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 ]

Other news stories related to: "Summer reading: dive into the perfect book"


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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Welsh language children's books sold for £1 to mark World Book Day

Two children’s books published in Welsh are being sold for just £1 to mark this year’s World Book Day. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-02-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Callaway Makes Sure You'll Remember Its Books

Remember Madonna’s 'Sex,' the 1992 succès de scandale that shook the publishing world? Or the Miss Spider books, TV series, and app? Both, and more, are the brainchildren of Nicholas Callaway, founder and CEO of Callaway Arts & Entertainment, which turns 40 this year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tattooist proves indelible at the top as The Cut Out Girl cuts in

Heather Morris’ The Tattooist of Auschwitz (Zaffre) has secured a fourth non-consecutive week in the UK Official Top 50 number one spot, selling 17,106 copies through Nielsen BookScan’s TCM—a bump of 11% in volume week on week. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Morris makes her mark as Tattooist of Auschwitz regains top spot

Heather Morris’ The Tattooist of Auschwitz (Zaffre) has returned to the UK Official Top 50 number one spot for a third non-consecutive week, selling 15,369 copies through Nielsen BookScan’s Total Consumer Market. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ridout Forms New U.K. Publisher

Amanda Ridout, former managing director of Head of Zeus and a prominent figure in the U.K. publishing world, has launched a new publishing house, Boldwood Books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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