Periodically, we take a look at what books are flying off the shelves at The Local Store. These are the top selling books of 2024. You can pick up all of these releases (and more) at 205 N. Dewey St., Eau Claire.

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1. The Cave Lady by Jane Glenz

“Was Eau Claire native Maud Phillips a ‘Mad Poetess’ worthy of commitment to Mendota State Hospital, or was she more accurately a victim of the too-restrictive social mores of her time and place? Local author Jane Glenz explores this question in this book. Cave Lady focuses primarily on the Maud Phillips insanity trial.”

$12 • Purchase online

 

2. The Blue Trunk by Ann E. Lowry

"Rachel Jackson’s idyllic life takes a dramatic turn when she discovers a woman’s scarf in her politician husband’s computer bag. But in an election year, seeking answers to questions of infidelity is not an option. When her mother gives her a family heirloom, a travel trunk owned by an ancestor, she finds a distraction. As she immerses herself in its contents, she discovers a woman whose life is vastly different from her own. Or is it? Determined to dispel the notion that her ancestor Marit was insane, Rachel sets out to unveil her unknown story. In the interwoven narratives of these two women, who are bound by blood and a shared struggle, The Blue Trunk is a poignant exploration of identity, love, and unwavering strength."

$22 • Purchase online

 

3. Murder on the Chippewa by Scott D. Dyar

"Shots barked out on a hot July morning in the City of Eau Claire, Wisconsin in 1921. Within 24 hours the city will lose a valued officer and be plunged into one of the largest man hunts the state had seen. Over half a dozen suspects would be brought in with connections varying from Chicago crime rings to local moonshiners. No one would ever be tried for the crimes and the true identity of the man known as the “Car Barn Bandit” and the location of the stolen money now worth over $20,000 remains a mystery.

Follow the action, trace the steps of law enforcement, and develop your own case against the accused as you read this true crime history. “Murder on the Chippewa” results from years of in-depth research and includes maps, images, and other first-hand accounts that will lead you through the crowded events of the early 1920s that forever changed the community of Eau Claire, Wisconsin."

$9.99 • Purchase on Amazon

 

4. Wisconsin for Kennedy by B.J. Hollars

"Author B.J. Hollars chronicles JFK’s nail-biting Wisconsin win by drawing on rarely cited oral histories from the eclectic team of people who worked together to make it happen: a cranberry farmer, a union leader, a mayor, an architect, and others."

$25 • Purchase online

 

5. Secret Wisconsin by Tom Manus and Kristi Flick Manus

"Wisconsin is known for its outdoor recreation, supper clubs, and being “America’s Dairyland,” but intriguing wonders and obscure events lie hidden in plain sight. Why does a temporary circus billboard from 1885 still exist on a building? Did someone really exchange water with aliens for extraterrestrial pancakes? Where can you honor deceased postal letter carriers? Have you been eating brats the wrong way? Secret Wisconsin: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure, takes you on an unforgettable trip to discover the state’s quirkiness and some of its best kept secrets. Find out where famous people secretly get turkeys in the basement and where Al Capone let floatplanes land with his illegal booze before he shipped it by truck to Chicago. Learn about the state’s two Walls of China and the place where gravity can pull your vehicle uphill. Discover why JFK made a deposit in Spooner or how Teddy Roosevelt’s long speech saved his life from an attempted assassination. From donuts to whitefish livers, find out where Wisconsin delicacies hide. Local authors Tom and Kristi Flick Manus love uncovering stories that must be told. They are passionate about finding Wisconsin’s out-of-the-ordinary, hidden, and quirky side and then sharing them with you."

$27 • Purchase on Amazon

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