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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iBooks Bestsellers: A Patterson 'Affair'

James Patterson's '15th Affair,' the latest entry in his Women's Murder Club series, written with Maxine Paetro, is #1 on the iBooks Bestsellers list for the week that ended May 8. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2016: Browsing the Booths, Chapter 2

For those on the lookout for new kids’ books, author autographings, and giveaways, here’s a peek at some of the happenings at the booths of children’s publishers today and tomorrow. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2016: Laurie Halse Anderson: Setting History Straight

More than 20 years ago, when Laurie Halse Anderson was researching the epidemic that inspired her first historical middle-grade novel, Fever 1793, she came across a stunning piece of information. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2016: Richard Peck: On a Mission to Debunk Stereotypes

Richard Peck is thrilled that BEA is in Chicago this year. Not only is it a homecoming for the Decatur, Ill., native—“if you can go home again,” he says—but he credits the Illinois legislature with producing the spark that became "Best Man." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2016: Brit Bennett: A Coming-of-Age Debut

A young phenom in the making, Brit Bennett, 25, started writing "The Mothers" while still in high school in Oceanside, Calif., finishing it not long ago while a Zell Postgraduate Fellow at the University of Michigan, and polishing it as recently as two months ago. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2016: Jennifer Close: A Hopeful in Fact and Fiction

It might be a double-edged sword, Jennifer Close says, that her fourth novel, "The Hopefuls" (Knopf, July), is being published the same week that the Republicans in Cleveland, and the Democrats in Philadelphia the following week, are convening to select their presidential nominees. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Shanghai book fair awards open for entry

The Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair 2016 has opened its awards for entry, including two prizes for international children’s literature. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-10 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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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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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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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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E-book Sales Decline Continues

First quarter financial reports from three of the country's largest trade publishers revealed a continuing decline in ebook sales. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-06 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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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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Counterpoint, OR Books Partner on New Fall List

The two publishers, based in San Francisco and New York respectively, have launched a co-published list for fall featuring titles by Walter Mosley and Julian Assange. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Yallwest 2016 in Photos

More than 100 authors and illustrators attended the two-day celebration of all things YA (and some middle grade this year, too). Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ 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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