Top 20 Bestsellers – December 2019

The Christmas season held no surprises when it came to sales through the tills, with end-of-year staples such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Deon Meyer, Lee Child, Malcolm Gladwell, Wilbur Smith, John Grisham, Robin Sharma, John Platter’s Wine Guide, Guinness World Records, Zapiro , David Walliams and Jamie Oliver all putting in an appearance on the Top 20.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck continued its dominance of the charts, perhaps indicating the settling of a permanent mood in the market. Marita van der Vyver, Jojo Moyes and Lucinda Riley all made welcome returns to the bestseller list, while Heather Morris repeated the success of the previous year’s Tattooist of Auschwitz with her new book, Cilka’s Journey.

Jeremy Daniel’s Siya Kolisi did well in the wake of World Cup victory, while Stellenbosch Mafia maintained its bestseller status through the holidays. Six South African titles made it to December top 20 this year.

** Statistics from Bookscan SA (excludes dictionaries and study guides)