This Season’s It Girl

Paula Hawkins’s psychological thriller, The Girl on the Train, is the #2 title on our Hardcover Fiction list, with 22,426 print units sold according to outlets reporting to Nielsen BookScan. It’s a strong showing, even for a much-hyped debut; but as recent history shows, past performance is no indication of future results. A buzz book may start strong and stay strong, enjoy a slow build, or peak early. Here’s a look at how some recent belles of the debutante ball fared for hardcover sales.

Movie Tie-In Watch

Surprised to see a 22-year-old title from a university press debut on our Trade Paperback list? At #25, Alan Turing: The Enigma, by Andrew Hodges, with a healthy 4,283 units sold, is enjoying a second act in the form of multi-Oscar-nominee The Imitation Game. Other movie tie-ins made great gains this week over last; here are the biggest movers.

How Are Those Resolutions Working Out?

Adult nonfiction sales are down 2% this week over last, with a number of virtue-minded books—those whose titles include words like “diet” and “paleo,” in particular—taking a hit.

Top 10 Overall

Rank Title Author Imprint Units
1 American Sniper (paperback movie tie-in) Chris Kyle Morrow 48,744
2 Unbroken Laura Hillenbrand Random 24,872
3 Saint Odd Dean Koontz Bantam 23,853
4 The Girl on the Train Paula Hawkins Riverhead 22,426
5 The Long Haul Jeff Kinney Abrams/Amulet 21,927
6 Unbroken (movie tie-in) Laura Hillenbrand Random 21,324
7 All the Light We Cannot See Anthony Doerr Scribner 21,109
8 American Sniper (mass market movie tie-in) Chris Kyle Harper 19,583
9 The 20/20 Diet Phil McGraw Bird Street 19,299
10 Silver Thaw Catherine Anderson Signet 16,084