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 August 27, 2023.
This week’s spotlight lands on controversial Las Vegas sports bettor Billy Walters as his newly released autobiography, Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk, joins the bestsellers list. In this revealing account, Walters shares insights gained from years in the sports-betting industry and offers a glimpse into his upbringing in rural Kentucky. Another title, Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act: A Way of Being, also contains wisdom and advice based on a long career. The renowned music producer provides a road map for artists to help them cultivate their creativity.
For a full list of titles and categories, visit the California Independent Booksellers Alliance.
Southern California
HARDCOVER FICTION
- Tom Lake, Ann Patchett, Harper, $30
- The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, James McBride, Riverhead Books, $28
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin, Knopf, $28
- The Covenant of Water, Abraham Verghese, Grove Press, $32
- Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver, Harper, $32.50
HARDCOVER NONFICTION
- The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Rick Rubin, Penguin Press, $32
- The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder, David Grann, Doubleday, $30
- Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity, Peter Attia, MD, with Bill Gifford, Harmony, $32
- Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones, James Clear, Avery, $27
- Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk, Billy Walters, Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster, $35
TRADE PAPERBACK FICTION
- The Midnight Library, Matt Haig, Penguin Books, $18
- Trust, Hernan Diaz, Riverhead Books, $17
- Circe, Madeline Miller, Back Bay Books, $18.99
- A Court of Thorns and Roses, Sarah J. Maas, Bloomsbury Publishing, $19
- Big Swiss, Jen Beagin, Scribner, $17
TRADE PAPERBACK NONFICTION
- Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, David Grann, Vintage, $17
- American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, Vintage, $25
- All About Love: New Visions, bell hooks, William Morrow, $16.99
- Crying in H Mart: A Memoir, Michelle Zauner, Vintage, $17
- Happy-Go-Lucky, David Sedaris, Back Bay Books, $18.99
Northern California
HARDCOVER FICTION
- Tom Lake, Ann Patchett, Harper, $30
- The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, James McBride, Riverhead Books, $28
- The Covenant of Water, Abraham Verghese, Grove Press, $32
- Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver, Harper, $32.50
- Fourth Wing, Rebecca Yarros, Red Tower Books, $29.99
HARDCOVER NONFICTION
- The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Rick Rubin, Penguin Press, $32
- The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder, David Grann, Doubleday, $30
- Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity, Peter Attia, MD, with Bill Gifford, Harmony, $32
- The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession, Michael Finkel, Knopf, $28
- I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette McCurdy, Simon & Schuster, $27.99
TRADE PAPERBACK FICTION
- Trust, Hernan Diaz, Riverhead Books, $17
- The Midnight Library, Matt Haig, Penguin Books, $18
- A Court of Thorns and Roses, Sarah J. Maas, Bloomsbury Publishing, $19
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Washington Square Press, $17
- Red, White, and Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston, St. Martin’s Griffin, $16.99
TRADE PAPERBACK NONFICTION
- American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, Vintage, $25
- Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, David Grann, Vintage, $17
- Solito: A Memoir, Javier Zamora, Hogarth, $18
- Crying in H Mart: A Memoir, Michelle Zauner, Vintage, $17
- Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Milkweed Editions, $17.99
Source: California Independent Booksellers Alliance
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.
