After winning France’s most prestigious literary award, the Prix Goncourt, early in November, Compass by Mathias Enard moved up to the third spot in the country’s fiction bestseller list at the end of the month. A number of Enard’s earlier works have been published in the U.S. by Open Letter, but New Directions acquired the U.S. rights to Compass, which it will release in early 2017. The top-selling novel in France at the end of November was Based on a True Story by Delphine de Vigan. Bloomsbury published one of de Vigan’s most popular books, Nothing Holds Back the Night: A Novel, in the U.S. last year; the house will release Based on a True Story simultaneously in the U.S. and U.K. in spring 2017.
The three highest-selling novels in Spain at the end of November were all new to the list. In the number-one spot was Kisses on Bread by Almundea Grandes, followed by The Secret of the Missing Model by Eduardo Mendoza. Three of the top four bestsellers on the Netherlands’ combined list were also new at the end of November. The American Princess by Annejet van der Zijl was in first place. New in second place was Ma by Hugo Burst, Holland’s well-known soccer journalist, who takes on his relationship with his mother in his newest book.
International Bestsellers
Spain
| Fiction | Nonfiction | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los besos en el pan Kisses on Bread Almudena Grandes Tusquets | En movimiento: Una vida Moving: A Life Oliver Sacks Anagrama |
| 2 | El secreto de la modelo extraviada The Secret of the Missing Model Eduardo Mendoza Seix Barral | Despertad al diplodocus Wake Up Diplodocus José Antonio Marina Ariel |
| 3 | Ll último adiós The Lake House Kate Morton Suma de Letras | Instrumental Instrumental James Rhodes Blackie Books |
For the week ended Dec. 10; used by arrangement with El Cultural
The Netherlands
| Combined | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | De Amerikaanse prinses The American Princess Annejet van der Zijl Querido | 4 | Judas Judas Amos Oz De Bezige Bij |
| 2 | Ma Ma Hugo Borst Lebowski | 5 | Dit kan niet waar zijn This Can’t Be True Joris Luyendijk Atlas Contact |
| 3 | Neem een geit Take a Goat Claudia de Breij Lebowski | 6 | Wat one niet zal doden The Girl in the Spider’s Web David Lagercrantz Signatuur |
For the week ended Nov. 29; used by arrangement with CPNB De Bestseller
France
| Fiction | Nonfiction | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | D’après une histoire vraie Based on a True Story Delphine de Vigan Lattès | Le charme discret de I’intestin The Discret Charm of the Intestine Gluila Enders Actes Sud |
| 2 | Le livre des Baltimore The Book of Baltimore Joël Dicker Ed. de Fallois | Le moment est venu de dire ce que j’ai vu The Time Has Come to Say What I Saw Phillppe de Villers Albin Michel |
| 3 | Boussole Compass Mathias Enard Actes Sud | La puissance de la joie The Power of Joy Frédéric Lenoir Fayard |
For the week ended Dec. 6; used by arrangement with Livres Hebdo/Ipsos
