Nielsen has issued a year-end look at the most popular trends among Americans during 2008, covering everything from the top TV programs to the most popular consumer packaged goods.
William P. Young’s “The Shack” was the top-selling fiction book through November 30.
Among non-fiction books, “A New Earth,” by Eckhart Tolle was the top-seller.
The audio version of Tolle’s “A New Earth” was the top-selling audio book of the year.
Top 10 Book Sales: Adult Fiction
| Rank | Book Title | Author | Format | Publisher | Publication Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Shack | William P. Young | Trade Paperback | Hachette Book Group | 7/1/08 |
| 2 | The Appeal | John Grisham | Hardcover | Random House | 1/1/08 |
| 3 | The Host | Stephenie Meyer | Hardcover | Hachette Book Group | 5/1/08 |
| 4 | The Friday Night Knitting Club | Kate Jacobs | Trade Paperback | Penguin Books | 1/1/08 |
| 5 | Water For Elephants | Sara Gruen | Trade Paperback | Workman Publishing | 5/1/07 |
| 6 | The Kite Runner | Khaled Hosseini | Trade Paperback | Penguin Books | 1/1/03 |
| 7 | The Lucky One | Nicholas Sparks | Hardcover | Hachette Book Group | 9/1/08 |
| 8 | The Story Of Edward Sawtelle | David Wroblewski | Hardcover | Harper Collins | 9/1/08 |
| 9 | Playing For Pizza | John Grisham | Hardcover | Random House | 7/1/08 |
| 10 | Fearless Fourteen | Janet Evanovich | Hardcover | McMillan | 6/1/08 |
| Source: The Nielsen Company (December 31, 2007 – December 28, 2008). | |||||
| Note: Data does not include sales from Wal-Mart, Sam’s, BJ’s, airports, and libraries. Traditionally, book sales see increases during the holidays. |
Top 10 Book Sales: Adult Non-Fiction
| Rank | Book Title | Author | Format | Publisher | Publication Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A New Earth | Eckhart Tolle | Trade Paperback | Penguin Books | 2/1/08 |
| 2 | The Last Lecture | Randy Pausch | Hardcover | Hyperion | 4/1/08 |
| 3 | Eat Pray Love | Elizabeth Gilbert | Trade Paperback | Penguin Books | 2/1/07 |
| 4 | Three Cups of Tea | Greg Mortenson | Trade Paperback | Penguin Books | 2/1/07 |
| 5 | The Secret | Rhonda Byrne | Hardcover | Simon & Schuster | 11/1/06 |
| 6 | Eat This Not That! | David Zinczenko | Trade Paperback | MacMillan | 1/1/08 |
| 7 | The Audacity of Hope | Barack Obama | Trade Paperback | Random House | 11/1/07 |
| 8 | Skinny Bitch | Kim Barnouin | Trade Paperback | Pereus Books | 1/1/06 |
| 9 | Dreams from My Father | Barack Obama | Trade Paperback | Random House | 8/1/04 |
| 10 | The Power of Now | Eckhart Tolle | Trade Paperback | PGW TR | 8/1/04 |
| Source: The Nielsen Company (December 31, 2007 – November 30, 2008). | |||||
| Note: Data does not include sales from Wal-Mart, Sam’s, BJ’s, airports, and libraries. Traditionally, book sales see increases during the holidays. |
Top 10 Audio Book Sales: Adult and Juvenile
| Rank | Book Title | Author | Publisher | Publication Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A New Earth | Eckhart Tolle | Penguin Books | 2/1/08 |
| 2 | The Secret | Rhonda Byrne | Simon & Schuster | 11/1/06 |
| 3 | The Last Lecture | Randy Pausch | Hyperion | 4/1/08 |
| 4 | Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving … | Joel Osteen | Simon & Schuster | 10/1/07 |
| 5 | The Audacity of Hope | Barack Obama | Random House | 11/1/07 |
| 6 | The Appeal (unabridged) | John Grisham | Random House | 1/1/08 |
| 7 | When You Are Engulfed in Flames | David Sedaris | Hachette Book Group | 6/1/08 |
| 8 | Twilight | Stephenie Meyer | Random House | 10/1/05 |
| 9 | The Power of Now | Eckhart Tolle | PGW TR | 10/1/01 |
| 10 | The Shack | William P. Young | Oasis | 6/1/08 |
| Source: The Nielsen Company (December 31, 2007 – November 30, 2008). | ||||
| Note: Data does not include sales from Wal-Mart, Sam’s, BJ’s, airports, and libraries. Traditionally, book sales see increases during the holidays. |
View the press release.
Relive the greatest hits of 2008 — stay tuned on Nielsen Wire for more Tops In 2008 coverage.
Look ahead to the new year with Nielsen Wire’s 2009 Industry Outlook series.
