Conquering the List

Sarah J. Maas concludes her Throne of Glass YA fantasy series with book seven, Kingdom of Ash, the #5 book in the country. Maas, a PW 2012 Flying Start, has drawn a considerable adult readership—one that likely helped boost first-week print unit sales to her best yet for the series.

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

Autumn Thrills

John Grisham has the #1 book in the country with The Reckoning, which, although our review considered it a “subpar outing,” sold some 7,600 more print copies in its first week than his most recent novel, 2017’s The Rooster Bar, did.

The Fox by Frederick Forsyth, author of 1967’s The Day of the Jackal and many thrillers since, debuts at #16 in hardcover fiction.

Our starred review said it’s a “terrifically entertaining spy thriller in the classic tradition”; Forsyth says it’s his last. “Age has certain privileges,” he told PW, “and one is that you’re allowed to slow down.”

Iris Johansen’s Vendetta, which our review praised for its “highly complex characters and a stunning conclusion,” debuts in hardcover fiction at #17.

Movie Watch

Tie-ins to the big-screen adaptation of 2015’s The Girl in the Spider’s Web, the first Lisbeth Salander novel written by David Lagercrantz, debut at #9 in trade paper and #20 in mass market. This is the first Hollywood follow-up to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which starred Rooney Mara. The new movie casts British actor Claire Foy—best known on these shores for playing Anne Boleyn in Wolf Hall and Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown—as the vigilante hacker.

New & Notable

Cook Like A Pro
Ina Garten
#1 Hardcover Nonfiction, #3 overall
Our review called Garten’s latest outing “disappointing” (“Garten’s own style doesn’t shine through”) and her many fans may agree—first week print unit sales fell far below those for her prior title, Cooking for Jeffrey.

The Mamba Mentality
Kobe Bryant
#4 Hardcover Nonfiction, #8 overall
Retired Laker MVP Bryant offers an “exciting coffee-table book full of inspiring quotes, insights to his game, and beautiful photos,” our review said. Next up: a slate of sports-themed middle grade and YA novels produced by his Granity Studios entertainment company.

Trump, the Blue-Collar President
Anthony Scaramucci
#8 Hardcover Nonfiction
The Mooch’s “depiction of Trump—and, implicitly, himself—as working-class heroes often rings hollow,” our review said of this “admiring portrait” by the short-lived White House communications director.

Top 10 Overall

Rank Title Author Imprint Units
1 The Reckoning John Grisham Doubleday 116,914
2 The Wonky Donkey Craig Smith Scholastic 96,041
3 Cook Like a Pro Ina Garten Clarkson Potter 66,981
4 Every Breath Nicholas Sparks Grand Central 51,632
5 Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass) Sarah J. Maas Bloomsbury 42,530
6 Girl, Wash Your Face Rachel Hollis Nelson 35,595
7 Killing the SS O’Reilly/Dugard Holt 31,615
8 The Mamba Mentality Kobe Bryant MCD 22,450
9 Ship of Fools Tucker Carlson Free Press 21,863
10 Lord of the Fleas (Dog Man #5) Dav Pilkey Graphix 21,475

All unit sales per Nielsen BookScan except where noted.