Book: Bestsellers

The big story this week concerns two women and their books. Girl Power reigns in the shops with a vengeance. Both titles have entered the top three of the non-fiction list after just one week lurking outside the top ten. Hardly surprisingly, given the world-wide fascination with Monica Lewinsky, sales of Monica's Story by Andrew Morton are outstripping those of Germaine Greer's The Whole Woman by over 30 per cent. I suspect that one of these doughty fighters will top the chart next week, and for several weeks to come. In fiction, Catherine Cookson has, at last, moved out of the doldrums to knock John Grisham from the top, while Sheila O'Flanagan and the Dublin firm of Poolbeg prove once more the luck of the Irish saga.

Compiled from data supplied on sales over seven days ending 14 March 1999

Bookwatch Ltd, 1999

ORIGINAL FICTION

TITLE AUTHOR/PUBLISHER PRICE WEEKLY SALES

1 (5) The Thursday Friend Catherine Cookson (Bantam) pounds 16.99 6,332

2 (2) The Testament John Grisham (Century) pounds 16.99 6,207

3 (4) Come Together Josie Lloyd & Emlyn Rees (Arrow) pounds 5.99 4,540

4 (1) Sharpe's Fortress Bernard Cornwell (HarperCollins) pounds 16.99 3,802

5 (-) Monsoon Wilbur Smith (Macmillan) pounds 17.99 3,527

6 (3) Single & Single John le Carre (Hodder & Stoughton) pounds 16.99 2,796

7 (7) Night Whispers Judith McNaught (Pocket) pounds 5.99 1,903

8 (6) Caroline's Sister Sheila O'Flanagan (Poolbeg) pounds 5.99 1,369

9 (10) Liar Birds Lucy Fitzgerald (Black Swan) pounds 5.99 1,133

10 (9) Southern Cross Patricia Cornwell (Little, Brown) pounds 16.99 1,058

ORIGINAL NON-FICTION

TITLE AUTHOR/PUBLISHER PRICE WEEKLY SALES

1 (1) 5 Go Mad in the Kitchen Various authors (New Crane) pounds 1 7,481

2 (-) Monica's Story Andrew Morton (O'Mara) pounds 16.99 7.042

3 (-) The Whole Woman Germaine Greer (Doubleday) pounds 1.99 5,270

4 (2) Ground Force Weekend Alan Titchmarsh (BBC) pounds 9.99 4,132

5 (5) Men are From Mars... John Gray (Thorsons) pounds 8.99 3,492

6 (4) Little Book of Feng Shui Lillian Too (Element) pounds 1.99 2,747

7 (3) Station X Michael Smith (Channel 4) pounds 14.99 2,714

8 (6) Formula One Guide Bruce Jones (Carlton) pounds 9.99 2,447

9 (7) Delia's How to Cook Delia Smith (BBC) pounds 16.99 2,234

10 (8) The Year 1000 R Lacey & D Danziger (Little, Brown) pounds 12.99 1,964