TheBestseller
Observatory

Best Sellers

Hardcover Fiction

Week of September 20, 2020

FictionNonfiction
WeekMonth
Jump to
1
NEW
ALL THE DEVILS ARE HERE
Louise Penny
Cover of ALL THE DEVILS ARE HERE

ALL THE DEVILS ARE HERE

by Louise Penny · Minotaur

1 wks at #1 · 1 on list

'She makes most of her competitors seem like wannabes' THE TIMES 'Louise Penny is one of the greatest crime writers of our times' DENISE MINA Louise Penny's much loved hero confronts a dark plot lurking beneath the elegant facades of Paris - lose yourself in the breathtaking new crime thriller by the #1 bestselling author ___________________ On their first night in Paris, the Gamaches gather for a family dinner with Armand's godfather, the billionaire Stephen Horowitz. But the evening ends in horror when Stephen is knocked down and critically injured in what Armand is convinced is no accident, but a deliberate attempt on an elderly man's life. When a strange key is found in Stephen's possession it sends Armand on a desperate search for the truth that will take him from the top of the Tour Eiffel, to the bowels of the Paris Archives. And as Armand begins to uncover the secrets his godfather has kept hidden for decades, he finds himself ensnared in a web of lies and deceit that threatens to destroy everything - and everyone - he holds dear. For even the City of Light casts long shadows. And in that darkness devils hide . . . __________________ Praise for the award-winning Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series: 'Gamache has become to Canada what Hercule Poirot is to Belgium' The New York Times 'The series is deep and grand and altogether extraordinary . . . Miraculous' Washington Post 'Fascinating characters, a twisty plot and wonderful surprise endings' Ann Cleeves 'Supremely satisfying' Observer

2
NEW
THE LYING LIFE OF ADULTS
Elena Ferrante
Cover of THE LYING LIFE OF ADULTS

THE LYING LIFE OF ADULTS

by Elena Ferrante · Europa Editions

1 wks on list

The New York Times–bestseller set in a divided Naples—now a Netflix original series—from the acclaimed author of My Brilliant Friend and The Lost Daughter. A BEST BOOK OF 2020 The Washington Post · O, The Oprah Magazine · TIME Magazine · NPR · People Magazine · The New York Times Critics · The Guardian · Electric Literature · Financial Times · Times UK · Irish Times · New York Post · Kirkus Reviews · Toronto Star · The Globe and Mail · Harper's Bazaar · Vogue UK · The Arts Desk Giovanna's pretty face is changing, turning ugly, at least so her father thinks. Giovanna, he says, looks more like her Aunt Vittoria every day. But can it be true? Is she really changing? Is she turning into her Aunt Vittoria, a woman she hardly knows but whom her mother and father clearly despise? Surely there is a mirror somewhere in which she can see herself as she truly is. Giovanna is searching for her reflection in two kindred cities that fear and detest one another: Naples of the heights, which assumes a mask of refinement, and Naples of the depths, a place of excess and vulgarity. She moves from one to the other in search of the truth, but neither city seems to offer answers or escape. "Another spellbinding coming-of-age tale from a master." — People Magazine, Top 10 Books of 2020 "The literary event of the year." — Elle "Ms. Ferrante once again, with undiminished skill and audacity, creates an emotional force field that has at its heart a young girl on the brink of womanhood." — The Wall Street Journal

3
NEW
TRANSCENDENT KINGDOM
Yaa Gyasi
Cover of TRANSCENDENT KINGDOM

TRANSCENDENT KINGDOM

by Yaa Gyasi · Knopf

1 wks on list

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2021 **From the bestselling author of Homegoing** ______________________________________________ As a child Gifty would ask her parents to tell the story of their journey from Ghana to Alabama, seeking escape in myths of heroism and romance. When her father and brother succumb to the hard reality of immigrant life in the American South, their family of four becomes two - and the life Gifty dreamed of slips away. Years later, desperate to understand the opioid addiction that destroyed her brother's life, she turns to science for answers. But when her mother comes to stay, Gifty soon learns that the roots of their tangled traumas reach farther than she ever thought. Tracing her family's story through continents and generations will take her deep into the dark heart of modern America. Transcendent Kingdom is a searing story of love, loss and redemption, and the myriad ways we try to rebuild our lives from the rubble of our collective pasts. ______________________________________________________ 'Absolutely transcendent. A gorgeously woven narrative . . . not a word or idea out of place' Roxane Gay 'A piercing story of faith, science and the opioid crisis . . . There's bravery as well as beauty here' Observer

4
2
THE VANISHING HALF
Brit Bennett
Cover of THE VANISHING HALF

THE VANISHING HALF

by Brit Bennett · Riverhead

14 wks on list

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2020 BY THE NEW YORK TIMES • THE WASHINGTON POST • NPR • PEOPLE • TIME MAGAZINE • VANITY FAIR • GLAMOUR New York Times Readers Pick: 100 Best Books of the 21st Century 2021 WOMEN'S PRIZE FINALIST “Bennett’s tone and style recalls James Baldwin and Jacqueline Woodson, but it’s especially reminiscent of Toni Morrison’s 1970 debut novel, The Bluest Eye.” —Kiley Reid, Wall Street Journal “A story of absolute, universal timelessness . . . For any era, it's an accomplished, affecting novel. For this moment, it’s piercing, subtly wending its way toward questions about who we are and who we want to be….” – Entertainment Weekly From The New York Times-bestselling author of The Mothers, a stunning new novel about twin sisters, inseparable as children, who ultimately choose to live in two very different worlds, one black and one white. The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it's not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it's everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Many years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters' storylines intersect? Weaving together multiple strands and generations of this family, from the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Brit Bennett produces a story that is at once a riveting, emotional family story and a brilliant exploration of the American history of passing. Looking well beyond issues of race, The Vanishing Half considers the lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person's decisions, desires, and expectations, and explores some of the multiple reasons and realms in which people sometimes feel pulled to live as something other than their origins. As with her New York Times-bestselling debut The Mothers, Brit Bennett offers an engrossing page-turner about family and relationships that is immersive and provocative, compassionate and wise.

5
NEW
THE HARBINGER II
Jonathan Cahn
Cover of THE HARBINGER II

THE HARBINGER II

by Jonathan Cahn · FrontLine

1 wks on list

New York Times Best Seller for Over 100 Weeks Consecutively and Over 2 Million Copies Sold! Amazon.com's top 100 best-seller list for more than six months​ Over 79 weeks on USA Today's Top 150 Best-Selling Books 7000 5-Star Reviews! From the author that brought you The Book of Mysteries, The Mystery of the Shemitah, and The Paradigm "Jonathan Cahn has come up with an understanding of a pattern in the Scripture for God's judgment on ancient Israel being played out in the United States of America now. The Harbinger is the best explanation I've come across to understand the mystery of what's behind 9/11, the war in Iraq, the crash of Wall Street, and much more. This end-time revelation puts him in a new category!" —Sid Roth | Author and host of It's Supernatural and Messianic Vision "The Harbinger is the most precise scriptural revelation of God's passion for America. We must heed the warnings and turn back to the Christ who once greatly blessed America!" —David Tyree | Former New York Giants wide receiver Is it possible... That there exists an ancient mystery that holds the secret of America's future? That this mystery lies behind everything from 9/11 to the collapse of the global economy? That ancient harbingers of judgment are now manifesting in America? That God is sending America a prophetic message of what is yet to come? Before its end as a nation, there appeared in ancient Israel nine specific warnings and omens of national destruction – These same nine Harbingers are now manifesting in America with profound ramifications for America's future and end-time prophecy. Hidden in an ancient biblical prophecy from Isaiah, the mysteries revealed in The Harbinger are so precise that they foretell recent American events down to the exact days... the 3,000-year-old mystery that revealed the exact date of the stock market collapse of 2008... the ancient prophecy that was proclaimed from the floor of the US Senate and then came true...and more. The revelations are so specific that even the most hardened skeptic will find it hard to put down. Though it sounds like the plot of a Hollywood thriller – IT'S REAL. The prophetic mysteries are factual but revealed through a riveting narrative the reader will find hard to put down. The Harbinger opens with the appearance of a man burdened with a message he has received from a mysterious figure called The Prophet. The Prophet has given him nine seals, each containing a message about America s future. As he tells of his encounters with the Prophet, from a skyscraper in New York City, to a rural mountaintop, to Capitol Hill, to Ground Zero, the mystery behind each seal is revealed. As the story unfolds, each revelation becomes another piece in a larger and larger puzzle, the ramifications of which are, even now, altering the course of America and the world.

6
5
WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING
Delia Owens
Cover of WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING

by Delia Owens · Putnam

105 wks on list

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE—The #1 New York Times bestselling worldwide sensation with more than 18 million copies sold, hailed by The New York Times Book Review as “a painfully beautiful first novel that is at once a murder mystery, a coming-of-age narrative and a celebration of nature.” New York Times Readers Pick: 100 Best Books of the 21st Century For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life—until the unthinkable happens. Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

7
3
SQUEEZE ME
Carl Hiaasen
Cover of SQUEEZE ME

SQUEEZE ME

by Carl Hiaasen · Knopf

2 wks on list

A prominent high-society matron--who happens to be a fierce supporter of the President--has gone missing at a swank gala. When the wealthy dowager, Kiki Pew Fitzsimmons, is later found dead in a concrete grave, panic and chaos erupt. The President immediately declares that Kiki Pew was the victim of rampaging immigrant hordes. This, as it turns out, is far from the truth. Meanwhile a bizarre discovery in the middle of the road brings the First Lady's motorcade to a grinding halt.

9
NEW
THRAWN ASCENDANCY: CHAOS RISING
Timothy Zahn
Cover of THRAWN ASCENDANCY: CHAOS RISING

THRAWN ASCENDANCY: CHAOS RISING

by Timothy Zahn · Del Rey

1 wks on list

The first book in a new trilogy set before Thrawn traveled to the Empire and became a Grand Admiral. Journey to the Unknown Regions and learn more about Thrawn's origins and his home: The Chiss Ascendancy.

10
7
THICK AS THIEVES
Sandra Brown
Cover of THICK AS THIEVES

THICK AS THIEVES

by Sandra Brown · Grand Central

2 wks on list

THE 80 MILLION COPY BESTSELLER AUTHOR Twenty years ago, four men attempted to pull off the ultimate heist, almost walking away with half a million dollars. By daybreak, their plan had been shot to hell. One was in hospital. One was in jail. One was dead. And one got away with it. Arden Maxwell is the daughter of the man who disappeared all those years ago, presumedly with the money in his pocket and blood on his hands. After years of running from her past, she is returning to her family home in Caddo Lake, Texas. Little does she know, two of her father's co-conspirators are still there. And they are watching her every move. With Arden's arrival, the two old accomplices are set on red alert. One of these three knows more about the money, the murder and the betrayal than they are letting on. The truth rarely stays buried forever, and many would kill to uncover it. Thick as Thieves is a gripping novel of danger, vengeance, desire and greed, for fans of Melinda Leigh, Lisa Gardner, Karen Rose and Lisa Jackson.

11
6
ROYAL
Danielle Steel
Cover of ROYAL

ROYAL

by Danielle Steel · Delacorte Press

3 wks on list

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In this spellbinding tale from Danielle Steel, a princess is sent away to safety during World War II, where she falls in love, and is lost forever. As the war rages on in the summer of 1943, causing massive destruction and widespread fear, the King and Queen choose to quietly send their youngest daughter, Princess Charlotte, to live with a trusted noble family in the country. Despite her fiery, headstrong nature, the princess’s fragile health poses far too great a risk for her to remain in war-torn London. Third in line for the throne, seventeen year-old Charlotte reluctantly uses an alias upon her arrival in Yorkshire, her two guardians the only keepers of her true identity. In time, she settles comfortably into a life out of the spotlight, befriending a young evacuee and training with her cherished horse. But no one predicts that in the coming months she will fall deeply in love with her protectors’ son. She longs for a normal life. Far from her parents, a tragic turn of events leaves an infant orphaned. Alone in the world, that child will be raised in the most humble circumstances by a modest stable manager and his wife. No one, not even she, knows of her lineage. But when a stack of hidden letters comes to light, a secret kept for nearly two decades finally surfaces, and a long lost princess emerges. A fascinating story of family and royalty, and an unforgettable portrait of an extraordinary young woman and the man who brings her home, Royal is an exhilarating work from America’s most beloved storyteller.

12
5
AMERICAN DIRT
Jeanine Cummins
Cover of AMERICAN DIRT

AMERICAN DIRT

by Jeanine Cummins · Flatiron

33 wks on list

Download a free excerpt from Jeanine Cummins's American Dirt! También de este lado hay sueños. On this side too, there are dreams. Already being hailed as "a Grapes of Wrath for our times" and "a new American classic", American Dirt is a rare exploration into the inner hearts of people willing to sacrifice everything for a glimmer of hope. If it’s only a better life you seek, seek it elsewhere...This path is only for people who have no choice, no other option, only violence and misery behind you. And your journey will grow even more treacherous from here. Everything is working against you. —American Dirt Lydia Quixano Perez lives in the Mexican city of Acapulco. She runs a bookstore. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. And while there are cracks beginning to show in Acapulco because of the drug cartels, her life is, by and large, fairly comfortable. Even though she knows they’ll never sell, Lydia stocks some of her all-time favorite books in her store. And then one day a man enters the shop to browse and comes up to the register with four books he would like to buy—two of them her favorites. Javier is erudite. He is charming. And, unbeknownst to Lydia, he is the jefe of the newest drug cartel that has gruesomely taken over the city. When Lydia’s husband’s tell-all profile of Javier is published, none of their lives will ever be the same. Forced to flee, Lydia and eight-year-old Luca soon find themselves miles and worlds away from their comfortable middle-class existence. Instantly transformed into migrants, Lydia and Luca ride la bestia—trains that make their way north toward the United States, which is the only place Javier’s reach doesn’t extend. As they join the countless people trying to reach el norte, Lydia soon sees that everyone is running from something. But what exactly are they running to? American Dirt will leave readers utterly changed when they finish reading it. It is a page-turner, it is a literary achievement, it is filled with poignancy, drama, and humanity on every page. It is one of the most important books for our times.

13
NEW
THE LAST STORY OF MINA LEE
Nancy Jooyoun Kim
Cover of THE LAST STORY OF MINA LEE

THE LAST STORY OF MINA LEE

by Nancy Jooyoun Kim · Park Row

1 wks on list

A REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Riveting and unconventional, The Last Story of Mina Lee traces the far-reaching consequences of secrets in the lives of a Korean immigrant mother and her daughter Margot Lee's mother is ignoring her calls. Margot can’t understand why, until she makes a surprise trip home to Koreatown, LA, and finds that her mother has suspiciously died. Determined to discover the truth, Margot unravels her single mother’s past as a Korean War orphan and an undocumented immigrant, only to realize how little she truly knew about her mother, Mina. Thirty years earlier, Mina Lee steps off a plane to take a chance on a new life in America. Stacking shelves at a Korean grocery store, the last thing she expects is to fall in love. But that moment leads to repercussions for Mina that echo through the decades, leading up to the truth of what happened the night of her death. Told through the intimate lens of a mother and daughter who have struggled all their lives to understand each other, The Last Story of Mina Lee is a powerful and exquisitely woven debut novel that explores identity, family, secrets, and what it truly means to belong. “Painful, joyous... A story that cries out to be told.” —Los Angeles Times “Kim is a brilliant new voice in American fiction.” —Alexander Chee, author of How to Write an Autobiographical Novel “Suspenseful and deeply felt.” —Chloe Benjamin, author of The Immortalists

14
2
MEXICAN GOTHIC
Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Cover of MEXICAN GOTHIC

MEXICAN GOTHIC

by Silvia Moreno-Garcia · Del Rey

9 wks on list

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “It’s Lovecraft meets the Brontës in Latin America, and after a slow-burn start Mexican Gothic gets seriously weird.”—The Guardian ONE OF TIME’S 100 BEST MYSTERY AND THRILLER BOOKS OF ALL TIME • WINNER OF THE LOCUS AWARD • NOMINATED FOR THE BRAM STOKER AWARD ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, NPR, The Washington Post, Tordotcom, Marie Claire, Vox, Mashable, Men’s Health, Library Journal, Book Riot, LibraryReads An isolated mansion. A chillingly charismatic aristocrat. And a brave socialite drawn to expose their treacherous secrets. . . . From the author of Gods of Jade and Shadow comes “a terrifying twist on classic gothic horror” (Kirkus Reviews) set in glamorous 1950s Mexico. After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region. Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom. Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness. And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind. “It’s as if a supernatural power compels us to turn the pages of the gripping Mexican Gothic.”—The Washington Post “Mexican Gothic is the perfect summer horror read, and marks Moreno-Garcia with her hypnotic and engaging prose as one of the genre’s most exciting talents.”—Nerdist “A period thriller as rich in suspense as it is in lush ’50s atmosphere.”—Entertainment Weekly

15
NEW
DARK SONG
Christine Feehan
Cover of DARK SONG

DARK SONG

by Christine Feehan · Berkley

Two Carpathians find hope in the bond that ties their souls in this passionate novel in Christine Feehan’s #1 New York Times bestselling series. Stolen from her home at a young age and tormented for centuries, Elisabeta Trigovise is scared to show herself to anyone. Even though she has been rescued and is now safe within the Carpathian compound, she has lived in fear for so long she has no idea how to survive without it. She wants to answer the siren call of her lifemate—but the very thought terrifies her. Before he found Elisabeta, Ferro Arany was an ancient warrior without emotion. Now that his senses have come alive, he knows it will take more than kind words and soft touches to convince the fractured woman that they are partners, not master and prisoner. For now, he will give her his strength until she finds hers, allowing the steady rhythm of his heart to soothe Elisabeta's fragile soul. But even as she learns to stand on her own, the vampire who kept her captive is desperate to claim her again, threatening the song Elisabeta and Ferro are writing together.

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