Denise Phillips, owner of Gathering Volumes in Perrysburg, shares her top sellers for 2020 by classification.
“As an independent bookstore, we curate what titles we carry based on the desires of our customers here in Perrysburg and northwest Ohio,” she said. “If there is something we don’t have, we can usually get it within a few days.”
• Art and design: “The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to The Hidden World of Everyday Design” by Roman Mars and Kurt Kohlstedt.
A beautifully designed guidebook to the unnoticed yet essential elements of our cities, from the creators of the wildly popular 99% Invisible podcast.
“The 99% Invisible City brings into view the fascinating but often unnoticed worlds we walk and drive through every day, and to read it is to feel newly alive and aware of your place in the world. This book made me laugh, and it made me cry, and it reminded me to always read the plaque.” -John Green, New York Times bestselling author of “The Fault in Our Stars” and “Turtles All The Way Down”
• Biography/memoir: “A Promised Land” by Barack Obama.
In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency—a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil.
• Business: “Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones” by James Clear.
No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving—every day. James Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.
• True crime: “Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland” by Patrick Radden Keefe.
A stunning, intricate narrative about a notorious killing in Northern Ireland and its devastating repercussions. “Masked intruders dragged Jean McConville, a 38-year-old widow and mother of 10, from her Belfast home in 1972. In this meticulously reported book— as finely paced as a novel— Keefe uses McConville’s murder as a prism to tell the history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Interviewing people on both sides of the conflict, he transforms the tragic damage and waste of the era into a searing, utterly gripping saga.” -New York Times Book Review, 10 Best Books of the Year
• Faith: “Jesus and the Disinherited” by Howard Thurman.
In this classic theological treatise, the acclaimed theologian and religious leader Howard Thurman (1900-1981) demonstrates how the gospel may be read as a manual of resistance for the poor and disenfranchised. Jesus is a partner in the pain of the oppressed and the example of His life offers a solution to ending the descent into moral nihilism. Hatred does not empower—it decays. Only through self-love and love of one another can God’s justice prevail.
• Fiction: “The Daughters of Erietown” by Connie Schultz.
The evolution of women’s lives spanning the second half of the twentieth century is at the center of this beautiful novel that richly portrays how much people know— and pretend not to know— about the secrets at the heart of a town and a family.
• Cooking: “Half-Baked Harvest Super Simple: More than 125 Recipes for Instant, Overnight, MealPrepped and Easy Comfort Foods” by Tieghan Gerard.
There’s something for everyone in these 125 easy, show-stopping recipes: fewer ingredients, foolproof mealprepping, effortless entertaining, and everything in between, including vegan and vegetarian options! Especially for home cooks who are pressed for time or just starting out, Half Baked Harvest Super Simple is your goto for hassle-free meals that never sacrifice taste.
• Personal growth: “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” by Charlie Mackesy.
Charlie Mackesy offers inspiration and hope in uncertain times in this beautiful book, following the tale of a curious boy, a greedy mole, a wary fox and a wise horse who find themselves together in sometimes difficult terrain, sharing their greatest fears and biggest discoveries about vulnerability, kindness, hope, friendship and love. The shared adventures and important conversations between the four friends are full of life lessons that have connected with readers of all ages.
• Graphic novel: “Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio” by Derf Backderf.
The tragic and unforgettable story of the Kent State shootings.
• History: “Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America” by Ibram X. Kendi.
The National Book Award winning history of how racist ideas were created, spread and deeply rooted in American society.
• Humor: “The Best of Me” by David Sedaris.
David Sedaris’s best stories and essays, spanning his remarkable career—as selected by the author himself.
• Children’s picture book: “The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story” by Aya Khalil.
Kanzi’s family has moved from Egypt to America, and on her first day in a new school, what she wants more than anything is to fit in. Maybe that’s why she forgets to take the kofta sandwich her mother has made for her lunch, but that backfires when Mama shows up at school with the sandwich. Mama wears a hijab and calls her daughter Habibti (dear one). When she leaves, the teasing starts.
• Science: “Richness and Rarity” by Elliot Tramer.
Written by Elliot Tramer and lavishly illustrated with more than 125 photos by Metroparks nature photographer Art Weber, the book describes and depicts what makes Lucas County so special.
• Middle grade readers: “Warriors into the Wild” by Erin Hunter.
Epic adventures. Fierce warrior cats. A thrilling fantasy world.
Teen: “Be Not Far From Me” by Mindy McGinnis.
Hatchet meets Wild in this harrowing young adult survival story about a teenage girl’s attempt to endure the impossible.