2010

Folks I've had a heck of a time trying to find a comprehensive list for 2009. Perhaps the final numbers aren't tallied yet? At any rate, please have a go at digging one up.

Edited because I don't know what year it is.

Shouldn't we be searching for 2009?

Yes in deedy, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Interesting to guess which author's might have a bestseller though, then we can check back next year and see who was right.

I'll guess ... Jim Butcher for Changes, and Brendan Sanderson(sp?) for the next Wheel of Time book ... but I'm a fantasy geek, so there you go.

Numbers are up.

1. The Lost Symbol, by Dan Brown. Doubleday (9/09) (5,543,643).
2. The Associate, by John Grisham. Doubleday (1/09).
3. The Help, by Kathryn Stockett. Putnam/Amy Einhorn (2/09) (1,104,617).
4. I, Alex Cross, by James Patterson. Little, Brown (11/09) (1,040,976).
5. *Ford County, by John Grisham. Doubleday (11/09).
6. Finger Lickin' Fifteen, by Janet Evanovich. St. Martin's (6/09) (977,178).
7. The Host, by Stephenie Meyer. Little, Brown (5/08) (912,165).
8. *Under the Dome, by Stephen King. Scribner (11/09)
9. Pirate Latitudes, by Michael Crichton. Harper (1/09) (855,638).
10. Scarpetta, by Patricia Cornwell. Putnam (12/08) (800,00).
11. U Is for Undertow, by Sue Grafton. Putnam (12/09) (706,154).
12. The Scarpetta Factor, by Patricia Cornwell. (10/09) Putnam (705,000).
13. Shadowland, by Alyson Noel. St. Martin's (11/09) (609,355)
14. The 8th Confession, by James Patterson. Little, Brown (606,097).
15. Arctic Drift, by Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler. Putnam (588.247).

NONFICTION
1. Going Rogue: An American Life, by Sarah Palin. Harper (11/09) (2,674,684).
2. Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment, by Steve Harvey. Harper (1/09) (1,735,219).
3. *Arguing with Idiots: How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government, by Glenn Beck. Threshold (9/09).
4. *Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto, by Mark R. Levin. Threshold (5/09).
5. True Compass: A Memoir, by Edward M. Kennedy. Twelve (9/09) (870,402).
6. Have a Little Faith: A True Story, by Mitch Albom. Hyperion (9/09) (855,843).
7. It's Your Time: Activate Your Faith, Achieve Your Dreams, and Increase in God's Favor, by Joel Osteen Free Press (11/09).
8. The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow. Hyperion (4/08) (610,033).
9. Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books Not Bombs, by Greg Mortenson. Viking (12/09) (515,566).
10. Superfreakonomics, by Stephen D. Levitt and Steven J. Dubner. William Morrow (10/09) (487,977).
11. Mastering the Art of French Cooking, by Julia Child. Knopf (10/61) (487,228).
12. Master Your Metabolism: The 3 Diet Secrets to Naturally Balancing Your Hormones for a Hot and Healthy Body! by Jillian Michaels. Crown (4/09) (486,154).
13. The Yankee Years, by Joe Torre and Tom Verducci. Doubleday (2/09) (397,954).
14. Open, by Andre Agassi. Knopf (11/09) (383,722).
15. *Time of My Life, by Patrick Swayze. Atria (9/09).

An interesting stat in the above PW list.

Number of titles sold 100,000 and above:
Fiction Nonfiction
2009 130 91
2008 156 119
2004 131 132
2000 112 117

Non-fiction trends have changed since 2000.

And- the weakening of the frontlist.

But deeper in the comparison of '08 and '09, things show a weakening this year. Whereas in '08, there were 156 fiction titles with sales at 100,000+, in '09 there are were only 130, a 16% drop. For nonfiction, the drop in titles reaching the 100,000 level was more pronounced, from 119 to 91, a plunge of 23%. A look back at figures from 2000, in which we tallied 112 fiction and 117 nonfiction titles that sold above 100,000 copies, would indicate a flattening of frontlist performance. Given that the industry has grown during these 10 years, to more than $40 billion annually, one can only conclude that Chris Anderson had it right: the long tail created by online retailing, at the expense of bricks-and-mortar, has dampened frontlist sales but extended sales down the line.

wow.... I don't know whether to be proud or sad that I don't own a single one of the 20. I've read a couple....well, one.... well, most of one.

Well, I do have Julia Child's book. I guess sales for it took off again as a result of the movie. The recipes are so ridiculously complex I can't seem to make anything edible. I am not even tempted by any of these others though I did hear good things about The Last Lecture. I'm afraid it would be too maudlin and depressing for me. I'm afraid most of these will all be as forgettable in a few years as the ones we look back on in previous decades. Is there a Faulkner, Steinbeck or a Hemingway writing anywhere today? Probably, they just can't find a publisher. I hate to sound like such a downer, but is it possible for a future classic to find an audience now?

I haven't read any of these and, in fact, I only read best sellers by accident. I never look at best seller lists (until now) because I don't usually like those authors, just as I never read a book that has won a "serious" literary award and I don't join book clubs because those are the books they usually want to read.

I have seen, after reading these lists you have provided, that I have liked many best sellers, but I have found out about these books through other sources, and I will likely get to the new best sellers the same way.

I've read about half of the fiction best-sellers on this list and must say I don't think any of them will stand the test of time

I think The Help by Kathryn Stockett might have some staying power.

I only finished about 1/4 of Under the Dome before I put it down (not because I wasn't enjoying it but because I just got busy with other things I had to read first.) Other than that, only The Help is on my wishlist.

True Compass: A Memoir by Edward M. Kennedy is on my TBR shelf waiting to be chosen. It may be awhile since I own it, and my modus operandi seems to be to ignore books I own in favor of library books.