Dog's tales and meowmoirs: the irresistible rise of endearing animal books

A cuddly antidote to worrying times, ‘pet lit’ has become a publishing phenomenon. But isn’t it all a bit twee?Picture the scene: it’s the end of a long day. You’re tired, you’re cold, you need to curl up with a cup of tea and something comforting to read. But wait! You also love animals. What better, then, than a copy of A Pug Like Percy, Fiona Harrison’s tale of a cute canine who has been dumped in an animal shelter, but who brings a “little miracle” to Gail and her unhappy family? Or Daisy Bell’s The Christmas Guest, a “heart-warming tale of a homeless puppy with a huge heart”? Or Jacqueline Sheehan’s A Dog Like Lloyd (“Roxanne Pellegrino’s … new life of solitude is interrupted when she meets Lloyd – a stray black labrador with an equally unhappy past”). You get the idea.The genre – let’s go ahead and call it “pet lit” – is booming. Melissa Daley’s Molly and the Cat Cafe has sold more than 20,000 copies, according to book sales monitor Nielsen BookScan. A Pug Like Percy has shifted 10,000; Lynne Barrett-Lee’s Able Seacat Simon (“the fictional reimagining of Able Seacat Simon’s adventures and heroics in dangerous wartime seas”) almost as many. Sheila Jeffries’ Timba Comes Home (“two black kittens against the world is the pact they make when they are abandoned in a ditch”) is padding towards similar popularity, with 8,000 copies finding a home.The world’s going to hell in a handcart... if there’s a book out there to raise a smile, grab it with both hands. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2017-10-12 00:00:00 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "Dog's tales and meowmoirs: the irresistible rise of endearing animal books"


Children’s Books in China 2018: The Rise of the Pop-Science Segment in China

Mention “pop science” in China and one blockbuster comes to mind: The Magic School Bus. It has remained the #1 children’s title since its launch in 2010, with online retailer Dangdang selling nearly half a million copies in an average year. On Singles’ Day—which is the equivalent of Black Friday... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #black friday #million copies


Sainsbury's and Blackwell's report rise in Christmas book sales

Sainsbury’s and Blackwell’s have reported positive book sales over the Christmas period, with Pete Selby, head of books at the supermarket, saying that gift purchases are now "shifting" from other entertainment to books. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-01-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #gift purchases #pete selby #christmas period


Frankfurt Book Fair 2017: Trade Visitors Flat, but Overall Attendance Rises

Professional attendance at the 2017 Frankfurt Book Fair was essentially flat, but overall attendance, including the public visitors on the fair's closing day, was up by 3%. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-10-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #closing day #essentially flat #professional attendance #attendance rises


Mark Millar's superhero rise from comic book nerd to Netflix winner

How Scotsman made multi-million pound leap from page to screen with sale of Millarworld titles to US streaming giantLike many comic book writers and artists, Mark Millar’s love of comics began as a young child when his older brother would take him to comic book shops. But now the Scottish author... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-08-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #sherlock holmes #long time #20-year history


In the World of Books, Sharjah Is a Rising Star

Ten years ago, publishers might have struggled to find the emirate on a map. Today, it's home to a blossoming book scene, the Sharjah International Book Fair, and the hot Arabic-language kids' publisher Kalimat. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #rising star


The Handmaid's Tale tops book charts after TV series UK debut

Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel rockets to number one on Amazon after Channel 4 begins airing series starring Elisabeth MossThe Handmaid’s Tale, the 1985 novel by Margaret Atwood envisaging a hellish dystopia where the US is ruled by an ultra-far-right regime that treats women as chattels, has... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #canadian author #tv adaptation #bestseller charts #margaret atwood #amazon charts


Tigra Live Animation Bringing AR to Books

A new company started by the founder of the remainder house US Media Partners, Tigra Live Animation, has developed an augmented reality program that can animate books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-05-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #media partners #company started


Empty satire: the regrettable rise of blank-paged books in the Trump era

Donald Trump loves Reasons to Vote Democrat, a volume of white space that follows a number of liberal spoofs with the same content. I prefer less vacant jokesIt’s a product worthy of Reggie Perrin’s Grot shop – the store opened to sell tat in David Nobbs’s magnificent satire of modern life: a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-04-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #bestseller charts #chapter headings #title page #modern life #store opened


Sun shines on Paris Book Fair as attendees rise 3%

Glorious weather did not deter the French from attending the four-day Paris book fair or Livre Paris, which ended last night with a 3% increase in visitor numbers to nearly 160,000 from 155,000 last year. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #visitor numbers #3% increase #livre paris #sun shines


Six Books on Spiritual Lessons Learned from Animals

Dogs are known as a man’s best friend, but new books coming from religion publishers are exploring how animals can also offer a deeper understanding of spirituality. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #deeper understanding #religion publishers #books coming


The fall and rise of physical book sales worldwide – in data

The effect of ebooks on sales of paper books has not been as drastic as expected – it seems that other, more unpredictable factors have a greater influence on how and what we readNielsen, which tracks book sales in several countries, released 2016 figures to coincide with this week’s London Book... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #individual titles #hazel kenyon #book markets #south africa #mixed bag #paper books


London book fair: UK publishers cheerfully splash cash as sales rise

Decline of reality TV and soap star memoirs greeted with glee, but publishers say it is time to turn the page on Gone Girl-style ‘grip-lit’On the eve of the London book fair, publishers were excited by news that sales of physical books were up for the second year in a row – 7% more than in 2015.... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #print books #book fair #4% rise #bricks-and-mortar bookshops #physical books #reality tv


High street sees 4% rise in book sales

The British high street saw a 4% rise in book volume purchases through physical stores last year, while online sales flatlined. However, online retailers continued to grow their market share of the print market with a 1% rise to 32% of volume purchases in 2016. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #1% rise #print market #market share #physical stores #4% rise #book sales


Children’s helps Sainsbury’s book sales rise 7.5%

Sainsbury’s has revealed its book sales grew 7.5% year on year in the fourth quarter of 2016, The Bookseller can reveal, with its growth in total retail sales a more modest 0.8%. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #fourth quarter #5% year


Book Publishers Scramble to Make Sense of Trump’s Rise to Victory

Katy Tur of NBC News at a campaign rally for Donald Trump in Manchester, N.H., on Nov. 7. Her forthcoming book on Mr. Trump’s campaign and election is called “Unbelievable.” Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2016-11-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #nbc news #make sense


Anna Kendrick book: Her career and the rise of 'Pitch Perfect'

Anna Kendrick's new memoir, 'Scrappy Little Nobody,' was released on Nov. 15. One of the actress's most famous roles is as the protagonist in the 'Pitch' films, which became an unexpected hit. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2016-11-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #unexpected hit


Frankfurt Book Fair 2016: Attendance Rises For Second Straight Year

The Frankfurt Book Fair reported that total attendance at the fair rose modestly for the second year in a row. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-10-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #total attendance #attendance rises #straight year


Morton Schindel, Who Turned Children’s Books Into Animated Films, Dies at 98

Morton Schindel in his home office in 1985. His illustrations turned beloved children’s books into animated films. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2016-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #home office #morton schindel


With New Distribution Deal, Pittsburgh Animal Media Group Bets Bigger on Books

Animal Media Group, an independent media and book production company that is looking to ramp up its presence in the book trade, has signed a two year distribution deal with Consortium. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #book trade #independent media #distribution deal


Booksellers See Rise in Ali Book Sales

The sad news of Muhammad Ali's death, which broke late last week, has resulted in publishers rushing to get their new Ali titles into stores, and a run on available backlist titles about the iconic boxer and activist. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #backlist titles #publishers rushing #muhammad ali #sad news