TheBestseller
Observatory

Best Sellers

Hardcover Fiction

Week of September 22, 2024

FictionNonfiction
WeekMonth
Jump to
1
NEW
THE GAMES GODS PLAY
Abigail Owen
Cover of THE GAMES GODS PLAY

THE GAMES GODS PLAY

by Abigail Owen · Red Tower

1 wks at #1 · 1 on list

There's none so ruthless as a dragon king... Ladon Ormarr has earned every bit of his grim reputation. The Blood King. Icy, calculated, and unrelenting. But he's had no choice. The survival of the Blue Dragon Clan depends on him being an uncompromising leader with the blood of countless enemies on his hands. Especially when every other clan, king, and dragon shifter is gunning for him. Enemies above, below, and always at his back. If Ladon wants to keep his throne and protect his people, he needs something more. An edge. A weapon. A miracle. He needs Skylar Amon. Her existence is a beacon to those dragons who are ravenous for power. But the cunning little firebrand doesn't trust anyone, especially dragons - let alone a dragon king. Yet ruthlessness runs cold through his blood, and with his people - his clan - depending on him for survival, he will do whatever it takes. Even if it means putting his life and soul in the hands of a woman who could kill any dragon who tries to claim her... The author of The Games Gods Play brings you Book 2 of the Inferno Rising series.

3
NEW
THE CURSED
Harper L. Woods
Cover of THE CURSED

THE CURSED

by Harper L. Woods · Bramble

1 wks on list

From Harper L. Woods, comes The Cursed, the next chapter in her Coven of Bones series--a pulse-pounding romantasy where The Magicians meets Gothikana. Betrayal. He was the deception waiting in the night; the truth I never saw coming. After a lifetime of manipulation, I finally learned the truth. I was his puppet—even if I never saw my strings. Even knowing how deep his betrayal runs, I can’t shake the undeniable connection between Gray and I—the way a single glance from him sets my soul on fire. We are not the same. We're enemies, poised to battle for the future of the very thing I’d wanted to destroy. With the Covenant gone, the revenge I thought I wanted is no longer my priority. The witches that remain played no role in my aunt’s death, and the only person standing in the way of righting those wrongs is the very man determined to keep me in his bed. But the remaining members of the Coven will never forgive me for the role I played in their demise and subjugation, and the worst part of all is that I can’t even blame them for it. I’d been naive, believing my own delusions of grandeur when destiny clearly had other plans for me. Plans that had been set in motion centuries before my birth. But even that had been a lie, and now it is my duty to do everything in my power to undo it. To protect my Coven from my husband’s hatred—no matter what the cost. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

4
NEW
PASSIONS IN DEATH
J.D. Robb
Cover of PASSIONS IN DEATH

PASSIONS IN DEATH

by J.D. Robb · St. Martin's

1 wks on list

Homicide Detective Eve Dallas hunts a killer who turns a wedding party into a murder scene in the next novel by the #1 New York Times bestselling author, J.D. Robb, Passions in Death. On a hot August night, Lt. Eve Dallas and her husband, Roarke, speed through the streets of Manhattan to the Down and Dirty club, where a joyful, boisterous pre-wedding girls’ night out has turned into a murder scene. One of the brides lies in a pool of blood, garroted in a private room where she was preparing a surprise for her fiancée—two scrimped and saved-for tickets to Hawaii. Despite the dozens of people present, useful witnesses are hard to come by. It all brings back some bad memories for Eve who once suffered an assault in the very same room—but she’d been able to fight back and survive. She’d gotten justice. And now she needs to provide some for poor young Erin. Eve knows that the level of violence and the apparent premeditation involved suggest a volatile mix of hidden, heated passion and ice-cold calculation. This is a crime that can be countered only by hard detective work and relentless dedication—and Eve will not stop until she finds the killer who destroyed this couple’s dreams before the honeymoon even began...

5
4
THE WOMEN
Kristin Hannah
6
NEW
THE LIFE IMPOSSIBLE
Matt Haig
Cover of THE LIFE IMPOSSIBLE

THE LIFE IMPOSSIBLE

by Matt Haig · Viking Press

1 wks on list

"The remarkable next novel from Matt Haig, the author of #1 New York Times bestseller The Midnight Library, with more than nine million copies sold worldwide "What looks like magic is simply a part of life we don't understand yet..." When retired math teacher Grace Winters is left a run-down house on a Mediterranean island by a long-lost friend, curiosity gets the better of her. She arrives in Ibiza with a one-way ticket, no guidebook and no plan. Among the rugged hills and golden beaches of the island, Grace searches for answers about her friend's life, and how it ended. What she uncovers is stranger than she could have dreamed. But to dive into this impossible truth, Grace must first come to terms with her past. Filled with wonder and wild adventure, this is a story of hope and the life-changing power of a new beginning"--

7
5
BY ANY OTHER NAME
Jodi Picoult
Cover of BY ANY OTHER NAME

BY ANY OTHER NAME

by Jodi Picoult · Ballantine

3 wks on list

The Number 1 New York Times bestseller from the author of My Sister’s Keeper and Mad Honey 'Her best one yet’ JOJO MOYES 'A timeless classic’ CHRIS WHITAKER -- Student playwright Melina Green finds that even in New York, her words will struggle to make the stage, when the power is held by men. Inspired by the life of her ancestor Emilia Bassano, a gifted and witty storyteller herself, Melina takes a lesson from history, and submits a play under a male pseudonym . . . As Melina discovers more of Emilia’s extraordinary life in Elizabethan England, she is determined to right the wrongs of the past – and finally tell her story. Two women – centuries apart – are both forced to hide behind another name. But can either make their voices heard? -- 'A likeable heroine and a fun, readable evocation of Elizabethan court life and theatre' The Times 'Stunning. So interesting, clever, educational and moving. One of the best books I've read in recent times' GILLIAN McALLISTER '[An] inspiring work of feminist literature' ELLE 'Had me absolutely captivated . . . I loved all the questions this novel raised about who gets to tell which stories and how complex that can become. Jodi Picoult is a genius' JENNIFER SAINT 'Timely and affecting . . . Picoult’s many, many fans will pounce on her latest incisive, pot-stirring tale' BOOKLIST, Starred 'You’ll fall in love with Emilia Bassano, the unforgettable heroine based on a real woman that Picoult brings vividly to life. Book clubs will embrace this rich, inspiring story' KRISTIN HANNAH 'A blend of historical fiction and modern-day settings, the novel gives us timelines that intertwine and surprise. Picoult has done her research' HARPER'S BAZAAR 'Picoult creates a richly detailed portrait of daily life in Elizabethan England, from sumptuous castles to seedy hovels. . . A vibrant tale of a remarkable woman' KIRKUS Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestseller, April 2023 Jodi Picoult's books have sold 40 million copies worldwide, BBC May 2024 Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestseller, September 2024

9
4
IRON FLAME
Rebecca Yarros
Cover of IRON FLAME

IRON FLAME

by Rebecca Yarros · Red Tower

44 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." --

10
NEW
CREATION LAKE
Rachel Kushner
Cover of CREATION LAKE

CREATION LAKE

by Rachel Kushner · Scribner

1 wks on list

*SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 BOOKER PRIZE* *LONGLISTED FOR THE 2024 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD* *LONGLISTED FOR THE 2025 PEN FAULKNER AWARD FOR FICTION* *AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER* *NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2024 BY THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE ATLANTIC, VULTURE, VOGUE, THE WASHINGTON POST, KIRKUS REVIEWS, NPR, THE ECONOMIST, THE CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY, VOX, and more* From Rachel Kushner, two-time finalist for both the Booker Prize and National Book Award, a “vital” (The Washington Post) and “wickedly entertaining” (The Guardian) novel about a seductive and cunning American woman who infiltrates an anarchist collective in France—a propulsive page-turner filled with dark humor. Creation Lake is a novel about a secret agent, a thirty-four-year-old American woman of ruthless tactics and clean beauty who is sent to do dirty work in France. “Sadie Smith” is how the narrator introduces herself to the rural commune of French subversives on whom she is keeping tabs, and to her lover, Lucien, a young and well-born Parisian she has met by “cold bump”—making him believe the encounter was accidental. Like everyone she targets, Lucien is useful to her and used by her. Sadie operates by strategy and dissimulation, based on what her “contacts”—shadowy figures in business and government—instruct. First, these contacts want her to incite provocation. Then they want more. In this region of old farms and prehistoric caves, Sadie becomes entranced by a mysterious figure named Bruno Lacombe, a mentor to the young activists who believes that the path to emancipation is not revolt but a return to the ancient past. Just as Sadie is certain she’s the seductress and puppet master of those she surveils, Bruno is seducing her with his ingenious counter-histories, his artful laments, his own tragic story. Written in short, vaulting sections, Rachel Kushner’s rendition of “noir” is taut and dazzling. Creation Lake is Kushner’s finest achievement yet—a work of high art, high comedy, and unforgettable pleasure.

11
7
FOURTH WING
Rebecca Yarros
Cover of FOURTH WING

FOURTH WING

by Rebecca Yarros · Red Tower

70 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.

12
9
THE GOD OF THE WOODS
Liz Moore
Cover of THE GOD OF THE WOODS

THE GOD OF THE WOODS

by Liz Moore · Riverhead

10 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.

13
6
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

11 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.

14
NEW
CLIVE CUSSLER: GHOST SOLDIER
Mike Maden
Cover of CLIVE CUSSLER: GHOST SOLDIER

CLIVE CUSSLER: GHOST SOLDIER

by Mike Maden · Putnam

1 wks on list

JUAN CABRILLO AND THE OREGON CREW HAVE FINALLY MET THEIR MATCH IN THIS EXPLOSIVE THRILL-RIDE FROM THE GRAND MASTER OF ADVENTURE, CLIVE CUSSLER A deadly war game. An adversary as hard to find as he is to kill. Weapons so sophisticated, none have seen the like before. ‘The Adventure King’ Sunday Express ‘Cussler is hard to beat’ Daily Mail ‘Just about the best in the business’ New York Post ---- When African jihadis attack a Nigerian regiment using American weapons, Cabrillo and the Oregon crew are on the case, investigating from Afghanistan to Kuala Lumpur to track a mysterious arms dealer – a genius, or perhaps a devil – known only as the Vendor. Cabrillo goes undercover to find the Vendor’s base, but his adversary isn’t just an arms smuggler. He’s an arms maker, and Cabrillo just walked into a lethal military game alongside the most dangerous mercenaries in the world, designed to test the Vendor’s cutting-edge AI arsenal. And yet, surviving an arena full of flame-throwing robots isn’t even his biggest problem. The Vendor has an army of high-speed drones headed for a pivotal military site, and if the Oregon crew can’t stop them from releasing a deadly neurotoxin, the entire globe will erupt in conflict.

15
NEW
THE WEDDING PEOPLE
Alison Espach
Cover of THE WEDDING PEOPLE

THE WEDDING PEOPLE

by Alison Espach · Holt

The runaway New York Times bestselling Today Show Read With Jenna Book Club Pick, with more than 1.5 million copies sold, about an unexpected wedding guest and the surprising people who help her start anew. Named a Best Book of the Year by The Guardian, Time, Chicago Tribune, Elle, Real Simple, and Glamour It’s a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She’s immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t here for the big event. Phoebe is here because she’s dreamed of coming for years—she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she’s here without him, at rock bottom, and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe and Phoebe's plan—which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can’t stop confiding in each other. In turns absurdly funny and devastatingly tender, Alison Espach’s The Wedding People is ultimately an incredibly nuanced and resonant look at the winding paths we can take to places we never imagined—and the chance encounters it sometimes takes to reroute us.

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