This Season’s It Girl
Paula Hawkins’s psychological thriller, The Girl on the Train, is the #2 title on our Hardcover Fiction list, with 22,426 print units sold according to outlets reporting to Nielsen BookScan. It’s a strong showing, even for a much-hyped debut; but as recent history shows, past performance is no indication of future results. A buzz book may start strong and stay strong, enjoy a slow build, or peak early. Here’s a look at how some recent belles of the debutante ball fared for hardcover sales.
Movie Tie-In Watch
Surprised to see a 22-year-old title from a university press debut on our Trade Paperback list? At #25, Alan Turing: The Enigma, by Andrew Hodges, with a healthy 4,283 units sold, is enjoying a second act in the form of multi-Oscar-nominee The Imitation Game. Other movie tie-ins made great gains this week over last; here are the biggest movers.
How Are Those Resolutions Working Out?
Adult nonfiction sales are down 2% this week over last, with a number of virtue-minded books—those whose titles include words like “diet” and “paleo,” in particular—taking a hit.
Top 10 Overall
| Rank | Title | Author | Imprint | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Sniper (paperback movie tie-in) | Chris Kyle | Morrow | 48,744 |
| 2 | Unbroken | Laura Hillenbrand | Random | 24,872 |
| 3 | Saint Odd | Dean Koontz | Bantam | 23,853 |
| 4 | The Girl on the Train | Paula Hawkins | Riverhead | 22,426 |
| 5 | The Long Haul | Jeff Kinney | Abrams/Amulet | 21,927 |
| 6 | Unbroken (movie tie-in) | Laura Hillenbrand | Random | 21,324 |
| 7 | All the Light We Cannot See | Anthony Doerr | Scribner | 21,109 |
| 8 | American Sniper (mass market movie tie-in) | Chris Kyle | Harper | 19,583 |
| 9 | The 20/20 Diet | Phil McGraw | Bird Street | 19,299 |
| 10 | Silver Thaw | Catherine Anderson | Signet | 16,084 |
