Indiebestsellers

Indie Bestsellers Week of 08.12.20

HardcoverFICTION NONFICTION

1. The Vanishing Half 1. Too Much and Never Enough Brit Bennett, Riverhead Books, $27 Mary L. Trump, Ph.D., S&S, $28 2. Where the Crawdads Sing ★ 2. Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents Delia Owens, Putnam, $26 Isabel Wilkerson, Random House, $32 3. Mexican Gothic 3. How to Be an Antiracist Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Del Rey, $27 Ibram X. Kendi, One World, $27 4. Untamed ★ 4. Harrow the Ninth Glennon Doyle, The Dial Press, $28 Tamsyn Muir, Tor.com, $26.99 5. The Splendid and the Vile ★ 5. Luster Erik Larson, Crown, $32 Raven Leilani, FSG, $26 6. Me and White Supremacy 6. The Order Layla Saad, Sourcebooks, $25.99 Daniel Silva, Harper, $28.99 7. Begin Again 7. Such a Fun Age Eddie S. Glaude, Crown, $27 Kiley Reid, Putnam, $26 8. Between the World and Me 8. American Dirt Ta-Nehisi Coates, One World, $26 Jeanine Cummins, Flatiron Books, $27.99 9. Memorial Drive 9. The Guest List Natasha Trethewey, Ecco, $27.99 Lucy Foley, Morrow, $27.99 10. The Room Where It Happened John Bolton, S&S, $32.50 ★ 10. Migrations Charlotte McConaghy, Flatiron Books, $26.99 ★ 11. True Crimes and Misdemeanors: The 11. Utopia Avenue Investigation of Donald Trump Jeffrey Toobin, Doubleday, $30 David Mitchell, Random House, $30 12. What It’s Like to Be a Bird 12. 28 Summers David Allen Sibley, Knopf, $35 Elin Hilderbrand, Little, Brown, $28 ★ 13. Live Free Or Die: America (and the ★ 13. The Death of Vivek Oji World) on the Brink Akwaeke Emezi, Riverhead Books, $27 Sean Hannity, Threshold Editions, $30 14. Sex and Vanity 14. Hood Feminism Kevin Kwan, Doubleday, $26.95 Mikki Kendall, Viking, $26 15. Deacon King Kong 15. The Answer Is . . . James McBride, Riverhead Books, $28 Alex Trebek, S&S, $26 Indies Introduce Other Indie Favorites I Hold a Wolf by the Ears: Stories, by Laura Flyaway: A Novella, by Kathleen Jennings (Tor. van den Berg (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $26) com, $19.99) “I’ve never read anything quite like this book. “Laura van den Berg’s new collection of stories, one of the most The prose is confident—it’s like an iron backbone on which strange unique I’ve read in recent years, navigates a space between the and beautiful flowers grow. Jennings’ use of syntax is utterly unique. outer and inner world and takes unexpected turns that, like her Words that should bump and snap at each other instead morph and novel, The Third Hotel, seem to bring in aesthetics of literature burst into unforgettable sentences. This is a... fairy tale? An allegory? outside our time and place to tell stories that are very much A murder mystery? I’m not entirely sure. It doesn’t matter. Trying grounded in our present. These stories are thrilling, timeless, and to categorize this wonderful novel would be like putting a unicorn get better when you reread them. I’ve read ‘Hill of Hell’ more into a horse box. It wouldn’t fit and the horn would shatter the than five times by now.” — Fernando Flores, Malvern wood. Best to leave it unbound and wild, admire it for what it is, and Books, Austin, TX wonder at what it’s not.” —Aimee Keeble, Main Street Books, Davidson, NC

PaperbackFICTION NONFICTION

1. The Nickel Boys 1. White Fragility Colson Whitehead, Anchor, $15.95 Robin DiAngelo, Beacon Press, $16 2. Circe 2. So You Want to Talk About Race Madeline Miller, Back Bay, $16.99 Ijeoma Oluo, Seal Press, $16.99 3. Normal People 3. Intimations Sally Rooney, Hogarth, $17 Zadie Smith, Penguin, $10.95 4. Little Fires Everywhere 4. The Warmth of Other Suns Celeste Ng, Penguin, $17 Isabel Wilkerson, Vintage, $17.95 5. The Overstory 5. Stamped from the Beginning Richard Powers, Norton, $18.95 Ibram X. Kendi, Bold Type Books, $19.99 6. Beach Read 6. The New Jim Crow Emily Henry, Berkley, $16 Michelle Alexander, New Press, $18.99 ★ 7. The Starless Sea 7. The Color of Law Erin Morgenstern, Anchor, $16.95 Richard Rothstein, Liveright, $17.95 8. This Tender Land William Kent Krueger, Atria, $17 8. Just Mercy Bryan Stevenson, One World, $17 9. City of Girls Elizabeth Gilbert, Riverhead Books, $17 9. Braiding Sweetgrass Robin Wall Kimmerer, Milkweed Editions, $18 10. A Gentleman in Moscow Amor Towles, Penguin, $17 10. My Grandmother’s Hands Resmaa Menakem, Central Recovery Press, $17.95 11. Girl, Woman, Other Bernardine Evaristo, Grove Press/Black Cat, 11. The Fire Next Time $17 James Baldwin, Vintage, $13.95 12. Homegoing 12. Born a Crime Yaa Gyasi, Vintage, $16 Trevor Noah, One World, $18 13. The Tattooist of Auschwitz 13. The Yellow House Heather Morris, Harper, $16.99 Sarah M. Broom, Grove Press, $17 14. Chances Are . . . 14. On Tyranny Richard Russo, Vintage, $16 Timothy Snyder, Tim Duggan Books, $9.99 ★ 15. Parable of the Sower 15. A Woman of No Importance Octavia E. Butler, Grand Central, $16.99 Sonia Purnell, Penguin, $18

MASS MARKET Frank Herbert, Ace, $10.99 1. Dune Another Indie Favorite 2. 1984 George Orwell, Signet, $9.99 3. The Guardians John Grisham, Dell, $9.99 The Disaster Tourist: A Novel, by Yun Ko- Maya Angelou, Eun, Lizzie Buehler (Transl.) (Counterpoint, 4. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings $16.95) “This book is about every sort of disaster that Ballantine, $7.99 can happen: ecological, economic, social, moral, and even the 5. Blue Moon Lee Child, Dell, $9.99 unexpected. When Yona, a designer of ‘disaster tours’ for a travel 6. The Couple Next Door Shari Lapena, Penguin, $9.99 company, is forced to go on a business trip to a remote island, 7. The Autobiography of Malcolm X Malcom X, Ballantine, she gets caught up with making a disaster of her own. This book $7.99 brilliantly peels back the layers of ecotourism, capitalism, and all the ways we are complicit in creating catastrophes. A shocking, 8. The Outsider Stephen King, Pocket, $10.99 thought-provoking book that’s also a great read.” George Orwell, Signet, $9.99 —Dan 9. Animal Farm Schwartz, Changing Hands, Phoenix, AZ 10. Little Fires Everywhere Celeste Ng, Penguin, $9.99

Children’sEARLY & MIDDLE GRADE READERS YOUNG ADULT

★ 1. Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly 1. Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You Adventure Jason Reynolds, Ibram X. Kendi, Little, Brown Books Jeff Kinney, Amulet Books, $14.99 for Young Readers, $18.99 2. The One and Only Bob Katherine 2. The Hate U Give Applegate, Patricia Castelao (Illus.), Harper, $18.99 Angie Thomas, Balzer + Bray, $18.99 3. This Book Is Anti-Racist 3. One of Us Is Lying Tiffany Jewell, Aurelia Durand (Illus.), Frances Karen M. McManus, Delacorte Press, $17.99 Lincoln Children’s Books, $14.99 4. We Were Liars E. Lockhart, Ember, $10.99 4. New Kid Jerry Craft, Harper, $12.99 5. Guts Raina Telgemeier, Graphix, $12.99 5. Clap When You Land Elizabeth Acevedo, Quill Tree Books, $18.99 6. The One and Only Ivan Katherine Applegate, Patricia Castelao (Illus.), 6. The Book Thief Harper, $8.99 Markus Zusak, Knopf Books for Young Readers, $14.99 7. Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: 7. This Is My America Rowley Jefferson’s Journal Kim Johnson, Random House Books for Young Jeff Kinney, Abrams, $13.99 Readers, $17.99 Victoria 8. When Stars Are Scattered 8. Dear Martin Jamieson, Omar Mohamed, Dial Books, $12.99 Nic Stone, Ember, $9.99 Jewell Parker Rhodes, Little, Brown 9. Ghost Boys 9. The Poet X Books for Young Readers, $7.99 Elizabeth Acevedo, Quill Tree Books, $12.99 Raina Telgemeier, Graphix, $10.99 10. Smile 10. A Peculiar Peril 11. Sisters Jeff VanderMeer, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $19.99 Raina Telgemeier, Graphix, $10.99 11. One of Us Is Next 12. Brown Girl Dreaming Karen M. McManus, Delacorte Press, $19.99 Jacqueline Woodson, Puffin, $10.99 12. All American Boys 13. Hatchet Jason Reynolds, Brendan Kiely, Atheneum/Caitlyn Gary Paulsen, Drew Willis (Illus.), Simon & Dlouhy Books, $11.99 Schuster Books for Young Readers, $9.99 ★ 13. They Wish They Were Us 14. Drama Jessica Goodman, Razorbill, $17.99 Raina Telgemeier, Graphix, $10.99 ★ 14. The Black Kids 15. Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Christina Hammonds Reed, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $18.99 Blocks Jason Reynolds, Alexander Nabaum (Illus.), 15. On the Come Up Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, $17.99 Angie Thomas, Balzer + Bray, $18.99 Indies Introduce For Ages 9 to 12 For Teen Readers The Time of Green Magic, by Hilary McKay We Are Not From Here, by Jenny Torres Sanchez (Margaret K. McElderry Books, $17.99) “Hilary (Philomel Books, $18.99) “This tale will grab you, get under McKay is a funny, heart-grabbing, rollicking master of middle- your fingernails, and not let go, so vivid is the story of these three friends on a harrowing journey to save themselves. This story is ripped grade family stories. If you love books like The Penderwicks or The from the headlines and extraordinary in its depiction of kids running Vanderbeekers of 141st Street, The Time of Green Magic is your next from their country’s violence, depredation, and hopelessness. The favorite. In this story, McKay blends the complications of a big, sometimes-unspeakable events are also tempered with the hope and new blended family, a wondrous house, and magic that may be a humanity of kind people along the way. Traveling from Honduras to the promised land of the U.S., your eyes will be opened and your heart little more dangerous than anyone expects at first.” —Alex will plead for our nation to see these children and treat them with Schaffner, Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, MA compassion.” —Maureen Palacios, Once Upon a Time, Montrose, CA

Children’sCHILDREN’S ILLUSTRATED CHILDREN’S SERIES

1. Antiracist Baby 1. Twilight Ibram X. Kendi, Ashley Lukashevsky (Illus.), Kokila, Stephenie Meyer, Little, Brown Books for Young $8.99 Readers 2. Goodnight Moon Margaret Wise Brown, New in Series: Midnight Sun Clement Hurd (Illus.), Harper, $8.99 2. Dog Man (hardcover) 3. A Is for Activist Dav Pilkey, Graphix Innosanto Nagara, Triangle Square, $11.95 3. Wings of Fire 4. The Very Hungry Caterpillar Tui T. Sutherland, Scholastic Eric Carle, Putnam, $10.99 4. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (hardcover) 5. Not My Idea: A Book about Whiteness Jeff Kinney, Amulet Anastasia Higginbotham, Dottir Press, $18.95 5. Harry Potter 6. We Will Rock Our Classmates J.K. Rowling, Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine Books Ryan T. Higgins, Disney/Hyperion, $17.99 6. The Hunger Games 7. Something Happened in Our Town: A Suzanne Collins, Scholastic Child’s Story about Racial Injustice Marianne Celano, et al., Magination Press, $16.99 7. The Bad Guys Aaron Blabey, Scholastic 8. You Matter Christian Robinson, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, $17.99 8. Elephant & Piggie (hardcover) Mo Willems, Hyperion 9. Where the Wild Things Are Maurice Sendak, Harper, $19.95 9. Magic Tree House 10. The Day You Begin Jacqueline Woodson, Mary Pope Osborne, Sal Murdocca (Illus.), Random Rafael López (Illus.), Nancy Paulsen Books, $18.99 House 11. Sulwe Lupita Nyong’o, Vashti Harrison (Illus.), 10. Who Was/Is...? (paperback) Simon & Schuster (BYR), $17.99 Ellen Morgan, et al., Penguin Workshop 12. The World Needs More Purple People Kristen Bell, Benjamin Hart, Daniel Wiseman (Illus.), Random House (BYR), $17.99 13. Blueberries for Sal Robert McCloskey, Puffin, $7.99 14. The Undefeated Kwame Alexander, Kadir Nelson (Illus.), Versify, All Fiction Series titles are hardcover and paperback unless noted. $17.99 15. Good Night, Gorilla Peggy Rathmann, Putnam, $7.99

For Ages 4 to 8 The Starkeeper, by Faith Pray (Random House Books for Young Readers, $17.99) “What a gorgeously illustrated book about the power of kindness! This book shows kids that no matter how small or inexperienced, they are able to effect real and important change in our world just by being kind.” —Melissa Taylor, E. Shaver, Bookseller, Savannah, GA

HARDCOVER PAPERBACK

1. The Vanishing Half 1. The Nickel Boys Brit Bennett, Riverhead Books, $27 Colson Whitehead, Anchor, $15.95 2. Where the Crawdads Sing 2. Circe Delia Owens, Putnam, $26 Madeline Miller, Back Bay, $16.99 3. Mexican Gothic 3. Normal People Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Del Rey, $27 Sally Rooney, Hogarth, $17 ★ 4. Harrow the Ninth 4. Little Fires Everywhere Tamsyn Muir, Tor.com, $26.99 Celeste Ng, Penguin, $17 ★ 5. Luster 5. The Overstory Raven Leilani, FSG, $26 Richard Powers, Norton, $18.95 6. The Order 6. Beach Read Emily Henry, Berkley, $16 Daniel Silva, Harper, $28.99 ★ 7. The Starless Sea 7. Such a Fun Age Erin Morgenstern, Anchor, $16.95 Kiley Reid, Putnam, $26 8. This Tender Land 8. American Dirt William Kent Krueger, Atria, $17 Jeanine Cummins, Flatiron Books, $27.99 9. City of Girls 9. The Guest List Elizabeth Gilbert, Riverhead Books, $17 Lucy Foley, Morrow, $27.99 10. A Gentleman in Moscow ★ 10. Migrations Amor Towles, Penguin, $17 Charlotte McConaghy, Flatiron Books, $26.99 11. Girl, Woman, Other 11. Utopia Avenue Bernardine Evaristo, Grove Press/Black Cat, David Mitchell, Random House, $30 $17 12. 28 Summers 12. Homegoing Elin Hilderbrand, Little, Brown, $28 Yaa Gyasi, Vintage, $16 ★ 13. The Death of Vivek Oji 13. The Tattooist of Auschwitz Akwaeke Emezi, Riverhead Books, $27 Heather Morris, Harper, $16.99 = Debut 14. Sex and Vanity 14. Chances Are . . . Kevin Kwan, Doubleday, $26.95 Richard Russo, Vintage, $16 15. Deacon King Kong ★ 15. Parable of the Sower James McBride, Riverhead Books, $28 Octavia E. Butler, Grand Central, $16.99

Indies Introduce

HARDCOVER PAPERBACK

1. Too Much and Never Enough 1. White Fragility Mary L. Trump, Ph.D., S&S, $28 Robin DiAngelo, Beacon Press, $16 ★ 2. Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents 2. So You Want to Talk About Race Isabel Wilkerson, Random House, $32 Ijeoma Oluo, Seal Press, $16.99 3. How to Be an Antiracist 3. Intimations Ibram X. Kendi, One World, $27 Zadie Smith, Penguin, $10.95 4. Untamed 4. The Warmth of Other Suns Glennon Doyle, The Dial Press, $28 Isabel Wilkerson, Vintage, $17.95 5. The Splendid and the Vile Erik Larson, Crown, $32 5. Stamped from the Beginning Ibram X. Kendi, Bold Type Books, $19.99 6. Me and White Supremacy Layla Saad, Sourcebooks, $25.99 6. The New Jim Crow Michelle Alexander, New Press, $18.99 7. Begin Again Eddie S. Glaude, Crown, $27 7. The Color of Law Richard Rothstein, Liveright, $17.95 8. Between the World and Me Ta-Nehisi Coates, One World, $26 8. Just Mercy 9. Memorial Drive Bryan Stevenson, One World, $17 Natasha Trethewey, Ecco, $27.99 9. Braiding Sweetgrass 10. The Room Where It Happened Robin Wall Kimmerer, Milkweed Editions, $18 John Bolton, S&S, $32.50 10. My Grandmother’s Hands ★ 11. True Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Resmaa Menakem, Central Recovery Press, $17.95 Investigation of Donald Trump 11. The Fire Next Time Jeffrey Toobin, Doubleday, $30 James Baldwin, Vintage, $13.95 12. What It’s Like to Be a Bird David Allen Sibley, Knopf, $35 12. Born a Crime Trevor Noah, One World, $18 ★ 13. Live Free Or Die: America (and the World) on the Brink 13. The Yellow House Sean Hannity, Threshold Editions, $30 Sarah M. Broom, Grove Press, $17 14. Hood Feminism 14. On Tyranny Mikki Kendall, Viking, $26 Timothy Snyder, Tim Duggan Books, $9.99 15. The Answer Is . . . 15. A Woman of No Importance Alex Trebek, S&S, $26 Sonia Purnell, Penguin, $18