Big Adult Nonfiction Gains Drive Up Units in Late May

Led by double-digit gains in adult nonfiction, unit sales of print books rose 4.4% in the week ended May 25, 2019, compared to the similar week last year, at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Three new books helped drive unit sales of adult nonfiction up 10.5% over the week ended May 26, 2018. Unfreedom of the Press by Mark Levin was the top title in the category, selling more than 120,000 copies in its first week. In second place on the category list was Medical Medium: Celery Juice by Anthony William, which sold nearly 45,000 copies. And Sea Stories by William H. McRaven sold almost 24,000 copies in its first week, placing it at #5 on the category list. Juvenile nonfiction sales increased 3.6% over 2018, with more summertime school activity books dominating the top of the list. Big Preschool was #1, selling more than 7,000 copies, while five Summer Bridge Activities titles were in the top 10, selling a combined 30,000 copies. Unit sales dipped 1.4% in adult fiction as Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens stayed #1 with almost 40,000 copies sold. The bestselling new novel in the week was the trade paperback Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate, which sold nearly 13,000 copies, landing it at #6 on the category bestseller list. Cari Mora, the much-anticipated new novel from Thomas Harris, sold just over 10,000 copies in its first week—good enough for eighth place on the category list. Juvenile fiction sales were just about flat in the week, and Oh, the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss topped the category list with almost 54,000 copies sold.

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