Here is this week's regional bestseller roundup compiled from IndieBound-affiliated stores nationwide, broken down into eight specific areas. You can find the closest Indie store to you here.
Poor Ian McEwan...any other time his latest, SOLAR, likley would have been the IndieBound national No. 1 bestseller. Alas, the Brit Lit titan has to settle for No. 2 at the feet of the juggernaut that is Kathryn Stockett's THE HELP. SOLAR is McEwan's quasi-satirical look at climate change, and is being as his funniest book yet, which can't be too hard as past emotive, introspective works such as ATONEMENT, SATURDAY, ON CHESIL BEACH and AMSTERDAM were more than a little light on the laughs.
E.O. Wilson's ANTHILL, a coming-of-age story set in Alabama, rode some strong pre-release buzz (likely courtsey of Indie booksellers) and a glowing reviews from Barbara Kingsolver (in this weekend's New York Times Book Review) and Margaret Atwood into top 15 spots on both the New England Independent Booksellers Association and Southern Independent Booksellers Association lists. Wilson is an interesting fellow He's a renowned biologist and naturalist who won a Pulitzer Prize for his study of anta (THE ANTS), is a faculty member at Harvard and is one of the world's foremost entomologists (the study of insects). Now, nearing his 81st birthday, he's got a buzzoworthy novel creeping up some regional bestseller lists.
IndieBound also released its April picks, featuring the two previously mentioned titles, as well as Karl Marlantes Vietnam saga MATTERHORN and Sandra Dallas' WHITER THAN SNOW.
Here are the eight regional lists:
New England Indepedent Booksellers Association
Southern Independent Booksellers Association
Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers Association
Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association
The Heartland Independent Bestseller List
Southern California Independent Booksellers Association
Northern California Indpendent Booksellers Association
New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association
Happy Reading!
- Stephen Bedford
