Here is a list of the most popular books sold last month at Books Inc. in the Marina:
HARDCOVER FICTION
1. Original Sins: A Novel, by Erin Young
2. Martyr!: A Novel, by Kaveh Akbar
3. Medea: A Novel, by Eilish Quin
HARDCOVER NONFICTION
1. Tripping on Utopia: Margaret Mead, the Cold War, and the Troubled Birth of Psychedelic Science, by Benjamin Breen
2. UFO: The Inside Story of the US Government’s Search for Alien Life Here ― and Out There, by Garrett Graff
3. Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments, by Joe Posnanski
PAPERBACK FICTION
1. Bride, by Ali Hazelwood
2. What Lies in the Woods: A Novel, by Kate Marshall
3. Before We Were Innocent: A Novel, by Ella Berman
PAPERBACK NONFICTION
1. Your Table is Ready: Tales of a New York City Maître D’, by Michael Cecchi-Azzolina
2. Four Thousand Weeks, by Oliver Burkeman
3. Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides, by Geoffrey Cohen
YOUNG READERS
1. I Lived Inside a Whale, by Xin Li
2. Averil Offline, by Amy Parks
3. A Drop of Venom, by Sajni Patel
NEW AND NOTABLE RELEASES
Book of Doors: A Novel, by Gareth Brown
Cassie Andrews, a mild-mannered bookseller in New York City, inherits the mysterious eponymous volume from a deceased customer. Discovering its magical ability to transport her to any place she envisions, Cassie, accompanied by her spirited roommate, Izzy, embarks on an adventure. However, as they realize the perilous potential of the book, they find themselves entangled with an enigmatic man known as the Librarian, who protects a collection of similarly magical books, and pursued by malevolent forces seeking the power of the Book of Doors and all the other volumes like it.
Curse of Pietro Houdini: A Novel, by Derek B Miller
August 1943: 14-year-old Massimo is all alone. Fleeing Rome after surviving the American bombing raid that killed his parents, he is attacked by thugs and finds himself bloodied at the base of the Montecassino. It is there in the Benedictine abbey’s shadow that a charismatic and cryptic man calling himself Pietro Houdini, the self-proclaimed “Master Artist and confidante of the Vatican,” rescues Massimo and brings him up the mountain to serve as his assistant in preserving the treasures that lay within the monastery walls. But can Massimo believe what Pietro is saying, particularly when Massimo has secrets too? Who is this extraordinary man? When it becomes evident that Montecassino will soon become the front line in the war, they execute a plan to smuggle three priceless Titian paintings to safety down the mountain. They are joined by a nurse concealing a nefarious past, a cafe owner turned murderer, a wounded but chipper German soldier, and a pair of lovers along with their injured mule, Ferrari. Together they will lie, cheat, steal, fight, kill, and sin their way through battlefields to survive, all while smuggling the Renaissance masterpieces and the bag full of ancient Greek gold they have rescued from the “safe keeping” of the Germans.
The Rabbit Hole: A Novel, by Kate Brody
Ten years ago, Theodora “Teddy” Angstrom’s older sister Angie disappeared. Her case remains unsolved. Now, on the anniversary of Angie’s disappearance, Teddy’s father Mark has killed himself. Unbeknownst to Mark’s family, he had been actively investigating conspiracy theories sourced from a Reddit community of true crime fans fixated on Angie, and Teddy soon finds herself falling down that same rabbit hole. After all, if hope dies last, Angie could still be alive. Teddy’s burgeoning investigation quickly gets her in hot water with everyone from her frustrated colleagues at the pretentious high school where she teaches English, to her middle-aged gun nut boyfriend and her long-lost half-brother.
Chris Hsiang can help you find your next book at Books Inc., 2251 Chestnut St., 415-931-3633, booksinc.net.
