Amid gift shopping for Mother’s Day, The Mothers and Daughters of the Bible Speak by Shannon Bream (Broadside) is #1 on our Religion Nonfiction Bestsellers list. The book has been promoted across Fox News channels and platforms as well as on Bream’s podcast, Livin’ the Bream. Bream’s 2021 release, The Women of the Bible Speak, follows at #2 on the list. She is expected to author more books in the first franchise series for Fox News Books.
New to the list, The Truth and Beauty: How the Lives and Works of England's Greatest Poets Point the Way to a Deeper Understanding of the Words of Jesus by Andrew Klaven (Zondervan) debuts on the Religion Nonfiction chart at #6 following endorsements by authors Ben Shapiro, Stephen Meyer, and Michael Knowles. Klaven, the author of several novels and a contributing editor to the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research's City Journal magazine, details his study of the Gospels in his new book, including the Sermon on the Mount.
Also marking its debut to the Religion Nonfiction List, Designed to Last: Our Journey of Building an Intentional Home, Growing in Faith, and Finding Joy in the In-Between by husband and wife Instagram influencers Ashley and Dino Petrone (Tyndale) takes #9. Tyndale’s senior marketing manager Kristen Magnesen tells PW that the book launch began one year ago, generating a strong pre-order push. “They brought their incredible flair for engaging Instagram posts,” Magnesen says of the authors. “During the time leading up to and throughout launch week, influencers and followers freely shared about the book on social channels, generating millions of organic views.”
Mitch Albom’s reign continues at the top of the Religion Fiction Bestsellers list with The Stranger in the Lifeboat, while Karen Kingsbury’s The Baxters: A Prequel (Atria) shot to #2. The latest addition to the author’s popular Baxter Family series follows matriarch Elizabeth Baxter as she prepares for her daughter Kari’s wedding to Tim Jacobs amid rising family tensions. The novels are being adapted into a television series by Roma Downey's Lightworkers Media, according to Variety. Marketing and publicity for The Baxters included in-person events in the author’s hometown near Nashville and promotions to Kingsbury’s over 500,000 followers across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
