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The Handmaid’s Tale Was the Most Read Novel of 2017, According to Amazon

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Amazon has announced its most popular fiction and non-fiction books of 2017, and the lists represent a blend of timely stories and contemporary classics.

Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel The Handmaid’s Tale came out on top among fiction books, having enjoyed newfound popularity thanks to a new Hulu adaptation and comparisons to contemporary threats to reproductive rights. Another 1980s book with a new adaptation, Stephen King’s It, came in second place, and fantasy favorites by George R.R. Martin and J.K. Rowling populated much of the rest of the list.

On the nonfiction side, Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck ranked first with its edict that to be happier, you should try focusing less on happiness. The number two slot went to J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy, which many readers turned to for an explanation of rural America following the 2016 presidential election. Memoirs, history books, and a hearty dose of self-help titles filled out the list.

Here are the most read books of 2017, according to Amazon’s Kindle and Audible data:

Top 10 Most Read Fiction

  • The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood
  • It, by Stephen King
  • Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling
  • A Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin
  • Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, by J.K. Rowling
  • Beneath a Scarlet Sky, by Mark Sullivan
  • Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, by J.K. Rowling
  • A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles
  • Origin, by Dan Brown
  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling
  • Top 10 Most Read Nonfiction

  • The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, by Mark Manson
  • Hillbilly Elegy, by J.D. Vance
  • Sapiens, by Yuval Harari
  • Alexander Hamilton, by Ron Chernow
  • Born a Crime, by Trevor Noah
  • The 5 Second Rule, by Mel Robbins
  • How To Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie
  • Al Franken, Giant of the Senate, by Al Franken
  • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey
  • I Can’t Make This Up, by Kevin Hart
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