Book sales: time for spring cleaning

Prince Harry may complain about his “alternate” status, but for two months he’s held a royal place in our rather stable best-selling list of essays, where people as diverse as Richard Malka, Florence Aubenas, Mohamed Boclet or our columnist Gérald Bronner have distinguished themselves for several weeks.

The trend is quite different on the side of novels. Certainly we find the marathon runner Giuliano da Empoli, who is in his 37th week in this ranking (and has exceeded 360,000 copies sold with The Mage of the Kremlin). The January authors, on the other hand, are struggling: Pierre Lemaitre is the only one to resist, while even Daniel Pennac is down. It’s because, as spring looms, a great wind of degagism is blowing in bookstores. Aurélie Valognes, Michel Bussi and especially Melissa Da Costa invite themselves to the head of sales as soon as the release of Flight, Three lives a week et Women from around the world. It’s a safe bet that these three confirmed best-selling authors will last. See you in a few weeks… Louis-Henri de La Rochefoucauld

5. Of salt and sand (tI). The Bridge of Storms

By Danielle L. Jensen

Flash in the pan or beginning of a phenomenon that we will soon compare to those of Stephenie Meyer and EL James? Star at home in Canada, Danielle L. Jensen arrives in France with The Bridge of Stormsfirst volume of Of salt and sand, his fantasy saga. For teens who love fantasy realms.

4. The end of the story. 201 expressions to impress the gallery

By Nathalie Gendrot and Guillaume Meurice

It is doubted that Vincent Bolloré faced great case of Guillaume Meurice, but the humorist of France Inter is convinced to have been censored. This anecdotal book which was to be published by Le Robert (thus Editis) finally comes out at Flammarion (thus Madrigall). What a story ! Meurice does not have the stuff of Pierre Desproges: there is nothing here that wows the gallery.

United Kingdom

Time to Think

By Hannah Barnes

It’s a spine-chilling book: BBC investigative journalist Hannah Barnes investigated the sordid treatment offered in England to children who want to change gender. Time to Think was turned down by some twenty publishers, but the week of its release it became one of the best-selling essays in the Sunday Times.