Maw Books

Maw Books – book reviews, book recommendations, book lists, author interviews and more!

The New York Times Bestseller List
January 31st, 2010

Hardcover Fiction

1. THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett. A young white woman and two black maids in 1960s ­Mississippi.
2. KISSER, by Stuart Woods. Stone Barrington, the New York cop turned lawyer, pursues a case of financial fraud on the Upper East Side.
3. THE LOST SYMBOL, by Dan Brown.  Robert Langdon among the Masons.
4. THE BURNING LAND, by Bernard Cornwell.  In the fifth of the Saxon Tales, the ninth-century Saxon warrior Uhtred breaks with King Alfred, but eventually returns to help fight the Danes.
5. THE FIRST RULE, by Robert Crais.  Elvis Cole and his partner, Joe Pike, set out to clear the reputation of a former military contractor who has been murdered.

Hardcover Nonfiction

1. GAME CHANGE, by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin.  Behind the scenes at the 2008 election with Barack Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, John and Elizabeth Edwards, John McCain and Sarah Palin.
2. COMMITTED, by Elizabeth Gilbert. The author of “Eat, Pray, Love” wrestles with, and overcomes, her ambivalence about marriage.
3. STONES INTO SCHOOLS, by Greg Mortenson. Building schools, many of them for girls, in northeast Afghanistan; takes up where “Three Cups of Tea” left off.
4. HAVE A LITTLE FAITH, by Mitch Albom.  A suburban rabbi and a Detroit pastor teach lessons about the comfort of belief.
5. GOING ROGUE, by Sarah Palin.  A memoir by the former Alaska governor and vice-presidential candidate.

Paperback Trade Fiction

1. THE LOVELY BONES, by Alice Sebold. (A girl looks down from heaven as she describes the aftermath of her kidnapping and murder.
2. A RELIABLE WIFE, by Robert Goolrick.  Complications ensue when a wealthy Wisconsin widower in 1907 advertises for a wife.
3. DEAR JOHN, by Nicholas Sparks. (An unlikely romance between a soldier and an idealistic young woman is tested after 9/11.
4. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, by Stieg Larsson.  A hacker and a journalist investigate the disappearance of a Swedish heiress.
5. PUSH, by Sapphire. An abused, illiterate 16-year-old in Harlem meets a teacher who helps change her life; the basis for the film “Precious.”

Paperback Mass-Market Fiction

1. DEAR JOHN, by Nicholas Sparks.  An unlikely romance between a soldier and an idealistic young woman is tested after 9/11.
2. THE LOVELY BONES, by Alice Sebold. A girl looks down from heaven as she describes the aftermath of her kidnapping and murder.
3. THE DEVIL’S PUNCHBOWL, by Greg Iles.  The mayor of Natchez, Miss., pursues a killer who opposes his attempt to clean up riverboat gambling.
4. PLUM SPOOKY, by Janet Evanovich.  The bounty hunter Stephanie Plum hunts an evil genius and his sidekick, who are hiding in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens.
5. THE TRUTH ABOUT LORD STONEVILLE, by Sabrina Jeffries. (Pocket, $7.99.) An English rake who must wed, lest he forfeit his inheritance, is drawn to an American damsel in distress.

Paperback Non-Fiction

1. THE BLIND SIDE, by Michael Lewis.  The evolving business of football, viewed through the rise of the left tackle Michael Oher.
2. THREE CUPS OF TEA, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. A former climber builds schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
3. THE GLASS CASTLE, by Jeannette Walls. The author recalls a bizarre childhood during which she and her siblings moved constantly.
4. EAT, PRAY, LOVE, by Elizabeth Gilbert.  A writer’s yearlong journey in search of self takes her to Italy, India and Indonesia.
5. ARE YOU THERE, VODKA? IT’S ME, CHELSEA, by Chelsea Handler.  Humorous personal essays from the comedian.

Hardcover Advice

1. THE HAPPINESS PROJECT, by Gretchen Rubin.  A year spent focusing on the things that really matter.
2. MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING, VOL. 1, by Julia Child, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle.  A reissue of the book that started Julia Child’s career.faith.
3. THE MAYO CLINIC DIET, by the Mayo Clinic staff.  Adopting healthy new habits and breaking unhealthy old ones.
4. THE FULL PLATE DIET, by Stuart A. Seale, Teresa Sherard and Diana Fleming.  Keeping portions large but calories low with high-fiber eating.
5. MASTER YOUR METABOLISM, by Jillian Michaels with Mariska van Aalst.  A weight-loss plan by a trainer from “The Biggest Loser” on NBC.

Paperback Advice

1. FOOD RULES, by Michael Pollan.  A manual for healthy eating, from the author of “The Omnivore’’s Dilemma.”
2. THE BELLY FAT CURE, by Jorge Cruise.  Do-over recipes using the “Carb Swap System” steer you away from foods full of hidden sweeteners and processed carbohydrates.
3. COOK THIS, NOT THAT!, by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding. Saving calories by cooking “restaurant” offerings at home.
4. WOMEN AND MONEY, by Suze Orman. The financial guru tailors her financial advice especially for women.
5. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING, by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel.  Advice for parents-to-be.

Children’s Picture Books

1. THE LION AND THE MOUSE, by Jerry Pinkney.  A fable of reciprocal kindness, redrawn. (Ages 4 to
2. ALL THE WORLD, by Liz Garton Scanlon. Illustrated by Marla Frazee. A day in the life of a multicultural family. (Ages 4 to
3. LISTEN TO THE WIND: THE STORY OF DR. GREG AND “THREE CUPS OF TEA”, by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth.  A school grows in Pakistan. (Ages 4 to
4. BUBBLE TROUBLE, by Margaret Mahy. Illustrated by Polly Dunbar.  A baby is swept away in a megabubble blown by his sister, and rescued. (Ages 4 to
5. THE CURIOUS GARDEN, written and illustrated by Peter Brown.  A boy named Liam nurtures a straggly garden to vivid fruition. (Ages 4 to

Children’s Chapter Books

1. CATCHING FIRE, by Suzanne Collins.The protagonist of “The Hunger Games” returns. (Ages 12 and up)
2. THE HUNGER GAMES, by Suzanne Collins. In a dystopian future, a girl fights for survival on live TV. (Ages 12 and up).
3. PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS (THE ULTIMATE GUIDE), written by Mary-Jane Knight. Designed by Philip Chidlow. Gods, beasts and tips for children with one immortal parent, based on the series by Rick Riordan. (Ages 10 and up)
4. FALLEN, by Lauren Kate.  Thwarted love among misfits at a boarding school in Savannah, Ga. (Ages 12 and up)
5. WHEN YOU REACH ME, by Rebecca Stead. A sixth-grade girl in New York City begins receiving mysterious notes. (Ages 9 to 12)

Children’s Paperback Books

1. THE BOOK THIEF, by Markus Zusak. A girl saves books from Nazi burning and shares them with a Jewish man in hiding. (Ages 14 and up)
2. THIRST NO. 2: PHANTOM, EVIL THIRST, CREATURES OF FOREVER, by Christopher Pike. A girl struggles with her dreamed-of transition from undead to mortal. (Ages 14 and up)
3. L.A. CANDY, by Lauren Conrad.  Excitement in TV land by someone who has been there. (Ages 14 and up)
4. THREE CUPS OF TEA: YOUNG READERS EDITION, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. A former climber builds schools in Pakistani and Afghan villages. (Ages 9 to 12)
5. THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN, by Sherman Alexie. Illustrated by Ellen Forney.  A young boy leaves his reservation for an all-white school. (Ages 12 and up)

Children’s Series Books

1. PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS, by Rick Riordan.  Battling mythological monsters. (Ages 9 to 12)
2. THE TWILIGHT SERIES, by Stephenie Meyer. Vampires and werewolves in high school. (Ages 12 and up)
3. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney.  A boy records the hazards of adolescent life. (Ages 9 to 12)
4. HOUSE OF NIGHT, by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast. Vampires in school. (Ages 14 and up)
5. PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, by Sara Shepard. Four girls less perfect than they seem. (Ages 14 and up)

Hardcover Graphic Books

1. THE BOOK OF GENESIS: ILLUSTRATED, by R. Crumb. The legendary artist tackles the first book of the Bible.
2. BATMAN: BATTLE FOR THE COWL, by Tony Daniel. Following the “death” of Batman, the protectors and plunderers of Gotham City fight to see who will control the mantle of the bat.
3. THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ, by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young. Dorothy travels to the land of OZ, graphic novel style.
4. WOLVERINE: OLD MAN LOGAN, by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven.  In a future world where the villains are triumphant, Wolverine has left heroics behind to care for his family. If only Hawkeye and the Hulk gang would accept that.
5. BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE, by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland.  This critically acclaimed story from 1988 offers a possible origin for the Joker.

Paperback Graphic Books

1. THE WALKING DEAD, VOL. 11, by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard. The road to Washington is filled with many dangers for Rick and his band of refugees. To say anything more will ruin the story.
2. MAUS: A SURVIVOR’S TALE, VOL. 1, by Art Spiegelman. The author tells the story of his father, a Holocaust survivor, in a critically-acclaimed tale where Jewish people are mice and Germans are cats.
3. SERENITY: BETTER DAYS, by Joss Whedon and others.  Joss Whedon continues his film, “Serenity,” and the television show, “Firefly,” in comic book form.
4. THE ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE: RECORDED ATTACKS, by Max Brooks. If you want to survive a zombie attack, there may be no better way than to see how past cultures have done it.
5. WATCHMEN, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. This epic tale from 1986 signaled a new maturity in comic books.

Manga

1. FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, VOL. 22, by Hiromu Arakawa.  Two brothers harmed in a ritual that was half magic/half science seek the legendary Philosopher’s Stone to make things right. But others seek the weapon of alchemy for their own nefarious means.
2. THE YU-GI-OH! GX 4, VOL. 4, by Naoyuki Kageyama and Kazuki Takahashi.  The next generation of Yu-Gi-Oh battle it out at the Duel Academy. But what evil plans are afoot?
3. NARUTO 46, by Masashi Kishimoto.  Naruto’s friends are threatened, the mysteries of Pain deepen and Naruto must fight to protect his village.
4. VAMPIRE KNIGHT, VOL. 8, by Matsuri Hino. Cross Academy has day and evening students, but the latter have a secret: they are vampires.
5. MAXIMUM RIDE, VOL. 1, by James Patterson and NaRae Lee.  Shouldn’t having wings be fun? That’s not the case for 14-year-old Maximum Ride and her friends who are hunted by a organization called “The School.”

Source: The New York Times Best Seller List

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!