1989

A controversial title on this list for this year.

1. Clear and Present Danger, military fiction by Tom Clancy has 1,359 owners and 6 reviews.

2. The Dark Half, horror fiction by Stephen King has 1,509 owners and 14 reviews.

3. Daddy, a romance by Danielle Steel has 107 owners (0 reviews).

4. "Star", another romance by Danielle Steel has 89 owners (0 reviews). This book ranks 23rd among LT owners of Steel.

5. Caribbean, historical fiction by James Michener has 294 owners and 5 reviews.

6. The Satanic Verses by Salmon Rushdie has 2,453 owners and 16 reviews. Controversial, set in India and dealing with Islam in a way many felt negative.

7. The Russia House, a novel of espionage by John Le Carre has 563 owners and 2 reviews.

8. The Pillars of the Earth, historical fiction (cathedral in England) by Ken Follett has 1,747 owners and 43 reviews.

9. California Gold, historical fiction (Gold Rush) by John Jakes has 71 owners (0 reviews).

10. While My Pretty One Sleeps, mystery by Mary Higgins Clark has 281 owners and 2 reviews.

Alas, another vacant year for me, but I do have the Best American Short Stories from 1989. Are those volumes never bestsellers?

#

I think stories seldom make the bestseller list although maybe James Michener's Tales of the South Pacific is an exception. These are linked stories, I think.

Have and have read The Dark Half. It's one of King's better works.
Have and have not read Clear and Present Danger. Tried & gave up.

I think I saw the movie version of Clear and Present Danger, not really my sort of thing, but my male companions enjoyed it. The Pillars of the Earth is in my to be read pile. I tried and failed to read The Satanic Verses. It was too mind blowingly boring and it was lost upon me what people found so offensive. If such a fuss had not been made it would never have become a bestseller and would have disappeared into obscurity.

1. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet I have just put him on my favorite list. He has not been an author I would seek out. But it has dawned on me that I have Enjoyed everyone of his books that I have read. Just got his new one World Without End
2. Clear and Present Dangerby Clancy
3. Caribbean by Michener

message #3 vpfluke Just for info
Tales of the south pacific won a pulitzer prize in 1948

vpfluke,

Should bestsellers go into Common Knowledge?

# 7

Maybe I need to read Tales of the south Pacific. My mother used to play a 33 recording of South Pacific (with Mary Martin all the time when I was a kid (along with the King and I/ Gertrude Lawrence).

Perhaps, there Bestsellers should be a part of Common Knowledge. These became quite complicated in 2000 when it appeared that the "Harry Pottter" series became some of the most popular fiction ever in the United States. It was determined that they should not show on the best-sller list for fiction: they were more properly children's works. This despite the fact that huge numbers of adults have read them, and they are at the top of the LT most owned works. So, in the New York Times, you have several gradations of best-sellers, some list only appear monthly. USA Today has been doing an overall list of best-sellers since about 1993/4, and their lists nowadays might be a better reflection of what LTers read.

I think putting Bestsellers into Common Knowledge is actually a good idea. How does this get back to the LT website designers?

vpfluke,

The movie "Tales of the South Pacific" is very, I repeat! very loosely based on the book. Only the charature names are are used. The nurse is still from Arkansas, Billas is a See-Bee, and Bloodly Mary sells grass skirts, thats about it.

I read this a few mounths ago and was pleasantly suprized. It is not the feel good story of the movie. It's darker, sadder , deeper and richer story than the movie. But they could not and/or would not make that story into a movie in 1958.

The Broadway musical, South Pacific, dates from 1949. I certainly remember the record from 1953. But, I should read the book, as I think I remember mostly my mother's impressions, and I was too young (8) to understand any of the adult character of the story, Broadway, Musical, or book.

US Non-Fiction

1. All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten: Uncommon Thoughts on Common Things, Robert Fulghum 942 copies on LT

2. Wealth Without Risk: How To Develop a Personal Fortune Without Going Out on a Limb, Charles J. Givens 29 copies

3. A Woman Named Jackie, C. David Heymann 68 copies

4. It Was on Fire When I Lay Down on It, Robert Fulghum 448 copies

5. Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book 1,148 copies

6. The Way Things Work, David Macaulay 517 copies

7. It's Always Something, Gilda Radner 151 copies

8. Roseanne: My Life as a Woman, Roseanne Barr 38 copies

9. The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines: China, Greece, and Rome, Jeff Smith 173 copies

10. My Turn: The Memoirs of Nancy Reagan, Nancy Reagan with William Novak 27 copies

Helacious touchstones today!

I've read A Woman Named Jackie, It's Always Something, and Roseanne. I own the BH&G and the Frugal Gourmet cookbooks.

Ive read All I need to know, I learned in kindergarden.

The Dark Half - half of which I thought was excellent - and While my Pretty One Sleeps - maybe from the library? I don't buy her books - are the only two I've read here.

The Satanic verses was the first I personally remember of an extremist reaction to fiction.

2 out of the 20 for me. Russia House (ok, but not among my favorites of Le Carre's novels ), and The Satanic Verses. Loved the latter, and have been reading Rushdie's books ever since.

This was around the year I started keeping track of bestseller lists myself. Danielle Steele was oft mentioned in the same breath as Stephen King, someone who could NOT write a non-bestseller. So interesting to compare Librarything claims of ownership now between those authors, one seems not to be destined for the ages.

Pillars of the Earth would have a much different statistic attached had you caught it before Oprah did and its sequel came out. Would be interesting to see how much it spiked after that. EDIT: my mistake, I believe you did. It now has more than 10,000 members claiming a copy.

I just saw California Gold in a yard sale the other day for 50 cents and passed it by, but remembered it being a bestseller.