On Wednesdays, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Bestseller List is published. Every week, we love to see what books have been most popular in independent bookstores around our region. As we peruse the list, we ponder patterns. Then we present this weekly feature: Thursday Themes.
Would you consider yourself an optimistic or pessimistic reader? Do you read to prepare yourself or to escape? Maybe both?
This time five years ago, most of our bookstores were figuring out how to sell books remotely. We switched our Independent Bookstore Day plans to 100% virtual.
No matter what else is happening, at this time of year, the days are longer. In Seattle, the sun doesn’t set until after 8:00, which means there’s more natural reading light every day. But it looks like our readers are stocking up on some books that demonstrate, through fiction or nonfiction, how to get through dark days. This week, we’re focusing on books on the list with the asterisk, which means they are bestsellers in our region but not nationally. Here are some books about facing tough things and getting through them.
Tilt Emma Pattee (#4 Hardcover fiction)
Dungeon Crawler Carl Matt Dinniman (#6 Hardcover fiction)
How We Learn to Be Brave Mariann Edgar Budde (#15 Hardcover nonfiction)
Never Whistle at Night Shane Hawk (Ed.), Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. (Ed.) (#14 Paperback fiction)
Annihilation Jeff VanderMeer (#15 Paperback fiction)
On Tyranny Timothy Snyder (#1 Paperback nonfiction)
How Fascism Works Jason Stanley (#13 Paperback nonfiction)
