Here is a list of the most popular books sold last month at Books Inc. in the Marina:
HARDCOVER FICTION
1. Intermezzo, by Sally Rooney
2. Tell Me Everything, by Eizabeth Strout
3. The God of the Woods, by Author
HARDCOVER NON-FICTION
1. Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir, by Ina Garten
2. War, by Bob Woodward
3. Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI, by Yuval Noah Harari
PAPERBACK FICTION
1. Cinema Speculation, by Quentin Tarantino
2. The Courage to be Disliked: The Japanese Phenomenon That Shows You How to Change Your Life and Achieve Real Happiness, by Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga
3. The Well-Lived Life: A 103-Year-Old Doctor’s Six Secrets to Health and Happiness at Every Age, by Gladys McGarey
PAPERBACK NON-FICTION
1. The Teller of Small Fortunes, by Julie Leong
2. The Vegetarian, by Han Kang
3. The Golden Gate, by Amy Chua
YOUNG READERS
Young Adult: Nothing Like the Movies, by Lynn Painter
Picture Book: Golden Gate: Building the Mighty Bridge, by Elizabeth Partridge & Ellen Heck
Kid Graphic Novel: Hot Mess: Diary of a Wimpy Kid #19, by Jeff Kinney
NEW AND NOTABLE RELEASES
Gabriel’s Moon, by William Boyd
From the internationally bestselling author twice recognized by the Booker Prize, William Boyd’s most exhilarating novel yet travels from the vibrant streets of sixties London to the sun-soaked cobbles of Cadiz and the frosty squares of Warsaw, as a reluctant spy is drawn into the shadows of espionage and obsession. Gabriel Dax is a young man haunted by the memories of a fire that took his mother’s life. Every night, when sleep finally comes, he dreams about his childhood home in flames. His days are spent on the move as an acclaimed travel writer, capturing the changing landscapes of Europe in the grip of the Cold War. When he is offered the chance to interview Patrice Lumumba, newly elected president of the People’s Republic of the Congo, he finds himself drawn into a web of duplicities and betrayals. Falling under the spell of Faith Green, an enigmatic and ruthlessly efficient M16 handler, he becomes “her spy,” unable to resist her demands. But amid the peril, paranoia, and passion consuming Gabriel’s new covert life, there will also be revelations closer to home that may change his own story, and the fates of those around him.
Sister Snake, by Amanda Lee Koe
In this cosmopolitan, thrilling tale, with roots in imperial times, Koe fearlessly explores what happens when societal pressures force us to confront our true selves, shedding the skin that both protects and wounds. Inspired by an ancient Chinese legend, Koe’s second novel follows two sworn sisters as they develop increasingly different lives and values while remaining bonded by their history as snakes who transformed to humans centuries ago. In contemporary Singapore, where the novel is predominately set, one of the sister’s marriages to an up-and-coming politician showcases the fashionable, luxurious lifestyle of the privileged class and exposes their discriminatory treatment of queerness, particularly transgender people. Reminiscent of Crazy Rich Asians but with the glamor wrapped in dark fantasy, Sister Snake is also a deeply feminist story exploring body autonomy and reproductive rights. In doing so, it does not shy away from violent scenes, presenting powerful themes of vengeance, loyalty, and self-determination. This riveting, fast-paced novel, with its seamless balance of fantasy and realism, explores contemporary issues through an otherworldly lens.
Cabin: Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman, by Patrick Hutchinson
Henry David Thoreau meets Home Improvement in Hutchison’s charming debut. Dissatisfied with his job as a copy editor in 2010s Seattle and wondering if he might be missing out on a more meaningful life, Hutchison plunked down $7,500 for a decrepit cabin in the Cascade Mountains. Though he’d never touched a power tool in his life, Hutchison and a group of friends set out to restore the building, the last house on a dirt road fittingly named Wit’s End Place. Through a sometimes bumpy series of home repairs — fixing the roof, building a gravel driveway, constructing stairs to the cabin’s loft (“To the average person, the stairs were at most a rustic amalgamation of standard lumber, suitable for a tree house or a chicken coop… they fit. They worked”) — Hutchison discovered a surprise knack for handiwork. Now a carpenter, he chalks up the career change to the six years he and his cohorts worked on the cabin; readers who are similarly curious about the capabilities of a scroll saw will be invigorated by Hutchison’s account. With endearing directness and an infectious can-do spirit, this makes for a sturdy ode to self-discovery.
Chris Hsiang can help you find your next book at Books Inc., 2251 Chestnut St., 415-931-3633, booksinc.net.
