With reporting from the California Independent Booksellers Alliance, Alta Journal brings you a list of the bestselling titles at independent bookstores across Northern and Southern California for the week ending January 1, 2023.

California author David Arora debuts on the list with All That the Rain Promises and More: A Hip Pocket Guide to Western Mushrooms. Arora provides useful information on more than 200 edible and poisonous fungi. Also making its first appearance is Alex Michaelides’s debut novel, The Silent Patient. Following a criminal psychotherapist and a silent protagonist, this immersive thriller offers a suspenseful start to the new year.

For a full list of titles and categories, visit the California Independent Booksellers Alliance.•

Southern California

HARDCOVER FICTION

demon copperhead, barbara kingsolver, lessons in chemistry, bonnie garmus, the passenger, cormac mccarthy, stella maris, cormac mccarthy, liberation day, george saunders
Alta
  1. Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver, Harper, $32.50
  2. Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus, Doubleday, $29
  3. The Passenger, Cormac McCarthy, Knopf, $30. Read the Alta review
  4. Stella Maris, Cormac McCarthy, Knopf, $26. Read the Alta review
  5. Liberation Day: Stories, George Saunders, Random House, $28

HARDCOVER NONFICTION

i’m glad my mom died, jennette mccurdy, the light we carry, michelle obama, a book of days, patti smith, the song of the cell, siddhartha mukherjee, crying in h mart, michelle zauner
Alta
  1. I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette McCurdy, Simon & Schuster, $27.99
  2. The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times, Michelle Obama, Crown Publishing Group, $32.50
  3. A Book of Days, Patti Smith, Random House, $28.99
  4. The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human, Siddhartha Mukherjee, Scribner, $32.50
  5. Crying in H Mart: A Memoir, Michelle Zauner, Knopf, $26.95

TRADE PAPERBACK FICTION

the song of achilles, madeline miller, the silent patient, alex michaelides, the seven husbands of evelyn hugo, taylor jenkins reid, it starts with us, colleen hoover, project hail mary, andy weir
Alta
  1. The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller, Ecco, $17.99
  2. The Silent Patient, Alex Michaelides, Celadon Books, $17.99
  3. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Washington Square Press, $17
  4. It Starts with Us, Colleen Hoover, Atria Books, $17.99
  5. Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir, Ballantine Books, $20

TRADE PAPERBACK NONFICTION

all about love, bell hooks, sapiens, yuval noah harari, the body keeps the score, bessel van der kolk, the year of magical thinking, joan didion, the four agreements, don miguel ruiz,
Alta
  1. All About Love: New Visions, bell hooks, William Morrow, $16.99
  2. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Yuval Noah Harari, Harper Perennial, $24.99
  3. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, Bessel van der Kolk, MD, Penguin Books, $19
  4. The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion, Vintage, $17
  5. The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, Don Miguel Ruiz and Janet Mills, Amber-Allen Publishing, $12.95

Northern California

HARDCOVER FICTION

demon copperhead, barbara kingsolver, lessons in chemistry, bonnie garmus, a world of curiosities, louise penny, babel, rf kuang, horse, geraldine brooks
Alta
  1. Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver, Harper, $32.50
  2. Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus, Doubleday, $29
  3. A World of Curiosities, Louise Penny, Minotaur Books, $29.99
  4. Babel, R.F. Kuang, Harper Voyager, $27.99
  5. Horse, Geraldine Brooks, Viking, $28

HARDCOVER NONFICTION

the light we carry, michelle obama, i’m glad my mom died, jennette mccurdy, an immense world, ed yong, a book of days, patti smith, atomic habits, james clear
Alta
  1. The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times, Michelle Obama, Crown Publishing Group, $32.50
  2. I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette McCurdy, Simon & Schuster, $27.99
  3. An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us, Ed Yong, Random House, $30
  4. A Book of Days, Patti Smith, Random House, $28.99
  5. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, James Clear, Avery, $27

TRADE PAPERBACK FICTION

the seven husbands of evelyn hugo, taylor jenkins reid, it ends with us, colleen hoover, the song of achilles, madeline miller, it starts with us, colleen hoover, cloud cuckoo land, anthony doerr
Alta
  1. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Washington Square Press, $17
  2. It Ends with Us, Colleen Hoover, Atria Books, $16.99
  3. The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller, Ecco, $17.99
  4. It Starts with Us, Colleen Hoover, Atria Books, $17.99
  5. Cloud Cuckoo Land, Anthony Doerr, Scribner, $20

TRADE PAPERBACK NONFICTION

all about love, bell hooks, braiding sweetgrass for young adults, robin wall kimmerer, the body keeps the score, bessel van der kolk, getting lost, annie ernaux, alison l strayer, all that the rain promises and more, david arora
Alta
  1. All About Love: New Visions, bell hooks, William Morrow, $16.99
  2. Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Milkweed Editions, $20
  3. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, Bessel van der Kolk, MD, Penguin Books, $19
  4. Getting Lost, Annie Ernaux and Alison L. Strayer (translator), Seven Stories Press, $18.95
  5. All That the Rain Promises and More: A Hip Pocket Guide to Western Mushrooms, David Arora, Ten Speed Press, $17.99

Source: California Independent Booksellers Alliance

Headshot of Elizabeth Casillas
Elizabeth Casillas

Elizabeth Casillas is an assistant editor at Alta Journal. A graduate of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, she has previously written for the Poly Post and Enspire Magazine.