Books: Best-sellers

Maeve Binchy and Tony Adams again dominate the original fiction and non-fiction lists respectively. But there are two new entries in the non-fiction list: Richard Branson's unsubtle autobiography and The Merlin Mystery which was published world-wide in 12 languages on 7 September. Jonathan Gunson and Marten Coombe have created a puzzle, the solution of which leads to a chance to win $100,000 and a gold wand. The official website has already received over 60,000 hits, and 2000 messages from those trying to unravel the puzzle. No entries will be opened before 1 January 1999 and the mystery will run until a correct solution is received or 31 December 2001. Suitable for all the family, The Merlin Mystery looks set to supplant charades over the Christmas holidays.

Compiled by Bookwatch from sales over seven days ending 20 September.

Copyright Bookwatch Ltd, 1998

ORIGINAL FICTION

TITLE AUTHOR/PUBLISHER WEEKLY SALES PRICE

1 (1) Tara Road Maeve Binchy (Orion) 8,906 pounds 16.99

2 (7) Charlotte Gray Sebastian Faulks (Hutchinson) 8,235 pounds 16.99

3 (2) Filth Irvine Welsh (Cape) 7,554 pounds 9.99

4 (8) The Tesseract Alex Garland (Viking) 6,909 pounds 9.99

5 (3) Rainbow Six Tom Clancy (M Joseph) 6,606 pounds 16.99

6 (4) Field of Thirteen Dick Francis (M Joseph) 6,527 pounds 16.99

7 (5) Jemima J Jane Green (Penguin) 4,995 pounds 5.99

8 (-) Net Force Tom Clancy (Headline) 4,417 pounds 6.99

9 (6) Love Song Charlotte Bingham (Bantam) 3,946 pounds 5.99

10 (9) Bag of Bones Stephen King (Hodder) 3,626 pounds 16.99

ORIGINAL NON-FICTION

TITLE AUTHOR/PUBLISHER WEEKLY SALES PRICE

1(1) Addicted Tony Adams & Ian Ridley(CollinsWillow) 6,872 pounds 17.99

2(6) East and West Chris Patten (Macmillan) 6,200 pounds 22.50

3(2) The Little Book of Calm Paul Wilson (Penguin) 5,999 pounds 1.99

4(4) Men are From Mars, Women

are from Venus John Gray (Thorsons) 5,048 pounds 9.99

5(-) Losing My Virginity Richard Branson (Virgin) 4,193 pounds 20

6(3) The Guv'nor Lenny McLean (Blake) 3,571 pounds 16.99

7(7) The Little Book of Stress Rohan Candappa (Ebury) 2,644 pounds 1.99

8(5) My 1998 World Cup Story Glenn Hoddle & David Davies (Deutsch) 1,890 pounds 17.99

9(8) Under the Tuscan Sun Frances Mayes (Bantam) 1,877 pounds 5.99

10(-) The Merlin Mystery J Gunson & M Coombe (Voyager) 1,738 pounds 12.99

SPORT

TITLE AUTHOR/PUBLISHER WEEKLY SALES PRICE

1 Addicted Tony Adams & Ian Ridley(CollinsWillow) 6,872 pounds 16.99

2 The Guv'nor Lenny McLean (Blake) 3,571 pounds 16.99

3 My Autobiography Dickie Bird (Coronet) 2,461 pounds 6.99

4 My 1998 World Cup Story Glenn Hoddle & David Davies (Deutsch) 1,890 pounds 17.99

5 Close to the Wind Pete Goss (Headline) 930 pounds 18.99

6 Into Thin Air Jon Krakauer (Pan) 789 pounds 6.99

7 Rothman's Football Yearbook edited by Glenda Rollin (Headline) 680 pounds 17.99

8 Fever Pitch Nick Hornby (Indigo) 471 pounds 5.99

9 Anything But... Richie Benaud (Hodder) 390 pounds 16.99

10 How Long is the Course? Roger Black (Deutsch) 387 pounds 15.99