This week's best sellers: Molly Shannon reflects on her life; Bill Browder writes of Vladimir Putin's wrath.
Molly Shannon's moving "Hello, Molly!" (Ecco, 304 pp.) is the No. 1 memoir on this week's USA TODAY bestsellers list. Debuting at No. 73, the book shares the actress's life story, beginning with the car crash that claimed the lives of her mother, cousin and younger sister. Her father, who had been drinking, was driving. Shannon describes it as an event that "changed our lives forever."
The "Saturday Night Live" star also writes lovingly about her relationship with her father, who came out to her in 2001 just before his death. She also touches on the time spent developing her craft at New York University, and the origins of celebrated "SNL" characters Mary Katherine Gallagher and Sally O'Malley. From her personal life, she shares the story of getting together with her husband of nearly 18 years, artist Fritz Chesnut.
'It changed our lives forever': Molly Shannon opens new memoir with accident that killed mother, sister
In an interview with USA TODAY, Shannon says, "The one person I really want to tell me that I'm good and say she's proud of me is my mom, and this is not bringing her back." The realization gave her a kind of freedom. "You can just enjoy being creative, life as an artist, doing what you love, pursuing your passions," she says. "It gave me a very healthy perspective about fame and what it means, and I carry that with me to this day."
Children's author Dav Pilkey hits No. 1 – again
It's a good week for Dav Pilkey. The author's latest children's novel, "Cat Kid Comic Club: On Purpose" (Graphix, 224 pp.), tops this week's USA TODAY's Best-Selling Books List. The novel, the third in Pilkey's latest series, is joined on the list by previous books Cat Kid Comic Club at No. 51, and "Cat Kid Comic Club Perspectives" at No. 24. In addition to his latest franchise, Pilkey's series "Captain Underpants" makes an appearance on the list at No. 53, as do four titles from his popular "Dog Man" series at No. 64, 67, 69 and 123.
Pilkey's "Dog Man: Mothering Heights" (No. 64) was the top-selling book on the list for all of 2021, and Pilkey was the top-selling author with five titles on the year-end list.
Vladimir Putin book 'Freezing Order' is a hot read
"Freezing Order: A True Story of Money Laundering, Murder, and Surviving Vladimir Putin's Wrath" (Simon & Schuster, 336 pp.), by Bill Browder, debits at No. 11 on this week's list.
In the book, Browder, a businessman, chronicles his attempts to bring the killers of Sergei Magnitsky to justice and find out who was behind the $230 million tax refund scheme that resulted in his death. Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer and tax accountant, exposed the corruption. He was beaten to death in 2009 in a Moscow prison while working for Browder's since-dissolved investment fund, Hermitage Capital Management.
Browder has advocated for sanctions against wealthy Russians accused of crimes, many with direct links to Putin. Browder was behind what would become the Magnitsky Act, which holds Russian officials accountable for fraud, tax evasion, human rights abuses and other corrupt practices. The Magnitsky Act was adopted in seven countries, including the United States in 2012.
In a phone interview in 2018, Browder told USA TODAY "Putin is a complete criminal," "Everyone who is at odds with him is at risk —– and I am more at risk than most."
Contributing: Kim Hjelmgaard, Erin Jensen, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Molly Shannon, Bill Browder debut on USA TODAY's bestseller list
