The week's bestselling books, May 12
((Los Angeles Times))
Hardcover fiction
1. Table for Two by Amor Towles (Viking: $32) A collection of stories from the author of “The Lincoln Highway.”
2. The Women by Kristin Hannah (St. Martin’s Press: $30) An intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided.
3. Funny Story by Emily Henry (Berkley: $29) A pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common connect.
4. James by Percival Everett (Doubleday: $28) An action-packed reimagining of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”
5. The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl (Random House: $29) An adventure through the food, art and fashion scenes of 1980s Paris.
6. The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo (Flatiron Books: $30) A magic-infused novel set in the Spanish Golden Age.
7. North Woods by Daniel Mason (Random House: $28) A sweeping historical tale focused on a single house in the New England woods.
8. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (Ecco: $30) A giant Pacific octopus bonds with a widow at a Washington state aquarium.
9. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride (Riverhead: $28) The discovery of a skeleton in Pottstown, Pa., opens out to a story of integration and community.
10. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (Knopf: $28) Lifelong BFFs collaborate on a wildly successful video game.
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Hardcover nonfiction
1. The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson (Crown: $35) An exploration of the pivotal five months between Abraham Lincoln’s election and the start of the Civil War.
2. Somehow by Anne Lamott (Riverhead Books: $22) A joyful celebration of love from the bestselling author.
3. Knife by Salman Rushdie (Random House: $28) The renowned writer’s searing account of the 2022 attempt on his life.
4. An Unfinished Love Story by Doris Kearns Goodwin (Simon & Schuster: $35) The historian recounts the experiences she and her husband embarked upon in the last years of his life.
5. The Creative Act by Rick Rubin (Penguin: $32) The music producer’s guidance on how to be a creative person.
6. Atomic Habits by James Clear (Avery: $27) An expert guide to building good habits and breaking bad ones via tiny changes.
7. The Wager by David Grann (Doubleday: $30) The story of the shipwreck of an 18th century British warship and a mutiny among the survivors.
8. The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides (Doubleday: $35) An epic account of Capt. James Cook’s final voyage.
9. Open Wide by Benny Blanco, Jess Damuck (Dey Street Books: $35) The music producer and actor on cooking, eating and celebrating life.
10. Shakespeare by Judi Dench, Brendan O’Hea (St. Martin’s Press: $32) The legendary actor’s journey through the plays of William Shakespeare.
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Paperback fiction
1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (Bloomsbury: $19)
2. Dune by Frank Herbert (Ace: $18)
3. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (Penguin: $18)
4. Happy Place by Emily Henry (Berkley: $19)
5. Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson (Penguin: $18)
6. Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez (Forever: $18)
7. Bunny by Mona Awad (Penguin: $17)
8. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Atria: $17)
9. The Secret History by Donna Tartt (Vintage: $18)
10. Beach Read by Emily Henry (Berkley: $16)
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Paperback nonfiction
1. The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan (Knopf: $35)
2. The Eater Guide to Los Angeles (Abrams Image: $20)
3. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Milkweed Editions: $20)
4. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner (Vintage: $17)
5. Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond (Crown: $20)
6. Soul Boom by Rainn Wilson (Hachette Go: $20)
7. Cinema Speculation by Quentin Tarantino (Harper Perennial: $21)
8. Dinners With Ruth by Nina Totenberg (Simon & Schuster: $19)
9. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (TarcherPerigee: $19)
10. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (Vintage: $17)
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.