RIP David Lynch (This week in books)

This week! Books!

First up, I’m always so excited when my clients have books coming out, congrats to Matt Barrows and Jessica Barrows Beebe on the publication of their twisty thriller Muddy the Water, which comes out on January 28! Pre-order, pre-order!

Very sad news this week as we lost one of the greatest artists of our time, the incomparable David Lynch. I was transfixed by Lynch’s films in high school (I violated the rules to put his movies on the TV at the video store where I worked), and will never forget seeing Mulholland Drive in the theater when I was in college. I had to pinch myself when I later represented Barry Gifford, who wrote Wild at Heart and co-wrote the screenplay for Lost Highway with Lynch, when I was a literary agent (Barry’s such a terrific writer in his own right).

Last year, I rewatched Twin Peaks with my partner Alyce and watched Twin Peaks: The Return for the first time, which is way better than it has any right to be. I also owe my meditation practice to Lynch, as I learned transcendental meditation from the David Lynch Foundation. He will be deeply missed!

Also this past week a deeply disturbing article about author Neil Gaiman was published in New York Magazine which you should absolutely exercise caution reading if you struggle reading about sexual assault and misconduct. Gaiman has denied engaging in non-consenual sexual activity.

In non-shocking but still dismaying news, documents stemming from a class action lawsuit against Meta over piracy seem to show that Meta knowingly used book piracy site Library Genesis to train its AI. If proven, it’s organized theft on a massive, massive scale.

Josh Bell at Vulture surveyed the burgeoning Wattpad movie scene, and ranked the top 20.

And I really enjoyed this post by editor David Moldawer about the importance of pushing forward even when you know your technique isn’t strong enough. (Spoiler: your technique will never be strong enough).

This week in bestsellers

Here are the top five NY Times bestsellers in a few key categories. (All links are affiliate links):

Adult print and e-book fiction:

1. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
2. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
3. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
4. Holmes is Missing by James Patterson and Brian Sitts
5. James by Percival Everett

Adult print and e-book nonfiction:

1. The House of My Mother by Shari Franke
2. The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
3. The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
4. Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten
5. Cher: The Memoir, Part One by Cher

Young adult hardcover:

1. If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin
2. Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter
3. Breath of the Dragon by Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee
4. The Last Bookstore on Earth by Lily Braun-Arnold
5. A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

Middle grade hardcover:

1. Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell
2. Warriors: Changing Skies #1: The Elders’ Quest by Erin Hunter
3. The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs by America’s Test Kitchen Kids
4. Wonder by R.J. Palacio
5. Priceless Facts About Money by Mellody Hobson

This week on the blog

In case you missed them, here are this week’s posts:

• Un-productivity tips for 2025
• What are your writing goals for 2025?

And keep up with the discussion in all the places!

• Follow me on Bluesky and Threads
• Follow my page on Facebook
• Join the Facebook Group
• Check out the Bransforums

And finally, I really enjoyed this article by Vanessa Friedman about how the fashion world seems ripe for a creative breakthrough. Working in the arts, you can definitely sense the moments when things are about to change (I’ll never forget all the vampire queries I received in the year leading up to Twilight breaking out), and it’s exciting to watch what eventually emerges.

Have a great weekend!

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Photo: Lobby of the Cal Edison DTLA Building, Downtown Los Angeles. Follow me on Instagram!