Weekly E-Ranking: Trio with brio remain at summit

You’d never know that New Years Day had even happened from the Weekly E-Book Ranking—the same three début superstars are doggedly dominating the top of the chart, just as they did throughout most of 2018. For the week ending 19th January, Heather Morris’ The Tattooist of Auschwitz took a (no doubt brief) hiatus from its seven-week run in the top spot, as Adam Kay’s This is Going to Hurt surged upwards. The junior doctor‘s memoir became the longest-running non-fiction number one in the Weekly E-Book Ranking last year, with a four-week reign over August. Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, the third leg in the golden tripod, maintained third place.

Alongside its five number ones, This is Going to Hurt is undoubtedly the most enduring non-fiction hit in the e-book chart, racking up 53 weeks in the top 20 since September 2017. Though Eleanor Oliphant’s record 78 weeks seem untouchable, Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train’s 54-week stay in the chart, the second-best any title has achieved, could be beaten by This is Going to Hurt in the next fortnight.

The non-celebrity memoir really had its moment in 2018, and even the usually non-fiction-averse e-book chart joined in. This is Going to Hurt is a prime example of the socially-conscious, interesting-life-stories-of-avowedly-“normal”- people trend. Michelle Obama may be a celebrity but her memoir Becoming has not sold like a celebrity autobiography. In fact, it’s rare for big Christmas gift event hardbacks to sneak into the e-book chart at all—Jamie Oliver’s 5 Ingredients never managed it—yet Becoming has just spent its ninth week in the ranking, re-entering the top five. Tara Westover’s Educated, the story of the author’s strive for a formal education in a family of fanatical Mormons, also rose back into the chart, hitting 15th place.

Darynda Jones’ Summoned to Thirteenth Grave became the third consecutive title in the author’s Charley Davidson series to hit the e-book top 20. Appositely, it scored 13th place—Jones’ highest ranking to date.