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'


Reading on the rise among young Danes

Schoolchildren’s increased interest in books attributed to school campaigns and better targeting by publishersDespite a myriad of new media competing for their attention, Danish children are bucking the trend and reading more books today than they did 14 years ago.A survey of 1,999... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-01-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #increased interest #read books #free time #digital devices


Mark Zuckerberg announces next 'Year of Reading' Facebook pick

Zuckerberg is asking Facebook users to join him in reading certain titles this year. The next book to be part of the program is Steven Pinker's 'The Better Angels of Our Nature.' Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #facebook users #steven pinker


More Competition in the All-You-Can-Read Magazine Market

The Netflix-for-magazines race continues… The post More Competition in the All-You-Can-Read Magazine Market appeared first on Folio:. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2015-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Teachers 'believe children read less'

More than half of teachers believe contemporary children read less than their generation did when they were growing up, according to new research carried out for the launch of this year’s Read for My School competition. For the study, 500 teachers in the UK were asked about the reading habits... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #children read #research carried #reading habits


iBooks Bestseller: ‘Girl on the Train’ Hits #3

'Girl on the Train,' the hot debut novel of the season, made a strong showing but couldn't dethrone 'American Sniper' from the top of the Apple iBooks bestseller list. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ibooks bestseller #strong showing #american sniper


Supercomputer Watson Has Cookbook Coming

The new book, 'Cognitive Cooking with Chef Watson,' will be published by Sourcebooks in April. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Ebook Platforms Know What, When and How You Read

A panel at Digital Book World last week offered several insights on how ebook platforms are analyzing user data and what they have discovered. The post Ebook Platforms Know What, When and How You Read appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #read appeared #ebook platforms


Gotch joins The Reading Agency

Corinne Gotch has joined The Reading Agency as programme co-ordinator for publishing partners. In her new role Gotch will manage the charity’s partnerships with children’s publishers and work with them to deliver reading activities in libraries. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #reading agency #publishing partners


Why We Read Together

Recently, my boss (the mayor of White Plains) brought together some of the city’s commissioners to discuss the various projects we hope to launch in 2015, with the idea that we may find opportunities to work with one another. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-01-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Children’s reading shows simultaneous rise and decline. How can that add up?

The number of youngsters reading for pleasure has declined sharply, but this sector of publishing is booming – which results in some very strange mathsAre children reading less – or more? I’m confused. If less, then what happened to the 854,262 copies of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars that... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #awful auntie #jeffrey archer #sales figures


Harry Potter's World Like You've Never Seen It Before: Illustrated

Publishers Scholastic and Bloomsbury are re-releasing the series with full-color illustrations.Between author J.K. Rowling's fan hub experience Pottermore and a slew of fans bringing elements of Harry Potter's world to life (Marauder's Map, a seven-book saga in one), the boy who lived lives on,... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2015-01-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #harry potter #publishers scholastic


Read and Eat Bookstore to Open in Chicago

Read and Eat, a bookstore that will specialize in books about food and cuisine, will open in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood in April. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-01-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Bing now recommends best-sellers for you to read

If you need recommendations for your one-person book club, because you'd rather not join an actual one (even if it was founded by a social media mogul), hit up Bing. Microsoft's search engine now displays a carousel of book titles and cover pages (wh... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2015-01-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #search engine #book titles


Mark Zuckerberg's 2015 challenge? Read more

Zuckerberg wrote that he's resolved to read more new books and is inviting Facebook users to join in. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-01-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mark zuckerberg


The Bestselling Cookbooks of 2014

Ina Garten's ninth cookbook, 'Make it Ahead,' was the top-selling cookbook of last year, moving more than 500,000 copies. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-01-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bestselling cookbooks #ina garten


Behold! Someone Made An Employee Manual You'll Actually Want To Read

EF Labs takes a colorful page from children's book illustrations for its employee manual.The company employee manual: Just saying those words is enough to lull you into a boredom-induced coma. And the idea of actually reading the content within—likely drier than the paper it's printed on—is... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2015-01-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


After the Embargo: Cookbook Author Ana Sofia Peláez on Cuban Cuisine

Peláez, author of 'The Cuban Table: A Celebration of Food, Flavors, and History,' talks about what might happen to Cuban cuisine after the embargo is lifted. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-01-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Is self-publishing a good idea? I can’t get a deal for the novel I’ve written

I’m worried it will cost too much and don’t know what cover price to chargeEvery week a Guardian Money reader submits a question, and it’s up to you to help him or her out – a selection of the best answers will appear in next Saturday’s paper.This week’s question Continue reading... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #good idea #ve written #cover price


This Year's 10 Biggest Shifts, Shake-ups and Surprises in Mobile Marketing

Fueled by new ad formats and acquisitions from Facebook, Twitter and brands, mobile marketing finally began to step up to its potential this year. From messaging and video to ultra-targeted ads and simplified shopping, smartphones and tablets became a major focus for most digital brands players... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2014-12-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #taco bell #privacy concerns #emarketer predicts #large part #sales needle #menlo park


5 good books I fear I may never read

It's sobering to think of carrying on into next year the weight of all the unread books on one's nightstand. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-12-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #unread books