BESTSELLERS
Dec 17 – Dec 23, 2012 Edition

The Indie Bestseller List

Published Thursday, December 20, 2012 (for the sales week ended Sunday, December 16, 2012). Based on reporting from many hundreds of independent bookstores across the United States. For information on more titles, please visit , www.IndieBound.org

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Debuts for the week:
Hardcover Fiction
#10-The Twelve Tribes of Hattie, by Ayana Mathis (9780385350280)
Children’s Interest
#6-Recycled Robots, by Robert Malone (9780761154662)
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HARDCOVER FICTION
1. Flight Behavior
Barbara Kingsolver, Harper, $28.99, 9780062124265
2. The Round House
Louise Erdrich, Harper, $27.99, 9780062065247
3. Gone Girl
Gillian Flynn, Crown, $25, 9780307588364
4. The Casual Vacancy
J.K. Rowling, Little Brown, $35, 9780316228534
5. Sweet Tooth
Ian McEwan, Nan A. Talese, $26.95, 9780385536820
6. Dear Life
Alice Munro, Knopf, $26.95, 9780307596888
7. Bring Up the Bodies
Hilary Mantel, Holt, $28, 9780805090031
8. The Racketeer
John Grisham, Doubleday, $28.95, 9780385535144
9. A Thousand Mornings
Mary Oliver, Penguin Press, $24.95, 9781594204777
10. The Twelve Tribes of Hattie- Debut
Ayana Mathis, Random House, $24.95, 9780385350280
11. The Yellow Birds
Kevin Powers, Little Brown, $24.99, 9780316219365
12. The Black Box
Michael Connelly, Little Brown, $27.99, 9780316069434
13. The Art Forger
B.A. Shapiro, Algonquin, $23.95, 9781616201326
14. Winter of the World
Ken Follett, Dutton, $36, 9780525952923
15. NW
Zadie Smith, Penguin Press, $26.95, 9781594203978

HARDCOVER NONFICTION
1. Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power
Jon Meacham, Random House, $35, 9781400067664
2. Help, Thanks, Wow
Anne Lamott, Riverhead, $17.95, 9781594631290
3. Barefoot Contessa Foolproof
Ina Garten, Clarkson Potter, $35, 9780307464873
4. America Again
Stephen Colbert, Grand Central, $28.99, 9780446583978
5. Killing Kennedy
Bill O'Reilly, Martin Dugard, Holt, $28, 9780805096668
6. Behind the Beautiful Forevers
Katherine Boo, Random House, $27, 9781400067558
7. I Could Pee on This
Francesco Marciuliano, Chronicle, $12.95, 9781452110585
8. Wild
Cheryl Strayed, Knopf, $25.95, 9780307592736
9. Waging Heavy Peace
Neil Young, Blue Rider, $30, 9780399159466
10. The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
Deb Perelman, Knopf, $35, 9780307595652
11. The Signal and the Noise
Nate Silver, Penguin Press, $27.95, 9781594204111
12. Killing Lincoln
Bill O'Reilly, Martin Dugard, Holt, $28, 9780805093070
13. The Patriarch
David Nasaw, Penguin Press, $40, 9781594203763
14. The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Defender of the Realm, 1940-1965
William Manchester, Paul Reid, Little Brown, $40, 9780316547703
15. Unbroken
Laura Hillenbrand, Random House, $27, 9781400064168
ON THE RISE:
23. Underwater Dogs
Seth Casteel, Little Brown, $19.99, 9780316227704
Award-winning photographer Casteel presents a playful and energetic testament to the joy that dogs bring into our lives.

TRADE PAPERBACK FICTION
1. Life of Pi
Yann Martel, Mariner, $15.95, 9780547848419
2. The Paris Wife
Paula McLain, Ballantine, $15, 9780345521316
3. Wolf Hall
Hilary Mantel, Picador, $16, 9780312429980
4. Cloud Atlas
David Mitchell, Random House, $15, 9780812984415
5. Fifty Shades of Grey
E.L. James, Vintage, $15.95, 9780345803481
6. The Hobbit
J.R.R. Tolkien, Mariner, $13.95, 9780547928227
7. The Night Circus
Erin Morgenstern, Anchor, $15, 9780307744432
8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Stephen Chbosky, MTV Books, $14, 9781451696196
9. State of Wonder
Ann Patchett, Harper Perennial, $15.99, 9780062049810
10. The Snow Child
Eowyn Ivey, Reagan Arthur/Back Bay Books, $14.99, 9780316175661
11. The Sense of an Ending
Julian Barnes, Vintage, $14.95, 9780307947727
12. Rules of Civility
Amor Towles, Penguin, $16, 9780143121169
13. The Language of Flowers
Vanessa Diffenbaugh, Ballantine, $15, 9780345525550
14. The Art of Fielding
Chad Harbach, Back Bay, $14.99, 9780316126670
15. The Best American Short Stories 2012
Tom Perrotta, Heidi Pitlor (Eds.), Mariner, $14.95, 9780547242101

TRADE PAPERBACK NONFICTION
1. Team of Rivals
Doris Kearns Goodwin, S&S, $21, 9781451688092
2. Proof of Heaven
Eben Alexander, M.D., S&S, $15.99, 9781451695199
3. Unlikely Friendships
Jennifer S. Holland, Workman, $13.95, 9780761159131
4. The Swerve
Stephen J. Greenblatt, Norton, $16.95, 9780393343403
5. In the Garden of Beasts
Erik Larson, Broadway, $16, 9780307408853
6. The Old Farmer's Almanac 2013
Old Farmer's Almanac, $6.95, 9781571985736
7. How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You
Matthew Inman, Andrews McMeel, $14.99, 9781449410247
8. The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2013
World Almanac, $12.99, 9781600571626
9. F in Exams
Richard Benson, Chronicle, $9.95, 9780811878319
10. Bossypants
Tina Fey, Reagan Arthur Books, $15.99, 9780316056878
11. Dancers Among Us
Jordan Matter, Workman, $17.95, 9780761171706
12. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and Other Concerns)
Mindy Kaling, Three Rivers, $14, 9780307886279
13. Wreck This Journal
Keri Smith, Perigee, $13.95, 9780399533464
14. Holidays on Ice
David Sedaris, Back Bay, $10, 9780316078917
15. F for Effort!
Richard Benson, Chronicle, $9.95, 9781452113227

MASS MARKET
1. The Hobbit
J.R.R. Tolkien, Del Rey, $8.99, 9780345534835
2. A Game of Thrones
George R.R. Martin, Bantam, $8.99, 9780553593716
3. Fall of Giants
Ken Follett, Signet, $9.99, 9780451232854
4. A Feast for Crows
George R.R. Martin, Bantam, $8.99, 9780553582024
5. A Storm of Swords
George R.R. Martin, Bantam, $8.99, 9780553573428
6. Ender's Game
Orson Scott Card, Tor, $6.99, 9780812550702
7. A Clash of Kings
George R.R. Martin, Bantam, $8.99, 9780345535429
8. The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, 4th Edition
Merriam-Webster, $7.50, 9780877799290
9. V Is for Vengeance
Sue Grafton, Berkley, $7.99, 9780425250563
10. To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee, Warner, $7.99, 9780446310789

CHILDREN'S INTEREST
1. Who Could That Be at This Hour?
Lemony Snicket, Little Brown, $15.99, 9780316123082
2. The Fault in Our Stars
John Green, Dutton, $17.99, 9780525478812
3. Wonder
R.J. Palacio, Knopf, $15.99, 9780375869020
4. Lego Ninjago: Character Encyclopedia
Claire Sipi, DK Publishing, $18.99, 9780756698126
5. Star Wars Origami
Chris Alexander, Workman, $16.95, 9780761169437
6. Recycled Robots: 10 Robot Projects- Debut
Robert Malone, Workman, $24.95, 9780761154662
7. The Book Thief
Markus Zusak, Knopf, $12.99, 9780375842207
8. Son
Lois Lowry, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $17.99, 9780547887203
9. Liar & Spy
Rebecca Stead, Wendy Lamb Books, $15.99, 9780385737432
10. The Phantom Tollbooth
Norton Juster, Jules Feiffer (Illus.), Yearling, $6.99, 9780394820378
11. Looking for Alaska
John Green, Puffin, $9.99, 9780142402511
12. Charlotte's Web
E.B. White, HarperTrophy, $7.99, 9780064400558
13. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Barbara Robinson, HarperTrophy, $5.99, 9780064402750
14. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
Catherynne M. Valente, Ana Juan (Illus.), Square Fish, $6.99, 9781250010193
15. Unbored: The Essential Field Guide to Serious Fun
Elizabeth Foy Larsen, et al., Bloomsbury, $25, 9781608196418

CHILDREN'S ILLUSTRATED
1. Safari: A Photicular Book
Dan Kainen, Carol Kaufmann, Workman, $24.95, 9780761163800
2. The Polar Express
Chris Van Allsburg, Houghton Mifflin, $18.95, 9780395389492
3. Goodnight Moon
Margaret Wise Brown, Clement Hurd (Illus.), Harper, $8.99, 9780694003617
4. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Dr. Seuss, Random House, $15, 9780394800790
5. Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site
Sherri Duskey Rinker, Tom Lichtenheld (Illus.), Chronicle, $16.99, 9780811877824
6. This Moose Belongs to Me
Oliver Jeffers, Philomel, $16.99, 9780399161032
7. This Is Not My Hat
Jon Klassen, Candlewick, $15.99, 9780763655990
8. Olivia and the Fairy Princesses
Ian Falconer, Atheneum, $17.99, 9781442450271
9. I Want My Hat Back
Jon Klassen, Candlewick, $15.99, 9780763655983
10. Pete the Cat Saves Christmas
Eric Litwin, James Dean (Illus.), Harper, $17.99, 9780062110626
11. How Do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas?
Jane Yolen, Mark Teague (Illus.), Blue Sky Press, $16.99, 9780545416788
12. Where the Wild Things Are
Maurice Sendak, Harper, $17.95, 9780060254926
13. The Elf on the Shelf
Carol Abersoldt, Coe Steinwart (Illus.), CCA and B, $20, 9780976990703
14. The Christmas Quiet Book
Deborah Underwood, Renata Liwska (Illus.), Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $12.99, 9780547558639
15. Pat the Bunny
Dorothy Kunhardt, Golden, $9.99, 9780307120007

CHILDREN'S FICTION SERIES
1. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (hardcover)
Jeff Kinney, Amulet
2. Magic Tree House (hardcover and paperback)
Mary Pope Osborne, Sal Murdocca (Illus.), Random House
3. Ivy & Bean (hardcover and paperback)
Annie Barrows, Sophie Blackall (Illus.), Chronicle
4. Elephant & Piggie (hardcover and paperback)
Mo Willems, Hyperion
5. The Heroes of Olympus (hardcover and paperback)
Rick Riordan, Hyperion
6. The Hunger Games (hardcover and paperback)
Suzanne Collins, Scholastic
7. Matched (hardcover and paperback)
Ally Condie, Dutton
8. Divergent (hardcover and paperback)
Veronica Roth, Katherine Tegen Books
9. Captain Underpants (hardcover and paperback)
Dav Pilkey, Scholastic
10. Junie B. Jones (hardcover and paperback)
Barbara Park, Denise Brunkus (Illus.), Random House

OTHER INDIE FAVORITES
Hardcover
RAISED FROM THE GROUND: A Novel by Jose Saramago, Margaret Jull Costa (Trans.) (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $26, 9780151013258) “Published in Portugal in 1980 and just now appearing in English, Saramago’s third novel was worth the wait. A pivotal book in the late Nobel laureate’s development, this tale marks the debut of Saramago’s inimitable literary voice: digressive, ironic, humorous, and graceful, but impatient with ‘lyrical tosh,’ it features a narrator who speaks as ‘we’ and embraces all of humanity in a drama of good versus evil. Scathing about the abuse of the poor by the rich and powerful, Saramago’s story is nonetheless written from a deep faith in the pure-heartedness and resilience of the human spirit, showing how even the most down-trodden will eventually rise up.” — Laurie Greer, Politics and Prose Books and Coffee Shop, Washington, DC

SONG OF THE VIKINGS: Snorri and the Making of Norse Myths by Nancy Marie Brown (Palgrave Macmillan, $27, 9780230338845) “As you read about 13th century storyteller Snorri Sturluson and his writing, you will also learn about the history of the fiercely independent Icelanders and their often difficult relationships with their Scandinavian neighbors. This book is full of blood-curdling tales of family rivalries all interwoven with stories of Norse gods and other mythical creatures of the sagas. Those who have read Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings will find some names that will sound oddly familiar!”
— Dominica Borg, Norwich Bookstore, Norwich, VT

Paperback
MEMOIR OF THE SUNDAY BRUNCH by Julia Pandl (Algonquin Books, $13.95, 9781616201722) “Growing up the youngest in a family of nine can make a kid feel lost, but the alternative, moving to a far-off suburb while all the older kids stay behind, can be even worse. It’s a good thing then that the author was forced to tend to pancakes at a young age so she could further bond with her eccentric restaurateur father. Pandl shares family stories that will resonate with anyone from a large family, and some of the kitchen tales make Anthony Bourdain’s confessions seem tame. But most of all, this is the story of a woman’s bond with her father, built slowly with blocks of forced labor and family craziness, and then, when all that was swept away, rebuilt with the help of a lot of care and a bit of humor.” — Daniel Goldin, Boswell Book Company, Milwaukee, WI

For Ages 4 to 8
THE VERY HELPFUL HEDGEHOG by Rosie Wellesley (Trafalgar Square, $8.99, 9781843651987) “This book wins all the cute awards! The hedgehog in question is adorable, the dilemma of dealing with an apple stuck to his spines is hilarious, and the solution comes in an unexpected form. This is a lovely story of what it means to learn to be a friend.” — Elizabeth Anker, Alamosa Books, Albuquerque, NM