T HE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW 2 3

THE SENTENCE,by Louise Erdrich. (Harper/HarperCol-

lins, $28.99.)Erdrich’s playful wit and casual style

belie a seriousness of purpose, which in the case of

this winning novel, entails tackling the pandemic,

the death of George Floyd, the trials of doing time in

prison and, not least, the power of books to change

lives.

OUR COUNTRY FRIENDS,by Gary Shteyngart. (Random

House, $28.)Shteyngart’s earthy, reflective and

humane new novel is set on a Hudson Valley estate

in the early months of pandemic lockdown, as

several friends shelter together. It is rife with the

problem of privilege, the profoundly leveling experi-

ence of the virus, and an ever-present sense of

absurdity and humor.

THE SHADOWS OF MEN,by Abir Mukherjee. (Pegasus

Crime, $25.95.)Throughout Mukherjee’s erudite,

sure-footed historical detective series set in Raj-era

Calcutta, Sgt. Surendranath Banerjee has endured

many trials — but when he is accused of murder in

this latest installment, not even his British supervi-

sor may be able to save him.

THE BROKEN CONSTITUTION:Lincoln, Slavery, and

the Refounding of America,by Noah Feldman.

(Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $30.)Abraham Lincoln,

Feldman contends, embraced a new, “moral Consti-

tution” by purging the country’s original sin of

slavery and re-establishing the nation on a more

noble foundation.

FALLEN IDOLS:Twelve Statues That Made History,

by Alex von Tunzelmann. (Harper/HarperCollins,

$26.99.)Von Tunzelmann’s goal in recounting the

fates of 12 controversial statues (from King George

V in Raj-era India to Robert E. Lee in the American

South) is to link recent movements for social justice

to the larger question of how we distort, correct and

ultimately understand the past.

STONES:Poems,by Kevin Young. (Knopf, $27.)

Young’s lyrical new collection is about family, about

death and about how families absorb and repurpose

loss; the stones here bear names and life spans.

Young is an expansive, almost relaxed writer —

blistering intensity isn’t his signature. But he can

throw salt in the pot when it’s needed.

AMERICAN MADE:What Happens to People When

Work Disappears,by Farah Stockman. (Random

House, $28.)Stockman, a member of The New York

Times’s editorial board, brings detailed, empathetic

reporting to this study of industrial decline, tracing

the impact on three blue-collar workers when their

Indianapolis factory relocates to Mexico.

WOKE RACISM:How a New Religion Has Betrayed

Black America,by John McWhorter. (Portfolio, $28.)

McWhorter, a Black liberal who dissents from much

of the left’s views on race, argues against the posi-

tion that racism and white supremacy are “baked

into” the structure of American society.

THE BOOK OF MAGIC,by Alice Hoffman. (Simon &

Schuster, $27.99.)In the finale to her Practical

Magic series, Hoffman returns to the delightfully

witchy Owens family as it tries to end a love curse

that has endured for centuries. Alluring on its own,

it’s also a satisfying end to a timeless saga.

Editors’ Choice/ Staff Picks From the Book Review

The full reviews of these and other recent books

are online: nytimes.com/books

The New York Times best sellers are compiled and archived by the best-sellers-lists desk of the New York Times news department, and are separate from the editorial, culture, advertising and business sides of The New York Times Company. Rankings
reflect unit sales reported on a confidential basis by vendors offering a wide range of general interest titles published in the United States. ONLINE: For complete lists and a full explanation of our methodology, visit http://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers.

THIS

WEEK

THIS

ON LISTWEEKS WEEK

WEEKS

ON LIST

LAST

WEEK

LAST

WEEK

1

(^) GAME ON, by Janet Evanovich. (Atria) The 28th book in the Stephanie Plum series. 1
Diesel and Stephanie track the international computer hacker Oswald Wednesday.

2

(^2) THE JUDGE’S LIST, by John Grisham. (Doubleday) The second book in the Whistler series. 3
Investigator Lacy Stoltz goes after a serial killer and closes in on a sitting judge.

3

(^) THE STRANGER IN THE LIFEBOAT, by Mitch Albom. (Harper) After a ship explodes, nine 1
people struggling to survive pull a man who claims to be the Lord out of the sea.

4

(^1) BETTER OFF DEAD, by Lee Child and Andrew Child. (Delacorte) The 26th book in the Jack 2
Reacher series. Reacher helps an F.B.I. agent look for her missing brother and takes on a
foe named Dendoncker.

5

(^4) THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY, by Amor Towles. (Viking) Two friends who escaped from a 5
juvenile work farm take Emmett Watson on an unexpected journey to New York City in
1954.

6

(^3) DUNE, by Frank Herbert. (Ace) The 1965 science fiction novel that is the basis of several 3
adaptations, including the recent film directed by Denis Villeneuve.

7

(^5) THE WISH, by Nicholas Sparks. (Grand Central) Maggie Dawes, a renowned travel 6
photographer, struggles with a medical diagnosis over Christmas.

8

(^6) IT ENDS WITH US, by Colleen Hoover. (Atria) A battered wife raised in a violent home 21
attempts to halt the cycle of abuse.

9

(^7) APPLES NEVER FALL, by Liane Moriarty. (Holt) The Delaney siblings suspect their father 8
of causing the disappearance of their mother.

10

(^10) THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO, by Taylor Jenkins Reid. (Washington Square/ 19
Atria) A movie icon recounts stories of her loves and career to a struggling magazine
writer.

1

(^) THE LYRICS: 1956 TO THE PRESENT, by Paul McCartney. (Liveright) A two-volume 1
celebration of 154 songs, with handwritten texts, paintings and photographs from the
songwriter’s archives.

2

(^) IMMUNE, by Philipp Dettmer. (Random House) The founder of the YouTube channel 1
Kurzgesagt gives an overview of elements of the body’s immune system.

3

(^) THE PRESIDENT AND THE FREEDOM FIGHTER, by Brian Kilmeade. (Sentinel) The Fox 1
News host gives an account of the relationship between Abraham Lincoln and Frederick
Douglass.

4

(^5) THE STORYTELLER, by Dave Grohl. (Dey Street) A memoir by the musician known for his 5
work with Foo Fighters and Nirvana.

5

(^1) GOING THERE, by Katie Couric. (Little, Brown) The former anchor of the “CBS Evening 2
News” and “Today” describes some of the personal and professional challenges she faced.

6

(^) WOKE UP THIS MORNING, by Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa with Philip Lerman. 1
(Morrow) An oral history of “The Sopranos” by two of its stars.

7

(^3) BEST WISHES, WARMEST REGARDS, by Daniel Levy and Eugene Levy. (Black Dog & 2
Leventhal) Character profiles, major story moments and behind-the-scenes tales from
the Emmy Award-winning series “Schitt’s Creek.”

8

(^) BOTH/AND, by Huma Abedin. (Scribner) The aide and advisor to Hillary Clinton shares 1
details from her time in public service as well as personal setbacks.

9

(^10) THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE, by Bessel van der Kolk. (Penguin) How trauma affects the 63
body and mind, and innovative treatments for recovery.

10

(^) WHOLEHEARTED FAITH, by Rachel Held Evans with Jeff Chu. (HarperOne) Reflections on 1
the identity and purpose of Christianity completed posthumously.
Fiction Nonfiction
COMBINED PRINT AND E-BOOK BEST SELLERS
SALES PERIOD OF OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 6

Best Sellers

For the complete best-seller lists, visit

nytimes.com/books/best-sellers

22