When it comes to the book industry, a high first week sales number is always a big deal. However, there are some books that just don’t pick up on their own over time.
To find out which books sold the most during their first week, we looked at NPD BookScan’s weekly sales data from across the United States.
The Lost Symbol
Robert Langdon, protagonist of Dan Brown’s novels The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, is back in The Lost Symbol. This time, Langdon is tasked with hunting down a Masonic secret that has been locked away for centuries.
In The Lost Symbol, Langdon is called to Washington D.C. to deliver a lecture at the Capitol Building. But he soon realizes that his mentor, Peter Solomon, has been kidnapped.
The story follows the renowned Harvard symbologist as he uncovers secrets in Washington, D.C., as well as around the world. Expect cryptic clues, Masonic lore, and CIA agendas. Plus, there’s a chilling antagonist named Mal’akh (Beau Knapp), who believes himself to be a guardian angel.
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest
For fans of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, the third and final book in the series, is a must-read. The spiky thriller picks up where The Girl Who Played with Fire left off, with Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) in a hospital bed, recovering from a bullet wound to the head.
The climax of the film is a harrowing showdown between Salander and a ruthless government cabal. It is a familiar trope from movie and book thrillers, but Larsson manages to reinvent it with dexterity, ardor and a stoked imagination.
Director Daniel Alfredson, who has helmed the first two movies in this spiky crime trilogy, again directs this made-for-TV Scandi drama, which benefits from edge-of-your-seat pacing even though there are less contrivances than in the previous films. Noomi Rapace, who has become a household name in Europe thanks to her turn as hacker-cyberpunk Lisbeth Salander, is again outstanding.
Go Set a Watchmen
Despite a tumultuous publication history, Harper Lee’s latest novel, Go Set a Watchman, sold more than 1.1 million copies in its first week of release. It’s a success that proves readers will continue to seek out books that touch on the topics they care about most.
It’s a story of a young woman struggling to come to terms with her values and assumptions. It’s a painful and necessary journey that can only be guided by one’s own conscience.
The novel follows Scout, the main character from To Kill a Mockingbird, as she navigates the racial tensions of her small Southern town. In her quest to find out more about herself, she is forced to confront the ugliness of racism.
A Dog’s Purpose
A Dog’s Purpose is a heartwarming comedy-drama that follows the life of a dog as he experiences several lifetimes. Its popularity among readers is a direct result of the uplifting story line that will make you laugh, cry and question your own purpose in life.
The movie is directed by Lasse Hallstrom, who also helmed the film adaptations of Dear John and The 100-Foot Journey. It is based on the best-selling novel by W. Bruce Cameron, and stars Josh Gad as the dog.
The movie takes us through several lives of Bailey as he is reincarnated into different breeds and genders over the course of four decades. This makes for a fascinating premise, and Gad and his co-stars bring their characters to life in a way that resonates.
Duck Commanders
Duck Commanders is one of the most popular books among readers. The book is about the Robertson family who operate Duck Dynasty, a booming business that has made them millionaires.
This Louisiana bayou family has a large number of members, including patriarch Phil, his wife Kay, sons Willie, Jase, and Jason, their wives, and their children. They have a passion for hunting and fishing and also enjoy going to church.
The success of Duck Dynasty has led to numerous spin-offs and expanded the media franchise for the Robertson family. This includes a series of books, music, podcasts and video games.
Grain Brain
Grain Brain, written by a neurologist and fellow of the American College of Nutrition, has been a popular best-selling book since 2013. It challenges the commonly held perceptions about food and health.
It argues that a high-carb, low-fat diet is linked to a host of modern diseases including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Perlmutter recommends a low-carb ketogenic diet, supplementation with specific nutrients and other lifestyle factors like exercise and adequate sleep.
The book has a lot of good information and tips. However, it also contains some misinformation and oversimplification.
The Room Where It Happened
The Room Where It Happened is one of the most popular songs in the musical Hamilton, composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda (along with music from the original Broadway cast). The song is a mix of New Orleans Dixieland jazz and New York hip hop, complete with a banjo, a shuffle-style beat-laden arrangement and scratch samples.
The song is a reference to a meeting of the minds between Hamilton, Jefferson and Madison, where the trio agree on the location of Washington, D.C. and the creation of federal securities. The song is also a great example of how history is often a black box. Historians have to work hard to make sense of the data and tell a convincing story.
A Promised Land
A Promised Land, Barack Obama’s memoir, has sold more than 890,000 copies. It is an extremely personal, riveting history of the former president.
The Bible’s prophets use the idea of a “promised land” to highlight God’s faithfulness and provide hope for the nation of Israel. However, the loss of the land in the Babylonian exile was a major fracture to Israel’s identity as a nation and their relationship with God.
This new ABC drama is inspired by the Dallas soap opera and takes its time to set up each character and their motivations. The show’s streamlined approach makes for some clunky plot mechanics, but it does manage to undercut many of the cliches and over-the-top action that can sometimes make a broadcast drama feel generic.
Decision Points
A slew of books in the nonfiction genre have topped the New York Times Best Seller list. But only one book, a political memoir by the 43rd president of the United States, has sold more copies in its first year than its predecessors.
The winner is Decision Points by George W. Bush, which surpassed Bill Clinton’s My Life in the White House as the fastest presidential memoir to hit the two million mark. It is also the top-selling book of 2014 and remains #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers hardcover nonfiction list for another week. It is a high-octane, high-brow read that will likely linger on the best seller lists for years to come. Its popularity among readers should be a win for its author and for the book industry as a whole. The name of the game for any book is to keep its fans coming back for more.
Becoming
One of the most popular books on the market is Becoming, a memoir by former first lady Michelle Obama. The book tells the story of her life as a young woman growing up in Chicago and meeting an up-and-coming lawyer named Barack Obama.
It is a warm, intimate coming-of-age story that is filled with determination and love of family. There are also many subtle and not-so-subtle lessons about being female, black and female in America that are reflected throughout the story.
In order to become a popular author, an author must find an audience or niche that they can appeal to. This is a hard task.