Bill O'Reilly and co-author Martin Dugard debuted at #4 on PW’s Religion Nonfiction List with the newly-released paperback edition of Killing Jesus: A History, which has sold 1.5 million copies in its original hardcover format since it was first published in 2013. The book lands amid a growing controversy about allegations of sexual harassment by the Fox News TV host, and is being promoted on O’Reilly’s website as an Easter gift option.
Rachel Macy Stafford took #6 with her latest, Only Love Today, which “urges readers to set aside the world’s distractions and put love at the top of their to-do list,” according to PW’s review. Marketing and publicity for the book, which was released in time for Mother’s Day shopping, included a pre-order campaign that offered free bonus materials, a mini-film series about the book on YouTube, and coverage in Real Simple magazine as well as on Arianna Huffington’s website, Thrive Global.
Rob Dreher’s The Benedict Option, a guide for “Christians living in a post-Christian nation,” according to the subtitle, came in at #7. Penguin Random House’s Sentinel imprint oversaw a national media campaign for the book that included coverage in The New York Times, Huffington Post, Washington Post, and Religion News Service, as well as in conservative and Christian media. The book was also promoted on Dreher's blog, The American Conservative, and on Twitter, where he has over 15,000 followers.
On the Religion Fiction List, the 2008 edition of The Shack by Wm. Paul Young maintained the #1 position amid its successful big screen adaptation, while the book tie-in took #2. Eve, Young's 2015 retelling of the creation, followed at #9.
Both the Religion Fiction and Nonfiction Lists are based on print unit sales as tracked by NPD BookScan.
