George Orwell may need to prep a thank you note to Edward Snowden. The author’s classic novel, 1984, about a future world with a government that too closely watches its citizens, was the most talked-about book on social media last month. Jeff Costello, v-p of CoverCake, said this was “obviously driven by the revelation that the NSA has been monitoring U.S. citizens, and the efforts to extradite Edward Snowden.” Costello also believes booksellers took a cue from the news cycle and gave 1984 “prominent placement on their stores’ home pages.” According to Nielsen BookScan, sales of 1984 rose from about 3,000 in the last week in May to about 7,000 in the week ended June 16, and the title sold 6,600 in the week ended June 23.
Neil Gaiman joined the list this month, at #6, with The Ocean at the End of the Lane, which Costello noted has been getting positive buzz: “People are really singing this book’s praises.” Also new to the list, at #8, is Rick Riordan’s fourth title in the Percy Jackson series, House of Hades, which does not come out until October. Costello said the chatter is likely thanks to the “hardcore fans” who “can’t wait for the next installment.”
The other surprise Costello saw this month was Happy, Happy, Happy, the autobiography of Phil Robertson, star of the A&E reality show Duck Dynasty. Costello thinks the title “snuck” onto the list, at #10, thanks to fans of the TV show.
Men were more active than usual on social media in June. Happy, Happy, Happy was one of four titles that drew more comments from men than women in June; in most months men account for the most comments on one or two titles.
CoverCake’s Top 10 Books in Social Media, June 2013
| Rank | Title | Author | Scale* | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1984 | George Orwell | 10 | 61% | 39% |
| 2 | World War Z | Max Brooks | 9 | 51 | 49 |
| 3 | Inferno | Dan Brown | 8 | 47 | 53 |
| 4 | Joyland | Stephen King | 7 | 42 | 58 |
| 5 | Catching Fire | Suzanne Collins | 5 | 40 | 60 |
| 6 | The Ocean at the End of the Lane | Neil Gaiman | 4 | 41 | 59 |
| 7 | Control | Glenn Beck | 3 | 53 | 47 |
| 8 | House of Hades | Rick Riordan | 3 | 32 | 68 |
| 9 | Lean In | Sheryl Sandberg | 2 | 31 | 69 |
| 10 | Happy, Happy, Happy | Phil Robertson | 1 | 68 | 32 |
*How many conversations took place about the book in question for every 10 comments about book #1
