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 ]
This week Dave Miller, who hosts a daily talk show on Oregon Public Broadcasting, interviewed “two very tired people”: Tuck Woodstock and Sergio Olmos, both independent journalists. Since late May, daily protests in solidarity with Black lives and against police brutality have taken place in... Continue reading at Columbia Journalism Review
[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2020-07-24 12:18:51 UTC ]
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Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor CBE will narrate the audiobook of Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-24 00:01:04 UTC ]
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The Day faced legal action from author after implying that her comments on gender harmed trans peopleA news website aimed at British schoolchildren has agreed to pay an unsubstantiated amount after it implied that JK Rowling’s comments on gender caused harm to trans people.The Day, which is... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-07-23 16:33:19 UTC ]
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Mark Dawson’s purchase pushed his thriller The Cleaner up the Sunday Times chart, but the sales monitor Nielsen has now revised its figuresAuthor Mark Dawson has lost his Top 10 position in the Sunday Times bestseller charts for his thriller The Cleaner after revealing that he bought 400 copies... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-07-22 11:24:02 UTC ]
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Figures for last year show sales of £6.3bn, up 20% on 2015, but the Publishers Association says sector needs government support to weather coronavirusBook sales in the UK hit record levels in 2019, driven by a surge in audiobook and nonfiction titles, according to new figures released as... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-07-21 23:01:08 UTC ]
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Bloomsbury says books were a lockdown hit, with children’s division revenue up 27%The backlash against JK Rowling’s views on transgender law reform has failed to dent the popularity of the Harry Potter author’s books, with publisher Bloomsbury saying they have proved a lockdown hit, pushing... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-07-21 12:29:43 UTC ]
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David Walliams and Tony Ross' The World's Worst Parents (HarperCollins) has topped the UK Official Top 50 for a third week running, selling 32,013 copies. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-21 02:42:45 UTC ]
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Author Mark Dawson has attracted criticism after bulk buying his own book gave him a high chart position. But that isn’t breaking any rulesFor any author, being able to describe yourself as a bona fide bestseller is key to conferring your career with a certain gravitas – and will often bring you... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-07-20 15:59:35 UTC ]
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In a week when print once again maintained sky-high sales, posting a 16% rise in value against the same week in 2019, and a 14.3% jump in volume, David Walliams and Tony Ross' The World's Worst Parents (HarperCollins) racked up a second week as the UK Official Top 50 number one. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-14 01:48:14 UTC ]
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NetGalley has added audiobook support to its platform and launched its first app allowing members to read and listen to its content. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-13 18:47:51 UTC ]
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BAFTA-nominated actor Steven Mackintosh is to narrate the audiobook of Louise Candlish's 2020 thriller The Other Passenger (Simon & Schuster). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-12 17:42:43 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House Audio is releasing Edinburgh Unlocked, a comedy festival in audiobook format featuring names such as Ivo Graham, Jessie Cave, Sofie Hagen and Dane Baptiste. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-12 14:00:06 UTC ]
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Reni Eddo-Lodge's Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race (Audible Studios for Bloomsbury) has topped the weekly Audible chart for a fifth week running. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-09 15:58:23 UTC ]
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David Walliams and Tony Ross' The World's Worst Parents (HarperCollins) zipped upwards 11 places to the Amazon Charts' Most-Sold: Fiction top spot, as Mrs Hinch's memoir This is Me (Michael Joseph), due to be released in October, swept straight to the top of Most-Sold: Non-Fiction. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-08 08:45:20 UTC ]
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If thrillers with complicated relationships are your cup of murder-y tea, here are some audiobook thrillers to keep you in suspense. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-07-07 10:32:59 UTC ]
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Armchair detectives, get ready for a voyage around the world. You don't need to pack a bag--just pick up these audiobook mysteries and get sleuthing. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-07-07 10:31:58 UTC ]
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David Walliams and Tony Ross' The World's Worst Parents (HarperCollins) has rocketed into the UK Official Top 50 number one spot, selling 74,328 copies in its first three days on sale. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-06 19:39:47 UTC ]
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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. On today’s episode, host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb revisit the Hunger Games, this... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-07-03 08:06:39 UTC ]
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Three mission-driven indie bookstores well-known for their commitment to social justice have ceased stocking books written by J.K. Rowling, accusing the Harry Potter author of promoting hatred towards transgender people. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-07-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperCollins is releasing an unabridged audiobook of J R R Tolkien's The Hobbit, read by Andy Serkis who starred as Gollum in the blockbuster movies. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-01 17:52:05 UTC ]
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