Yes24 and Kyobo Bestseller:
"Honmono" by Seong Haena Holds Top Spot
In the fourth week of July, Yes24's overall bestseller list saw "Honmono" by Seong Haena, the top pick in the "2024 Young Writers" vote, remain at number one for the fourth consecutive week. "Ryu Sooyoung's Lifetime Recipes," an easy and delicious home-cooking cookbook by "Eonam Teacher" Ryu Sooyoung, maintained its position at number two, just as it did last week. The new release "Park Gomhee's Pension Wealth Class" by Park Gomhee, a finance YouTuber with 820,000 subscribers, ranked third. With the summer vacation season, books in the exam preparation and certification category gained popularity, as both volumes of "2025 Big Star Teacher Choi Taeseong's Star Star Korean History: Korean History Proficiency Test Advanced (Levels 1, 2, 3)" took fourth and fifth place, respectively.
This week, a range of new releases drew readers' attention. "Ryo's Thoughtless Thoughts," the first essay collection by the brand director of London Bagel Museum, saw sales increase by approximately three times (204.8%) compared to the previous week, reaching eighth place overall and first in the essay category. This book, which captivated the MZ generation with its stylish brand and sensibility, proved especially popular among female readers in their 30s and 40s (72.3%). Amid the ongoing trend of handwriting practice, Professor Na Minae's poetry notebook "Even If I Engrave Just One Line in My Heart" ranked ninth, while "Fabricated Criminal," the new release from Keigo Higashino celebrating his 40th anniversary, took tenth place, receiving strong support from literature fans in their 40s and 50s (63.3%).
Additionally, books exploring the new future brought by technological advancement, such as "New Order," the final message left by international diplomacy giant Henry Kissinger, and "The Extinction of Experience" by cultural critic and historian Christine Rosen, entered the top 20. Representative Korean novels such as Yang Gwija's "Contradiction," Kim Aeran's new work "I Said Goodbye," and Kim Geumhee's "First Summer, Wanju" continue to be beloved by readers.
The novel "Jamongsalgu Club," sharing its title with the third EP music album to be released by singer-songwriter Han Roro, ranked sixth overall and second in the novel/poetry/play category just one week after sales began on July 17. "Jamongsalgu Club," Han Roro's first short story, tells the story of youth living in the shadows of society and resonated strongly with readers in their twenties (57.4%) who empathize with youth.
"Jamongsalgu Club" depicts the experiences of four children who want to die as they meet in the secret club "Jamongsalgu Club." Through realistic depictions that feel familiar, Han Roro sheds light on the various pains rooted in our childhoods.
At Kyobo Bookstore as well, "Honmono" by Seong Haena maintained its unrelenting popularity, remaining at number one overall for the fifth consecutive week. Kim Aeran's "I Said Goodbye" and Ryu Sooyoung's "Lifetime Recipes" also held their places at second and third overall, respectively, just as last week. Bestselling Korean novels such as Yang Gwija's "Contradiction," Jeong Daegun's "Rapid Current," and Han Kang's "The Boy Is Coming" also climbed the rankings, maintaining their positions at the top.
"Classics Answered: On the Wealth We Ought to Have" by Ko Myunghwan jumped six spots to rank fifth overall. The author is drawing interest by actively meeting readers and holding lectures that emphasize the importance of reading and engaging with classic literature.
"Ryo's Thoughtless Thoughts" by Ryo, the brand director and owner of a popular bagel shop, climbed 13 spots to reach 27th overall. Recent appearances on television programs and YouTube channels have attracted the attention of female readers.
In the foreign fiction category, the popularity of genre fiction stands out. "Roses and Knives" by Keigo Higashino brought mystery back into the spotlight, ranking first in the foreign fiction category, while "The Devotion of Suspect X" also regained attention, entering the category at 18th place.
"Orbit" by Samantha Harvey and "Project Hail Mary" by Andy Weir ranked second and fourth, respectively, in the foreign fiction category, drawing attention to novels with space-related themes. Additionally, among the top 20 foreign fiction bestsellers, eight classic novels from the world literature series, such as "Demian" and "Siddhartha," were ranked, highlighting the continued popularity of classic literature alongside new releases.
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