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
When you deal with a lot of people, along with the brilliant stuff comes very dumb stuff as well. Inexperienced voices should be forgiven but when the big and powerful make appalling statements you have to ask yourself how they ever got their jobs.Here are some of the ones that have left me most... Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-08-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
Written By: Caroline Horn Publication Date: Tue, 09/08/2011 - 09:05 Egmont has won the publishing contract for the latest preschool series to run on CBeebies, Baby Jake, which launched in July and which is expected to be the next big childrens hit. Baby Jake was developed by Darrall Macqueen... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#publishing contract
#live action
Written By: Katie Allen Publication Date: Fri, 05/08/2011 - 14:19 Kyle Books is linking up with ex-Beatle Paul McCartneys Meat Free Mondays endeavour with a new recipe book which aims to encourage readers to go vegetarian one day a week. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#veggie cookbook
#recipe book
#encourage readers
Written By: Charlotte Williams and Philip Stone Publication Date: Fri, 05/08/2011 - 09:00 Publishers and independent booksellers are stressing the importance of "working harder" on hardback fiction titles, as sales of the format fell by £3.2m over the first half of 2011. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#charlotte williams
#independent booksellers
#working harder
Written By: Caroline Horn Publication Date: Fri, 05/08/2011 - 08:40 The government's lack of coherent support for school libraries is one of a number of factors contributing to the fall in children's literacy, according to a report by an All-Party Parliamentary Group for Education. The report... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#school libraries
#factors contributing
#professional development
Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Thu, 04/08/2011 - 15:50 Spending on physical books in July slumped to its lowest level in seven years as ebooks continue to encroach onto traditional bookseller territory. According to Nielsen BookScan data, £111.5m was spent on printed books in the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#year low
#physical books
#lowest level
#ebooks continue
#printed books
#volume sales
#four-week period
#6m year-on-year
Creative consultant JC Suares shares some of the biggest headscratchers he's heard from editors, publishers and designers. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#ve heard
Publication Date: Thu, 21/07/2011 - 21:09 Lee Child has been awarded the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year for his Jack Reacher thriller 61 Hours (Transworld), beating authors including Mark Billingham who has won the prize twice before. It is the first time Child has won the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#peculier crime
#opening night
Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Fri, 22/07/2011 - 08:34 Random House c.e.o. Dame Gail Rebuck has urged retailers to devote shelf space to the Galaxy Quick Reads promotion, as its 2012 line-up of authors is revealed. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#rebuck urges
#quick reads
#urged retailers
Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Thu, 21/07/2011 - 09:00 Murdoch Books has bought a healthy living cookbook from "Grease" star Olivia Newton-John. Managing director Christine Jones bought US, UK, Australian and New Zealand rights from Louise Georgeson. LivWise will be published in... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#zealand rights
#absolutely delighted
Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 20/07/2011 - 14:45 HarperCollins sold more than 10,000 ebooks of George RR Martin's A Dance with Dragons last week, its biggest digital performance for a new release. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Mon, 18/07/2011 - 15:00 The Reading Agency director Miranda McKearney has called for the annual Summer Reading Challenge, which launches its 2011 run today (18th July), to be on every head teacher's school improvement plan. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Wed, 13/07/2011 - 07:44 Templar Publishing has bought world English language rights to a "gritty yet glamorous tale of murder, romance and rock n roll". Helen Boyle, commissioning fiction editor, bought the rights to Drummer Girl by Bridget... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#helen boyle
Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Wed, 13/07/2011 - 15:38 Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Quercus), the first book in the late Swedish journalist's Millennium thriller trilogy, has become only the sixth adult novel to sell more than two million copies since records... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#million copies
#records began
Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Wed, 13/07/2011 - 15:35 The Reading Agency has warned library service cutbacks could challenge its Summer Reading Campaign, as it revealed 97% of library authorities will participate in this year's scheme. It will be launched on Monday at the House... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#reading agency
#library authorities
#local authorities
Sometimes keeping up with the Internet can seem like an endless assignment. The tweets and Facebook posts scroll infinitely, the email piles up, and news sites and blogs publish around the clock. That's why Summify seems so different. Continue reading at AllThingsD
[ AllThingsD | 2011-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#news sites
#iphone app
Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Mon, 04/07/2011 - 09:50 Christopher Little is "disappointed and surprised" about Neil Blair's move to set up The Neil Blair Partnership, and J K Rowling's defection to the new company. As reported on Thursday, Rowling has now "terminated her... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Mon, 04/07/2011 - 09:59 J K Rowling's former agent Christopher Little has broken his silence about the author's surprise defection from his agency, saying that he was "disappointed and surprised" by the "premature news". Responding to Little,... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 29/06/2011 - 09:16 HarperCollins has printed its one millionth copy of titles from George R R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series this year, as it announced it has sold 50,000 ebooks of the series to date. A Dance with Dragons, the fifth... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#fire series
#sky atlantic
Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Mon, 27/06/2011 - 15:39 Hodder & Stoughton imprint Saltyard Books has acquired a second Scandinavian cookery book by Signe Johansen, with the focus on seasonal fare and sweeter treats. Publisher Elizabeth Hallett bought world rights to... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#annabel merullo