All Politics Is Local

New books with real or hopeful ties to the White House debut this week, and the authors had varying degrees of success on their home turfs compared with elsewhere in the country.

Let Me Finish by former N.J. governor and onetime presidential hopeful Chris Christie. #15 in the country. #3 in the Middle Atlantic, which includes New Jersey.

Team of Vipers by former White House staffer Cliff Sims. #11 in the country. #8 in the South Atlantic, which includes Washington, D.C., and #10 in the East South Central region, which includes Alabama, Sims’s home state.

From the Ground Up by Starbucks chairman emeritus and possible presidential contender Howard Schultz. #2 in the country. #2 in the Pacific region, which includes Seattle, where Starbucks is headquartered. #1 in the Middle Atlantic, which includes New York, where Schultz launched his book tour.

(See all of this week's bestselling books.)

Lost and Found

Pam Jenoff has the #9 book in the country with The Lost Girls of Paris, a “terrific, fast-paced novel,” our review said, that “follows a network of female WWII operatives in a smartly constructed narrative.”

Jenoff had early hits with her 2007 debut, The Kommandant’s Girl, and its sequel, 2008’s The Diplomat’s Wife. After several quieter releases, 2017’s The Orphan’s Tale put Jenoff back on an upswing.

New & Notable

King of Scars
Leigh Bardugo
#3 Children’s Frontlist Fiction
The YA fantasy novelist returns with the first in a duology set in her popular Grishaverse. “Bardugo’s portrayal of flawed, mentally and physically scarred protagonists is sympathetic and insightful,” our review said, “while the strong mixture of political intrigue, worldbuilding, and fantastical elements helps to drive the various story lines.”

Shameless
Nadia Bolz-Weber
#13 Hardcover Nonfiction
In this “powerful book,” our review said, the former pastor “draws on experiences from friends, congregants, and her life growing up evangelical in order to offer a new framework for Christian teachings about sex, gender, and relationships.”

Top 10 Overall

Rank Title Author Imprint Units
1 Becoming Michelle Obama Crown 54,883
2 From the Ground Up Howard Schultz Random House 38,839
3 Brawl of the Wild (Dog Man #6 Dav Pilkey Graphix 33,199
4 Girl, Wash Your Face Rachel Hollis Nelson 28,609
5 Where the Crawdads Sing Delia Owens Putnam 23,052
6 Vengeance Road Christine Feehan Berkley 20,708
7 The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up Marie Kondo Ten Speed 19,624
8 The Tattooist of Auschwitz Heather Morris Harper 18,419
9 The Lost Girls of Paris Pam Jenoff Park Row 17,388
10 Educated Tara Westover Random House 16,876

All unit sales per NPD BookScan except where noted.