2014 was the year of the first official Super Thursday: the day in October earmarked by publishers as the best day to release books for maximum Christmas sales. We wanted to see whether books published on Super Thursday would perform better than titles published on other days, so we asked Amazon UK, Waterstones, Foyles, Blackwell’s, Mr B’s, Chorleywood Bookshop, Walkers Bookshops and industry publication The Bookseller to predict which books they thought would top the charts this year. Read our first blog, second blog and final blog in this series here.
Each top 20 has been ordered by total UK sales figures. Latest figures - as of 13 December - are first, previous months’ figures are between brackets beside.
Amazon UK
Awful Auntie by David Walliams (published 25 September 2014): 481,662 (as of 22 November: 353,362; 29 October: 216,843)
The Long Haul: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Book 9) by Jeff Kinney (published 5 November 2014): 309,255 (as of 22 November: 166,629; 29 October: 184)
Jamie’s Comfort Food by Jamie Oliver (published 28 August 2014): 200,347 (as of 22 November: 139,634; 29 October: 108,519)
The Pointless Book by Alfie Deyes £8.99 (published 4 September 2014): 173,107 (as of 22 November: 130,288; 29 October: 93,273)
The Second Half by Roy Keane and Roddy Doyle (published 9 October 2014): 148,747 (as of November 22: 100,728; 29 October: 55,569)
Lamentation by CJ Sansom (published 23 October 2014): 111,996 (as of 22 November: 70,477; 29 October: 25,965)
Great British Bake off: Big Book of Baking by Linda Collister (published 14 August 2014): 99,963 (as of 22 November: 76,614; 29 October: 59,321)
The Hairy Dieters: Good Eating by Dave Myers and Si King (published 9 October 2014): 79,029 (as of 22 November: 55,706; 29 October: 30,449)
Desert God by Wilbur Smith (published 25 September 2014): 76,155 (as of 22 November: 56,864; 29 October: 40,492)
KP: The Autobiography by Kevin Pietersen (published 9 October 2014): 72,621 (as of 22 November: 53,786; 29 October: 36,736)
The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan (published 3 July 2014): 65,692 (as of 22 November: 44,773; 29 October: 26,449)
So Anyway by John Cleese (published 9 October 2014): 59,560 (as of 22 November: 32,398; 29 October: 16,936)
The Blood of Olympus: Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan (published 7 October 2014): 53,903 (as of 22 November: 44,844; 29 October: 32,384)
Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi (published 11 September 2014): 52,258 (as of 22 November: 33,852; 29 October: 24,057)
Human Universe by Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen (published 9 October 2014): 50,833 (as of 22 November: 25,982; 29 October: 9,585)
Please, Mister Postman by Alan Johnson (published 18 September 2014): 29,179 (as of 22 November: 17,133; 29 October: 10,935)
Life Story by Michael Gunton and Rupert Barrington (published 9 October 2014): 17,795 (as of 22 November: 8,020; 29 October: 2,277)
The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce (published 9 October 2014): 17,505 (as of 22 November: 12,068; 29 October: 5,758)
Miss Carter’s War by Sheila Hancock (published 9 October 2014): 12,243 (as of 22 November: 7,290; 29 October: 3,730)
Opal Plumstead by Jacqueline Wilson (published 9 October 2014): 1,163 (as of 22 November: 854; 29 October: 518)
Waterstones
Jamie’s Comfort Food by Jamie Oliver (published 28 August 2014): 200,347 (as of 22 November: 139,634; 29 October: 108,519)
Personal: Jack Reacher by Lee Child (published 28 August 2014): 134,675 (as of 22 November: 110,785; 29 October: 93,895)
Lamentation by CJ Sansom (published 23 October 2014): 111,996 (as of 22 November: 70,477; 29 October: 25,965)
The Revolution by Russell Brand (published 23 October 2014): 92,220 (as of 22 November: 48,376; 29 October: 6,947)
Desert God by Wilbur Smith (published 25 September 2014): 76,155 (as of 22 November: 56,864; 29 October: 40,492)
More Fool Me by Stephen Fry (published 25 September 2014): 60,484 (as of 22 November: 43,090; 29 October: 29,584)
The Sunrise by Victoria Hislop (published 25 September 2014): 57,549 (as of 22 November: 38,951; 29 October: 28,054)
Us by David Nicholls (published 30 September 2014): 57,289 (as of 22 November: 43,354; 29 October: 31,999)
Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi (published 11 September 2014): 52,258 (as of 22 November: 33,852; 29 October: 24,057)
The Children Act by Ian McEwan published 2 September 2014): 52,016 (as of 22 November: 44,146; 29 October: 38,086)
Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett (published 16 September 2014): 51,713 (as of 22 November: 42,682; 29 October: 34,920)
Waterloo: The History of Four Days, Three Armies and Three Battles by Bernard Cornwell (published 11 September 2014): 51,139 (as of 22 November: 37,338; 29 October: 26,620)
The Life and Loves of a He Devil: A Memoir by Graham Norton (published 23 October 2014): 43,654 (as of 22 November: 24,113; 29 October: 4,154)
Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She’s Learned by Lena Dunham (published 30 September 2014): 39,325 (as of 22 November: 28,371; 29 October: 12,872)
The Establishment: And How They Get Away with it by Owen Jones (published 4 September 2014): 34,726 (as of 22 November: 25,005; 29 October: 18,935)
The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell (published 2 September 2014): 30,697 (as of 22 November: 24,912; 29 October: 21,530)
Nora Webster by Colm Toibin (published 2 October 2014): 9,801 (as of 22 November: 6,067; 29 October: 4,174)
Agincourt: My Family, the Battle and the Fight for France by Sir Ranulph Fiennes (published 25 September 2014): 6,167 (as of 22 November: 4,182; 29 October: 2,551)
Lists of Note by Shaun Usher (published 1 October 2014): 5,087 (as of 22 November: 3,255; 29 October: 1,603)
Joan of Arc by Helen Castor (published 2 October 2014): 3,374 (as of 22 November: 2,109; 29 October: 1,148)
Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights, Bath
The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton (published 3 July 2014): 66,757 (as of 22 November: 41,806; 29 October: 37,952)
The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan (published 3 July 2014): 65,692 (as of 22 November: 44,773; 29 October: 26,449)
Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She’s Learned by Lena Dunham (published 30 September 2014): 39,325 (as of 22 November: 28,371; 29 October: 12,872)
The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell (published 2 September 2014): 30,697 (as of 22 November: 24,912; 29 October: 21,530)
The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce (published 9 October 2014): 17,505 (as of 22 November: 12,068; 29 October: 5,758)
Goth Girl and the Fete Worse Than Death by Chris Riddell (published 25 September 2014): 15,604 (as of 22 November: 12,235; 29 October: 7,962)
Yes Please by Amy Poehler (published 6 November 2014): 9,847 (as of 22 November: 4,221; 29 October: N/A)
Stuff Matters: The Strange Stories of the Marvellous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World by Mark A. Miodownik (published 6 March 2014): 7,047 (as of 22 November: 5,204; 29 October: 4,198)
The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman by Denis Theriault (published 12 September 2014): 5,803 (as of 22 November: 3,172; 29 October: 2,054)
The Moth: This Is a True Story by Catherine Burns (published 7 August 2014): 5,243 (as of 22 November: 4,382; 29 October: 3,901)
Lists of Note by Shaun Usher (published 1 October 2014): 5,087 (as of 22 November: 3,255; 29 October: 1,603)
The Foundling Boy by Michel Deon (published 9 December 2013): 4,071 (as of 22 November: 3,759; 29 October: N/A)
Some Luck by Jane Smiley (published 6 November 2014): 1,567 (as of 22 November: 554; 29 October: N/A)
Jim Curious: A Voyage to the Heart of the Sea in 3-D Vision by Matthias Picard (published 1 April 2014): 622 (a of 22 November: 513; 29 October: 442)
The Shiralee by D’Arcy Niland (re-published 6 November 2014): 349 (as of 22 November: 172; 29 October: N/A)
The Islanders by Pascal Garnier (published 10 November 2014): 201 (as of 22 November: 110; 29 October: 5)
Salad Anniversary: Pushkin Collection by Machi Tawara (published 23 October 2014): 132 (as of 22 November: 89;29 October: 21)
Foulsham: Iremonger Trilogy by Edward Carey (published 7 August 2014): 106 (as of 22 November: 86; 29 October: 58)
The Next Step in the Dance by Tim Gautreaux (re-published 6 November 2014): N/A (as of 22 November and 29 October: N/A)
Dog on Stilts by James Thorp (published 17 November 2014): N/A (as of 22 November and 29 October: N/A)
Blackwell’s, Oxford
H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald (published 31 July 2014): 49,653 (as of 22 November: 26,645; 29 October: 14,365)
The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell (published 2 September 2014): 30,697 (as of 22 November: 24,912; 29 October: 21,530)
Animalium by Jenny Broom (published 1 September 2014): 13,682 (as of 22 November: 6,858; 29 October: 4,231)
Sailing Close to the Wind: Reminiscences by Dennis Skinner (published 18 September 2014): 10,838 (as of 22 November: 7,832; 29 October: 5,490)
This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate by Naomi Klein (published 16 September 2014): 9,282 (as of 22 November: 6,768; 29 October: 5,276)
Knowledge is Beautiful by David McCandless (published 25 September 2014): 8,637 (as of 22 November: 4,652 (as of 29 October: 2,432)
Lila by Marilynne Robinson (published 9 October 2014): 6,908 (as of 22 November: 4,108; 29 October: 2,084)
Lists of Note by Shaun Usher (published 1 October 2014): 5,087 (as of 22 November: 3,255; 29 October: 1,603)
The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth (published 3 April 2014): 3,554 (as of 22 November: 3,056; 29 October: 2,514)
Augustus: From Revolutionary to Emperor by Adrian Goldsworthy (published 14 August 2014): 2,918 (as of 22 November: 2,497; 29 October: 2,178)
The Bookshop Book by Jen Campbell (published 2 October 2014): 2,841 (as of 22 November: 1,953; 29 October: 1,145)
Storm by Tim Minchin (published 16 October 2014): 2,394 (as of 22 November: 1,694; 29 October: 788)
Ten Million Aliens: A Journey Through Our Strange Planet by Simon Barnes (published 2 October 2014): 1,729 (as of 22 November: 954; 29 October: 418)
The Lagoon: How Aristotle Invented Science by Armand Marie Leroi (published 28 August 2014): 1,289 (as of 22 November: 1,006; 29 October: 882)
Sherlock Holmes’ Elementary Puzzles by Tim Dedopulos (published 11 September 2014): 1,139 (as of 22 November: 407; 29 October: 145)
Massimo Bottura: Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef by Massimo Bottura and Capucine Coninx (published 6 October 2014): 1,092 (as of 22 November: 675; 29 October: 355)
National Geographic: Around the World in 125 Years (published 7 February 2014): 336 (as of 22 November: 303; 29 October: 268)
The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories by Marina Keegan (published 1 April 2014): 183 (as of 22 November: 174; 29 October: 161)
The Art and History of Globes by Sylvia Sumira (published 30 April 2014): 168 (as of 22 November: 160; 29 October: 147)
Atlas of Cities (published 12 August 2014): 84 (as of 22 November: 63; 29 October: 50)
Foyles, London and Bristol
Lamentation by CJ Sansom (published 23 October 2014): 111,996 (as of 22 November: 70,477; 29 October: 25,965)
Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi (published 11 September 2014): 52,258 (as of 22 November: 33,852; 29 October: 24,057)
Walking Home: My Family, and Other Rambles by Clare Balding (published 11 September 2014): 39,413 (as of 22 November: 27,375; 29 October: 19,842)
The Establishment: And How They Get Away with it by Owen Jones (published 4 September 2014): 34,726 (as of 22 November: 25,005; 29 October: 18,935)
The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher by Hilary Mantel (published 25 September 2014): 30,664 (as of 22 November: 23,790; 29 October: 18,190)
Dork Diaries: Once Upon a Dork by Rachel Renee Russell (published 25 September 2014): 28,471 (as of 22 November: 21,596; 29 October: 12,700)
Travelling to Work: Diaries 1988-1998 by Michael Palin (published 11 September 2014): 18,998 (as of 22 November: 12,164; 29 October: 8,835)
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari (published 4 September 2014): 16,753 (as of 22 November: 12,837; 29 October: 10,370)
Goth Girl and the Fete Worse Than Death by Chris Riddell (published 25 September 2014): 15,604 (as of 22 November: 12,235; 29 October: 7,962)
Vivienne Westwood by Vivienne Westwood (published 9 October 2014): 13,645 (as of 22 November: 8,612; 29 October: 4,973)
This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate by Naomi Klein (published 16 September 2014): 9,282 (as of 22 November: 6,768; 29 October: 5,276)
Knowledge is Beautiful by David McCandless (published 25 September 2014): 8,637 (as of 22 November: 4,652 (as of 29 October: 2,432)
Civil War: The History of England Volume III by Peter Ackroyd (published 25 September 2014): 7,929 (as of 22 November: 6,284; 29 October: 4,604)
Perfidia by James Ellroy (published 11 October 2014): 5,846 (as of 22 November: 4,667; 29 October: 3,646)
Curry Easy Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey (published 25 September 2014): 5,453 (as of 22 November: 3,321; 29 October: 2,088)
Lists of Note by Shaun Usher (published 1 October 2014): 5,087 (as of 22 November: 3,255; 29 October: 1,603)
Build a Robot by Steve Parker (published 1 September 2014): 2,104 (as of 22 November: 1,137; 29 October: 368)
What I Love About Movies by David Jenkins and Laura Jenkins (published 2 October 2014): 1,474 (as of 22 November: 849; 29 October: 537)
Poetry by Heart: Poems for Learning and Reciting by Sir Andrew Motion and Mike Dixon (published 2 October 2014): 998 (as of 22 November: 561; 29 October: 298)
Bumf by Joe Sacco (published 6 November 2014): 230 (as of 22 November: 96; 29 October: N/A)
Chorleywood Bookshop
Awful Auntie by David Walliams (published 25 September 2014): 481,662 (as of 22 November: 353,362; 29 October: 216,843)
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (published 5 June 2014): 239,932 (as of 22 November: 220,173; 29 October: 205,448)
Tom Kerridge’s Best Ever Dishes by Tom Kerridge (published 28 August 2014): 109,638 (as of 22 November: 61,001; 29 October: 35,513)
Mary Berry Cooks the Perfect by Mary Berry (published 1 September 2014): 74,145 (as of 22 November: 55,983; 29 October: 41,906)
The Sunrise by Victoria Hislop (published 25 September 2014): 57,549 (as of 22 November: 38,951; 29 October: 28,054)
Us by David Nicholls (published 30 September 2014): 57,289 (as of 22 November: 43,354; 29 October: 31,999)
The Children Act by Ian McEwan (published 2 September 2014): 52,016 (as of 22 November: 44,146; 29 October: 38,086)
The Life and Loves of a He Devil: A Memoir by Graham Norton (published 23 October 2014): 43,654 (as of 22 November: 24,113; 29 October: 4,154)
Walking Home: My Family, and Other Rambles by Clare Balding (published 11 September 2014): 39,413 (as of 22 November: 27,375; 29 October: 19,842)
You Are Here: Around the World in 92 Minutes by Chris Hadfield (published 14 October 2014): 36,012 (as of 22 November: 5,493; 29 October: 1,737)
The Very Pointless Quiz Book by Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman (published 9 October 2014): 31,280 (as of 22 November: 14,305; 29 October: 5,969)
The Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah and Agatha Christie (published 9 September 2014): 28,844 (as of 22 November: 23,583; 29 October: 18,651)
Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult (published 4 November 2014): 27,251 (as of 22 November: 12,949; 29 October: 2)
Listen to the Moon by Michael Morpurgo (published 25 September 2014): 26,484 (as of 22 November: 16,430; 29 October: 9,722)
How to Drive: the Ultimate Guide, from the Man Who Was The Stig by Ben Collins (published 9 October 2014): 17,537 (as of 22 November: 10,868; 29 October: 3,920)
The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce (published 9 October 2014): 17,505 (as of 22 November: 12,068; 29 October: 5,758)
Killers of the King: The Men Who Dared to Execute Charles I by Charles Spencer (published 11 September 2014): 11,181 (as of 22 November: 8,692; 29 October: 6,273)
Terrible Estate Agent Photos by Andy Donaldson (published 4 September 2014): 6,941 (as of 22 November: 3,087; 29 October: 1,359)
Opal Plumstead by Jacqueline Wilson (published 9 October 2014): 1,163 (as of 22 November: 854; 29 October: 518)
Britain from Above by The Times (published 9 October 2014): 369 (as of 22 November: 170; 29 October: 47)
Walkers Bookshops, Oakham and Stamford
Awful Auntie by David Walliams (published 25 September 2014): 481,662 (as of 22 November: 353,362; 29 October: 216,843)
Guinness World Records 2015 (published 11 September 2014): 310,642 (as of 22 November: 168,534; 29 October: 76,336)
The Long Haul: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Book 9) by Jeff Kinney (published 5 November 2014): 309,255 (as of 22 November: 166,629; 29 October: 184)
Jamie’s Comfort Food by Jamie Oliver (published 28 August 2014): 200,347 (as of 22 November: 139,634; 29 October: 108,519)
Tom Kerridge’s Best Ever Dishes by Tom Kerridge (published 28 August 2014): 109,638 (as of 22 November: 61,001; 29 October: 35,513)
The Churchill Factor: How One Man Made History by Boris Johnson (published 23 October 2014): 84,103 (as of 22 November: 36,989; 29 October: 7,006)
Mary Berry Cooks the Perfect by Mary Berry (published 1 September 2014): 74,145 (as of 22 November: 55,983; 29 October: 41,906)
More Fool Me by Stephen Fry (published 25 September 2014): 60,484 (as of 22 November: 43,090; 29 October: 29,584)
So Anyway by John Cleese (published 9 October 2014): 59,560 (as of 22 November: 32,398; 29 October: 16,936)
Us by David Nicholls (published 30 September 2014): 57,289 (as of 22 November: 43,354; 29 October: 31,999)
The Children Act by Ian McEwan (published 2 September 2014): 52,016 (as of 22 November: 44,146; 29 October: 38,086)
The Life and Loves of a He Devil: A Memoir by Graham Norton (published 23 October 2014): 43,654 (as of 22 November: 24,113; 29 October: 4,154)
Walking Home: My Family, and Other Rambles by Clare Balding (published 11 September 2014): 39,413 (as of 22 November: 27,375; 29 October: 19,842)
The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell (published 2 September 2014): 30,697 (as of 22 November: 24,912; 29 October: 21,530)
Great British Bake off: Christmas by Lizzie Kamenetzky (published 9 October 2014): 27,628 (as of 22 November: 18,218 (as of 29 October: 8,728)
Paul Hollywood’s British Baking by Paul Hollywood (published 9 October 2014): 22,544 (as of 22 November: 14,084; 29 October: 7,654)
The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce (published 9 October 2014): 17,505 (as of 22 November: 12,068; 29 October: 5,758)
Only When I Laugh: My Autobiography by Paul Merton (published 25 September 2014): 17,406 (as of 22 November: 10,735; 29 October: 6,717)
The Rosie Effect: Don Tillman (No. 2) by Graeme Simsion (published 25 September 2014): 11,713 (as of 22 November: 8,244; 29 October: 5,473)
Secrets of the National Archives by Richard Taylor (published 18 September 2014): 2,021 (as of 22 November: 1,269; 29 October: 756)
The Bookseller
Awful Auntie by David Walliams (published 25 September 2014): 481,662 (as of 22 November: 353,362; 29 October: 216,843)
The Long Haul: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Book 9) by Jeff Kinney (published 5 November 2014): 309,255 (as of 22 November: 166,629; 29 October: 184)
Jamie’s Comfort Food by Jamie Oliver (published 28 August 2014): 200,347 (as of 22 November: 139,634; 29 October: 108,519)
The Second Half by Roy Keane and Roddy Doyle (published 9 October 2014): 148,747 (as of November 22: 100,728; 29 October: 55,569)
The Good Life by Martina Cole (published 9 October 2014): 82,494 (as of 22 November: 56,386; 29 October: 32,425)
KP: The Autobiography by Kevin Pietersen (published 9 October 2014): 72,621 (as of 22 November: 53,786; 29 October: 36,736)
The Empty Throne: The Warrior Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell (published 23 October 2014): 61,452 (as of 22 November: 41,998; 29 October: 15,127)
Gray Mountain by John Grisham (published 23 October 2014): 49,125 (as of 22 November: 29,737; 29 October: 8,253)
Revival by Stephen King (published 11 November 2014): 47,869 (as of 22 November: 23,643; 29 October: 1)
The Life and Loves of a He Devil: A Memoir by Graham Norton (published 23 October 2014): 43,654 (as of 22 November: 24,113; 29 October: 4,154)
We Need to Talk About ... Kevin by Kevin Bridges (published 9 October 2014): 40,914 (as of 22 November: 24,173; 29 October: 10,544)
Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz (published 23 October 2014): 38,277 (as of 22 November: 23,124; 29 October: 5,778)
Minecraft Blockopedia: Minecraft (published 4 December 2014): 38,119 (as of 22 November: 89; 29 October: 42)
Hope to Die: (Alex Cross 22): by James Patterson (published 6 November 2014): 37,758 (as of 22 November: 20,179; 29 October: 3)
Paul Hollywood’s British Baking by Paul Hollywood (published 9 October 2014): 22,544 (as of 22 November: 14,084; 29 October: 7,654)
Time and Time Again by Ben Elton (published 6 November 2014): 11,079 (as of 22 November: 4,849; 29 October: N/A)
Life on Air by Sir David Attenborough (published 16 October 2014): 8,585 (as of 22 November: 3,222; 29 October: 861)
Civil War: The History of England Volume III by Peter Ackroyd (published 25 September 2014): 7,929 (as of 22 November: 6,284; 29 October: 4,604)
Poetry Notebook: 2006-2014 by Clive James (published 9 October 2014): 2,628 (as of 22 November: 1,725; 29 October: 1,060)
A Place Called Home by Dilly Court (published 6 November 2014): 71 (as of 22 November: 38 29 October: N/A)
