Bestselling books 2016: the ghosts of Christmas charts past

JK Rowling and Bill Bryson top the charts, while film tie-ins give Paula Hawkins and Jojo Moyes a second bite of the cherry – but this unpredictable year has also seen a welcome revival of humorous writingIt was a year when the No 1 book was a play script. When hyper-prolific James Patterson, dubbed the “library king” as Britain’s long-reigning most-borrowed author, could manage no higher than 60th place. When the anonymous, insanely difficult GCHQ Puzzle Book was 43rd, and so beat super-sellers like Patterson and Ian Rankin, not to mention all those much-hyped hygge books.The all-year sales rankings for 2016 are full of such surprises, as befits an unpredictable year, but also contain much that is comfortingly recognisable, such as the ghosts of Christmas charts past at the top. With Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, JK Rowling reclaims the No 1 spot that used to be reserved for her in the noughties, and her versatility is underlined by four other entries in various genres (12, 28, 64, 95). Bill Bryson reprised the round-Britain trip behind his mid-90s hit, Notes from a Small Island, in The Road to Little Dribbling (13) and the result is the list’s highest placed non-fiction title. Mary Berry (17), easily this year’s leading conventional cookery writer, was penning bestselling festive gifts long before either of them emerged. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2016-12-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Behind the Italian Bestseller, 'A Tempest in Four Teacups'

Federica Brunini's new novel about a group of girlfriends on a retreat in the south of France, released last month in Italy, has hit the Italian bestseller list after just a few weeks on sale. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Masters of Prose Warm Up to Children’s Picture Books

The writer Jane Smiley, center, at a reading of her book “Twenty Yawns” at Bank Street Bookstore in Manhattan last month. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2016-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Verso to publish 'explosive' book on tax havens

Verso Books is to publish Dirty Secrets, an "explosive" new book from tax expert Richard Murphy, following the revelations from the Panama Papers. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Audio Book Club Meets Lab Girl

To listen to the Audio Book Club discussion of Lab Girl, click the arrow on the player below. Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2016-05-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Norton calls for more translated children’s books

UK-based authors Jeff Norton and Siobhan Curham told delegates at this year’s Sharjah Children's Reading Festival that more books from other cultures need to be translated for Western readers. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sharjah’s Book City launch approaches

A year on from the announcement of the creation of Sharjah’s Book City, Ahmed Al Ameri, director of Sharjah Book Fair and chairman of the Sharjah Book Authority, said the plans were “going well”. He indicated that it will launch this year, though he did not reveal a date. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E-book Sales Decline Continues

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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With Print Book Sales Stabilized, Return Rate Lowers

After the upheaval caused by the rise of ebooks, it appears that print book returns have largely declined. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Baileys pop-up 'book bar' at new Waterstones

The Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction is opening its first-ever pop-up "book bar" at Waterstones’ new Tottenham Court Road store from Monday 16th May. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Paula Hawkins launches R&J summer book club

Paula Hawkins' bestseller The Girl on the Train (Doubleday) will launch this year's Richard and Judy summer book club, with W H Smith also unveiling the club's "fresh" new look. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Counterpoint, OR Books Partner on New Fall List

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Wired' Culture Launches a Book Club

The editors of the publication’s culture section have selected N.K. Jemisin’s 'The Fifth Season' as the first title to be read in the new group, which will focus on works of science fiction and fantasy. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Goodreads Debuts Kindle E-book Giveaways

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bookstore News: May 5, 2016

A new store opens in Wyoming; a store will expand in Pennsylvania; and a B&N captures customers because of a bomb threat. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S leads Cross Sports Book shortlists

Simon & Schuster leads the shortlists for the 2016 Cross Sports Book Awards with seven nominations, while footballer Steven Gerrard and champion jockey Sir Anthony McCoy battle it out for Best Autobiography of the Year. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This Saturday, the 39th annual TD Canadian Children's Book Week kicks with 29 authors, illustrators, and storytellers participating in more than 400 book-related events across the country. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bookstore News: May 4, 2016

New bookstores are coming to Montana and Florida; a California store moves online; and a Pennsylvania shop becomes a community gathering place. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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iBooks Bestsellers: 'Extreme Prey' on Top

'Extreme Prey,' John Sandford's latest Lucas Davenport thriller, is #1 on the iBooks U.S. bestsellers list for the week that ended May 1. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

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Adult coloring books face threat from app rivals Colorfy, Recolor and more

Since she got in on the adult coloring book craze two years ago, Cheri Brown has spent more than $400 on 50 books holding intricate sketches that she embellishes with Sharpies, colored pencils and gel pens. But in November, Brown shifted spending to digital products. She paid $100 for mobile apps... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2016-05-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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