More softness in all categories except adult fiction and the lack of big new titles combined to drop unit sales of print books 5.5% last week compared to the week ended May 28, 2022, at outlets that report to Circana BookScan. Only three of the 50 books on the BookScan overall bestselling chart were new titles.
The top-selling new release was Identity by Nora Roberts, which sold more than 33,000 copies and knocked Emily Henry’s Happy Place out of the number one spot on the adult fiction list. The only other new title to crack the top 25 adult fiction list was Tom Clancy Flashpoint by Don Bentley, which sold over 10,000 copies.
Adult nonfiction had the smallest decline last week with unit sales falling 4.8%. Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann was in the top spot on the list, selling more than 17,000 copies. A film based on the book is set to be released later this year and promotion for the film has started. The bestselling new title was The Book of Charlie by David Von Drehle, which sold just under 7,000 copies.
Sales in juvenile fiction dropped 11.5% last week. Oh, The Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss stayed number one on the category list, selling close to 50,000 copies. Not one new release was among BookScan’s top 50 sellers in the category last week. In second place was Dav Pilkey’s Twenty Fleas Under the Sea, which sold nearly 28,000 copies.
Juvenile nonfiction sales fell 9.6%. Wendy Loggia’s Taylor Swift: A Little Golden Book Biography remained number one, selling about 17,000 copies. Summer activity books for children took the next 12 spots on the category list.
