MAIN NEWS HEADLINES
January 17 – January 24, 2008 Edition
Penguin Takes Top
Four Bestseller Slots
On January Times List
NEW YORK, NY/1/11/08–Penguin Group (USA) holds four of the seven #1 adult slots on The New York Times bestseller lists, for the fourth time in five weeks. Penguin Group (USA) dominated The New York Times bestseller lists in 2007, and closed out the year with four #1 titles in the last two weeks of December. The outstanding level of performance has continued in 2008.
The titles topping The New York Times bestseller lists for the week of January 20th include:
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (Riverhead), #1 on the adult hardcover fiction list. A Thousand Splendid Suns was the #1 bestselling adult fiction hardcover of the year in 2007, was #1 on the bestseller list for 15 weeks, with 33 weeks on the list overall. In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan (The Penguin Press), debuting on top of the adult hardcover nonfiction list. Pollans previous book, The Omnivores Dilemma, has held a slot on the adult paperback nonfiction list for the past 19 weeks. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (Penguin), at #1 on the adult nonfiction paperback list for the 35th time, in its 50th week on the list overall. In 2007, Eat, Pray, Love was the top selling adult nonfiction trade paperback title in the industry. Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs (Ace), #1 on the adult mass market fiction list, her first #1 New York Times bestseller, in its second week.
This represents the second week in a row in 2008 that Penguin Group (USA) has simultaneously achieved four #1 New York Times bestsellers. For the week of January 13th, The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (NAL), which is also Oprahs current Book Club Pick, topped the adult trade fiction list, and Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts (Jove) was #1 on the adult mass market fiction list; in addition to A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini on the adult hardcover fiction list; and Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert on the adult nonfiction paperback list.
This momentum continues on the heels of record bestseller success in 2007, when Penguin Group (USA) scored four #1 slots on both the December 23rd and December 30th lists, respectively, with Sue Graftons T is for Trespass (Putnam/Marian Wood) topping the adult hardcover fiction list; The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (NAL) at #1 on the adult trade fiction list; Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts (Jove) in the #1 slot on the adult mass market fiction list; and Eat, Pray, Love holding at #1 on the adult nonfiction trade paperback list, for both those weeks.
Overall in 2007, Penguin Group (USA) achieved #1 New York Times bestsellers 85% of the year.
With 31 titles on this current New York Times bestseller list, Penguin Group (USA) dominates in nearly every category.
Penguin Group (USA) holds nearly 40% of the adult hardcover fiction list, and has done so for the past 11 consecutive weeks;
Penguin Group (USA) has four of the top five slots on the adult hardcover fiction list;
Penguin Group (USA) holds 20% of the adult hardcover nonfiction list;
Penguin Group (USA) holds 40% of the adult mass market list;
Penguin Group (USA) holds 20% of the adult fiction trade paperback list;
Penguin Group (USA) holds 20% of the adult nonfiction paperback list.
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Penguin Group (USA) Inc. is the U.S. member of the internationally renowned Penguin Group. Penguin Group (USA) is one of the leading US adult and children’s trade book publishers, owning a wide range of imprints and trademarks, including Viking, G. P. Putnams Sons, The Penguin Press, Riverhead Books, Dutton, Penguin Books, Berkley Books, Gotham Books, Portfolio, New American Library, Plume, Tarcher, Philomel, Grosset & Dunlap, Puffin, and Frederick Warne, among others. The Penguin Group ( http://www.penguin.com) is part of Pearson plc, the international media company.
Contact:
Marilyn Ducksworth
(212) 366-2564
marilyn.ducksworth@us.penguingroup.com
Dave Zimmer
(212) 366-2687
