Summer reading: dive into the perfect book

As publishers vie to persuade us to pack their titles for the holidays, we chart the evolution of the ’beach read’Summer reads, beach reads, holiday reads … at this time of year, the publishing world works itself into a sweat trying to force its novels into our carry-on luggage, or over the ether on to our Kindles. There are more books sold in the summer than during any other season: the well-established publishing calendar tends to see hardbacks released in the autumn to be given as gifts at Christmas, then repackaged as paperbacks in late spring. As Donna Harrington-Lueker sets out in her history of the beach read, Books for Idle Hours, the summer publishing rush is at least a century old, and has typically aimed “airy and froth-like” books on “young ladies” (the quote is from an 1888 work on summer books by Arlo Bates). The summer fiction market is changing, though, with more and more “serious”, “literary” novels showing up where once there were only thrillers and crime novels, bonkbusters and romances. So it is that Normal People by Sally Rooney is currently piled high on the tables of WH Smith’s Travel alongside Lee Child, Jodi Picoult and Bernard Cornwell.I’m aware of how contentious and porous discussions of genre can be. Generic labels, though, are the terms that booksellers and publishers think in and for literary novels, the chances of summer success are still relatively slim. Tom Tivnan, managing editor of the Bookseller, points to Nielsen BookScan data that... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2019-07-14 07:00:23 UTC ]

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Vanity Fair Digitizes Archives, the Latest on the Quad/LSC Merger and Other Industry Notes

Chris Roush Talking Biz News Founder Ready to Pass the Torch Talking Biz News founder Chris Roush announced on Wednesday that he's ready to move on from the site, which tracks job changes and other day-to-day news in the field of business journalism. "After 14 years of running Talking Biz... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2019-05-16 16:55:48 UTC ]
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No Normal writer...

Andrew Holgate reflects on Sally Rooney's meteoric—and well deserved—rise to the top, after second novel Normal People scooped the Book of the Year prize at the British Book Awards. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The new Normal: Rooney grabs first Mass Market number one as Pinch of Nom rolls on

A day after winning two British Book Awards for Novel of the Year and the overall Book of the Year, Sally Rooney has claimed her first Mass Market Fiction number one.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-05-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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British Book Awards’ Top 2019 Prize Goes to Ireland’s Sally Rooney

The annual 'Nibbies,' as the British Book Awards are known, this year are led by the acclaimed Irish author, Sally Rooney, who calls herself 'astonishingly lucky.' The post British Book Awards’ Top 2019 Prize Goes to Ireland’s Sally Rooney appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-05-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pinch of Nom whips E L James from the number one spot

Pinch of Nom (Bluebird) has boomeranged back into the UK Official Top 50 number one spot, with Kay Featherstone and Kate Allinson’s record-breaking slimming cookbook selling 45,198 copies through Nielsen BookScan’s Total Consumer Market to defeat E L James’ The Mister (Arrow) after just one week.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-05-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This Week's Bestsellers: April 29, 2019

‘The Mister,’ E.L. James’s first non–Fifty Shades romance, in #2 in the country, with her softest first week to date. Plus lauded Irish author Sally Rooney’s sophomore effort, ‘Normal People,’ lands at #6 in hardcover fiction, and Pete Buttigieg’s popularity is rising in the polls and at bookstores. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-04-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The Mister and Mrs: E L James defeats Mrs Hinch to bag number one

E L James' The Mister (Arrow) has scorched into the UK Official Top 50 number one spot, selling 52,674 copies through Nielsen BookScan's TCM. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mrs Hinch cleans the floor with competition to hit number one

Instagram sensation Mrs Hinch’s Hinch Yourself Happy (Michael Joseph) has sold 160,302 copies in its first week on sale to sweep straight into the UK Official Top 50 number one, according to Nielsen BookScan’s Total Consumer Market. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Rooney, MacLaverty and McGregor make Dublin Literary Award shortlist

Sally Rooney, Bernard MacLaverty and Jon McGregor are among the 10 writers shortlisted for the €100,000 International Dublin Literary Award. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-04-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Public Private Life Of Young Love In Sally Rooney's 'Normal People'

In the Irish author's second novel, two teens explore sex, secrets and what intimacy is worth. Continue reading at The Huffington Post

[ The Huffington Post | 2019-04-04 09:45:07 UTC ]
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Waterstones says it can't pay living wage, as 1,300 authors support staff appeal

Managing director says book chain ‘simply not profitable enough’, as Sally Rooney, Val McDermid and other authors write to protestMore than 1,300 writers including Kerry Hudson, David Nicholls, Sally Rooney, Michael Rosen and Val McDermid have backed a campaign for Waterstones booksellers to be... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The British Book Awards Books of the Year shortlists revealed

All eight shortlists for the British Book Awards Books of the Year have been announced, with a strong focus on international writers including Michelle Obama, Michael Wolff, Sally Rooney and Leila Slimani. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Rooney and Burns make Rathbones Folio Prize longlist

Sally Rooney and Anna Burns have made the longlist for this year's Rathbones Folio Prize with 20 writers competing for the £30,000 prize. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kinney leapfrogs Walliams in World Book Day bonanza

Jeff Kinney’s £1 World Book Day title Diary of Greg Heffley’s Best Friend (Puffin) has swiped the UK Official Top 50 number one spot from David Walliams’ Fing (HarperCollins), shifting 72,782 copies through Nielsen BookScan’s Total Consumer Market. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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London Book and Screen Week Names 2019 CAMEO Award Winners

The London Book Fair's public-facing festival, London Book and Screen Week, opens with its annual CAMEO Awards program for adaptations from the publishing world. The post London Book and Screen Week Names 2019 CAMEO Award Winners appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Walliams claims number one spot for second week

David Walliams’ Fing (HarperCollins) has claimed the UK Official Top 50 number one for a second week, selling 76,340 copies in its first full week on sale through Nielsen BookScan’s Total Consumer Market. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-03-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Walliams' Fing pings into the number one spot

David Walliams' Fing (HarperCollins), illustrated by Tony Ross, has barrelled into the UK Official Top 50 number one spot in its first three days on sale, selling 75,862 copies through Nielsen BookScan’s Total Consumer Market. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-02-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Still Jojo: Moyes swipes top spot for a second week

Jojo Moyes’ Still Me (Penguin) has held the UK Official Top 50 number one spot, selling 47,483 copies through Nielsen BookScan’s Total Consumer Market—the highest single-week volume for any title so far in 2019 and the biggest for a Mass Market Fiction title since Dan Brown’s Origin (Corgi) in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-02-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Obama, Rooney and Secret Barrister campaigns triumph at PPC Awards

Campaigns for titles by Sally Rooney, The Secret Barrister and Michelle Obama were among the winners at the Publisher’s Publicity Circle Annual Awards. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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