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 ]
New releases nabbed the top spots on bestseller lists across international markets in October. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-11-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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David Walliams’ Awful Auntie (HarperCollins Children’s) has been named Children’s Book of the Year at the Specsavers National Book Awards, making it the third time in a row the author has won the honour. The awards, presented today (26th November) at a ceremony at the Foreign Office in London... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The author of The Gruffalo earned more than JK Rowling and Dan Brown in UK, making her the fourth biggest-selling writer in British historyA dancing chorus of giants and snails, witches and Gruffalos have propelled Julia Donaldson into uncharted territory, as the former childrens laureate... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-11-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Man Booker-shortlisted Ali Smith, Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction winner Eimear McBride, and Costa Book of the Year winner Nathan Filer are among the authors vying at the Specsavers National Book Awards this year. Presented in association with high street campaign Books Are My Bag, the awards... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ebook readers reveal the most highlighted passages in Harry Potter, the Bible, Lord of the Rings and many more Its an odd sensation to be reading an ebook and to suddenly notice that thanks to the providers data-tracking software youre on a passage that other people have already highlighted. I... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-11-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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David Walliams' Awful Auntie (HarperCollins) retains pole position at the top of the official UK Top 50 for a record-breaking sixth week selling another 31,012 copies in the seven days ending 1st November. Volume sales were down 13% week on week but the bestseller has yet to sell less than... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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J K Rowling has revealed that Dolores Umbridge, a Hogwarts professor and enemy of Harry Potter, was based on a real person. In any essay posted on the Pottermore website, Rowling said she “disliked intensely on sight” the person she based Umbridge on, who was a teacher “in a certain skill or... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Dolores Umbridge is a sadistic teacher whom Harry encounters. Rowling posted a piece on the website Pottermore with new information about the character's past and revealed how she was inspired to give the cruel teacher a love of bows and kittens. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-11-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sales bumps after books are adapted as movies or TV shows are nothing new, but 'Gone Girl' author Flynn and 'Outlander' writer Gabaldon are seeing their older books reappear and hold steady on bestseller lists as well. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-10-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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David Walliams has retained pole position in the UK Official Top 50 for the fifth consecutive week, narrowly eclipsing Lynda Bellingham's memoir, in the week that the TV star lost her battle to cancer. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-10-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Oliver Jeffers, David Walliams and Malorie Blackman are some of the big-name authors on the shortlists for the 2015 Red House Children’s Book Awards. The shortlist is divided into three categories and in the youngest group - books for younger children - the nominations are Dragon Loves... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-10-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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David Walliams, Malorie Blackman and Debi Gliori are among the authors on this year's shortlist for the Red House Children's book prize. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2014-10-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The final installment in Ken Follett’s Century trilogy, Edge of Eternity, landed at the top of two bestseller lists in international markets in September. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Richard Preston's book 'The Hot Zone' was published in 1994 and tells the story of Ebola appearing in a lab in Washington D.C. Now it's back on bestseller lists and it could be adapted as a TV series. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-10-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harry Potter, The Gruffalo, and Horrid Henry are the top book brands for children, according to a report commissioned by the Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA). The report—released at the Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) exhibition, held in London last week—found that books were... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-10-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What we learned from The Bookseller Childrens Conference about how kids are reading and how publishers are respondingIn 2014, childrens books are facing more competition than ever from other forms of entertainment, particularly digital: games, apps, YouTube and social networking.Does this mean... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What titles most shaped the site's readers? Harry Potter, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Lord of the Rings—and the Bible. Continue reading at The Atlantic
[ The Atlantic | 2014-09-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Murakami's novel 'Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage' is still topping US bestseller lists. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-09-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Yates is reportedly in negotiations to direct 'Beasts,' a new story set in the world of 'Harry Potter.' Yates directed the well-received final four movies in the 'Potter' film series. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-08-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Rowling's newest original content penned for the website Pottermore focuses on Celestina Warbeck, an 'off-stage' character whose songs are heard in the 'Potter' novels although the singer never makes an actual appearance. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-08-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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