TheBestseller
Observatory

Best Sellers

Hardcover Fiction

Week of August 11, 2024

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1
THE WOMEN
Kristin Hannah

THE WOMEN

by Kristin Hannah · St. Martin's

22 wks at #1 · 25 on list
2
NEW
THE BOOK OF ELSEW HERE
Keanu Reeves and China Miéville

THE BOOK OF ELSEW HERE

by Keanu Reeves and China Miéville · Del Rey

1 wks on list

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER - A mind-blowing epic from Keanu Reeves and China Mieville, unlike anything these two genre-bending pioneers have created before, inspired by the world of the BRZRKR comic books. 'An exceptionally innovative collaboration from two remarkable minds.' William Gibson, author of Neuromancer 'What an extraordinary book! China Mieville's brilliance as a writer combined with Keanu Reeves's quite magnificently wild imagination make for a compulsive read. Unlike anything else. Boom!' Stephen Fry 'Reeves and Mieville's novel turns a (literally) comic book into a meditation on what it means to be truly alive that's both affecting and enigmatic.' SFX ------------------------------- She said, We needed a tool. So I asked the gods. There have always been whispers. Legends. The warrior who cannot be killed. Who's seen a thousand civilizations rise and fall. He has had many names- Unute, Child of Lightning, Death himself. These days, he's known simply as "B." And he wants to be able to die. In the present day, a U.S. black-ops group has promised him they can help with that. And all he needs to do is help them in return. But when an all-too-mortal soldier comes back to life, the impossible event ultimately points toward a force even more mysterious than B himself. One at least as strong. And one with a plan all its own. In a collaboration that combines Mieville's singular style and creativity with Reeves's haunting and soul-stirring narrative, these two inimitable artists have created something utterly unique, sure to delight existing fans and to create scores of new ones.

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THE DUKE AND I AND THE VISCOUNT WHO LOVED ME
Julia Quinn
Cover of THE DUKE AND I AND THE VISCOUNT WHO LOVED ME

THE DUKE AND I AND THE VISCOUNT WHO LOVED ME

by Julia Quinn · Avon

1 wks on list

A stunning collectible edition containing the first two novels in #1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn's beloved Bridgerton series. This edition features: gorgeous sprayed edges intricate foil iconography ribbon bookmark beautiful endpapers See Daphne's and Anthony's story come to life on screen in Bridgerton, now a series created by Shondaland for Netflix. The Duke and I When Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings, agree to a fake courtship, they think they've found the perfect solution to their problems. Romantically associated with one of London's most desirable catches, Daphne's prospects among the ton will soar. For avowed bachelor Simon, an attachment to Daphne will deter would-be brides and their ambitious mamas. Their plan works like a charm--at first. But amid the glittering, gossipy, cut-throat world of London's elite, there is only one certainty: love ignores every rule. . . The Viscount Who Loved Me London's most elusive bachelor, Anthony Bridgerton is determined to wed. But one obstacle stands in his way--his intended's older sister, Kate Sheffield, who is driving Anthony mad with her determination to stop the betrothal. Kate is quite sure that reformed rakes do not make the best husbands, and Anthony Bridgerton is the most wicked rogue of them all. She's determined to protect her sister--even as she fears she may not be able to resist the reprehensible and oh so desirable rake herself . . .

4
FOURTH WING
Rebecca Yarros
Cover of FOURTH WING

FOURTH WING

by Rebecca Yarros · Red Tower

64 wks on list

As war grows more deadly, Violet Sorrengail joins the elite Navarre: the dragon riders. But she'll need to keep her wits because once you enter the Basgiath War College, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.

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IRON FLAME
Rebecca Yarros
Cover of IRON FLAME

IRON FLAME

by Rebecca Yarros · Red Tower

38 wks on list

"Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College--Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky. Now the real training begins, and Violet's already wondering how she'll get through. It's not just that it's grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it's designed to stretch the riders' capacity for pain beyond endurance. It's the new vice commandant, who's made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is-unless she betrays the man she loves. Although Violet's body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else's, she still has her wits--and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules. But a determination to survive won't be enough this year. Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College--and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end." --

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NEW
THE SPELLSHOP
Sarah Beth Durst
Cover of THE SPELLSHOP

THE SPELLSHOP

by Sarah Beth Durst · Bramble

2 wks on list

The Spellshop is Sarah Beth Durst’s romantasy debut–a lush cottagecore tale full of stolen spellbooks, unexpected friendships, sweet jams, and even sweeter love. Download a FREE sneak peek today! Join Kiela the librarian and her assistant, Caz the sentient spider plant, as they navigate the low stakes market of illegal spellmaking and the high risk business of starting over. “Sarah Beth Durst is the hidden gem of the fantasy world.” —Book Riot Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she hasn’t had to. She and her assistant, Caz, a magically sentient spider plant, have spent the last eleven years sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite. But when a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz save as many books as they can carry and flee to a faraway island Kiela was sure she’d never return to: her childhood home. Kiela hopes to lay low in the overgrown and rundown cottage her late parents left her and figure out a way to survive without drawing the attention of either the empire or the revolutionaries. Much to her dismay, in addition to a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor, she finds the town neglected and in a state of disrepair. The empire, for all its magic and power, has been neglecting for years the people who depend on magical intervention to maintain healthy livestock and crops. Not only that, but the very magic that should be helping them has been creating destructive storms that have taken a toll on the island. Due to her past role at the library, Kiela feels partially responsible for this, and now she’s determined to find a way to make things right: by opening the island’s first-ever secret spellshop. Her plan comes with risks—the consequence of sharing magic with commoners is death. And as Kiela comes to make a place for herself among the kind and quirky townspeople of her former home, she realizes that in order to make a life for herself, she must learn to break down the walls she has built up so high. Like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic, Sarah Beth Durst’s The Spellshop will heal your heart and feed your soul. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

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ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK
Chris Whitaker
Cover of ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK

ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK

by Chris Whitaker · Crown

5 wks on list

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of We Begin at the End comes a soaring thriller and an epic love story that “hits like a sledgehammer . . . an absolutely must-read novel” (Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl). Read with Jenna Book Club Pick as Featured on Today The Boston Globe’s #1 Thriller/Mystery of 2024 So Far A Best Book of the Year: Washington Post, She Reads, Kirkus Reviews “Kept me frantically turning the pages and somehow made me cry at the end . . . Brava!”—Kristin Hannah, author of The Women “Melds tense suspense with a powerful exploration of devotion, obsession, and love.”—People (Best New Books) 1975 is a time of change in America. The Vietnam War is ending. Muhammad Ali is fighting Joe Frazier. And in the smalltown of Monta Clare, Missouri, girls are disappearing. When the daughter of a wealthy family is targeted, the most unlikely hero emerges—Patch, a local boy, who saves the girl, and, in doing so, leaves heartache in his wake. Patch and those who love him soon discover that the line between triumph and tragedy has never been finer. And that their search for answers will lead them to truths that could mean losing one another. A missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, a unique twist on each, Chris Whitaker has written a novel about what lurks in the shadows of obsession and the blinding light of hope.

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4
ERUPTION
Michael Crichton and James Patterson
Cover of ERUPTION

ERUPTION

by Michael Crichton and James Patterson · Little, Brown

8 wks on list

As the Big Island of Hawai'i faces an eruption of unprecedented intensity, the U.S. military contends with the consequences of a long-held doomsday secret. The master of the techno-blockbuster joins forces with the master of the modern thriller. Eruption is the passion project Michael Crichton, creator of Jurassic Park, ER, Twister, and Westworld, had been pursuing for years ahead of his untimely passing in 2008. After discovering his notes and the partial manuscript, his wife, Sherri Crichton, searched for more than a decade until she found the perfect partner: James Patterson, the world’s most popular storyteller. “A seismic publishing event…It’s a thrill and the pages practically turn themselves.” —Associated Press “Red-hot storytelling…The action scenes will make readers’ eyes pop as the tension continues to build.” —Kirkus (starred review) “Fast-paced and deeply considered…A cinematic story rooted in science and infused with plenty of heart, tackling big themes like love and loss.”—Time

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THE GOD OF THE WOODS
Liz Moore
Cover of THE GOD OF THE WOODS

THE GOD OF THE WOODS

by Liz Moore · Riverhead

4 wks on list

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES’S NOTABLE BOOKS OF 2024 A NEW YORK TIMES BEST THRILLER OF 2024 A NEW YORK TIMES BEST CRIME NOVEL OF 2024 PEOPLE MAGAZINE’S #1 BOOK OF THE YEAR ONE OF NPR’S “BOOKS WE LOVE” 2024 ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’S “100 MUST-READ BOOKS OF 2024” “Extraordinary . . . Reminds me of Donna Tartt’s 1992 debut, The Secret History . . . I was so thoroughly submerged in a rich fictional world, that for hours I barely came up for air.” —Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air, NPR “This expertly paced thriller …has the kineticism of a well-crafted miniseries.” —The New Yorker When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found. As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.

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A DEATH IN CORNWALL
Daniel Silva
Cover of A DEATH IN CORNWALL

A DEATH IN CORNWALL

by Daniel Silva · Harper

3 wks on list

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES NO.1 BESTSELLER A brutal murder, a missing masterpiece, a mystery only Gabriel Allon can solve... Acclaimed internationally bestselling author Daniel Silva returns with the year’s most anticipated new thriller. 'Allon is the 21st century Bond' – DAILY MAIL

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YOU LIKE IT DARKER
Stephen King
Cover of YOU LIKE IT DARKER

YOU LIKE IT DARKER

by Stephen King · Scribner

10 wks on list

** With a bonus story for the paperback edition. ** 'You like it darker? Fine, so do I' writes Stephen King in the afterword to this magnificent new collection of stories that delve into the darker part of life - both metaphorical and literal. Each of these stories holds its own thrills, joys and mysteries; each feels iconic. In 'Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream', a brief and unprecedented psychic flash upends dozens of lives, Danny's most catastrophically. 'Rattlesnakes', a sequel to Cujo, sees a grieving widower travel to Florida for respite and instead receive an unexpected inheritance - with major strings attached. 'The Answer Man' asks if prescience is good luck or bad and reminds us that a life marked by unbearable tragedy can still be meaningful. King writes to feel 'the exhilaration of leaving ordinary day-to-day life behind' and his ability to surprise, amaze and bring us both terror and solace remains unsurpassed. You like it darker? You got it. 'As classic as King's novels are, his shorter fiction has been just as gripping over the years' USA Today 'One of the great storytellers of our time' Guardian

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CAMINO GHOSTS
John Grisham
Cover of CAMINO GHOSTS

CAMINO GHOSTS

by John Grisham · Doubleday

9 wks on list

John Grisham, autor bestseller #1 del New York Times, nos lleva de vuelta a la Isla Camino, donde el librero Bruce Cable y la novelista Mercer Mann siempre encuentran la manera de meterse en problemas en pleno paraíso. En este nuevo thriller situado en la Isla Camino, el popular librero Bruce Cable le cuenta a Mercer Mann una historia irresistible que podría convertirse en su siguiente novela. Un gigante desarrollador de hoteles de lujo usa sus influencias políticas y el grosor de sus bolsillos para reclamar la propiedad de una isla desierta entre Florida y Georgia. No queda nadie para impedírselo, más que la última habitante de la isla, Lovely Jackson. Lo que el desarrollador no sabe es que la isla tiene una historia extraordinaria y los lugareños creen que está maldita... y el pasado nunca es pasado... ENGLISH DESCRIPTION #1 New York Times bestselling author John Grisham takes you back to Camino Island where bookseller Bruce Cable and novelist Mercer Mann always manage to find trouble in paradise. In this new thriller on Camino Island, popular bookseller Bruce Cable tells Mercer Mann an irresistible tale that might be her next novel. A giant resort developer is using its political muscle and deep pockets to claim ownership of a deserted island between Florida and Georgia. Only the last living inhabitant of the island, Lovely Jackson, stands in its way. What the developer doesn't know is that the island has a remarkable history, and locals believe it is cursed...and the past is never the past...

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FUNNY STORY
Emily Henry

FUNNY STORY

by Emily Henry · Berkley

14 wks on list
15
NEW
SANDWICH
Catherine Newman
Cover of SANDWICH

SANDWICH

by Catherine Newman · Harper

Look for Wreck, the new novel by Catherine Newman—a deeply moving story of laughter and heart, about marriage, family, and what happens when life doesn’t go as planned—Coming October 2025. INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Sandwich is joy in book form. I laughed continuously, except for the parts that made me cry. Catherine Newman does a miraculous job reminding us of all the wonder there is to be found in life."—Ann Patchett, New York Times bestselling author of Tom Lake “If you like my novels, you will love love love this . . . . I stand in awe, it’s just perfect.”—Elin Hilderbrand, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Swan Song “A total delight.”—Kate Christensen From the beloved author of We All Want Impossible Things, a moving, hilarious story of a family summer vacation full of secrets, lunch, and learning to let go. For the past two decades, Rocky has looked forward to her family’s yearly escape to Cape Cod. Their humble beach-town rental has been the site of sweet memories, sunny days, great meals, and messes of all kinds: emotional, marital, and—thanks to the cottage’s ancient plumbing—septic too. This year’s vacation, with Rocky sandwiched between her half-grown kids and fully aging parents, promises to be just as delightful as summers past—except, perhaps, for Rocky’s hormonal bouts of rage and melancholy. (Hello, menopause!) Her body is changing—her life is, too. And then a chain of events sends Rocky into the past, reliving both the tenderness and sorrow of a handful of long-ago summers. It's one precious week: everything is in balance; everything is in flux. And when Rocky comes face to face with her family’s history and future, she is forced to accept that she can no longer hide her secrets from the people she loves.

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