Archive for 'USA-Today'
I know that this is way late, but it is the first USA list of the year so I figure that it is better late than never. I’ve decided to go with a table format. I think it’s easier to peruse this way. The list is much stronger this month for romances with a crossover romance author making it to the list for the first time: Yasmine Galenorn’s Darkling.
***
Book Title
Author
Publisher
Price
Rank
Peak
Iron Kissed
Patricia Briggs
Ace
7.99
14
14
Shadow Dance paperback release of hardcover
Julie Garwood
Ballantine
7.99
22
13
The Manning Sisters reprint
Debbie Macomber
MIRA
7.99
25
25
Shadow Music Despite fans not loving this entry it still sells.
Julie Garwood
Ballantine
25.00
27
26
Morning Light
Catherine Anderson
Signet
7.99
37
32
Blood Brothers
Nora Roberts
Jove
7.99
39
1
Blood Dreams
Kay Hooper
Bantam
25.00
40
40
Hide and Seek
Fern Michaels
Zebra
6.99
65
39
The Devil’s Web
Mary Balogh
Dell
6.99
69
69
Someone to Love I see by this ranking that I am not the only one who has given up on JD. Used to love some of her books.
Jude Devereaux
Pocket Star
7.99
76
76
The Accidental Vampire Sands is getting the 3 book back to back release so it will be interesting to watch the trend of …
Nothing much of interest in this week’s list. There were several books released on December 26, 2007, however, I think the holidays may have suppressed natural book sales.
***
The Sweet Far Thing, Libba Bray (Delacorte Books for Young Readers), $17.99, No.18 (debut).
Shadow Music, Julie Garwood (Ballantine), $26.00, No. 25 (debut).
***
Blood Brothers (Sign of Seven Trilogy, Book 1), Nora Roberts (Jove), $7.99, No. 32 (Peak 1).
Shadow Dance, Julie Garwood (Ballantine), $7.99, No. 42 (Peak 13). This is a paperback release of a hardcover.
Manning Sisters, Debbie Macomber (Mira), $7.99, No. 50 (debut). This a collection of two books previously published.
Hide and Seek, Fern Michaels (Zebra), $6.99, No. 71 (Peak 39).
Devil’s Web, Mary Balogh (Dell), $6.99, No. 81 (debut). This is a reprint of an out of print novel.
Wizard’s Daughter, Catherine Coulter (Jove), $6.99, No. 90 (Peak 49).
The Accidental Vampire, Lynsay Sands (Avon), $6.99, No. 92 (debut).
Iron Kissed, Patricia Briggs (Ace), $7.99, No. 93 (debut).
The Other Boleyn Girl, Philippa Gregory (Scribner), $15.00, No. 125 (Peak 83). This is another release of …
People are either buying gift books or they aren’t buying books at all.
***
Blood Brothers (Sign of Seven Trilogy, Book 1), Nora Roberts (Jove), $7.99, No. 5 (Peak 1).
Stars: Hidden Star\Captive Star, Nora Roberts (Silhouette Special Releases), $7.99, No. 66 (Peak 15).
Dakota Home (Dakota Series #2), Debbie Macomber (Mira), $7.99, No. 99 (Peak 19).
The Edge of Winter, Luanne Rice (Bantam), $7.50, No. 102 (Peak 54).
Christmas Wishes, Debbie Macomber (Mira), $7.99, No. 142 (Peak 11).
***
Out of the list:
The Widow, Carla Neggers (Mira), $7.99, No. 102 (Peak 45). This is the paperback release of the hardcover. I liked the book.
Wife for Hire, Janet Evanovich (Harper), $7.99, No. 117 (Peak 7).
For a Few Demons More, Kim Harrison (Eos), $7.99, No. 143 (Peak 14). Paperback release of hardcover.
It’s Christmas time and there is just not a huge buying market for genre fiction books.
***
Blood Brothers (Sign of Seven Trilogy, Book 1), Nora Roberts (Jove), $7.99, No. 2 (Peak 1).
Stars: Hidden Star\Captive Star, Nora Roberts (Silhouette Special Releases), $7.99, No. 50 (Peak 15).
Dakota Home (Dakota Series #2), Debbie Macomber (Mira), $7.99, No. 64 (Peak 19).
The Edge of Winter, Luanne Rice (Bantam), $7.50, No. 82 (Peak 54).
The Widow, Carla Neggers (Mira), $7.99, No. 102 (Peak 45). This is the paperback release of the hardcover. I liked the book.
Wife for Hire, Janet Evanovich (Harper), $7.99, No. 117 (Peak 7).
Christmas Wishes, Debbie Macomber (Mira), $7.99, No. 121 (Peak 11).
For a Few Demons More, Kim Harrison (Eos), $7.99, No. 143 (Peak 14). Paperback release of hardcover.
***
Out of the list:
The Warrior (Brotherhood of the Sword, Book 3), Kinley MacGregor (Avon), $6.99, No. 64 (debut).
Santa Cruise, Mary Higgins Clark, Carol Higgins Clark (Pocket), $7.99, No. 75 (Peak 35). I missed this one last week. It was still in the list at No 64.
Creation …
I am totally surprised at the weak showing of romance books on the list this week, particularly when there was a big release of new books last Tuesday. I know that my bookseller friend told me that the holidays are very soft on romance books as most book buyers are buying gifts for others and not for themselves.
On Bookscan, other than Blood Brothers (Sign of Seven Trilogy, Book 1), the sales numbers for the top 15 romance books were low.
***
Blood Brothers (Sign of Seven Trilogy, Book 1), Nora Roberts (Jove), $7.99, No. 1 (Peak 1).
Stars: Hidden Star\Captive Star, Nora Roberts (Silhouette Special Releases), $7.99, No. 24 (Peak 15).
Dakota Home (Dakota Series #2), Debbie Macomber (Mira), $7.99, No. 31 (Peak 19).
The Widow, Carla Neggers (Mira), $7.99, No. 52 (Peak 45). This is the paperback release of the hardcover. I liked the book.
The Edge of Winter, Luanne Rice (Bantam), $7.50, No. 54 (debut).
The Warrior (Brotherhood of the Sword, Book 3), Kinley MacGregor (Avon), $6.99, No. 64 (debut).
Santa Cruise, Mary Higgins Clark, Carol …
The representation of romance on the list is sparse this week. The top fifteen is full of non fiction books and male penned mysteries. There are a few Harlequin books that have appeared on the list, a week before their official release date, although those books are readily found in advance at drugstores and other retailers.
Tuesday was a big release date so the list should look differently next week.
***
Stars: Hidden Star\Captive Star, Nora Roberts (Silhouette Special Releases), $7.99, No. 15 (debut).
Dakota Home (Dakota Series #2), Debbie Macomber (Mira), $7.99, No. 19 (debut).
The Widow, Carla Neggers (Mira), $7.99, No. 45 (debut). This is the paperback release of the hardcover. I liked the book.
Wife for Hire, Janet Evanovich (Harper), $7.99, No. 51 (Peak 7).
Creation in Death J.D. Robb (Putnam), $25.95, No. 52 (Peak 5).
Christmas Wishes, Debbie Macomber (Mira), $7.99, No. 63 (Peak 11).
An Affair Before Christmas, Eloisa James (Avon), $7.99, No. 65 (Peak 44). I’m surprised she didn’t place higher. I’m pretty sure that Avon move James to a mid month release to …
J.D. Robb’s Creation in Death is the top selling romance. Even though the publishers market this book as a mystery (all the publicity material I received highlighted cover quotes from male authors) and is shelved in the mystery section, Robb herself claims this as a romance. Therefore so do I.
CL Wilson’s, Lady of Light and Shadows, dropped out of her list but the book generated enough interest that her first book, Lord of the Fading Lands, crept back into the bookscan romance top 100 list.
Most importantly, though, is the appearance of Brenda Jackson’s Slow Burn on the extended list. This is the first time for Jackson. I can’t help but wonder where she is shelved and if she is not solely shelved in the AA section of the bookstore, it makes a strong argument for complete integration.
***
Creation in Death J.D. Robb (Putnam), $25.95, No. 5 (debut)
Wife for Hire, Janet Evanovich (Harper), $7.99, No. 12 (Peak 7).
Dead of Night, J.D. Robb, Mary Blayney, Ruth Ryan Langan, Mary Kay McComas (Jove), $7.99, No. 28 (Peak 13).
Upon the Midnight Clear, Sherrilyn Kenyon (St. …
Weirdly Don’t Bet Against Me by Deanna Favre made the extended list (no. 146) weeks after its release which I guess means that it is a) a good christmas present or b) good word of mouth. I suppose a combination of both.
Jeaniene Frost’s debut, Halfway to the Grave, and CL Wilson’s, Lady of Light and Shadows, a follow up to her debut, Lord of the Fading Lands, showed up in the top 100. Interestingly, Frost’s book is number 23 on the extended NYT List to be released on Sunday despite not making the top 50 of the USA Today list. Kresley Cole’s Wicked Deeds on a Winters Night debuted higher on the USA Today list and was 13 on the NYT list.
***
Upon the Midnight Clear, Sherrilyn Kenyon (St. Martin’s Paperbacks), $6.99, No. 6 (debut).
Wife for Hire, Janet Evanovich (Harper), $7.99, No. 7 (debut).
Dead of Night, J.D. Robb, Mary Blayney, Ruth Ryan Langan, Mary Kay McComas (Jove), $7.99, No. 13 (debut).
Christmas Wishes, Debbie Macomber (Mira), $7.99, No. 18 (Peak 11).
The Taste of Innocence, Stephanie Laurens (Avon), $7.99, No. …
Last week was a big debut week and there should be new additions to the USA Today list that is published tomorrow. It is likely that Janet Evanovich, Wife for Hire; Nora Roberts, Dead of Night; and Sherrilyn Kenyon, Upon the Midnight Clear, will be in the top fifteen (maybe even the top 10).
In the top thirty, I expect to see Suzanne Brockmann, All Through the Night; Kresley Cole, Wicked Deeds on a Winter Night; Fern Michaels, Comfort and Joy; and Nora Roberts, Truly Madly Manhattan.
Newcomers Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave and C.L. Wilson, Lady of Light and Shadow may appear in the Extended List.
Patricia Cornwell’s newest release, Book of the Dead, is No. 1. Jessica Seinfeld’s controversial book is number 4 (it peaked at number 2). The competing book, Missy Chase Lapine’s The Sneaky Chef, debuted at 102 this week, likely due to the controversy. Laurell K Hamilton’s latest entry in the Merry Gentry series, Lick of Frost shows up at No. 6.
Despite the official release date for Harlequin Enterprise books, a number of them sold well enough to show up on the list including Sharon Sala’s second entry in the Cat Dupree series.
For all the talk about historicals being dead (and I actually heard that historicals are seeing an uptick in sales after being flat for years), an interesting comparison can be seen in the much hyped book of JR Ward, Lover Unbound, which fell out of the list this week and Lisa Kleypas Mine Till Midnight which remains on the print list for the 5th week a row. “Mine Till Midnight”’s release date was October 2, 20007 and “Lover Unbound” was September 25, 2007. Both were widely available …
|
|
Loading ...
Open Threads at Dear Author. Want to know what new releases are out this month and what readers are excited about reading? Check out the threads below. 
We don’t like to censor comments nor do we endorse the comments of any poster. We do reserve the right to moderate comments but most of the time will not, believing, as Justice Brandeis did, that the greater good is in “more speech, not enforced silence.”
