What were the most popular books in the UK in 2011? Thanks to Nielsen Bookscan, we have the answer. Which is? By and large, books we’ve already read.
Of the nearly 5,000 books detailed in the 2011 charts so far, 35% of them, or 1,695, were published before 2010. In an analysis published today, John Dugdale writes that the charts are dominated by movie tie-ins and older books with the number one slot held by One Day, followed by Christmas number one chef Jamie Oliver‘s Jamie’s 30-Minute Meals .
Glance at 2011’s chart, and you could be forgiven for wondering if 12 months have really passed. For this was a year when old books saw off new ones, and paperbacks sent hardbacks packing. The same seven titles merely change places, with Larsson’s musty trio and David Nicholls‘s and Kathryn Stockett‘s two-year-old novels all given renewed sales muscle by movie versions.
Of the 4,838 books on the list, the vast majority are paperbacks – 1,176, or 24%. And, if you look at the charts by numbers of books sold, you can see how far ahead the top-sellers are from the rest of the pack.
But look at it it again by value, and a different picture emerges.
Nielsen Bookscan is the world’s largest book tracking service – they collect total transaction data directly from the tills and dispatch systems of all major book retailers. The data covers over 90% of all retail book purchases in the UK – 6,500 retailers in the UK each week. It monitors more than 220,000 different titles selling in a week and the consumer value is on average £30m each week.
So, what types of books are they? Nielsen categorises all the titles by type, the biggest of which is ‘F1.1 General Literary Fiction’, which is a catch-all category covering books as diverse as Wuthering Heights, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath and Chris Ryan’s Who Dares Wins.
But after that, you can see where the money is: £87.6m in crime and thrillers and £48.1m in children’s fiction.
We’ve listed the top 100 books by volume of sales below. You can download the full spreadsheet as a Google Doc.
There are also details of the top hardbacks, paperbacks and childrens’ books.
What can you do with the data?
Data summary
The top-100 selling books of 2011
Click heading to sort table. Download the spreadsheet here
SOURCE: NIELSEN BOOKSCAN
1
One Day
Nicholls, David
Hodder Paperback
935,355
5,157,015.10
2
Jamie’s 30-Minute Meals
Oliver, Jamie
Michael Joseph
484,338
6,617,423.26
3
Tiny Bit Marvellous,A
French, Dawn
Penguin Books
413,800
2,013,459.89
4
Room
Donoghue, Emma
Picador
402,108
2,153,688.64
5
Help,The
Stockett, Kathryn
Penguin Books
383,467
2,004,365.48
6
Guinness World Records 2012
Guinness World Records
381,175
3,613,236.28
7
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,The: Millennium Trilogy
Larsson, Stieg
Quercus
329,389
1,626,448.44
8
Confession,The
Grisham, John
Arrow Books
314,471
1,582,868.17
9
Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest,The: Millennium Trilogy
Larsson, Stieg
Quercus Publishing Plc
311,529
1,511,433.36
10
Girl Who Played with Fire,The: Millennium Trilogy
Larsson, Stieg
Quercus Publishing Plc
288,706
1,392,112.32
11
Brightest Star in the Sky,The
Keyes, Marian
Penguin Books
277,947
1,386,946.25
12
Jamie’s Great Britain
Oliver, Jamie
Michael Joseph
260,061
3,012,818.32
13
Game of Thrones,A: Book 1 of a Song of Ice and Fire
Martin, George R. R.
HarperVoyager
255,726
1,459,692.81
14
Family,The
Cole, Martina
Headline Book Publishing
255,006
1,177,644.62
15
Rodrick Rules: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Kinney, Jeff
Puffin Books
252,751
1,255,335.83
16
When God Was a Rabbit
Winman, Sarah
Headline Review
252,017
1,359,639.92
17
Worth Dying For: Jack Reacher
Child, Lee
Bantam Books
251,931
1,195,057.58
18
Madeleine: Our Daughter’s Disappearance and the Continuing Search for H
McCann, Kate
Bantam Press
246,939
2,504,671.44
19
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Kinney, Jeff
Puffin Books
241,896
1,220,953.31
20
Started Early, Took My Dog
Atkinson, Kate
Black Swan
239,307
1,291,825.85
21
Last Straw,The: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Kinney, Jeff
Puffin Books
237,430
1,177,111.06
22
Dog Days: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Kinney, Jeff
Puffin Books
235,457
1,187,809.02
23
Hare with Amber Eyes,The: A Hidden Inheritance
De Waal, Edmund
Vintage
231,447
1,610,230.62
24
At Home: A Short History of Private Life
Bryson, Bill
Black Swan
230,929
1,339,576.74
25
Dukan Diet,The
Dukan, Pierre
Hodder Paperback
219,077
1,315,425.57
26
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Kinney, Jeff
Puffin Books
216,743
1,447,401.97
27
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth: (Book 5) : Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Kinney, Jeff
Puffin Books
210,961
1,630,179.56
28
Minding Frankie
Binchy, Maeve
Orion (an Imprint of The Orion
208,994
994,530.89
29
Port Mortuary
Cornwell, Patricia
Sphere
201,283
986,904.46
30
Life of Lee,The
Evans, Lee
Michael Joseph
198,243
2,004,246.41
31
Mini Shopaholic
Kinsella, Sophie
Black Swan
195,442
898,892.66
32
Snuff: Discworld Novel
Pratchett, Terry
Doubleday
194,034
1,952,481.42
33
Solar
McEwan, Ian
Vintage
193,973
1,118,308.32
34
Distant Hours,The
Morton, Kate
Pan Books
193,524
995,923.02
35
Red Queen,The
Gregory, Philippa
Simon Schuster Ltd
193,263
999,145.15
36
Theodore Boone
Grisham, John
Hodder Paperback
188,031
951,035.34
37
Slap,The
Tsiolkas, Christos
Atlantic Books
186,991
1,047,365.03
38
Caught
Coben, Harlan
Orion (an Imprint of The Orion
186,037
891,124.59
39
Broken
Slaughter, Karin
Arrow Books
182,780
779,881.32
40
Private
Patterson, James
Arrow Books
182,292
855,028.22
41
Baking Made Easy
Pascale, Lorraine
HarperCollins Publishers
182,258
1,932,327.55
42
Life and Laughing: My Story
McIntyre, Michael
Penguin Books
181,385
969,740.20
43
Never Let Me Go
Ishiguro, Kazuo
Faber and Faber
179,225
1,067,757.54
44
Sister
Lupton, Rosamund
Piatkus Books
177,656
913,098.96
45
Great British Bake Off: How to Bake: The Perfect Victoria Sponge and Ot
Collister, Linda
BBC Books (Random House)
174,725
1,823,588.39
46
LEGO Minifigure Ultimate Sticker Collection
Dorling Kindersley Publishers
171,589
858,655.64
47
Fry Chronicles,The
Fry, Stephen
Penguin Books
171,304
988,252.47
48
Moshi Monsters: The Moshling Collector’s Guide: Moshi Monsters
Sunbird
169,829
863,936.26
49
Idiot Abroad: The Travel Diaries of Karl Pilkington,An
Pilkington, Karl
Canongate Books
169,410
918,502.83
50
Miracle Cure
Coben, Harlan
Orion (an Imprint of The Orion
169,204
783,720.36
51
Leopard,The
Nesbo, Jo
Vintage
167,653
865,784.09
52
Postcard Killers
Patterson, James
Arrow Books
165,438
745,231.29
53
Belle
Pearse, Lesley
Penguin Books
163,563
744,760.66
54
Spider Bones
Reichs, Kathy
Arrow Books
163,421
749,058.41
55
Don’t Blink
Patterson, James
Arrow Books
163,014
708,744.90
56
Hand That First Held Mine,The
O’Farrell, Maggie
Headline Review
162,923
909,584.25
57
9th Judgement
Patterson, James
Arrow Books
161,629
757,567.14
58
Long Song,The
Levy, Andrea
Headline Review
161,466
863,649.92
59
River Cottage Veg Every Day!
Fearnley-Whittingstall, Hugh
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
158,735
2,226,189.22
60
Home Cooking Made Easy
Pascale, Lorraine
HarperCollins Publishers
157,817
1,551,274.34
61
Never Look Away
Barclay, Linwood
Orion (an Imprint of The Orion
157,122
738,863.04
62
Week in December,A
Faulks, Sebastian
Vintage
155,379
972,461.43
63
Lily Alone
Wilson, Jacqueline
Doubleday Children’s Books
154,760
1,225,698.87
64
Harvesting the Heart
Picoult, Jodi
Hodder Paperback
154,124
729,696.54
65
Cross Fire
Patterson, James
Arrow Books
153,830
693,583.77
66
Blind Fury
La Plante, Lynda
Simon Schuster Ltd
153,596
707,927.08
67
Water for Elephants: a Novel
Gruen, Sara
Two Roads
150,202
825,912.57
68
Inheritance: Book Four: Inheritance Cycle
Paolini, Christopher
Doubleday Children’s Books
146,893
1,421,299.32
69
Devil’s Star,The
Nesbo, Jo
Vintage
146,471
717,054.08
70
Redbreast,The
Nesbo, Jo
Vintage
145,263
752,792.22
71
Killing Place,The
Gerritsen, Tess
Bantam Books
145,177
670,103.73
72
Snowman,The
Nesbo, Jo
Vintage
144,804
784,730.58
73
Postmistress,The
Blake, Sarah
Penguin Books
144,625
826,909.76
74
Faithless,The
Cole, Martina
Headline Book Publishing
142,834
1,351,081.35
75
Dead Man’s Grip
James, Peter
Pan Books
142,709
634,858.37
76
Clash of Kings,A: Book 2 of a Song of Ice and Fire
Martin, George R. R.
Voyager
141,212
795,421.04
77
World of Downton Abbey,The
Fellowes, Jessica
Collins
141,153
1,348,073.85
78
Finkler Question,The
Jacobson, Howard
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
140,694
804,628.08
79
From the Dead
Billingham, Mark
Sphere
140,457
666,375.29
80
Gruffalo,The
Donaldson, Julia
Macmillan Children’s Books
140,373
642,450.28
81
How to be a Woman
Moran, Caitlin
Ebury Press
140,034
1,229,973.33
82
Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography
Isaacson, Walter
Little,Brown
139,929
1,922,160.59
83
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
le Carre, John
Sceptre
136,174
791,697.11
84
You’re Next
Hurwitz, Gregg
Sphere
134,959
675,708.87
85
Afterwards
Lupton, Rosamund
Piatkus Books
134,929
700,493.24
86
Jump!
Cooper, Jilly
Corgi Books
134,681
636,296.31
87
Breaking Dawn
Meyer, Stephenie
ATOM
134,409
742,013.18
88
May I Have Your Attention Please?
Corden, James
Century
132,340
1,090,014.87
89
Our Kind of Traitor
le Carre, John
Penguin Books
132,137
747,402.89
90
Trick of the Dark
McDermid, Val
Sphere
131,915
643,677.92
91
Beano Annual: 2012
D.C. Thomson Co.,
131,347
574,738.08
92
Reversal,The
Connelly, Michael
Orion (an Imprint of The Orion
131,312
628,029.77
93
Trespass
Tremain, Rose
Vintage
130,667
755,201.92
94
Tiger’s Wife,The
Obreht, Tea
Phoenix (an Imprint of The Ori
130,566
772,610.43
95
Nemesis
Nesbo, Jo
Vintage
130,554
664,390.31
96
Only Time Will Tell
Archer, Jeffrey
Pan Books
129,060
565,003.26
97
Gruffalo’s Child,The
Donaldson, Julia
Macmillan Children’s Books
127,984
598,278.80
98
Beautiful: A Beautiful Girl. An Evil Man. One Inspiring True Story of C
Piper, Katie
Ebury Press
126,554
606,268.99
99
Spy Dog’s Got Talent / The Great Pet-shop Panic
Cope, Andrew Davies, Katie
Puffin / Simon Schuster
124,701
124,234.24
100
Gangsta Granny
Walliams, David
HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks
122,624
831,838.10
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