Bestsellers List Sunday, May 21

By The California Independent Booksellers Alliance

May 19, 2023 6 AM PT

SoCal bestsellers

Hardcover fiction

1. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese (Grove: $32) An epic novel follows three generations of a family in southern India from 1900 through 1977.

2. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (Knopf: $28) Lifelong BFFs collaborate on a wildly successful video game.

3. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (Doubleday: $29) In the 1960s, a female chemist goes on to be a single parent, then a celebrity chef.

4. Happy Place by Emily Henry (Berkley: $27) A couple who have split up pretend to be together while on vacation with friends.

5. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Harper: $33) The story of a boy born into poverty to a teenage single mother in Appalachia.

6. The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece by Tom Hanks, R. Sikoryak (Illus.) (Knopf: $33) The actor’s multigenerational novel about comic books and Hollywood.

7. Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano (Dial: $28) A college student from a home broken by tragedy falls in love with a woman who has strong bonds with her sisters.

8. Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld (Random House: $28) A cynical TV comedy writer who has given up on love falls for a pop star in a novel from the author of “Prep” and “Eligible.”

9. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (Ecco: $30) A giant Pacific octopus bonds with a widowed worker at a Washington State aquarium and tries to help her solve the mystery of her long-missing son.

10. In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune (Tor: $29) The life of a man living peacefully in treehouses with robots is disrupted.

Hardcover nonfiction

1. The Wager by David Grann (Doubleday: $30) The story of the shipwreck of an 18th-century British warship and a mutiny among the survivors.

2. The Creative Act by Rick Rubin (Penguin: $32) The music producer’s guidance on how to be a creative person.

3. I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (Simon & Schuster: $28) A memoir from the star of TV’s “iCarly” and “Sam & Cat.”

4. Walking with Sam by Andrew McCarthy (Grand Central : $28) The author-travel writer chronicles a trek of 500 miles on Spain’s Camino de Santiago with his teenage son.

5. Don’t Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You by Lucinda Williams (Crown: $29) A memoir from the singer-songwriter.

6. Stay True by Hua Hsu (Doubleday: $26) A personal memoir from the journalist focusing on the loss of a close friend.

7. Atomic Habits by James Clear (Avery: $27) The self-help expert’s guide to building good habits and breaking bad ones via tiny changes in behavior.

8. Monsters by Claire Dederer (Knopf: $28) The author explores the dilemma of art created by those with major legal, ethical or moral issues.

9. I Swear by Katie Porter (Crown: $28) A political memoir from the Democratic member of Congress.

10. Spare by Prince Harry the Duke of Sussex (Random House: $36) A groundbreaking and controversial memoir from the British royal.