FICTION
1. Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens. (Putnam) In a quiet town on the North Carolina coast in 1969, a young woman who survived alone in the marsh becomes a murder suspect.
2. The Guardians, by John Grisham. (Doubleday) Cullen Post, a lawyer and Episcopal minister, antagonizes some ruthless killers when he takes on a wrongful-conviction case.
3. Such a Fun Age, by Kiley Reid. (Putnam) Tumult ensues when Alix Chamberlain's babysitter is mistakenly accused of kidnapping her charge.
4. The Silent Patient, by Alex Michaelides. (Celadon) Theo Faber looks into the mystery of a famous painter who stops speaking after shooting her husband.
5. The Dutch House, by Ann Patchett. (Harper) A sibling relationship is impacted when the family goes from poverty to wealth and back again over the course of many decades.
6. Criss Cross, by James Patterson. (Little, Brown) The 27th book in the Alex Cross series. Copycat crimes make the detective question whether an innocent man was executed.
7. The Institute, by Stephen King. (Scribner) Children with special talents are abducted and sequestered in an institution where the sinister staff seeks to extract their gifts through harsh methods.
8. The Giver of Stars, by Jojo Moyes. (Pamela Dorman/Viking) In Depression-era Kentucky, five women refuse to be cowed by men or convention as they deliver books.
9. A Minute to Midnight, by David Baldacci. (Grand Central) When Atlee Pine returns to her hometown to investigate her sister's kidnapping from 30 years ago, she winds up tracking a potential serial killer.
10. Blue Moon, by Lee Child. (Delacorte) Jack Reacher gets caught up in a turf war between Ukrainian and Albanian gangs.
NONFICTION
1. Educated, by Tara Westover. (Random House) The daughter of survivalists, who is kept out of school, educates herself enough to leave home for university.
2. Talking to Strangers, by Malcolm Gladwell. (Little, Brown) Famous examples of miscommunication serve as the backdrop to explain potential conflicts and misunderstandings.
3. Becoming, by Michelle Obama. (Crown) The former first lady describes how she balanced work, family and her husband's political ascent.
4. Me, by Elton John. (Holt) The multi-award-winning solo artist's first autobiography chronicles his career, relationships and private struggles.
5. The Body, by Bill Bryson. (Doubleday) An owner's manual of the human body covering various parts, functions and what happens when things go wrong.
6. Say Nothing, by Patrick Radden Keefe. (Doubleday) A look at the conflict in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles.
7. Sam Houston and the Alamo Avengers, by Brian Kilmeade. (Sentinel) The "Fox & Friends" host gives an account of the battle against the Mexican Army in 1836.
8. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, by Lori Gottlieb. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) A psychotherapist gains unexpected insights when she becomes another therapist's patient.
9. Catch and Kill, by Ronan Farrow. (Little, Brown) The Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter details some surveillance and intimidation tactics used to pressure journalists and elude consequences by certain wealthy and connected men.
10. How to Do Nothing, by Jenny Odell. (Melville House) An argument for unplugging from technology in order to potentially focus attention on important matters.
Advice, How-To, Miscellaneous
1. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, by Charlie Mackesy. (HarperOne)
2. The Defined Dish, by Alex Snodgrass. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) (b)
3. Atomic Habits, by James Clear. (Avery) (b)
4. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a [Expletive], by Mark Manson. (Harper) (b)
5. Tiny Habits, by B.J. Fogg. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Rankings reflect sales at venues nationwide for the week ending Jan. 4. A (b) indicates that some sellers report receiving bulk orders.
