Cosy crime, cookbooks and a surprise hit: what we’ve really read in the pandemic

It was a chance to finally get around to Tolstoy or Proust, but the charts tell a different story. Which books did we actually turn to in the lockdowns? • Let us know in the comments what you were reading Back in spring 2020, when it became clear that coronavirus wasn’t going away, book lovers spied an opportunity for a rare, government-mandated reading holiday. Here, at last, was a chance to have a go at Tolstoy’s War and Peace and Proust’s In Search of Lost Time. Robert Macfarlane reported that he was working his way through the great Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh. Ali Smith urged readers towards Boccaccio’s Decameron. Diana Evans’s thoughts turned “heavenwards” by way of Homer’s Odyssey. I downloaded 27 hours of The Brothers Karamazov audiobook in anticipation.All lovely ideas. With 20 months of hindsight, however, which books did we actually end up turning to? The bestseller lists from the three different lockdowns may not tell you the contents of Britain’s soul, but then again, the numbers do not lie. We read: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. Sophie Hinchliffe’s Mrs Hinch: The Little Book of Lists. Lots of David Walliams, who topped the Lockdown 1 and Lockdown 2 charts with Slime and Code Name Bananas respectively. JK Rowling: the first three Harry Potter books steadily rose up the charts through the pandemic. Joe Wicks. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. A Pinch of Nom, plus spin-offs. Sally Rooney’s Normal People. Reni Eddo-Lodge’s Why I’m No Longer... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2021-12-11 09:00:06 UTC ]
News tagged with: #lost time #diana evans #richard osman #mrs hinch #david walliams #jk rowling #joe wicks #sally rooney #normal people #reni eddo-lodge #longer talking #white people #harry potter #bestseller lists #audiobook

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Cosy crime, cookbooks and a surprise hit: what we’ve really read in the pandemic'


Regional Cookbooks 2015: A World of Flavors

This fall, an array of titles highlight traditional specialties, high-end restaurant dishes, and everything in between, from across the U.S. and around the world. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Regional Cookbooks 2015: The South

From fiery Texas chili to Nashville hot chicken, the season's southern cookbooks are turning up the heat. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Regional Cookbooks 2015: West Africa

When it comes to African cookbooks, Morocco typically dominates. But this season, West Africa comes into focus. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #west africa


Regional Cookbooks 2015: Midwest

Forthcoming cookbooks that focus on the Midwest showcase a diversity that some readers may find surprising. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Regional Cookbooks 2015: Pacific Coast

New cookbooks highlight the breadth of West Coast cuisine, from favorite local eateries to the coastline-spanning oyster crop. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Embracing Bean-to-Bar: Chocolate Cookbooks Sweeten Up Fall

Two new chocolate cookbooks from bean-to-bar chocolatiers are hitting shelves soon. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hitting shelves


Regional Cookbooks 2015: Peru

Peruvian cuisine is having a moment, with a trio of prominent chefs releasing cookbooks in 2015. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Hitting bookstores soon: J.R.R. Tolkien's first fantasy story

'The Story of Kullervo,' a dark retelling of the 19th-century Finnish poem 'The Kalevala,' is the latest in a number of previously unpublished works by J.R.R. Tolkien. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-08-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hitting bookstores


Regional Cookbooks 2015: The Northeast

A number of fall cookbooks are based on recipes developed at restaurants and other food purveyors across the Northeast. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fall cookbooks


Regional Cookbooks 2015: India

This season brings several new cookbooks of subcontinental cuisine, including two from renowned Indian chefs. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Reading Rainbow: Hoping to Engage Lifelong Readers Through Licensing

For the first time in its 30-plus-year history, the Reading Rainbow brand is strategically entering the licensing arena, with assistance from its new licensing agent, Brand Central. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #reading rainbow


Top 10 Reads from Yale Book Publishing Course All-Stars

Top ten books and websites recommended by speakers at this year's Yale Book Publishing Course to improve the way you work. The post Top 10 Reads from Yale Book Publishing Course All-Stars appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Mr Singh's fiery cookbook to Pavilion

Pavilion has signed a cookbook by the London-based company Mr Singh’s Sauces. Commissioning editor Emily Preece-Morrison struck the deal for world rights for Mr Singh’s Fabulous Fiery Cookbook directly with Mr Singh’s. The book will feature a fusion of Anglo-Asian recipes using the company’s... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #world rights


Lonely Planet Rolling Out New Cookbook Series

The first titles in the series, 'From the Source: Italy' and 'From the Source: Thailand,' go on sale September 1. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Sales rise but profits hit at CUP

Cambridge University Press saw sales rise 5% year-on-year at constant currency rates to £269m in the year ended April 2015, according to its latest annual report. The increase reflected "significant" expansion in its Education division, which was offset by lower increases in Academic. However... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sales rise #education division #sharp decline #south africa


PW Asks: Do Millennials Read E-Books?

Our big feature this week is about the emerging market of Millennial readers. They're young; they're cool; they were born into a world of omnipotent, hyper-fast technology; their eyes are glued to their phones. But do they read ebooks? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pw asks #big feature #millennial readers #read ebooks


Daily Mail publisher hit by fall in print advertising

DGMT share price drops 9% after ‘marked deterioration’ in advertising revenue for flagship print titlesShares in the Daily Mail’s parent company have slumped 9% after it reported a fall in print advertising revenues at its flagship national newspapers. Advertising revenues at the Daily Mail and... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-07-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #print advertising #advertising revenue #advertising revenues #digital counterpart #8% increase #print decline


Wattpad's Native Ads Pitch in a TL;DR World? Consumers and Brands Love Long Reads

First the Serial podcast became wildly popular. Then President Barack Obama sat down for an interview with Marc Maron for the comedian's WTF program, and the audio-only format that is podcasting was validated like never before. The developments largely flew in the face of the increasingly... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2015-07-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #decade ago #longer period #short form #follow trends


'We've Gone Headlong': Inside Time Inc.'s Video Strategy

Over the past two years Time Inc., the magazine company, has attempted to position itself as Time Inc., the digital content brand.   Core to the push has been video, which Time Inc. has produced in multiple forms. On the Web, its video team, now ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-07-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #years time #video strategy #video team #magazine company