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 ]

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Have we fallen out of love with celebrity memoirs?

The year’s autobiography big-hitters haven’t sold as well as expected, with buyers disenchanted by pricing and lack of feelgood topicsFrom actors and musicians to athletes and presenters, there are no shortage of celebrity memoirs on bookshop shelves. This year has seen new books published by a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-12-09 10:52:17 UTC ]
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What Running Has Taught Me About Writing (and Vice Versa)

I’m a daily runner. When I run varies, depending on the day’s contours, but I always lace up and head out. Earbuds in, audiobook on, running app ready to track my slow miles along semi-rural roads. Often, I don’t want to go. No matter how much I practice, I find running difficult. When I was […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-12-08 09:53:23 UTC ]
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The Best Audiobook Thrillers to Listen to This Winter

Listen for the twists, turns, and secrets in ten of the best audiobook thrillers to listen to this holiday season! Continue reading at Book Riot

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BookBeat in France: ‘Updated’ Audiobook Subscriptions

BookBeat is ditching an all-you-can-listen-to audiobook subscription in a major market and offering time-based options in six other countries. The post BookBeat in France: ‘Updated’ Audiobook Subscriptions appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-12-05 13:55:15 UTC ]
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Talking to Lake Bell About the 2022 Best Nonfiction and Culture Audiobooks

Every Monday through Friday, AudioFile’s editors recommend the best in audiobook listening. We keep our daily episodes short and sweet, with audiobook clips to give you a sample of our featured listens. Actor, author, and film director Lake Bell joins AudioFile’s Michele Cobb to learn more about... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-12-05 09:53:28 UTC ]
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Bookwire Has an Audiobook Deal With France’s Banijay

Based in Frankfurt, Bookwire's expansion into the French market includes audiobook production and distribution work with Banijay. The post Bookwire Has an Audiobook Deal With France’s Banijay appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-11-30 03:03:33 UTC ]
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Bookwire in France: A ‘New’ Audiobook Market

Bookwire's half-day 'All About Audio' conference highlighted trends in the fast-growing but still-young popularity of audiobooks in France. (Sponsored) The post Bookwire in France: A ‘New’ Audiobook Market appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-11-23 18:44:09 UTC ]
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China Bestsellers in September: ‘Humor and Wisdom’

Writerly craft, online serialization, television appearances, and studies of loneliness propelled titles onto the September bestseller lists in China. The post China Bestsellers in September: ‘Humor and Wisdom’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-11-16 09:12:19 UTC ]
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Book Riot’s Mystery and Thriller Deals for November 14, 2022

Today’s edition of Mystery Daily Deals is sponsored by the audiobook edition of Murder at Black Oaks by Phillip Margolin`the audiobook edition of Murder at Black Oaks by Phillip... Continue reading at Book Riot

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I’m Proud of My Queer Fandom

The first time I felt possessed by a fantasy series, I was fifteen. It was 2004, and from my family’s small computer room, I spent the after-dinner hours in a web forum devoted to NC-17 Harry Potter fanfiction. This was the same room where my brother had constructed a secret liquor cabinet from... Continue reading at Electric Literature

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This Week's Bestsellers: October 31, 2022

Colleen Hoover has the #1 book in the country – and so much more – with 'It Starts with Us.' Plus new celeb memoirs include two by Harry Potter movie alums, and Jen Hatmaker and Phil Rosenthal each feed readers' need for new cookbooks. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

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Spotify accuses Apple of impeding its fledgling audiobook business

Spotify launched its audiobook business just last month with 300,000 titles, but is now saying that Apple is engaging in "anticompetitive" behavior that is impinging the new business, the company wrote in a blog post. It said that Apple rejected its audiobook purchasing system three times due to... Continue reading at Engadget

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Hell and Back by Craig Johnson, Read by George Guidall

Every Monday through Friday, AudioFile’s editors recommend the best in audiobook listening. We keep our daily episodes short and sweet, with audiobook clips to give you a sample of our featured listens. Golden Voice narrator George Guidall compellingly narrates Craig Johnson’s latest Longmire... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

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'We'll Sue Him': Trump Claims Bob Woodward Audiobook Interview Tapes 'Belong To Me'

The former president warned: "We've already hired the lawyers" to sue the prominent journalist. Continue reading at HuffPost

[ HuffPost | 2022-10-22 01:40:50 UTC ]
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At Frankfurt: ‘Many Different Approaches for Publishers’ to Audiobooks

Among issues discussed in audiobook market development: more business models and Spotify's entry with à la carte pricing. The post At Frankfurt: ‘Many Different Approaches for Publishers’ to Audiobooks appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-10-20 23:29:00 UTC ]
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'Harry Potter' actor Tom Felton explains how an escape from rehab helped his sobriety

In his memoir 'Beyond the Wand,' Tom Felton shares behind-the-scenes tales from the 'Harry Potter' franchise and chronicles his struggle with alcohol. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

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Harry Potter and Cracker actor Robbie Coltrane dies aged 72

The actor, known for playing Hagrid in the Harry Potter franchise and Fitz in the series Cracker, has died aged 72. Continue reading at BBC News

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Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane, who played Hagrid in Harry Potter films, dies at 72

Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane, who played a forensic psychologist on the TV series Cracker and Hagrid in the Harry Potter movies, has died. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2022-10-14 17:36:32 UTC ]
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Robbie Coltrane: a totally singular talent from Cracker to Harry Potter – cerebral, physical and unforgettable

From early comedy in Tutti Frutti to damaged psychologist Fitz, via Hagrid, Falstaff, Blackadder and finally National Treasure’s complex, hard-to-hate lead, Coltrane – who has died aged 72 – was a one-off“You’re a wizard, Harry!”For an entire generation all over the world, this was the key... Continue reading at The Guardian

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Audiobooks: Bonnier’s BookBeat Opens in Spain and Italy

BookBeat, based in Sweden, is offering usage-time audiobook subscriptions in both its new markets, Italy and Spain. The post Audiobooks: Bonnier’s BookBeat Opens in Spain and Italy appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-10-12 19:40:00 UTC ]
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