We spend plenty of time here on The Millions telling all of you what we’ve been reading, but we are also quite interested in hearing about what you’ve been reading. By looking at our Amazon stats, we can see what books Millions readers have been buying, and we decided it would be fun to use those stats to find out what books have been most popular with our readers in recent months. Below you’ll find our Millions Top Ten list for August.
| This Month |
Last Month |
Title | On List | |
| 1. | 1. |  |
Taipei | 3 months |
| 2. | 9. |  |
The Pioneer Detectives | 2 months |
| 3. | 5. |  |
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk | 6 months |
| 4. | 2. |  |
Stand on Zanzibar | 6 months |
| 5. | 4. |  |
The Orphan Master’s Son | 4 months |
| 6. | 3. |  |
The Middlesteins | 6 months |
| 7. | 10. |  |
Fox 8 | 2 months |
| 8. | 8. |  |
Visitation Street | 2 months |
| 9. | 6. |  |
The Interestings | 2 months |
| 10. | – |  |
Night Film | 1 month |
Tao Lin’s Taipei remains in our top spot. (For more on the book’s success in our Top Ten, take a look at my commentary on June’s list.) Meanwhile, our Millions Original The Pioneer Detectives by Konstantin Kakaes surges into the second spot and continues to win rave reviews from readers. Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain was also a mover, landing in the third spot as it nears graduation to our illustrious Hall of Fame.
Our one debut this month is Marisha Pessl’s anticipated sophomore effort Night Film. Our own Bill Morris called the book a “stirring second act” but commenters have voiced strong disagreement.
Pessl bumps Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell from the Top Ten (at least for now).
Other Near Misses: They Don’t Dance Much, Speedboat, Wonder Boys and My Struggle: Book 1. See Also: Last month’s list.
You use Amazon to gauge what we’re reading…? Wow, that’s pretty indefensible. But hey, one day they’ll probably own your site as well.
– an INDEPENDENT bookseller
I DO get it: Taipei is shit by a fool who cannot write. It’s hilarious to see folks drinking the Kool-Aid en masse, and trying to put clothes on the naked emperor. Tao Lin is great o at one thing–conning people/.
The Tao Lin hate seems so ridiculous and over the top… I really enjoyed the book, and I know a lot of other people who enjoyed it as well. Maybe the reason why Taipei is selling so well is more complicated than “everyone is stupid.”
No; it’s because most people are.
Lots of books sell well that doesn’t mean they are worth reading. Marisha Pessl’s piece of garbage made the bestseller list too.