Sonoma County experts reveal best of the year in books, music and movies
Soon, we’ll be hearing predictions for trends in popular culture during the new year, but before that happens, let’s take a quick look back at this year’s most popular books, music and movies, as reported by local merchants.
Copperfield’s Books recently compiled its best-selling books of the year. The list is heavy on fiction, with six of the top 10 and including two Pulitzer Prize winning novels. There are stories of love, murder, war, aging, dying and even getting organized forever in this unique list. Children’s top sellers ranged from Harry Potter (of course), humor, movie tie-ins, bios and classics.
Best-selling books
1. “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts I & II” (Special Rehearsal Edition) by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, John Tiffany. In this play script based on a J.K. Rowling story, Harry Potter is all grown up and an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, along with being a husband and father of three schoolaged children.
2. “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman. This is literally the story of a grumpy old man.
3. “Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins. Last year’s third best-selling book is now in paperback. It also was made into a film this year starring Emily Blunt.
4. “Little Paris Bookshop” by Nina George. Who doesn’t love a novel set in a bookstore? This international best-seller is the story of Monsieur Perdue, who prescribes ways to mend a broken heart and other hardships from his floating bookstore in a barge on the Seine.
5. “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo. Haven’t we tidied up enough yet? Apparently not. The Japanese woman details her unique system for decluttering and organizing one’s belongings.
6. “My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry” by Fredrik Backman. A second novel by best-selling Swedish author Fredrik Backman is the story of a precocious young girl who personally apologizes to the people her late grandmother wronged in life.
7. “When Breath Becomes Air” Paul Kalanithi. The author was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer shortly before beginning his career as a physician and kept a journal detailing the last months of his life. His moving memoir was published posthumously earlier this year.
8. “The Sympathizer” by Viet Thanh Nguyen. A Pulitzer Prize winning novel about war and its aftermath published in 2016.
9. “All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr. Another Pulitzer Prize winning novel about war and its aftermath, published in 2015.
10. “Unbroken (The Young Adult Adaptation): An Olympian’s Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive” by Laura Hillenbrand. Unbroken (The Young Adult Adaptation): An Olympian’s Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive by Laura Hillenbrand sits in tenth place. Adapted from the adult novel of the same name, this spellbinding account tells the story of Louis Zamperini, a thief turned track star, Olympian, airman, castaway and prisoner of war.
Top children’s books
1. “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts I & II” (Special Rehearsal Edition) by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, John Tiffany.
2. “Unbroken (The Young Adult Adaptation): An Olympian’s Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive” by Laura Hillenbrand
3. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid No. 11: Double Down” by Jeff Kinney
4. “Trials of Apollo Book One: The Hidden Oracle” by Rick Riordan
5. “Nightmares! The Lost Lullaby” by Jason Segel, Kirsten Miller
6. “Ghosts” by Raina Telgemeier
7. “BFG (Big Friendly Giant)” by Ronald Dahl
8. “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” by Ransom Riggs
9. “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown
10. “Hilo Book 2: Saving the Whole Wide World” by Judd Winick
(Source: Copperfield’s Books)
Top albums
Last Record Store’s best-selling albums of 2016:
1. “Blue & Lonesome” by the Rolling Stones
2. “Hardwired ... to Self-Destruct” by Metallica
3. “4 Your Eyez Only” by J Cole
4. “We Got it From Here ... Thank You 4 Your Service!” by Tribe Called Quest
5. “You Want It Darker” by Leonard Cohen
Here are the 2016 albums picked as Top 10 favorites by Last Record Store owner Doug Jayne:
1. “Dig in Deep” by Bonnie Raitt: “Bonnie took some time off between albums. She dealt with personal loss and came back strong with ‘Dig in Deep,’ featuring the great Jon Cleary on keyboards. When Bonnie Raitt has it going on, there’s no one better.”
2. “Post Pop Depression” by Iggy Pop: “Produced by the dude from Queens of the Stone Age, Josh Homme. Eight new songs, much of the recording done over two weeks in Joshua Tree with Queens of the Stone Age members and the drummer from the Arctic Monkeys. Check out ‘Gardenia.’ GREAT song.
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