Books: Bestsellers

Extraordinary. Remember that Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban only went on sale on 8 July, and that this monitoring period ended last weekend. Yet still the young wizard trounces Hannibal by 6 copies to 1. How long can he keep it up? For ever, at this rate. Another Newspaper has even tried (in vain) to keep Harry out of its bestseller lists - a bit like Cnut trying to hold up the tide, as it quickly realised. As for that genial adoptive Andalucian, Chris Stewart, formerly and briefly of Genesis - he definitely never saw his name at the top of a chart for this long back in his rock'n'roll days.

Compiled on sales over seven days ending 10 July

Bookwatch Ltd, 1999

ORIGINAL FICTION

TITLE AUTHOR/PUBLISHER WEEKLY PRICE

SALES

1 Harry Potter and... J K Rowling (Bloomsbury) 68,159 pounds 10.99

2 Hannibal Thomas Harris (Heinemann) 12,782 pounds 16.99

3 Mr Maybe Jane Green (Penguin) 10,333 pounds 6.99

4 City Woman Patricia Scanlan (Bantam) 4,017 pounds 5.99

5 Ralph's Party Lisa Jewell (Penguin) 3,077 pounds 5.99

6 LA Connections 4 Jackie Collins (Pan) 3,028 pounds 2.50

7 The Men in Her Life Imogen Parker (Corgi) 2,425 pounds 5.99

8 Net Force T Clancy & S Piecenik (Headline) 2,299 pounds 5.99

9 Star Wars: phantom menace Terry Brooks (Century) 1,865 pounds 15.99

10 Taking Chances Susan Lewis (Arrow 1,766 pounds 5.99

ORIGINAL NON-FICTION

TITLE AUTHOR/PUBLISHER WEEKLY PRICE

SALES

1 Driving Over Lemons Chris Stewart (Sort of Books) 3,371 pounds 6.99

2 The Naked Chef Jamie Oliver (M Joseph) 2,607 pounds 18.99

3 Men are from Mars John Gray (Thorsons) 2,186 pounds 8.99

4 Star Wars Visual Dictionary David W Reynolds (DK) 1,570 pounds 12.99

5 Ground Force Watergarden Charlie Dimmock (BBC) 1,445 pounds 9.99

6 Ainsley's Big Cook Out Ainsley Harriott (BBC) 1,416 pounds 14.99

7 The Science of Discworld Terry Pratchett et al (Ebury) 962 pounds 14.99

8 Star Wars Episode One Laurent Bouzereau (Ebury) 879 pounds 9.99

9 How to Get What You Want John Gray (Ebury) 866 pounds 9.99

10 The Planets David McNab & James Younger (BBC) 820 pounds 19.99