Bestsellers in St. Louis

Top-Selling Titles in St. Louis

The following were the bestselling books at independent bookstores in and around St. Louis, Mo. During the week ended Sunday, August 21:

Adult

1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
2. Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland
3. Noir at the Bar edited by Scott Phillips and Jedediah Ayers
4. One Day by David Nicholls
5. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
6. Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach
7. I'll Mature When I'm Dead by Dave Barry
8. The Adjustment by Scott Phillips
9. A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard
10. How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive by Christopher Boucher

Children's/YA

1. The Bridge to Neverland by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry
2. In the Garden With Dr. Carver by Susan Grigsby
3. The Smurfs by Simon Spotlight
4. Super Diaper Baby 2 by Dav Pilkey
5. Peter and the Starcatchers by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry
6. Indestructibles: Hey Diddle Diddle by Jonas Sickler
7. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
8. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
9. No Such Things as Ghosts (Dragonbreath 5) by Ursula Vernon
10. My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis

Reporting bookstores, all of which are members of the St. Louis Independent Bookstore Alliance: Left Bank Books, Main Street Books, Pudd'nhead Books, Subterranean Books, Sue's News.

Book Review: The Giver

Book Review: The Giver by Lois Lowry

First sentence: "It was almost December and Jonas was beginning to be frightened."

From the back: "Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community.

When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from the Giver. The giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now it's time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back."

My take: This was a really great concept and a great story. Though it was a bit lower level -- more of a middle grade read -- than I typically read. It still enjoyed the story and couldn't help but imagine what the world would be like if everyone went about their lives as though they were on auto-pilot, robot-like. Jonas starts to feel something, but he doesn't know what that something is, for his friend Fiona. When he tells his mother, she informs him that there's a pill for that. He just needs to remember to take his pill and he won't be attracted to her ever again. I wish I had one of those pills where some of my ex's are concerned... Anyway, families are created and everything is done scientifically. It was an enjoyable read, one I would recommend to young readers everywhere.

If you've reviewed the book, leave a comment here and I'll post a link to your review!

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (January 24, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385732554
ISBN-13: 978-0385732550

My rating: B

Bestsellers in St. Louis

Top-Selling Titles in St. Louis

The following were the bestselling books at independent bookstores in and around St. Louis, Mo. During the week ended Sunday, August 7:

Adult

1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
2. Room by Emma Donoghue
3. A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard
4. Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach
5. Noir at the Bar edited by Jedidiah Ayers and Scott Phillips
6. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
7. The Light Bringer by Chris Digiuseppi and Mike Force
8. The Best of The Way I See It and Other Political Writings 1989-2010 by Jamala Rogers
9. The Adjustment by Scott Phillips
10. Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

Children's/YA

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
3. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
4. Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson
5. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
6. Divergent by Veronica Roth
7. Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
8. Chocolate Moose for Dinner by Fred Gwynne
9. Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
10. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Reporting bookstores, all of which are members of the St. Louis Independent Bookstore Alliance: Left Bank Books, Main Street Books, Pudd'nhead Books, Subterranean Books, Sue's News.

Bestsellers in St. Louis

Top-Selling Titles in St. Louis

The following were the bestselling books at independent bookstores in and around St. Louis, Mo. During the week ended Sunday, July 31:

Adult

1. Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach
2. Cloris: My Autobiography by Cloris Leachman
3. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
4. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
5. Tinkers by Paul Harding
6. Serial by John Lutz
7. Amazing Journey by Felicia Graber
8. The Inverted Forest by Jon Dalton
9. Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
10. Room by Emma Donoghue

Children's/YA

1. The Hunger Games by Susanne Collins
2. Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
3. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
4. Mockingjay by Susanne Collins
5. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
6. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
7. St. Louis Cardinal's ABC by Brad M. Epstein
8. Remarkable Animals: 1000 Amazing Amalgamations by Tony Meeuwissen
9. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
10. Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Reporting bookstores, all of which are members of the St. Louis Independent Bookstore Alliance: Left Bank Books, Main Street Books, Pudd'nhead Books, Subterranean Books, Sue's News.

Book Review: I Am Number Four

Book Review: I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

First sentence: "The door starts shaking, it's a flimsy thing made of bamboo shoots held together with tattered lengths of twine."

From the front flap: "Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books -- but we are real.

Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. We have lived among you without you knowing.

But they know.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They killed them all.

I am Number Four.

I am next."

My take: Very well written. Great idea. I wanted to see the movie but haven't. I have heard that the movie isn't anything like the book, but I'll have to watch it and see. The main deal I had with this book was it took me forever to get through it. It held my interest just enough to make me want to keep reading to find out what happened. But it didn't hold my interest enough to be what I consider a page turning sleep skipper. I liked the main character, Four -- or John. I will probably get around to reading the second book also. Eventually.

If you've reviewed the book, leave a comment here and I'll post a link to your review!

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins; Mti edition (January 4, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062026240
ISBN-13: 978-0062026248

My rating: B

Bestsellers in St. Louis

Top-Selling Titles in St. Louis

The following were the bestselling books at independent bookstores in and around St. Louis, Mo. During the week ended Sunday, July 24:

Adult
1. Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach
2. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
3. Heaven Is for Real by Todd Burpo
4. Bright's Passage by Josh Ritter
5. The Light Bringer by Chris DiGiuseppe and Mike Force
6. The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock
7. Overbite by Meg Cabot
8. Insatiable by Meg Cabot
9. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
10. Founding St. Louis by Frederick Fausz

Children's
1. Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein
2. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
4. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
5. Abandon by Meg Cabot
6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
7. One Fish, Two Fish by Dr. Seuss
8. Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
9. Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John
10. Ash by Malinda Lo

Reporting bookstores, all of which are members of the St. Louis Independent Bookstore Alliance: Left Bank Books, Main Street Books, Pudd'nhead Books, Subterranean Books, Sue's News.