Petaluma’s Bestsellers: Obama’s unstoppable ‘Becoming,” Alderman’s shocking ‘The Power’

The top selling titles at Copperfield’s Books, in Petaluma, for the week of Jan. 20-27, 2019

Books about powerful women, real and fictional, are proving to be especially popular in Petaluma right now (at least among adult readers). On the current top 10 best-selling fiction and nonfiction books list, women are the authors of seven titles of those titles, while on the kids and young adults’ list, it’s the flip opposite, with just three of the 10 bestsellers authored by women.

Does this mean anything? Who knows?

But it’s definitely interesting.

The unstoppable memoir, “Becoming” by Michelle Obama, remains in the No. 1 spot, with John Sheehy and Scott Hess’ “On a River Winding Home” also repeating its long-held position at No. 2. In the third spot is Naomi Alderman’s stunning science fiction novel “The Power,” in which women develop the ability to emit electrical charges from their fingers, thus relegating males to the non-dominant species across the planet. Dubbed an instant classic by filmmaker “Joss Whedon” and “Electrifying!” by novelist Margaret Atwood, Alderman’s book is now out in paperback.

The rest of the list is populated by familiar titles - Mari Kondo’s “Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” (No. 4), Dave Eggers’ “The Monk of Mocha” (No. 5), Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s “In My Own Words” (No. 8) - all shifting places a bit from where they stood last week.

The late Mary Oliver, who passed away on Jan. 17, has the No. 6 spot with her 2017 poetry collection “Devotions,” a newcomer to the list. The other new title is the just-released “Women Rowing North: Navigating Life’s Currents and Flourishing as We Age,” by self-help author Mary Pipher.

Meanwhile, on the kids and young adults list, Dav Pilkey’s “Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild” has leapt back into the No. 1 spot, rising from the No. 3 position it held last week. Mac Barnett’s popular “Mac B., Kid Spy” sequel, “The Impossible Crime,” takes the No. 2 position, while Judd Winick’s “Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth” takes over No. 3.

And continuing Chief Justice Ginsberg’s popularity amongst young and old readers alike, Anna Membrino’s early-reader board book “I Look Up To ... Ruth Bader Ginsburg” returns to the list for the second week in a row, this time rising from No. 10 last week to No. 9.

FICTION &

NONFICTION

1. ‘Becoming,’ written by Michelle Obama

2. ‘On A River Winding Home,’ by John Sheehy and Scott Hess

3. ‘The Power,’ written by Naomi Alderman

4. ‘Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,’ written by Marie Kondo

5. ‘Educated,’ written by Tara Westover

6. ‘Devotions,’ written by Mary Oliver

7. ‘The Monk of Mokha,’ by Dave Eggers

8. ‘In My Own Words,’ by Ruth Bader Ginsburg 9

9. ‘Women Rowing North,’ by Mary Pipher

10. ‘Sapiens,’ written by Yuval Noah Harari

KIDS &

YOUNG ADULTS

1. ‘Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild,’ by Dav Pilkey

2. ‘Mac B., Kid Spy: Impossible Crime,’ by Mac Barnett

3. ‘Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth,’ written by Judd Winick

4. ‘Max and the Midknights,’ by Lincoln Peirce

5. ‘Storm Runner,’ by J.C. Cervantes

6. ‘Voyage of the Dogs,’ by Greg Van Eekhout

7. ‘Wings of Fire Graphic Novel: The Dragonet Prophecy,’ written by Tui Sutherland

8. ‘The Wonky Donkey,’ by Craig Smith

9. ‘I Look Up To ... Ruth Bader Ginsburg,’ by Anna Membrino

10. ‘Scythe,’ written by Neal Shusterman

(Data compiled by Amber-Rose Reed, Assistant Manager of Copperfield’s Books)