Books: Bestsellers

Although Bill Bryson can still lay claim to being "the" travel writer in the UK, with four books in the relevant top 10, Chris Stewart might be one to watch. Stewart retired as Genesis's drummer (age 17), cunningly avoiding fame and fortune, and ended up running a remote Spanish mountain farm. Driving Over Lemons: an optimist in Andaluca is his belated bid for fame. (And it's working.) Another optimist, Jamie Oliver, has been knocked off the top of the non-fiction list by the indestructible John Gray. No doubt he will bounce back.

Compiled on sales over seven days ending 6 June 1999

Bookwatch Ltd 1999

ORIGINAL FICTION

TITLE AUTHOR/PUBLISHER WEEKLY PRICE

SALES

1 Ralph's Party Lisa Jewell (Penguin) 5,704 pounds 5.99

2 City Woman Patricia Scanlan(Bantam) 4,590 pounds 5.99

3 Head Over Heels Jill Mansell (Headline) 4,327 pounds 5.99

4 Score! Jilly Cooper (Bantam) 3,535 pounds 16.99

5 Taking Chances Susan Lewis (Arrow) 3,159 pounds 5.99

6 LA Connections 3: murder Jackie Collins (Pan) 2,880 pounds 2.50

7 Star Wars: phantom menace Terry Brooks (Century) 2,762 pounds 15.99

8 Net Force T Clancy & S Piecenik (Headline) 2,430 pounds 5.99

9 LA connections 2 Jackie Collins (Pan) 1,744 pounds 2.50

10 Come Together Josie Lloyd & Emlyn Rees (Headline) 1,651 pounds 5.99

ORIGINAL NON-FICTION

TITLE AUTHOR/PUBLISHER WEEKLY PRICE

SALES

1 Men are From Mars John Gray (Thorsons) 3,082 pounds 8.99

2 The Naked Chef Jamie Oliver (Michael Joseph) 2,798 pounds 18.99

3 The Planets D McNab & J Younger (BBC) 1,823 pounds 19.99

4 Driving Over Lemons Chris Stewart (Sort of Books) 1,422 pounds 6.99

5 Star Wars visual dictionary David W Reynolds (DK) 1,366 pounds 12.99

6 Notting Hill Richard Curtis (Hodder) 1,248 pounds 7.99

7 How to Get What You Want John Gray (Vermilion) 1,231 pounds 9.99

8 Star Wars: phantom menace L Bouzereau (Ebury) 1,118 pounds 14.99

9 Ground Force Weekend Alan Titchmarsh (BBC) 1,072 pounds 9.99

10 Pretty Boy Roy Shaw (Blake) 966 pounds 14.99

TRAVEL

TITLE AUTHOR/PUBLISHER WEEKLY PRICE

SALES

1 Notes from a Small Island Bill Bryson (Black Swan) 2,418 pounds 6.99

2 Driving Over Lemons Chris Stewart (Sort of Books) 1,422 pounds 6.99

3 Round Ireland with Fridge Tony Hawks (Ebury) 1,119 pounds 6.99

4 All Points North Simon Armitage (Penguin) 858 pounds 6.99

5 Neither Here Nor There Bill Bryson (Black Swan) 676 pounds 6.99

6 The Lost Continent Bill Bryson (Black Swan) 659 pounds 6.99

7 A Walk in the Woods Bill Bryson (Black Swan) 476 pounds 6.99

8 Under the Tuscan Sun Frances Mayes (Bantam) 433 pounds 6.99

9 Bella Tuscany Frances Mayes (Bantam) 348 pounds 14.99

10 Breakfast in Brighton Nigel Richardson (Indigo) 233 pounds 7.99