
In Qingdao, in China’s eastern Shandong province. Image – Getty iStockphoto: Wirestock
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
Dinosaurs, Manga Psychology, and ‘Butt Detective’
You’ll recall that in November, the Liu Cixin “Three-Body Problem” trilogy—properly known as the “Remembrance of Earth’s Past” series—overtook the fiction charts in China in anticipation of the release of the first television-series adaptation to be released, an animated production from the Shanghai-based Bilibili (sometimes called “B Site”).
A poster for the Chinese animated adaptation of ‘
Having begun airing in December, that program has, as expected, reiterated the dominance of the trilogy at the top of Beijing OpenBook’s fiction bestseller lists in China for the end of the year. A programming note: In coming days, we plan to bring you an annual report with the help of our OpenBook associates on the 2022 market in China.
We’re told that the animated adaptation has received rather mixed reviews, actually, though it can be expected to have a strong audience during the Lunar New Year holiday, which began on Sunday (January 22). The fact that the animated telling of the tale has started with the second book in the trilogy (for pacing and conflict, apparently), has left many who had not read the first book in the series a bit lost, reports tell us.
So readers in China, we understand, have focused again on the original books in the trilogy to try to figure out what’s going on—as many of us in the international community await a forthcoming live-action adaptation of The Three-Body Problem led by Bighead Littlehead for Netflix with Minkie Spiro and Derek Tsang directing.

‘Manga Elementary School Student Psychology’
This gives us a chance to duck down the charts to the children’s book listings from OpenBook, while fiction fans debate the merits of the Liu animation and nonfiction fans remain charmed by those humorous retellings of Chinese history, particularly the “If History were a Group of Cats” series from Fei Zhi. (It’s springtime for Guangdong Tourism Publishing House.)
In the children’s list, we see the top bestsellers repeated from November:
- Manga Elementary School Student Psychology by Han Tu is ranked No. 1
- Butt Detective: Detective and the Fraud by Troll Troll is ranked No. 2
- Butt Detective: Disappeared Popular Dessert by Troll Troll is ranked No. 3

‘Butt Detective and the Fraud’
The “Butt Detective” series, in fact, seated itself in seven of the Top 30 slots of the children’s chart in December. Another series, “Mi Xiaquan,” took 12 slots in the rankings, forming a convincing dominating position for these two series.
Our OpenBook associates point out that similarities in sales patterns indicate that both series are being bought as series—in other words, parents will buy the complete load of “Butt Detective” books (Beijing Union Publishing) and the full series of “Mi Xiaoquan” books (Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House).

‘Butt Detective: Disappeared Popular Dessert’
The “Butt Detective” books are classified as picture books. Others in that category getting strong consumer attention are:
- Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram, ranked No. 10
- Let’s Get Mung Beans, Momma! by Zeng Yangqing and Wan Huaguo, ranked No. 25
- Tyrannosaurus Series (seven volumes) by Tatsuya Miyanishi, ranked No. 27
Aside from the message that butts and dinosaurs are a sure bet among young readers pretty much everywhere on Earth, it’s interesting to note a trend in instructive comics, represented by Manga Elementary School Student Psychology, Ultraman Series Photo Book (55th Anniversary) and Science Comics Loved by Pupils (four volumes). These all are classified as picture books.

‘Our Chinese New Year’s Eve’
In terms of textually led books (albeit with many pictures, we’re assured), leading titles on the chart in December included:
- Fast Reading for Age 4-5 (a story collection) by Yang Qiduo, ranked No. 26
- Our Chinese New Year’s Eve by He Jie, ranked No. 16 and jumping into the chart in preparation for the arrival of the Year of the Rabbit, obviously
- Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake, ranked No. 22
- A Dog Named Money by Bodo Schafer, ranked No. 23
And we’ll have more for you on the difficult 2022 on China’s market soon, in our annual report.
Below, then, are OpenBook’s overall lists from December 2022 of bestsellers in fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books, followed by its lists of bestselling fiction and nonfiction in China by authors from outside the country. At the end of our article, as always, you’ll find notes on how the lists are constructed.
OpenBook’s Fiction Bestsellers, December 2022
November 2022 Ranking | December 2022 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
1 | 1 | 9787536692930 | 2008-01 | The Three-Body Problem | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
3 | 2 | 9787536693968 | 2008-05 | The Dark Forest | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
4 | 3 | 9787229030933 | 2010-11 | Death’s End | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
2 | 4 | 9787020139590 | 2019-06 | The Last Quarter of the Moon | Chi Zijian | People’s Literature Publishing House |
6 | 5 | 9787530221532 | 2021-10 | To Live (2021 Edition) | Yu hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
8 | 6 | 9787506331746 | 2005-05 | Distant Savior | Dou Dou | The Writer’s Publishing House |
Not Ranked | 7 | 9787506394864 | 2017-09 | Sophie’s World (New Edition) | Jostein Gaarder | The Writer’s Publishing House |
13 | 8 | 9787532966363 | 2022-11 | Cao Cao (3 volumes) | Yi Zhongtian | Shandong Literature & Art Press |
10 | 9 | 9787544291170 | 2017-08 | One Hundred Years of Solitude (50th Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
11 | 10 | 9787540487645 | 2018-06 | Moments We Shared | Zhang Jiajia | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
20 | 11 | 9787500601593 | 2005-08 | Red Crag | Luo Guangbin, Yang Yiyan | China Youth Press |
16 | 12 | 9787530219218 | 2019-02 | A Wavy Life | Mai Jia | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
12 | 13 | 9787530221396 | 2021-06 | Ordinary Word (3 Volumes) (2021 Edition) | Lu Yao | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
5 | 14 | 9787533969608 | 2022-09 | Destiny | Cai Chongda | Zhejiang Literature & Art Press |
19 | 15 | 9787020002207 | 1998-07 | Dream of the Red Chamber | Cao Xueqin | People’s Literature Publishing House |
15 | 16 | 9787513349437 | 2022-08 | In The Beginning · Year | Wang Shuo | New Star Press Co.Ltd |
29 | 17 | 9787505738478 | 2016-10 | A Madman’s Diary | Lu Xun | China Friendship Publishing Company |
17 | 18 | 9787020008735 | 1998-07 | Journey to the West | Wu Cheng’en | People’s Literature Publishing House |
24 | 19 | 9787544291163 | 2017-08 | Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
18 | 20 | 9787533966102 | 2021-12 | Life and Death are Wearing Me Out | Mo Yan | Zhejiang Literature & Art Press |
Not Ranked | 21 | 9787500680239 | 2009-01 | Pioneering | Liu Qing | China Youth Press |
27 | 22 | 9787530217962 | 2018-05 | Cries in the Drizzle | Yu hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
9 | 23 | 9787572608582 | 2022-10 | Lychee in Chang’an | Ma Boyong | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
Not Ranked | 24 | 9787544297059 | 2020-03 | Love in the Time of Cholera (3 Million Sold Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
26 | 25 | 9787506368698 | 20130-6 | The World Under the Sky | Dou Dou | The Writer’s Publishing House |
14 | 26 | 9787020167098 | 2021-07 | Annees | Anne Ernaux | People’s Literature Publishing House |
Not Ranked | 27 | 9787506344791 | 2008-12 | Street Wizards | Feng Jicai | The Writer’s Publishing House |
21 | 28 | 9787544766500 | 2017-01 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | Yilin Press |
Not Ranked | 29 | 9787530217054 | 2017-12 | The Alchemist | Paulo Coelho | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
22 | 30 | 9787020008728 | 1998-07 | Romance of the Three Kingdoms | Luo Guanzhong | People’s Literature Publishing House |
OpenBook’s Nonfiction Bestsellers, December 2022
November 2022 Ranking | December 2022 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
6 | 1 | 9787520816199 | 2021-08 | Impromptu speech | Du Ying | China Business Publishing House |
4 | 2 | 9787111495482 | 2015-04 | The Courage to Be Disliked | Ichiro Kishimi | China Machine Press |
9 | 3 | 9787201161693 | 2020-08 | Counselling for Toads: A Psychological Adventure | Robert de Board | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
12 | 4 | 9787555262800 | 2017-12 | The Power of Insensitivity | Junichi Watanabe | Qingdao Publishing House |
1 | 5 | 9787559664464 | 2022-10 | Wish You Love Yourself Too | Fang Qi | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
13 | 6 | 9787222204331 | 2021-11 | Details of Law | Luo Xiang | Yunnan People’s Publishing House |
16 | 7 | 9787208171336 | 2021-08 | In the Affair: Chinese Government and Economic Development | Lan Xiaohuan | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
Not Ranked | 8 | 9787532736553 | 2005-01 | The Man Who Changed China: The Life and Legacy of Jiang Zemin | Robert Lawrence Kuhn | Shanghai Translation Publishing House |
20 | 9 | 9787521603774 | 2019-08 | The Faith as Premise of Freedom | Luo Xiang | China Legal Publishing House |
5 | 10 | 9787561346259 | 2009-05 | Yi Ching is Really to Understand | Zeng Shiqiang | Shaanxi Normal University Press |
7 | 11 | 9787557028657 | 2022-10 | If History were a Group of Cats: Southern Song, Jin and Yuan Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
Not Ranked | 12 | 9787544276986 | 2019-10 | Educated: A Memoir | Tara Westover | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
21 | 13 | 9787557027063 | 2022-04 | If History were a Group of Cats: Song, Liao, Jin Dynasty and the Western Xia Regime | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
2 | 14 | 9787547265727 | 2020-02 | Impromptu Speeches | He Liu | Jilin Literature & History Press |
29 | 15 | 9787508653389 | 2015-07 | The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War Ⅱ | Iris Chang | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
17 | 16 | 9787559313652 | 2017-09 | If History were a Group of Cats: Xia, Shang and Western Zhou Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Heilongjiang Fine Arts Press |
24 | 17 | 9787557025847 | 2021-11 | If History were a Group of Cats: Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
26 | 18 | 9787557024413 | 2021-05 | If History were a Group of Cats: Prosperity of the Tang Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
18 | 19 | 9787559330260 | 2018-06 | If History were a Group of Cats: The Spring-autumn and Warring State Period | Fei Zhi | Heilongjiang Fine Arts Press |
19 | 20 | 9787521733679 | 2021-09 | The Most Tender Upbringing: Be a Gentle but Steadfast Parent | Oh Eun-young | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
Not Ranked | 21 | 9787108067227 | 2019-12 | Fu Lei’s Letters for Home (Commemorative Edition) | Fu Lei | SDX Joint Publishing Company |
22 | 22 | 9787557017477 | 2019-02 | If History were a Group of Cats: Qin, Chu, Western Han and Eastern Han Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
Not Ranked | 23 | 9787111691020 | 2021-09 | The Underlying Logic: How to See the Essence of Things | Liu Run | China Machine Press |
30 | 24 | 9787557023041 | 2020-10 | If History were a Group of Cats: Sui and Tang Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
25 | 25 | 9787557020149 | 2019-09 | If History were a Group of Cats: Three Kingdoms | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
Not Ranked | 26 | 9787521736816 | 2022-01 | Guns, Germs, and Steel | Jared Diamond | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
Not Ranked | 27 | 9787020084357 | 2011-04 | I and the Temple of Earth | Shi Tiesheng | People’s Literature Publishing House |
28 | 28 | 9787557020132 | 2019-09 | If History were a Group of Cats: The End of Eastern Han Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
Not Ranked | 29 | 9787550285880 | 2016-10 | The Complete Book of Dietary Therapy | Shi Xiang | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
Not Ranked | 30 | 9787557021856 | 2020-05 | If History were a Group of Cats: Wei, Jin and the Northern and Southern Dynasties | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
OpenBook’s Children’s Bestsellers, December 2022
November 2022 Ranking | December 2022 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
1 | 1 | 9787218146768 | 2022-09 | Manga Elementary School Student Psychology | Han Tu | Guangdong People’s Publishing House |
2 | 2 | 9787559621337 | 2019-04 | Butt Detective: Detective and the Fraud | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
3 | 3 | 9787550286122 | 2016-11 | Butt Detective: Disappeared Popular Dessert | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
4 | 4 | 9787550286214 | 2016-11 | Butt Detective: The Missing Lunch Box | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
5 | 5 | 9787550286085 | 2016-11 | Butt Detective: The Big Crisis of Small Director | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
6 | 6 | 9787559608390 | 2018-01 | Butt Detective: The Criminal Appears | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
8 | 7 | 9787550286238 | 2016-11 | Butt Detective: Look for the Rainbow Diamond | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
9 | 8 | 9787511052568 | 2020-08 | Butt Detective: Snow Monster in Deep Mountain | Troll | Dolphin Press |
11 | 9 | 9787110103074 | 2022-02 | Science Comics Loved by Pupils (4 volumes) | Sunbook | Popular Science Press |
15 | 10 | 9787533274269 | 2013-08 | Guess How Much I Love You | Sam McBratney, Anita Jeram | Tomorrow Publishing House |
7 | 11 | 9787570711888 | 2021-12 | Ultraman Series Photo Book for 55th Anniversary | Tsuburaya Productions | Anhui Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
16 | 12 | 9787536587694 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: I am a Pupil | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
17 | 13 | 9787536587724 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: Look at This Family | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
18 | 14 | 9787536587717 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: A Dog Called Rat | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
19 | 15 | 9787536587700 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: My Good Friend Tie Tou | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
Not Ranked | 16 | 9787533562632 | 2021-01 | Our Chinese New Year’s Eve | He Jie | Fujian Science & Technology Press |
Not Ranked | 17 | 9787536574366 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Stratego | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
Not Ranked | 18 | 9787536574397 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Clever Little Prodigy | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
Not Ranked | 19 | 9787536574380 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Who’s the Smart Guy? | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
Not Ranked | 20 | 9787536574373 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: The Great Adventure of the Castle | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
Not Ranked | 21 | 9787511054289 | 2021-03 | Choki Choki Broccoli-san | Fukuda Junko | Dolphin Press |
Not Ranked | 22 | 9787533299224 | 2018-10 | Fantastic Mr. Fox | Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake | Tomorrow Publishing House |
Not Ranked | 23 | 9787521726473 | 2020-12 | A Dog Named Money | Bodo Schafer | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
23 | 24 | 9787536587731 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: Trouble of the New Deskmate | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
28 | 25 | 9787533264062 | 2010-12 | Let’s Get Mung Beans, Momma! | Zeng Yangqing, Wan Huaguo | Tomorrow Publishing House |
Not Ranked | 26 | 9787535766229 | 2011-03 | Fast Reading for Age 4-5 (Story Collection) | Yang Qiduo | Hunan Science & Technology Press |
Not Ranked | 27 | 9787539189147 | 2014-01 | Tyrannosaurus Series (7 volumes) | Tatsuya Miyanishi | 21st Century Press Group |
24 | 28 | 9787536587762 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: If I Have a Time Machine | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
25 | 29 | 9787536587755 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: Secrets of Nature | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
26 | 30 | 9787536587748 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: A Lot of Fun | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
Foreign Author Fiction Bestsellers, December 2022
November 2022 Ranking | December 2022 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Author nationality | Chinese Publisher |
10 | 1 | 9787506394864 | 2017-09 | Sophie’s World (New Edition) | Jostein Gaarder | Norway | The Writer’s Publishing House |
1 | 2 | 9787544291170 | 2017-08 | One Hundred Years of Solitude (50th Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Colombia | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
4 | 3 | 9787544291163 | 2017-08 | Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
7 | 4 | 9787544297059 | 2020-03 | Love in the Time of Cholera (3 Million Sold Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Colombia | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
2 | 5 | 9787020167098 | 2021-07 | Annees | Anne Ernaux | France | People’s Literature Publishing House |
3 | 6 | 9787544766500 | 2017-01 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | United States of America | Yilin Press |
6 | 7 | 9787530217054 | 2017-12 | The Alchemist | Paulo Coelho | Brazil | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
20 | 8 | 9787539983295 | 2015-10 | Foundation (Revised Edition) | Isaac Asimov | United States of America | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
9 | 9 | 9787532175512 | 2020-05 | 13 Steps | Kazuaki Takano | Japan | Shanghai Literature & Art Press |
5 | 10 | 9787208061644 | 2006-04 | The Kite Runner | Khaled Hosseini | United States of America | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
11 | 11 | 9787544269452 | 2021-11 | Malice (2022 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
8 | 12 | 9787201112695 | 2017-03 | Siddhartha | Hermann Hesse | Germany | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
20 | 13 | 9787539983295 | 2015-10 | Foundation | Isaac Asimov | United States of America | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
12 | 14 | 9787532761760 | 2013-08 | The Outsider | Albert Camus | France | Shanghai Translation Publishing House |
13 | 15 | 9787559614711 | 2018-01 | Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit | Jeanette Winterson | Britain | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
15 | 16 | 9787540485337 | 2018-03 | Tsubaki Stationery Store | Ito Ogawa | Japan | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
14 | 17 | 9787544298995 | 2020-09 | Miracles of the Namiya General Store (2020 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
3 | 18 | 9787544766500 | 2017-01 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | United States of America | Yilin Press |
Not Ranked | 19 | 9787555913689 | 2022-08 | Blindness | Jose Saramago | Portugal | Henan Literature & Art Press |
16 | 20 | 9787532776771 | 2018-03 | Norwegian Wood | Haruki Murakami | Japan | Shanghai Translation Publishing House |
Foreign Author Nonfiction Bestsellers, December 2022
November 2022 Ranking | December 2022 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Author nationality | Chinese Publisher |
1 | 1 | 9787111495482 | 2015-04 | The Courage to Be Disliked | Ichiro Kishimi | Japan | China Machine Press |
3 | 2 | 9787201161693 | 2020-08 | Counselling for Toads: A Psychological Adventure | Robert de Board | Britain | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
4 | 3 | 9787555262800 | 2017-12 | The Power of Insensitivity | Junichi Watanabe | Japan | Qingdao Publishing House |
Not Ranked | 4 | 9787532736553 | 2005-01 | The Man Who Changed China: The Life and Legacy of Jiang Zemin | Robert Lawrence Kuhn | United States of America | Shanghai Translation Publishing House |
8 | 5 | 9787544276986 | 2019-10 | Educated: A Memoir | Tara Westover | United States of America | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
6 | 6 | 9787508653389 | 2015-07 | The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War Ⅱ | Iris Chang | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
5 | 7 | 9787521733679 | 2021-09 | The Most Tender Upbringing: Be a Gentle but Steadfast Parent | Oh Eun-young | Korea | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
2 | 8 | 9787801445445 | 2003-04 | You Can Heal Your Life | Louise L.Hay | United States of America | China Astronautic Publishing House |
12 | 9 | 9787521736816 | 2022-01 | Guns, Germs, and Steel | Jared Diamond | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
20 | 10 | 9787521719253 | 2020-08 | The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did) | Philippa Perry | Britain | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
15 | 11 | 9787521741124 | 2022-04 | The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness | Eric Jorgenson | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
11 | 12 | 9787550268517 | 2016-07 | Positive Discipline | Jane Nelsen | United States of America | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
Not Ranked | 13 | 9787513349369 | 2022-09 | From the Limit: Correspondence on Feminism | Chizuko Ueno | Japan | New Star Press Co.Ltd |
Not Ranked | 14 | 9787508680965 | 2017-12 | Predictably Irrational (Revised Edition) | Dan Ariely | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
14 | 15 | 9787520711531 | 2019-11 | A Compass to Fulfillment | Kazuo Inamori | Japan | Orient Press |
9 | 16 | 9787522200514 | 2021-05 | Nonviolent Communication | Marshall B. Rosenberg | United States of America | Huaxia Publishing House |
Not Ranked | 17 | 9787108009821 | 1998-07 | 1587, a Year of No Significance | Ray Huang | United States of America | SDX Joint Publishing Company |
17 | 18 | 9787111551287 | 2016-10 | Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise | Anders Ericsson, Robert Pool | United States of America | China Machine Press |
Not Ranked | 19 | 9787542645715 | 2015-02 | Misogyny | Chizuko Ueno | Japan | Shanghai Joint Publishing Company |
Not Ranked | 20 | 9787210096528 | 2017-09 | Mindset: The New Psychology of Success | Carol S. Dweck | United States of America | Jiangxi People’s 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. With authoritative data and information resources, OpenBook is able to deliver consulting service to partners who would like to explore the Chinese book market and identify suitable partners.

As of December 1, 2020, OpenBook monitored more than 10,000 online and offline bookstores.
The online channel includes digital retailers such as large self-operated online stores, platform stores, and small- and medium-sized stores. The offline channels include 4,495 bookstores. Coverage includes most of the state-owned and influential privately owned bookstores in 30 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions. Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Tibet are not included in OpenBook’s system.
In 2019, OpenBook tracked around 71.72 billion RMB in sales (US$10.1 billion).
Retail outlets include:
- Traditional bookstores
- Supermarkets
- Campus bookstores
- “Professional” stores, said to be small stores with a specific industrial or trade focus
- Airport stores
In addition, OpenBook is drawing data from online bookstores of three main types:
- The “Tmall” stores of Alibaba (Tmall is described as a marketplace of companies that create storefronts online to sell products including books)
- The “JingDong” Stores of JD.com (similar to Tmall as a marketplace of both individual companies and bookstores operated by JD.com)
- Ten independent online bookselling retailers
China has 500 or more publishers in operation today. Most of them, Jiang Boyan CEO James Bryant clarifies, are government-owned. Private publishers are required to generate 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 China bestseller reports from Publishing Perspectives are here, and more on the Chinese book publishing market is here. More from us on the ongoing coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic–which of course has had much to do with China’s book business, as we’ll know more about from the forthcoming annual report–is here.