By THE NEW YORK TIMES COMPANY
These are the hardcover bestsellers for the week ending Jan. 30, as listed by The New York Times.
FICTION
1. “THE RUSSIAN” by James Patterson and James O. Born (Little, Brown).
This is the 13th book in the Michael Bennett series. An assassin killing a number of women might disrupt the detective’s wedding plans.
2. “THE VANISHING HALF” by Brit Bennett (Riverhead).
The lives of twin sisters who run away from a Southern black community at age 16 diverge as one returns and the other takes on a different racial identity. But their fates intertwine.
3. “THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY” by Matt Haig (Viking).
Nora Seed finds a library beyond the edge of the universe that contains books with multiple possibilities of the lives one could have lived.
4. “THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE” by V.E. Schwab (Tor/Forge).
A Faustian bargain comes with a curse that affects the adventure Addie LaRue has across centuries.
5. “WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING” by Delia Owens (Putnam).
In a quiet town on the North Carolina coast in 1969, a young woman who survived alone in the marsh becomes a murder suspect.
6. “THE PUSH” by Ashley Audrain (Pamela Dorman).
A devastating event forces a mother who questions her child’s behavior and her own sanity to confront the truth.
7. “THE RETURN” by Nicholas Sparks (Grand Central).
A doctor serving in the Navy in Afghanistan goes back to North Carolina where two women change his life.
8. “NEIGHBORS” by Danielle Steel (Delacorte).
A Hollywood recluse’s perspective changes when she invites her neighbors into her mansion after an earthquake.
9. “READY PLAYER TWO” by Ernest Cline (Ballantine).
In a sequel to “Ready Player One,” Wade Watts discovers a technological advancement and goes on a new quest.
10. “ANXIOUS PEOPLE” by Fredrik Backman (Atria).
A failed bank robber holds a group of strangers hostage at an apartment open house.
11. “A TIME FOR MERCY” by John Grisham. (Doubleday).
This the third book in the Jake Brigance series. A 16-year-old is accused of killing a deputy in Clanton, Miss., in 1990.
12. “BEFORE SHE DISAPPEARED” by Lisa Gardner (Dutton).
A recovering alcoholic puts herself in danger when she searches for a Haitian teenager in a Boston neighborhood.
13. “THE GUEST LIST” by Lucy Foley (Morrow).
A wedding between a TV star and a magazine publisher on an island off the coast of Ireland turns deadly.
14. “AMERICAN DIRT” by Jeanine Cummins (Flatiron).
A bookseller flees Mexico for the United States with her son while pursued by the head of a drug cartel.
15. “STAR WARS: LIGHT OF THE JEDI” by Charles Soule. (Del Rey)
In this installment of the High Republic series, a disaster in hyperspace.
NONFICTION
1. “JUST AS I AM” by Cicely Tyson with Michelle Burford (HarperCollins).
The late iconic actress describes how she worked to change perceptions of black women through her career choices.
2. “A PROMISED LAND” by Barack Obama (Crown).
In the first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama offers personal reflections on his formative years and pivotal moments through his first term.
3. “GREENLIGHTS” by Matthew McConaughey (Crown).
The Oscar-winning actor shares snippets from the diaries he kept over the last 35 years.
4. “CASTE” by Isabel Wilkerson (Random House).
The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist examines aspects of caste systems across civilizations and reveals a rigid hierarchy in America today.
5. “UNTAMED” by Glennon Doyle (Dial).
The activist and public speaker describes her journey of listening to her inner voice.
6. “LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I MEAN” by Joan Didion (Knopf).
A collection of 12 pieces written between 1968 and 2000 that includes observations on the underground press and the act of writing.
7. “EXTRATERRESTRIAL” by Avi Loeb. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
The Harvard science professor shares his theory that a piece of advanced technology created by a distant alien civilization recently visited our solar system.
8. “BECOMING” by Michelle Obama (Crown).
The former first lady describes how she balanced work, family and her husband’s political ascent.
9. “THE DEVIL YOU KNOW” by Charles M. Blow (Harper).
The New York Times op-ed columnist gives a call to action for black people to achieve equality on their own terms.
10. “A SWIM IN A POND IN THE RAIN” by George Saunders (Random House).
A collection of essays examines the functions and importance of works of fiction.
11. “HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACIST” by Ibram X. Kendi (One World).
A primer for creating a more just and equitable society through identifying and opposing racism.
12. “GIRL WITH NO JOB” by Claudia Oshry (Gallery).
The podcaster and social media personality looks at the ups and downs of internet celebrity.
13. “BREATH” by James Nestor (Riverhead).
A re-examination of a basic biological function and a look at the science behind ancient breathing practices.
14. “WINTERING” by Katherine May (Riverhead).
Personal reflections on the potential benefits of embracing and living through painful times of isolation.
15. “UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS WITH A BLACK MAN” by Emmanuel Acho (Flatiron).
A look at some questions and concepts needed to address systemic racism.
Copyright 2021 by The New York Times Company.
