Bestseller Stat Shot
The coasts might be big on Minecraft, but in between, America was John Grisham country last week. The mass market edition of the legal-thriller author’s Sycamore Row (Dell) was the top-selling title across much of the country in the run-up to Labor Day. Not far behind it is the latest Minecraft strategy guide from Scholastic, one of many books about the phenomenally popular video game. Gayle Forman’s If I Stay (Penguin) and the new Louise Penny mystery, The Long Way Home (Minotaur), took top honors in one region apiece. Here’s how the country’s reading broke down last week.
| Region | Title | Author |
|---|---|---|
| Northeast | The Long Way Home | Louise Penny |
| Middle Atlantic | Minecraft: Combat Handbook | Scholastic |
| East North Central | If I Stay | Gayle Forman |
| West North Central | Sycamore Row | John Grisham |
| South Atlantic | Sycamore Row | John Grisham |
| South Central | Sycamore Row | John Grisham |
| Mountain | Sycamore Row | John Grisham |
| Pacific | Minecraft: Combat Handbook | Scholastic |
From the Newsletters
The big indie books of fall 2014.
A conversation with LeVar Burton about his first children’s book, The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm (RRKidz/Reading Rainbow).
A look at the fast-growing digital comics publisher Lion Forge Comics as it prepares to enter the print world.
Talking with the anonymous founders of blog (and, soon, book) phenomenon Thug Kitchen (Rodale).
Blogs
What you may have missed if you haven’t stopped by the PW Tumblr lately: why you have a hard time catching your own typos; checking in with former PW deputy reviews editor Mike Harvkey on his cross-country book promo tour; and a photo tour of unusual public libraries.
Saying goodbye to an employee as he heads off to college.
Podcasts
Ann M. Martin, Laura Godwin, and Brett Helquist talk about bringing the Doll People back for a fourth adventure in The Doll People Set Sail (Disney-Hyperion).
Just over a year after the Penguin–Random House merger was completed, big changes are afoot. PW senior writer Andrew Albanese talks about the restructuring and what it might mean.
PW comics reviews editor Heidi MacDonald interviews David Glanzer, director of marketing for San Diego Comic-Con International.
Events
Join PW on Wednesday, September 17, for a free live webcast featuring six new adult authors who will talk about how they’ve carved out their niches in this red-hot genre. Register today!
Karen Abbott discusses her new book, Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy (Harper), which is about four women who played unconventional roles in the Civil War. Plus, PW marketing manager Bryan Kinney highlights some of our upcoming webcasts and events.
The most-read review on publishersweekly.com last week was Science... for Her! by Megan Amram (Scribner).
