On a library waitlist for Prince Harry's new book? Here's what to do in your 'Spare' time.

The royal family tell-all isn't the only juicy scandal story out there.

January 12, 2023 at 1:50PM
FILE - Copies of the new book by Prince Harry called "Spare" are displayed at a book store in London, Jan. 10, 2023. Prince Harry's explosive memoir, with its damning allegations of a toxic relationship between the monarchy and the press, is likely to accelerate the pace of change already under way within the House of Windsor following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
Prince Harry’s tell-all, “Spare,” became a best-seller the day it was released. (Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

In the United Kingdom, Prince Harry's book "Spare" became the fastest-selling non-fiction book on Tuesday — the day it debuted. It didn't do so poorly on this side of the Atlantic, either, where it shot to the top of Amazon's top non-fiction list.

If you're wild about Harry, you'll be pleased to hear there are plenty of copies available locally. You can pick one up at local Barnes + Noble for about $25. But if you're just royal curious and want to get the book for free, you'll have to wait.

There are 1,322 holds on 132 copies of the book and 2,031 holds on 14 eBooks, according to the Hennepin County Library System's website. For audiobooks you'll have to wait even longer: There are 2,062 holds on just 12 copies. You might have a little more luck over in Ramsey County, where there are 287 holds on 22 books and 44 holds for three copies of the audiobook. That's still a wait.

Since you've probably already seen the Netflix docuseries "Harry & Meghan," here are some alternative ways to sate your appetite for family, scandal and royalty.

WATCHING

"Glass Onion" is all the rage now, but if you want see detective Benoit Blanc expose razor-sharp family divisions, re-watch "Knives Out."

"Succession" shows there's nothing like passing an international media conglomerate to a new generation (or, to be more accurate, obstinately refusing to pass it to a new generation of vipers) to bring out the deviousness in the Roy clan.

It'll take a while to watch all five seasons of "The Crown" on Netflix. But then, if you're on a local library waitlist for "Spare," you probably have a bit of time. (And, hey, even Prince Harry has watched "The Crown.")

READING
"The Palace Papers," by Tina Brown. Our books editor called the tome, by long-time royal chronicler Brown, "entertaining and illuminating, but not tawdry, even as she deals with all kinds of tawdry actions."

For a bit of family scandal closer to home, consider reading one of the books on the Congdon family of Duluth's Glensheen mansion. You should be able to find used copies of "Secrets of the Congdon Mansion," by Joe Kimball; "Glensheen's Daughter," by Sharon Darby Hendry or "Will to Murder" by Gail Feichtinger and John E. DeSanto.

about the writer

Connie Nelson

Senior editor

Connie Nelson is the senior editor for lifestyles for the Star Tribune. 

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