, by Taffy Brodesser-Akner, her follow-up to Fleischman Is in Trouble. The paperback appears to be flying off the shelves in the Northeast, at least according to Edelweiss. It had 13 raves, 3 positives, 3 mixed, and two pans, including one from the Times Literary Supplement, which is paywalled, which ruins my earlier theory.

Paperback Nonfiction:
1. Seventh Generation Earth Ethics, by Patty Loew
2. In the Room at the Top of the World, by Ben McCormick (Boswell October 20 event)
3. Holidays on Ice, by David Sedaris
4. Happy Go Lucky, by David Sedaris
5. The Best of Me, by David Sedaris
6. In the Shadow of Man, by Jane Goodall
7. A Sheepdog Named Oscar, by Dara Waldron (Boswell October 30 event)
8. Meditations for Mortals, by Oliver Burkeman
9. When Women Ran Fifth Avenue, by Julie Satow
10. Puerto Rico, by Jorell Melendez Badillo

You may not know that the Americans and the British have different rules on songs charting on music bestseller lists from one artist, and if you do, apologies for repeating. The UK limits the artist to the three biggest hits from one album, while there are no restrictions on the Billboard Hot 100, which is why Taylor Switft held the top 12 spots this past week. I like the British rules better, so that's why only three David Sedaris books place here. Otherwise I'd just list six Sedaris books in the top ten and four more from 11-15. With no brand new book to sell, the top adult title (we sold more of Pretty Ugly in kids) was Holidays on Ice - it's late enough in the year to be thinking about this.

Books for Kids:
1. Steam Train Dream Train: Next Stop Christmas, by Sherri Duskey Rinker, illustrations by AG Ford
2. Steam Train Dream Train, by Sherri Duskey Rinker, illustrations by AG Ford
3. Pretty Ugly, by David Sedaris, illustrations by Ian Falconer
4. Construction Site: Garbage Crew to the Rescue, by Sheeri Duskey Rinker, illustrations by AG Ford
5. Giving Good, by Aaron Boyd
6. Squash and Pumpkin: #Squashgoals, by GG McQueen, illustrations by Michael Slack
7. Brownie the War Dog, by Kelly Nelson, illustrations by Aaron Boyd
8. Valiant Vel, by Jerrianne Hayslett, illustrations by Aaron Boyd
9. Rock Paper Incisors V3, by Amy Timberlake, illustrations by Jon Klassen (Boswell October 27 event)
10. Buffalo Dreamer, by Violet Duncan

This week's top 10 is event heavy, with the exception of Buffalo Dreamer, which is part of the current Battle of the Books promotion. I generally don't include quantity orders that are not part of author events when the book is more than a year old, but in this case, there was more than one purchase in the week, so National Book Award Finalist Buffalo Dreamer (which really just missed the cutoff as it's from August 2024) makes the top 10. From Tracy Cronce in School Library Journal: "Beautiful descriptions of traditional Native American culture and dress make scenes vivid for readers as Summer's family rides horses, picks berries, prepares meals, and shares stories, even ones that have remained unspoken."