Slice of Life

Caitlin Rozakis’s fantasy debut, Dreadful, “opens on a bewildered amnesiac waking up ‘with no eyebrows and no idea how he’d gotten into such a position,’ ” according to our review. He’s dismayed to learn of his true identity as a fearsome dark wizard, the Dread Lord Gavarax. “Adding a surprising dose of heart to her quick-witted tale,” the review said, “Rozakis demonstrates her excellent comedic timing and keen ability to keep readers guessing.” No need to guess at the author’s other abilities: she baked her own themed cakes for a pre-party at her home before the June 1 book launch event at Word in Jersey City. Her novel lands at #14 on our trade paperback list.

Change of Scenery

Two new armchair travel books hit our extended bestseller lists. A Walk in the Park by Kevin Fedarko, #17 on our hardcover fiction list, is the conservation writer’s account of his year-plus, 750-mile trip through the Grand Canyon—on foot—with his best friend, National Geographic photographer Pete McBride. In You Deserve Good Gelato, #17 on our trade paperback list, social media personality Kacie Rose (1.1 million TikTok followers) reflects on life as an American living in Italy.

Cage Match

Southern Man by Greg Iles debuts at #5 on our hardcover fiction list. In this outing, former attorney turned Natchez, Miss., mayor Penn Cage is grappling with his mother’s terminal illness, his own cancer, and a dark money–funded third-party U.S. presidential candidate. “This is a high water mark in a strong series,” according to our review. Two release-week events were held in the author’s home state of Mississippi, and the book was #2 in the East South Central region, beaten out only by the #1 book in the country (see New & Notable).

NEW & NOTABLE

Camino Ghosts
John Grisham
#1 Hardcover Fiction
#1 Overall
Grisham’s third Camino thriller sees bookseller Bruce Cable and novelist Mercer Mann once again teaming up, this time against unscrupulous developers looking to cash in on a property solely inhabited by an elderly descendant of enslaved people.

Half-Blood
Jennifer L. Armentrout
#4 Children's Fiction
Armentrout originally published this YA romantasy with Spencer Hill Press in 2011. It’s the first in a five-book series set at a boarding school for half-mortals and the “pure” descendents of gods. Bloom is relaunching one volume each month through October.