Here are the bestsellers for December of 2009. The end-of-year holidays pushed a few books up onto the lists this month, but there are also some great new books in each category, hot off the presses. In fiction, new books by Sue Grafton, Barbara Kingsolver and Alice Munro have appropriately popped onto the Top 10. In nonfiction, one of the books of the year, and a very popular gift, is Thomas Keller’s new book, “Ad Hoc at Home,” a wonderful addition to the world of cookbooks. Also, Andre Agassi’s revealing autobiography and Greg Mortenson’s new book “Stones into Schools,” have made it onto the Top 10. For children, the award-winning “The Graveyard Book,” by Neil Gaiman, and the latest Alex Rider novel, “Crocodile Tears” have been popular reads.
Fiction
1. “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” by Stieg Larsson, paperback, Vintage, $14.95
2. “The Book of Genesis,” by R. Crumb, hardcover, W.W. Norton, $24.95
3. “The Elegance of the Hedgehog,” by Muriel Barbery, paperback, Europa Editions, $15
4. “The Girl Who Played With Fire,” by Stieg Larsson, hardcover, Knopf, $24.95
5. “U is for Undertow,” by Sue Grafton, hardcover, Putnam, $27.95
6. “The Help,” by Kathryn Stockett, hardcover, Putnam, $24.95
7. “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society,” by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer, paperback, Dial Press, $14
8. “The Lacuna,” by Barbara Kingsolver, hardcover, Harper, $26.99
9. “The Savage Detectives,” by Roberto Bolano, paperback, Picador, $15
10. “Too Much Happiness,” by Alice Munro, hardcover, Knopf, $25.95
Nonfiction
1. “Man, Interrupted: Welcome to the Bizarre World of OCD, Where Once More is Never Enough,” by James Bailey, paperback, Mainstream Publishing, $14.95
2. “Stones into Schools,” by Greg Mortenson, hardcover, Viking, $26.95
3. “Ad Hoc at Home,” by Thomas Keller, hardcover, Artisan, $50
4. “Wisdom,” by Andrew Zuckerman, hardcover, Abrams, $50
5. “Open: An Autobiography,” by Andre Agassi, hardcover, Knopf, $28.95
6. “What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures,” by Malcolm Gladwell, hardcover, Little Brown, $27.95
7. “Crazy for the Storm: A Memoir of Survival,” by Norman Ollestad, hardcover, Ecco, $25.99
8. “Wishful Drinking,” by Carrie Fisher, paperback, Simon & Schuster, $13.99
9. “Saltwater Buddha: A Surfer’s Quest to Find Zen on the Sea,” by Jaimal Yogis, paperback, Wisdom, $14.95
10. “Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Volume 1),” by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck, hardcover, Knopf, $40
Children
1. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days,” by Jeff Kinney, hardcover, Amulet, $13.95
2. “Three Cups of Tea,” by Greg Mortenson, paperback, Puffin, $8.99
3. “Eclipse,” by Stephenie Meyer, paperback, Little Brown, $12.99
4. “The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson & The Olympians, Book 1),” by Rick Riordan, paperback, Disney-Hyperion, $7.99
5. “Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas,” by Jane O’Connor, hardcover, Harper, $17.99
6. “Travels of Thelonious,” by Susan Schade, Aladdin, $8.99
7. “The Graveyard Book,” by Neil Gaiman, hardcover, HarperCollins, $17.99
8. “Waddle!,” by Rufus Butler Seder, hardcover, Workman, $12.95
9. “The Very Hungry Caterpillar Pop-Up Book,” by Eric Carle, hardcover, Philomel, $29.99
10. “Crocodile Tears: An Alex Rider Novel,” by Anthony Horowitz, hardcover, Philomel, $17.99
Book list provided by Diesel, A Bookstore