Interesting new trend for best selling books of 2012

Booklists got a bit kinky in 2012. It’s true — it got a little weird. And the proof is in the pudding — or more accurately, in the lists of the top ten bestselling books of 2012.
In lists across the nation, the steamy antics of sadomasochistic paramour Christian Grey in “Fifty Shades of Grey” were on top of the charts. Whether you looked at the nation as a whole, where Amazon reported E. L. James’ novel at number one, or in the town of Windsor, where Pages Books on the Green had the whole series at the top of its list — the results seemed quite universal.
In Copperfield’s Books’ six stores throughout Sonoma and Napa counties the results posed something of an aberration from the past.
“For the first time ever, erotic romance dominated the list of the bestselling books of 2012 at Copperfield’s Books,” the bookstore’s annual press release said, revealing that 25 percent of unit sales for the entire top ten came from “Fifty Shades of Grey.”
“I think every woman in Windsor owns one of those books,” Pages salesperson Lindy Anderton said.
“Most customers want them wrapped in a brown bag,” Sebastopol store manager for Copperfield’s Emily Cole said.  
Next on the list at Pages in Windsor came Suzanne Collins’ young adult novel “The Hunger Games,” followed by “The Help” which was high on last year’s bestseller list but still one of the top sale items at Pages in 2012, Anderton said.
The balance of Pages’ bestsellers list was a mixture of historical fiction, westerns, memoirs and more than a couple fantasy genre novels.
George R. R. Martin’s popular Song of Ice and Fire series (also known by the title of the first book “A Game of Thrones”), which has seen a surge in popularity since it was made an HBO series, made the list with this year’s novel, “A Dance with Dragons.” Another fantasy title, “The Mark of Athena” and a tale of apocalypse with Justin Cronin’s “The Passage” rounded out the Windsor list.
Sebastopol’s bestseller list was capped by Richard Nichols’ “Sebastopol Walks” which Copperfield’s Marketing and Events director Vicki DeArmon said always seems to sell.
Beneath that guide book came two of Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games novels, with the domination of “Fifty Shades of Grey” continuing in fourth place on the list.
“‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ are vastly different books but they deal with the need to restore one’s power in whatever way seems to work, sometimes without regard to the moral implications,” Copperfield’s book buyer, Sheryl Cotleur, said.  
More erudite material found its way to the list as well. “State of Wonder,” a novel by Ann Patchett and “The Tiger’s Wife” by Tea Obreht, both made the list in Sebastopol and elsewhere in Sonoma County.
In Healdsburg, the list was not dissimilar to those of its neighbors. The top six books were all either of the “Hunger Games” or the “Fifty Shades” series, with the final four including “Nickel & Dimed” by Barbara Ehrenreich; a non-fiction account of a woman joining the ranks of the millions of Americans living and working below the poverty line, and “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed, the account of a woman attempting to find sense in her shattered life by hiking the Pacific Crest trail – by herself.
As far as trends for 2012 went in books, Pages’ Lindy Anderton in Windsor was candid.
“It’s been more difficult with the Kindle and the Nook (e-readers),” Anderton said. “People seem to be buying fewer hardcovers. Mostly we’re grateful that we have customers telling us that they want to have us in the community and who want to support their local bookstore.”
Windsor – Pages Books on the Green
1. Fifty Shades of Grey series – E L James
2. Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
3. The Help – Kathryn Stockett
4. Dance with Dragons – George R. R. Martin
5. Unbroken – Laura Hillenbrand
6. Mark of Athena – Rick Riordan
7. Doc – Mary Doria Russell
8. Wild – Cheryl Strayed
9. The Passage – Justin Cronin
10. In the Garden of Beasts – Erik Larson
Copperfield’s Healdsburg Best Selling Books of 2012
1.Fifty Shades of Grey 1 – James, E. L.
2.The Hunger Games – Collins, Suzanne
3.Fifty Shades Darker – James, E. L.
4. Catching Fire – Collins, Suzanne
5. Mockingjay – Collins, Suzanne
6. Fifty Shades Freed – James, E.L.
7. Nickel and Dimed – Ehrenreich, Barbara
8. State of Wonder – Patchett, Ann
9. Sense of an Ending – Barnes, Julian
10. The Tiger’s Wife – Obreht, Tea