TheBestseller
Observatory

Best Sellers

Hardcover Fiction

Week of October 26, 2008

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1
THE LUCKY ONE
Nicholas Sparks
Cover of THE LUCKY ONE

THE LUCKY ONE

by Nicholas Sparks · Grand Central

2 wks at #1 · 2 on list

In this stunning New York Times bestselling follow-up to The Notebook, a hardworking but distant husband vows to win back the love of his life by looking to Noah and Allie's legendary romance. After thirty years, Wilson Lewis is forced to face a painful truth: the romance has gone out of his marriage. His wife, Jane, has fallen out of love with him, and it is entirely his fault. Despite the shining example of his in-laws, Noah and Allie Calhoun, and their fifty-year love affair, Wilson himself is a man unable to express his true feelings. He has spent too little time at home and too much at the office, leaving the responsibility of raising their children to Jane. Now his daughter is about to marry, and his wife is thinking about leaving him. But if Wilson is sure of anything, it is this: His love for Jane has only grown over the years, and he will do everything he can to save their marriage. With the memories of Noah and Allie's inspiring life together as his guide, he vows to find a way to make his wife fall in love with him...all over again. In this powerfully moving tale of love lost, rediscovered, and renewed, Nicholas Sparks once again brings readers his unique insight into the only emotion that ultimately really matters.

2
THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE
David Wroblewski
Cover of THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE

THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE

by David Wroblewski · Ecco

18 wks on list

A contemporary retelling of Hamlet of stark and striking brilliance set on a farm in remote northern Wisconsin. On a farm in remote northern Wisconsin the mute and brilliant Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents Gar and Trudy. For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a breed of dog whose thoughtful companionship is epitomised by Almodine, Edgar's lifelong companion. But when his beloved father mysteriously dies, Edgar blames himself, if only because his muteness left him unable to summon help. Grief-stricken and bewildered by his mother's desperate affair with her dead husband's brother, Edgar's world unravels one spring night when, in the falling rain, he sees his father's ghost. After a botched attempt to prove that his uncle orchestrated Gar's death, Edgar flees into the Chequamegon wilderness leading three yearling dogs. Yet his need to face his father's murderer, and his devotion to the Sawtelle dogs, turn Edgar ever homeward. When he returns, nothing is as he expects, and Edgar must choose between revenge or preserving his family legacy...

3
NEW
THE PIRATE KING
R. A. Salvatore
Cover of THE PIRATE KING

THE PIRATE KING

by R. A. Salvatore · Wizards of the Coast

1 wks on list

When Captain Deudermont comes to the aid of the city of Luskan, which has become a safe haven for the Sword Coast's most dangerous pirates, dark elf Drizzt Do'Urden is drawn into the struggle to save the city from itself.

5
2
ONE FIFTH AVENUE
Candace Bushnell
Cover of ONE FIFTH AVENUE

ONE FIFTH AVENUE

by Candace Bushnell · Hyperion

3 wks on list

Tothom que sigui algú a Nova York sap que Victory, Wendy i Nico són les cares boniques de l'èxit a la ciutat dels gratacels: Victory s'ha convertit en la dissenyadora de moda més sol·licitada; Wendy és la directora general de Parador Pictures i, a més d'estar produint una pel·lícula que serà un veritable èxit, té tres fills preciosos; Nico, per últim, és la redactora en cap de la revista Bonfire, la bíblia novaiorquesa per estar al dia. Als ulls dels altres, totes tres es troben en el millor moment de les seves vides. Però malgrat tot, des del lloc que elles ocupen les coses no es veuen exactament així.

6
2
HEAT LIGHTNING
John Sandford
Cover of HEAT LIGHTNING
7
1
THE OTHER QUEEN
Philippa Gregory
Cover of THE OTHER QUEEN

THE OTHER QUEEN

by Philippa Gregory

4 wks on list

From #1 New York Times bestselling author and “queen of royal fiction” (USA TODAY) Philippa Gregory—a dazzling new novel about the intriguing, romantic, and maddening Mary, Queen of Scots. Fleeing violent rebellions in Scotland, Mary looks to Queen Elizabeth of England for sanctuary. Though promised protection, Mary, perceived as a serious threat to the English crown, is soon imprisoned by her former friend as a “guest” in the house of George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, and his indomitable wife, Bess of Hardwick. The newly married couple welcomes the condemned queen into their home, certain that serving as her hosts and jailers will bring them an advantage in the cutthroat world of the Elizabethan court. To their horror, they grow to realize that the task will bankrupt their estate and lose them what little favor they’ve managed to gain as their home becomes the epicenter of intrigue and rebellion against Queen Elizabeth. And Mary is not as hopeless as she appears, manipulating the earl and spinning her own web of treachery and deceit, as she sharpens her weapons to reclaim her Scottish throne—and to take over Queen Elizabeth’s of England.

8
NEW
GRACE
Richard Paul Evans
Cover of GRACE

GRACE

by Richard Paul Evans · Simon & Schuster

1 wks on list

Originally titled Grace, this award-winning novel gets a brand-new look in this beautiful repackage. From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Christmas Box and The Mistletoe Promise comes a novel filled with hope and redemption about two teens who turn to each other to find trust and love. If only I could stay with you forever. I would. Eric is having a hard time adjusting to his family’s move from California to Utah. Then he meets Grace—his classmate and a runaway—dumpster diving behind the burger joint where he works. Eric decides the only thing to do is to hide Grace in the clubhouse in his backyard. With the adults concerned about the looming Cuban Missile Crisis and his father recovering from an immune disorder, Eric grows closer to Grace but can their new relationship survive the harsh realities of life? In this poignant, sensitive, and realistic narrative, Richard Paul Evans shares Grace’s heartbreaking predicament and Eric’s realization that everything is not as simple as it might appear.

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2
THE HOST
Stephenie Meyer
Cover of THE HOST

THE HOST

by Stephenie Meyer · Little, Brown

23 wks on list

The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed. But Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind. Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of the man Melanie loves--Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she's never met. As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love.--From publisher description.

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6
TSAR
Ted Bell
Cover of TSAR

TSAR

by Ted Bell · Atria

3 wks on list

Swashbuckling counter spy Alex Hawke is the only man who can stop the madness created by the new Russia and its new Tsar, who is pulling strings and pulling them hard.

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2
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
Stieg Larsson
Cover of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

by Stieg Larsson · Knopf

4 wks on list

Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared off the secluded island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger family. There was no corpse, no witnesses, no evidence. Her uncle is convinced that she was murdered by someone in her own family, the deeply dysfunctional Vanger clan. Journalist Mikael Blomkvist is hired to investigate.

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A CEDAR COVE CHRISTMAS
Debbie Macomber
Cover of A CEDAR COVE CHRISTMAS

A CEDAR COVE CHRISTMAS

by Debbie Macomber · Mira

2 wks on list

Mother-to-be Mary Jo Wyse arrives in Cedar Cove on Christmas Eve, searching for her baby's father. David Rhodes had said he'd be in town. But he isn't. Which leaves Mary Jo stranded, pregnant and alone. And there's no room at the local inn.… So Grace Harding brings Mary Jo home to her nearby ranch. She and her husband, Cliff, have a houseful of guests, but they offer her a room over their stable (currently sheltering the animals—including a donkey and a camel—for Cedar Cove's Nativity pageant!). When Mary Jo goes into labor that night, a young man named Mack McAfee, a paramedic, comes to her rescue, just as her brothers—the three Wyse men—show up in town. The people of Cedar Cove join them in celebrating the birth of baby Noel. But no one has more to celebrate than Mack. Because this Christmas brings him faith, hope and love…

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6
HOT MAHOGANY
Stuart Woods
Cover of HOT MAHOGANY

HOT MAHOGANY

by Stuart Woods · Putnam

3 wks on list

Stone Barrington is hired to protect a former intelligence agent with amnesia—and secrets worth killing for—in this heart-stopping thriller in the #1 New York Times bestselling series. Barton Cabot’s intelligence career is even more top secret than that of his brother, CIA boss Lance Cabot. But following a random act of violence, Barton is suffering from amnesia—a dangerous thing in a man whose memory is chock full of state secrets. So Lance hires Stone Barrington to watch his brother’s back. Stone soon discovers that his charge is a spy with a rather unusual hobby: building and restoring furniture. The genteel world of antiques and coin dealers seems a far cry from Stone’s usual underworld. But Barton is a man with a past, and one event in particular is coming back to haunt his present in ways he’d never expected...

15
NEW
THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY
Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Cover of THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY

THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY

by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows · Dial Press

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NOW A NETFLIX FILM • A remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German Occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name. “Treat yourself to this book, please—I can’t recommend it highly enough.”—Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love “I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb. . . . As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all. Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever. Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises and of finding connection in the most surprising ways. Praise for The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society “A jewel . . . Poignant and keenly observed, Guernsey is a small masterpiece about love, war, and the immeasurable sustenance to be found in good books and good friends.”—People “A book-lover’s delight, an implicit and sometimes explicit paean to all things literary.”—Chicago Sun-Times “A sparkling epistolary novel radiating wit, lightly worn erudition and written with great assurance and aplomb.”—The Sunday Times (London) “Cooked perfectly à point: subtle and elegant in flavour, yet emotionally satisfying to the finish.”—The Times (London)

Historical bestseller data sourced from the New York Times Book Review, archived by Hawes Publications.