New York Times Bestsellers – Jan. 20th

The New York Times Bestseller List
January 20, 2008

Hardcover Fiction

  1. PLUM LUCKY, by Janet Evanovich. Stephanieos mother finds a bag of cash and goes gambling in Atlantic City, pursued by the money’s owner.
  2. A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS, by Khaled Hosseini. A friendship between two women in Afghanistan against the backdrop of 30 years of war.
  3. PEOPLE OF THE BOOK, by Geraldine Brooks. A rare-book expert unlocks the secrets of a medieval manuscript.
  4. BLASPHEMY, by Douglas Preston. A C.I.A. operative tracks scientists with a huge supercollider who are poised to discover the secret of creation.
  5. WORLD WITHOUT END, by Ken Follett. Love and intrigue in Kingsbridge, the medieval English cathedral town at the center of Folletts Pillars of the Earth.

Hardcover NonfictionIn Defense of Food

  1. IN DEFENSE OF FOOD, by Michael Pollan. A manifesto urges us to Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.
  2. I AM AMERICA AND SO CAN YOU!, by Stephen Colbert, Richard Dahm, Paul Dinello, Allison Silverman et al. The wit and wisdom of the mock pundit of Comedy Central’s Colbert Report.
  3. AN INCONVENIENT BOOK, by Glenn Beck and Kevin Balfe. Beck, the conservative TV and talk-radio host, offers his solutions to problems including global warming, poverty and political correctness.
  4. MEMO TO THE PRESIDENT ELECT, by Madeleine Albright with Bill Woodward. A former secretary of state suggests how to restore America’s credibility.
  5. BORN STANDING UP, by Steve Martin. Martin, now a writer and actor, recalls his years as a standup comedian, from the early 1960s to 1981

Hardcover AdviceThe Secret

  1. THE SECRET, by Rhonda Byrne. The law of attraction as a key to getting what you want.
  2. HAPPY FOR NO REASON, by Marci Shimoff with Carol Kline. How to experience happiness no matter what’s going on in your life.
  3. YOU STAYING YOUNG, by Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet C. Oz et al. The principles of longevity and how to combat aging’s effects.
  4. BECOME A BETTER YOU, by Joel Osteen. Seven keys to living with joy.
  5. HOW NOT TO LOOK OLD, by Charla Krupp. Advice from a former beauty editor.

Children’s Picture BooksGallop

  1. GALLOP!, written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder. Animals seem to move when you flip the page. (Ages 4 to 8 )
  2. HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: ALL ACCESS, by N. B. Grace. Various illustrators. A scrapbook based on the movies. (Ages 8 and up)
  3. SMASH! CRASH!, by Jon Scieszka. Illustrated by David Shannon, Loren Long and David Gordon. A truck named Jack and a dump truck named Dan love to smash into things. (Ages 3 to 7)
  4. STAR WARS POP-UP GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, by Matthew Reinhart. A pop-up look at Luke, Leia, Lord Vader et al. (Ages 7 and up)
  5. THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, by C. S. Lewis. Pop-ups by Robert Sabuda. Three-dimensional scenes from the classic series. (Ages 7 and up)

Children’s Chapter BooksDiary of a Wimpy Kid

  1. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney. The travails of adolescence, in cartoons. (Ages 9 to 12)
  2. DARK RIVER, by Erin Hunter. Cat warriors must choose between good and evil; Book 2 of a Warriors fantasy series. (Ages 9 to 12)
  3. THE NIXIE’S SONG, by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. Fire-breathing giants are on the rampage in Florida. (Ages 9 to 12)
  4. THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN, by Sherman Alexie. Illustrated by Ellen Forney. A boy leaves his reservation for an all-white school. (Ages 12 and up)
  5. EXTRAS, by Scott Westerfeld. Determined to be popular in a world where buzz is ranked by vote, a 15-year-old girl falls in with a secretive clique; Book 4 in the “Uglies” series. (Ages 12 and up)

Children’s Paperback BooksThe Book Thief

  1. THE BOOK THIEF, by Markus Zusak. A girl saves books from Nazi book-burnings and shares them with a Jewish man. (Ages 14 and up)
  2. I’D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU, BUT THEN I’D HAVE TO KILL YOU, by Ally Carter. A girl in spy school falls for a local boy. (Ages 12 and up)
  3. THE VAMPIRE DIARIES THE FURY AND DARK REUNION, by L. J. Smith. A girl is torn between two vampire brothers. (Ages 12 and up)
  4. THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE, by Kate DiCamillo. Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline. A china rabbit learns about loss. (Ages 8 to 12)
  5. THE WATER HORSE, by Dick King-Smith. Illustrated by David Parkins. The legend of the Loch Ness monster’s origins. (Ages 9 to 12)

Children’s Series BooksThe Twilight Series

  1. THE TWILIGHT SERIES, by Stephenie Meyer. Vampires and werewolves in high school. (Ages 12 and up)
  2. HIS DARK MATERIALS, by Philip Pullman. A girl uncovers a conspiracy bridging worlds. (Ages 10 and up)
  3. THE GEMMA DOYLE TRILOGY, by Libba Bray. A student jumps from her world to a magical realm. (Ages 12 and up)
  4. HARRY POTTER, by J. K. Rowling. A boy wizard hones his skills and fights evil. (Ages 10 and up)
  5. THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES, by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. Siblings find a hidden world. (Ages 6 to 10)

Paperback Trade FictionAtonement

  1. ATONEMENT, by Ian McEwan.A chronicle of the disintegration of an English family’s idyllic life.
  2. THE KITE RUNNER, by Khaled Hosseini. An Afghan-American returns to Kabul to learn how a childhood friend has fared.
  3. THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH, by Ken Follett. Murder, arson and lust surround the building of a cathedral.
  4. WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, by Sara Gruen. A young man-and an elephant-save a Depression-era circus.
  5. THE 6TH TARGET, by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. Detective Lindsay Boxer and the Women’s Murder Club investigate the disappearance of several children in San Francisco.

Paperback Mass-Market FictionPlum Lovin

  1. PLUM LOVIN, by Janet Evanovich. A mysterious man in Stephanie Plum’s life helps her track down a matchmaker who skipped bail.
  2. THE OVERLOOK, by Michael Connelly. The Los Angeles detective Harry Bosch tangles with the F.B.I. and Homeland Security.
  3. IRON KISSED, by Patricia Briggs. When her mentor is arrested for murder, a shape-shifting auto mechanic must clear his name.
  4. BLOOD BROTHERS, by Nora Roberts. Three friends and an author in search of a story unite against an eerie terror.
  5. ATONEMENT, by Ian McEwan. A chronicle of the disintegration of an English family’s idyllic life.

Paperback Non-FictionEat, Pray, Love

  1. EAT, PRAY, LOVE, by Elizabeth Gilbert. A writer’s yearlong journey in search of self takes her to Italy, India and Indonesia.
  2. THREE CUPS OF TEA, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. A former climber builds schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
  3. THE INNOCENT MAN, by John Grisham. Grisham’s first nonfiction book concerns a man wrongly sentenced to death.
  4. INTO THE WILD, by Jon Krakauer. A man’s obsession with the wilderness ends in tragedy.
  5. THE AUDACITY OF HOPE, by Barack Obama. The Illinois senator proposes that Americans move beyond their political divisions.

Paperback AdviceSkinny Bitch

  1. SKINNY BITCH, by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. Vegan diet advice from the world of modeling.
  2. SKINNY BITCH IN THE KITCH, by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. Vegan recipes from the authors of “Skinny Bitch.”
  3. THE WORLD ALMANAC AND BOOK OF FACTS 2008, edited by C. Alan Joyce. (The latest edition of the desk reference.
  4. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING, by Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg and Sandee Hathaway. Advice for parents-to-be.
  5. RULES OF THE GAME, by Neil Strauss. How to become a pickup artist, from the author of “The Game.”

Hey you! Yes. You! I've noticed that you've stopped by to visit a few times! But I don't know who you are. Why don't you take a moment and introduce yourself. Don't be scared. I try not to bite. I know you're a lurker but I'd love to hear your thoughts about what's been bringing you here. And if you haven't done so already, don't forget to never miss a post by subscribing to my feed or receiving updates by email. Thanks for visiting!

Comment Here ↓

If you leave 2 or more links in your comment, it automatically goes into moderation which I'll approve as long as you're not self-promoting your book or site.

I love and invite your comments. I thrive on them. But by posting a comment, you agree to not post off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, or use language that is not family friendly. I have the right to remove such comments and prevent you from leaving comments in the future. That said, comment away!

Look for These Book Reviews and More in the Maw Books Archives: