I thought The Hunger Games trilogy was very good (the first two books much better than the last) and my kids loved it, so I can't fault that too much, though I am stunned it beat out every other fiction book out there. The movie certainly was a reason, and I do think it's wonderful the YA audience has that much clout. Besides, something had to replace Harry Potter *vbg*.

However, I'm fairly appalled by the rest of it. Having skimmed most of Fifty Shades of Grey before sending it packing back to the person who insisted I had to read it - I'd vote for weeping.

I've been looking at the bestseller lists in the NYT Book Review lately and those lists are rather sad, too. With a bazillion books to choose from, why do the same three or four dominate every list?

I enjoyed the Hunger Games Trilogy - it was far better than what I was expecting. If kids are reading that, well I have no problem. Some of the YA fiction is very, very good.

The 50 shades trilogy is another matter. Poorly written, unbelievable characters and just awful. For a better romp Id choose Gabaldon's Outlander any day. Though I guess that one spent some time on the best seller list.

I think you have ebooks to blame for the Fifty shades popularity. The soccer moms can read it discretely. If you lugged the hardcover to soccer practice, well, that might get a few eyebrows raised.

Except for the fact that it appears more young adults are reading, which is a good thing....I am saddened by the types of books people are reading now ie. NYT lists as mentioned above. I can only hope good books in book form will remain available for many years to come!

I vote for weeping.

With a list like this in hand, book publishers have "proof in hand" to reject so many other manuscripts that may be extremely well-written but do not "fit the bestseller" mode. And I worry about what this list says about us as a society...

PAM

The only ones listed that I have read are The Hunger Games series & I throughly enjoyed the books and the 1st movie. I am looking forward to the 2nd movie in the series too although my friend that went with me to see the Hunger Games said she refuses to go with me to see the others and told me not to even ask her!

Pat

As one who has no problem admitting to reading and enjoying bestsellers from time to time I can honestly say I have never read any of those books and probably never will. They sure don't offer much in the way of variety, do they?

Personally, I am weeping. I liked the Hunger Games, but there are so very many great books out there - yes, this list is weep-worthy.

I agree that the three Hunger Games series books are excellent, thoughtful and well-written. I enjoyed them thoroughly and bought them so I could re-read them in the future.

I'm not going to read the Shades books.

But I rarely like many books on the bestsellers lists. Once in a while it happens, but I'm more surprised than not when books I like appear on the lists.

A few years ago my husband gave me Michael Korda's book Making the List: A Cultural History of the American Bestseller 1900-1999. I read it with great interest. It may be true that we are at a particularly low point right now. But we have always had Truly Dreadful books heavily represented on the bestseller lists, along with a reasonable number of decently crafted, workmanlike popular novels, but rarely more light smattering of enduring fiction at any one time.

Rosefolly

The list itself is a depressing read. No matter how it is packaged, sex and violence will always sell, particularly to readers leading otherwise safe, everyday lives.

Take heart, however. Best-sellers seem to have very short lifespans. It only takes a few years, and they are mostly forgotten.

Janalyn's comment about YA fiction struck a chord. I gave my mother Mark Zusak's The Book Thief for Christmas, since it had appeared on so many lists of the best books of 2012. When I bought it I did not know it was a YA title. I didn't know if my mother would even bother with it, once she found out it was for "kids". I happy to say she read it just after Christmas and really enjoyed it.

Rosefolly, the Korda books sounds very interesting. I think I will add that to my TBR list.

I'm another one who really enjoyed The Hunger Games trilogy. It's among other things a futuristic allegory and can be enjoyed by adults as well as those younger. (The film was well done, also, in my opinion).

Ugh, what a list, but it's good that people are reading. I suspect we'd like 11-20 better.

Tim, it is interesting that in Australia (and Markus Zusak is Australian) The Book Thief is not marketed as YA, but goes in general fiction.

Here is a list (see link) of the Top 20 Bestselling Books on 2012, according to Publisher's Weekly. (Socks suggested above that it could be interesting to see numbers 11-20.)

One interesting point they note in the second parag:

"...books not part of a successful series or brand had a much tougher time, at least at the top of the bestseller lists. Even books from bestselling authors did not do as well as books from bestselling series..."

So - authors need to establish a "brand" to sell a bestseller?... Gaah. That is a basic marketing principle, fair enough, but it sounds so non-literate... It's all about money, I suppose.

Interesting though.

Here is a link that might be useful: PW's Bestselling Books of 2012

I think that this list is a representation of where we are as a society...or where we're going at warp speed.

Ugh.

I am glad to see that at least Bill O'Reilly's "Killing Lincoln" was on the PW list.

yoyobon- I agree-ugh from me too!
A bright spot in the article-Unbroken- a fabulous non-fiction read by Laura H.

Agreed - Unbroken is an excellent book. I highly recommend it. Probably the best book my book club has read in the past couple of years.

Rosefolly