
A lantern festival earlier this month in Shanghai’s Yuyuan Garden was part of the city’s events heralding China’s Year of the Dog. Image – iStockphoto: Yanjf
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
A TV Personality’s Memoir Enters Nonfiction at No. 11

Nicolai Ostrovskyi’s 1932 ‘How the Steel Was Tempered’
As each month, our rankings here are provided by Beijing’s OpenBook and the US-based distribution and import specialists Trajectory. OpenBook in China is similar to Nielsen in the UK or NPD in the United States, providing research and analysis on the evolving Chinese publishing industry.
Our colleague Rainy Liu points out this month that with the winter vacation weeks that surround the new year holidays, there’s often a trend toward sales in classical literature, both Chinese and international—especially among students who are getting through some extra reading requirements from primary and secondary school classes.
This is part of what’s behind the 10 classical works found in our January Top 30 titles in fiction.
Among those, for example, are the 1932 Russian social-realist novel How the Steel Was Tempered by Nikolai Ostrovsky and the 1932 Rickshaw Boy by China’s Lao She.

‘The Cat Emperor and His Friends’ by Bai Cha
We’re also seeing a return in January to some comics in the Top 10, including the high-ranking (No. 3) The Cat Emperor and His Friends by Bai Cha. Two of the characters from the comic—a fat cat called Wuhuang and a black dog named Bazhahei—are nationally popular cartoons.
And Bai Cha’s comics series originally appeared on the social network Weibo.
What kind of readership is behind such a successful comic? There are said to three million readers of Bai Cha’s material online alone.
And January saw the arrival of a new graphic title, as well, Douluo Continent III: Legend of the Dragon King by Tang Jia Shao.
In nonfiction, with several new titles from Chinese authors entering the Top 30, one of them is written by a famous Chinese news anchor.

‘Encounter With Chen Luyu’
Chen Luyu has hosted several television programs and wrote her first autobiography 15 years ago.
Her new work, Encounter With Chen Luyu, looks at her various interviews with people and draws lessons from them, gathering messages about love, sadness, and confusion.
Below are OpenBook’s overall lists from January of bestsellers in fiction and nonfiction, followed by its lists of bestselling fiction and nonfiction in China by authors from outside the country, which are of interest, of course, to those who are looking to sell rights into the huge Chinese market.
OpenBook’s Fiction Bestsellers in China, January 2018
Dec ’17 Rank | Jan ’18 Rank | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
1 | 1 | 9787544270878 | Apr-14 | Miracles of the Namiya General Store | Higashino Keigo | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
2 | 2 | 9787020123728 | Apr-17 | Fang Hua | Yan Geling | People’s Literature Publishing House |
28 | 3 | 9787505742338 | Dec-17 | The Cat Emperor and His Friends (3) | Bai Cha | China Friendship Publishing Company |
7 | 4 | 9787208061644 | Apr-06 | The Kite Runner | Khaled Hosseini | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
4 | 5 | 9787550024212 | Sep-17 | Trespassers | Claire McFall | Baihuazhou Literature & Art Publishing House |
Not Ranked | 6 | 9787544760874 | Oct-16 | 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea | Jules Verne | Yilin Press |
Not Ranked | 7 | 9787544246279 | Apr-10 | Rickshaw Boy | Lao She | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
5 | 8 | 9787544291163 | Aug-17 | Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2017 Version) | Higashino Keigo | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
Not Ranked | 9 | 9787530217559 | Nov-17 | The Murder in Mansion Masquerade | Higashino Keigo | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
8 | 10 | 9787544267618 | Jun-14 | The Devotion of Suspect X | Higashino Keigo | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
Not Ranked | 11 | 9787556232994 | Jan-18 | Douluo Continent III: Legend of the Dragon King(23) | Tang Jia San Shao | Hunan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
16 | 12 | 9787500601593 | Aug-05 | Red Crag | Luo Guangbin, Yang Yiyan | China Youth Press |
6 | 13 | 9787550013247 | May-15 | Ferryman | Claire McFall | Baihuazhou Literature & Art Publishing House |
10 | 14 | 9787530215593 | Jun-17 | To Live | Yu hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
Not Ranked | 15 | 9787544762519 | Dec-16 | How the Steel Was Tempered | Nikolai Ostrovsky | Yilin Press |
13 | 16 | 9787530216781 | Jun-17 | Ordinary World (3 Volumns) | Lu Yao | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
11 | 17 | 9787536692930 | Jan-08 | The Three-Body Problem | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
12 | 18 | 9787544285148 | Oct-16 | Malice | Higashino Keigo | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
14 | 19 | 9787540455958 | Jun-12 | The Shadow Thief | Marc Levy | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
20 | 20 | 9787544291170 | Aug-17 | One Hundred Years of Solitude (50th Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
OpenBook’s Nonfiction Bestsellers in China, January 2018
Dec ’17 Rank | Jan ’18 Rank | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
1 | 1 | 9787503561634 | Aug-17 | Xi Jinping’s Seven Years as an Educated Youth | Party School of the Central Committee of C.P.C | Central Party School Press |
2 | 2 | 9787540482190 | Aug-17 | I Won’t | Da Bing | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
6 | 3 | 9787549550173 | Jan-14 | Seeing Off | Long Yingtai | Guangxi Normal University Press |
3 | 4 | 9787508660752 | Feb-17 | Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind | Yuval Noah Harari | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd |
5 | 5 | 9787550263932 | Nov-15 | Genius on the Left, Lunatic on the Right (Full Version) | Gao Ming | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
4 | 6 | 9787508672069 | Jan-17 | Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow | Yuval Noah Harari | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd |
Not Ranked | 7 | 9787544763981 | Jun-16 | Fu Lei’s Letters for Home (Revised Edition) | Fu Lei | Yilin Press |
Not Ranked | 8 | 9787544765176 | Aug-16 | Fu Lei’s Letters for Home | Fu Lei | Yilin Press |
7 | 9 | 9787108042453 | Sep-12 | We Three | Yang Jiang | SDX Joint Publishing Company |
8 | 10 | 9787539999883 | Mar-17 | 30 Minutes of Chinese History in Cartoon | Er Hunzi | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
Not Ranked | 11 | 9787530217856 | Dec-17 | Encounter of Chen Luyu | Chen Luyu | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
24 | 12 | 9787530214787 | Apr-17 | The Stories of the Sahara | Echo Chan | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
Not Ranked | 13 | 9787508682624 | Oct-17 | The Decade of Surge with Big Fishes and Flooding Water | Wu Xiaobo | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd |
10 | 14 | 9787508671505 | Dec-16 | Speak Well: Fresh and Interesting Speaking Skills | Ma Weiwei, Huang Zhizhong, Zhou Xuanyi | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd |
12 | 15 | 9787549564125 | Apr-15 | Dear Andrea | Long Yingtai | Guangxi Normal University Press |
9 | 16 | 9787549550159 | Jan-14 | My Child, Just Take Your Time | Long Yingtai | Guangxi Normal University Press |
14 | 17 | 9787020130702 | Aug-17 | The Reader (Vol.1) | Dong Qing | People’s Literature Publishing House |
15 | 18 | 9787535447340 | Feb-14 | The Poignant Culture Traveling | Yu Qiuyu | Changjiang Literature & Art Press Co., Ltd. |
17 | 19 | 9787540476892 | Jul-16 | Goodwill | Da Bing | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
Not Ranked | 20 | 9787533951092 | Dec-17 | What is EQ? | Li Xiaoyi | Zhejiang Literature & Art Press |
Foreign Author Fiction Bestsellers in China, January 2018
Dec ’17 Rank | Jan ’18 Rank | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Author nationality | Chinese Publisher |
1 | 1 | 9787544270878 | Apr-14 | Miracles of the Namiya General Store | Higashino Keigo | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
2 | 2 | 9787020123728 | Apr-17 | Fang Hua | Yan Geling | United States of America | People’s Literature Publishing House |
6 | 3 | 9787208061644 | Apr-06 | The Kite Runner | Khaled Hosseini | United States of America | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
3 | 4 | 9787550024212 | Sep-17 | Trespassers | Claire McFall | Britain | Baihuazhou Literature & Art Publishing House |
Not Ranked | 5 | 9787544760874 | Oct-16 | 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea | Jules Verne | France | Yilin Press |
4 | 6 | 9787544291163 | Aug-17 | Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2017 Version) | Higashino Keigo | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
Not Ranked | 7 | 9787530217559 | Nov-17 | The Murder in Mansion Masquerade | Higashino Keigo | Japan | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
7 | 8 | 9787544267618 | Jun-14 | The Devotion of Suspect X | Higashino Keigo | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
5 | 9 | 9787550013247 | May-15 | Ferryman | Claire McFall | Britain | Baihuazhou Literature & Art Publishing House |
Not Ranked | 10 | 9787544762519 | Dec-16 | How the Steel Was Tempered | Nikolai Ostrovsky | Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | Yilin Press |
8 | 11 | 9787544285148 | Oct-16 | Malice | Higashino Keigo | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
9 | 12 | 9787540455958 | Jun-12 | The Shadow Thief | Marc Levy | France | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
12 | 13 | 9787544291170 | Aug-17 | One Hundred Years of Solitude (50th Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel Garc’a M‡rquez | Colombia | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
11 | 14 | 9787544258210 | Oct-17 | Naoko | Higashino Keigo | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
18 | 15 | 9787544291224 | Aug-17 | After School (2017 Version) | Higashino Keigo | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
16 | 16 | 9787544285643 | Dec-16 | Salvation of a Saint | Higashino Keigo | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
13 | 17 | 9787539971810 | Apr-15 | The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry | Gabrielle Zevin | United States of America | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
14 | 18 | 9787544277617 | Jun-15 | Love in the Time of Cholera | Gabriel Garc’a M‡rquez | Colombia | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
Not Ranked | 19 | 9787544760843 | Aug-16 | Jane Eyre | Charlotte Bronte | Britain | Yilin Press |
19 | 20 | 9787544277723 | Jun-15 | Tokio | Higashino Keigo | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
Foreign Author Nonfiction Bestsellers in China, January 2018
Dec ’17 Rank | Jan ’18 Rank | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Author nationality | Chinese Publisher |
1 | 1 | 9787508660752 | Feb-17 | Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind | Yuval Noah Harari | Israel | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
2 | 2 | 9787508672069 | Jan-17 | Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow | Yuval Noah Harari | Israel | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
3 | 3 | 9787020116133 | Jun-16 | Red Star Over China | Edgar Snow | United States of America | People’s Literature Publishing House |
4 | 4 | 9787514208788 | Jul-13 | The Willpower Instinct (Hardcover) | Kelly McGonigal | United States of America | Cultural Development Publishing House |
Not Ranked | 5 | 9787544760850 | Jan-17 | Michelangelo / Tolstoy / Beethoven | Romain Rolland | France | Yilin Press |
8 | 6 | 9787301109489 | Oct-06 | A Global History: From Prehistory to the 21st Century (Vol.1) | L.S.Stavrianos | United States of America | Peking University Press |
7 | 7 | 9787535732309 | Nov-01 | A Brief History of Time | Stephen William Hawking | Britain | Hunan Science & Technology Press |
13 | 8 | 9787301110522 | Oct-06 | A Global History: From Prehistory to the 21st Century (Vol.2) | L.S.Stavrianos | United States of America | Peking University Press |
16 | 9 | 9787508673158 | Mar-17 | Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind + Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow | Yuval Noah Harari | Israel | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
10 | 10 | 9787544762885 | Apr-16 | 84, Charing Cross Road | Helene Hanff | United States of America | Yilin Press |
6 | 11 | 9787544768559 | Jul-17 | Souvenirs Entomologiques | Jean Henri Fabre | France | Yilin Press |
5 | 12 | 9787308161459 | Aug-16 | The Silk Roads: A New History of the World | Peter Frankopan | Britain | Zhejiang Eniversity Press Co.,Ltd |
17 | 13 | 9787508650890 | May-15 | Who Moved My Cheese? | Spencer Johnson | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
9 | 14 | 9787513903509 | Nov-14 | Jerusalem: The Biography | Simon Sebag Montefiore | Britain | Democracy and Construction Press |
14 | 15 | 9787300126210 | Sep-10 | Mao: A Biography | Ross Terrill | United States of America | China Renmin University Press |
Not Ranked | 16 | 9787510855832 | Sep-17 | 100 Basics of Work & Life | Matsuura Yataro | Japan | Jiuzhou Press |
Not Ranked | 17 | 9787544768511 | Jun-17 | Three Days to See (New Edition) | Helen Keller | United States of America | Yilin Press |
Not Ranked | 18 | 9787220102912 | Sep-17 | Rich Dad, Poor Dad | Robert T. Kiyosaki | United States of America | Sichuan People’s Publishing House |
Not Ranked | 19 | 9787508086156 | Nov-15 | Nonviolent Communication | Marshall B. Rosenberg PhD | United States of America | Huaxia Publishing House |
18 | 20 | 9787514219203 | Sep-17 | The Willpower Instinct (New Edition) | Kelly McGonigal | United States of America | Cultural Development Publishing House |
Notes on the Charts
OpenBook is a privately owned industry-data research firm based in Beijing. It functions somewhat as Nielsen and NDP do from the West, and Nielsen Book Research International has worked with OpenBook in Asian operations.
Trajectory, based near Boston, is an importer of Western-language ebooks and audiobooks into China. Trajectory is also helping China’s largest publishers export their books and audiobooks through a proprietary global ebook distribution network that includes hundreds of retailers as well as library and school distributors.
This data is estimated by OpenBook to represent some 30 to 40 percent of the total sales activity in China. OpenBooks draws point-of-sale data from a total 3,115 stores located in 1,247 cities. These stores include:
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- Traditional bookstores
- Supermarkets
- Campus bookstores
- “Professional” stores, which are said to be small stores with a specific industrial or trade focus
- Airport stores
In addition, OpenBook is drawing data from online bookstores of two main types:
- The “Tmall” stores of Alibaba (Tmall is described as a marketplace of companies that create storefronts online to sell products including books)
- Ten independent online bookselling retailers
China has some 500 or more publishers in operation today. Most of them, Trajectory CEO James Bryant clarifies, are government-owned. Private publishers are required to purchase ISBNs for their titles from a publishing company that is government-owned—which, in other words, creates a system in which all ISBNs are in one way or another registered through government channels. The government approves each book published in China.
More charts and rankings from Publishing Perspectives’ China bestsellers can be found here.