Okay, I’m serious now, people. Stop reading James Patterson! He’s just not that good.
The numbers, alas, say otherwise: in addition to the four paperback bestsellers already mentioned in my earlier post, the guy has five hardcover bestsellers as well! Here’s the full list:
1. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead (5/07) 2,201,865
2. Playing for Pizza by John Grisham. Doubleday (9/07) 1,445,000
3. Double Cross by James Patterson. Little, Brown (11/07) 1,428,974
4. The Choice by Nicholas Sparks. Grand Central (9/07) 1,200,809
5. Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich. St. Martin’s (6/07) 1,116,828
6. Plum Lovin’ by Janet Evanovich. St. Martin’s (1/07) 1,080,686
7. Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwell. Putnam (10/07) 1,027,000
8. The Quickie by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge. Little, Brown (7/07) 795,736
9. The 6th Target by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. Little, Brown (5/07) 769,460
10. The Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz. Bantam (11/07) 740,000
11. Step on a Crack by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge. Little, Brown (2/07) 732,702
12. You’ve Been Warned by James Patterson and Howard Roughan. Little, Brown (9/07) 724,713
13. T Is for Trespass by Sue Grafton. Putnam (12/07) 716,582
14. Stone Cold by David Baldacci. Grand Central (11/07) 670,590
15. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. Atria Books (3/07) 609,000
The saddest thing about this unsurprising list is that not a single new novelist made it this year. Though I’m not a passionate fan of Mr. Hosseini, I guess I can be glad that the number one title was a literary offering.
Mostly, though, I keep thinking about Sue Grafton. I honestly remember seeing these same Kinsey Millhone books in the store when I was a child. How can Grafton not be wanting to gnaw off her own fingers at this point? And does some brilliant psychotic meltdown await her when the alphabet runs out? I worry about her. I really do.
I love Sue Grafton and am actually dreading the end of the alphabet! But as you’ve said before, number titles are now very popular, so may be she’ll go there next. One can hope anyway.