Book Trends

 Romantasy
   I don't have much to say about this, but it does indicate that people are reading books. It is also the case that you are likely to appreciate any diversion from the "breaking news."  

   Among my emails this morning was one from The Guardian which contained this news and that picture:
  "Who would have thought that of all the fiction genres available to readers, it would be “dragon smut” that could fly off shelves like nothing else? Last week, Rebecca Yarros’s novel Onyx Storm, the third instalment in her series about horny dragon riders, broke her own record for the fastest-selling science fiction and fantasy title in the UK since records began 25 years ago. 155,141 hardback copies – and thousands more ebooks – were sold in its first week on sale."    

  After reading that email and probably because of it, I then noticed this article, which, coming from a paper on this side of the pond, means that this is probably not fake news. Here it is: "Rebecca Yarros’s ‘Onyx Storm’ Is the Fastest-Selling Adult Novel in 20 Years: The book, the third in a series, has sold 2.7 million copies in its first week, and provided yet another example of the romantasy genre’s staying power," Alexandra Alter, The New York Times, Jan. 30, 2025. Apparently, "Print sales alone well exceeded a million copies in the novel’s first week, making “Onyx Storm” the fastest-selling adult title since BookScan began tracking print sales around 20 years ago."
   Not only that, Ms. Yarrow was able to attract a crowd of around 1,700 to come and see her on a January night in St. Paul, Minnesota. I suppose this is sort-of breaking news which is also amazing news.

Here is a bit more to indicate that all of this is rather amazing, if not quite as amazing as Harry Potter:

   "Yarros currently holds the first three spots on The New York Times’s hardcover best-seller list, a rare feat for an adult fiction series. On Thursday, the series also occupied the first three spots on Amazon’s “most sold” fiction list.

   The success of “Onyx Storm” also shows that romantasy, which blends spicy sex scenes and romance tropes with supernatural elements, is not a fleeting trend. Last year, the genre accounted for some 30 million print sales, a rise of 50 percent over the previous year, according to Circana." (from the NYT article.)

The Bonus: 
   The London Public Library System has 23 copies, but there are 172 people waiting to get one. 

Books for Christmas

 

Who Is Colleen Hoover?

   Apparently she is a very popular writer of fiction. Her name appears often on the lists provided. Most of the lists below relate to books that are the most borrowed from libraries. If you are looking for a popular book and, like me, did not know who Ms. Hoover is, this list could be useful for shopping purposes. Like the "New York Times Best Sellers List", the measure used is quantity, not necessarily quality. 

Top 10 Canadian Fiction

1. It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover

2. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

3. The Maid by Nita Prose

4. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

5. The Boys from Biloxi by John Grisham

6. It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

7. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

8. Sparring Partners by John Grisham

9. Long Shadows by David Baldacci

10. Desert Star by Michael Connelly

Top 10 Canadian Non-Fiction

1. Spare by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex

2. I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

3. The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama

4. The Myth of Normal by Gabor Maté; Daniel Maté

5. Ducks by Kate Beaton

6. Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry

7. Atomic Habits by James Clear

8. Run Towards the Danger by Sarah Polley

9. Freezing Order by Bill Browder

10. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Top Circulating E- Books - U.S.

Fiction: “Verity,” by Colleen Hoover.

Nonfiction: “Spare,” by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.

Romance: “Verity,” by Colleen Hoover.

Mystery & Thriller: “Verity,” by Colleen Hoover.

Science Fiction & Fantasy: “Fourth Wing,” by Rebecca Yarros.

Historical Fiction: “Cloud Cuckoo Land,” by Anthony Doerr.

Biography & Memoir: “Spare,” by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.

History: “Spare,” by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.

Most borrowed magazine: The New Yorker.

Most Popular Books - New York Public Library

“Lessons in Chemistry,” by Bonnie Garmus. “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow,” by Gabrielle Zevin. “Spare,” by Prince Harry. “Book Lovers,” by Emily Henry. “Verity,” by Colleen Hoover. “Yellowface,” by R.F. Kuang. “The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store,” by James McBride. “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. “It Ends with Us,” by Colleen Hoover. “Daisy Jones & the Six,” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Most Popular Children's Books - NYPL

1. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Big Shot,” by Jeff Kinney.
2. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley’s Journal,” by Jeff Kinney.
3. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw,” by Jeff Kinney.
4. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days,” by Jeff Kinney.
5. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Wrecking Ball,” by Jeff Kinney.
6. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Deep End,” by Jeff Kinney.
7. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down,” by Jeff Kinney.
8. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway,” by Jeff Kinney.
9. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth,” by Jeff Kinney.
10. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever,” by Jeff Kinney.

History Books - Sticker Shock

A few years ago I did a post, "Christmas Shopping For Historians" and in it you will still find some useful suggestions and links. You might want to stay away from academic works, for a couple of reasons, one being price. Here are some examples:

W. E. Vaughan, Ireland Under the Union, I: 1801–1870, $480.00
N. G. L. Hammond and F. W. Walbank, A History of Macedonia, v. 3,
$440.00
W. Bernard Carlson, Technology in World History, $400.00
Edward M. Spiers and Jeremy A. Crang, A Military History of Scotland,
$250.00
Stuart Carroll, Blood and Violence in Early Modern France, $213.00

The "Awards and Prizes" page of the American Historical Association provides links to history book prize winners in a variety of categories, for example: "The Albert J. Beveridge Award in American History for a distinguished book on the history of the United States, Latin America, or Canada, from 1492 to the present." 

The Bonus:
   This listing from last year could be useful and the books cheaper: "Christmas Book Shopping."

   If you are more interested in Nature than History see: "Nature Writing (2) - British Version," or "Nature Writing."