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 ]
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Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Wed, 13/04/2011 - 11:56 Harvill Secker has acquired a dystopian crime novel by Finnish writer Antti Tuomainen, set in a futuristic Helsinki. Publishing director Liz Foley bought UK and Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) to The Healer through... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Tue, 12/04/2011 - 08:00 Beautiful Books has signed exclusive world rights at London Book Fair with The Real Man Pizza Company to produce a series of cookbooks. The deal was signed between managing director Simon Petherick and Real Man m.d. Tom... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The breakaway group of Angus & Robertson franchisees say they're surprised by legal action from the group's administrators. Continue reading at The Sydney Morning Herald
[ The Sydney Morning Herald | 2011-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Fri, 08/04/2011 - 14:47 The Publishers Association has called for more government investment in learning resources after a survey revealed the schoolbook market was hit by cutbacks this year, with further cuts anticipated in 2012. The PA's recently... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publication Date: Wed, 06/04/2011 - 14:24 Quercus has won a "keenly contested" auction to a debut literary crime novel set in Hull and East Yorkshire. Editor Jon Riley acquired UK and Commonwealth rights excluding Canada to The Dark Winter from Oliver Munson at Blake Friedmann in a two-book... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fans of British royalty can read all they want about the April 29 wedding of HRH Prince William and Kate Middleton, but cookbook readers may be interested in learning about the event from a different perspective. As befits a royal wedding, there will be more than one cake for guests to enjoy on... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pop-up restaurants and gourmet food trucks have become ubiquitous in many American cities, drawing in customers who follow trends, enjoy food, and don't mind waiting outside in extreme temperatures for schnitzel, grilled cheese, or fancy slushies (and actually might tweet about the whole... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Fri, 11/03/2011 - 16:25 Writers ability to average out their earnings over a number of years could be abolished, according to new tax system proposals. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publication Date: Tue, 08/03/2011 - 08:57 The Galaxy-sponsored advertising campaign for Quick Reads has been unveiled, with advertising, posters and bookmarks lined up for the literacy campaign. The 10 Quick Reads, all published on World Book Day, 3rd March, include titles by Linwood Barclay,... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Fri, 04/03/2011 - 09:12 National Reading Group Day is among the new features designed to boost the importance of indie retailers during this years Independent Booksellers Week. The Booksellers Association has just announced that the annual IBW will... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 25/02/2011 - 08:45 The UK's big four publishing groupsPenguin, Hachette, Random House and HarperCollinscould be the worst hit in terms of exposure to the ANZ market according to Nielsen BookScan data, following REDgroup's collapse in... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 23/02/2011 - 08:38 Orion has signed up a series of crime novels from author Harry Bingham, who? has previously written fiction and non-fiction for HarperCollins. Deputy publishing director Bill Massey made the deal for UK and Commonwealth rights... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Though cookbook publishers are usually quick to seek out special sales channels from Williams-Sonoma to the Culinary Institute of America, one venue may not be at the forefront of their minds: libraries. And while health and medicine titles used to be the most popular nonfiction titles checked... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As the Paris Cookbook Fair gets underway next month, cookbook publishers are getting ready to do some shopping--and not just the sort that involves stocking up on Dijon mustard and bonbons from Fauchon. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Mon, 07/02/2011 - 12:37 Octopus has signed up a bakery book from new Soho cupcake shop, Cox Cookies & Cake. Group publisher Denise Bates acquired world rights to Sexy Desire through Anne Kibel at AK Artist Management. Bates said: "Baking is... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The David Chang journal and app that was announced last week is just the first of a new imprint literary publisher McSweeneys Books is launching later this spring. Inspired by the very encouraging response to the food section in a one-off newspaper prototype McSweeneys published in December... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-02-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Barbara Casassus Market research firm GfK has predicted that 1 million tactile tablets will be sold in France this year. A total of 435,000 worth 220 million euros were sold here in 2010, a strong start for the new market. Although tablet sales for Christmas were reported not to... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-01-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A year-old social networking and digital distribution platform that aims to bring writers and agents together has created a contest to find "the next big crime fiction blockbuster." Circalit, launched in February 2010 as a place for screenwriters to showcase their work to studios, began inviting... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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