Kyobo Bookstore 4th Week of July Bestseller List
6 out of the Top 10 Are Korean Novels
‘Grapefruit Apricot Club’ by Han Loro in Short Supply Too
[Seoul=Newsis] Reporter Jo Kiyong reports that “Manufactured Suspect,” the new release by Japan’s leading mystery author Higashino Keigo, has immediately topped the bestseller list. Reader response had been enthusiastic even before the release during pre-orders.
According to Kyobo Bookstore’s 4th-week bestseller list for July, Keigo’s book is at number 1, while Seong Hae-na’s “Honmono,” which held the 1st place for five consecutive weeks, has dropped to the 2nd spot. “Manufactured Suspect” was most purchased by readers in their 40s, accounting for 34.0% of sales.
Celebrating his 40th debut anniversary this year, Keigo has published more than 100 books, establishing a solid fan base as a prolific author.
The new novel “Manufactured Suspect” brings back Kodai Tsudamu, the protagonist and detective from his 2021 novel “The Swan and the Bat,” to unravel a murder mystery. The book won last year’s Best Mystery and this year’s Japan Mystery Literature Award.
In this week’s tally, 8 of the top 10 books were novels. Korean literature’s strong presence continues with Yang Gui-ja’s “Conflict” (3rd), Kim Ae-ran’s “I Said Goodbye” (4th), Jeong Dae-geon’s “Rapids” (7th), Kim Geum-hee’s “First Summer, Complete” (8th), and Han Kang’s “The Boy is Coming” (10th).
Samantha Harvey’s “Orbit,” which won the Booker Prize last year, has jumped 15 spots to 9th.
The script set for the drama “Unknown Seoul,” noted for its iconic lines, entered the rankings at 5th after its release on the 22nd. Women made up 90.1% of its sales, reflecting overwhelming support from female readers.
Actor Ryu Soo-young’s cookbook “Ryu Soo-young’s Lifetime Recipes” fell three places to 6th.
Additionally, singer-songwriter Han Loro’s debut short story “Grapefruit Apricot Club” ranked 21st and reportedly saw temporary shortages.