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在线翻译:
szdaily -> Culture -> 
Amazon China reveals ebook reading trends
    2021-01-12  08:53    Shenzhen Daily

AMAZON China just revealed the 2020 Kindle ebook list, showing the trends and habits of digital reading. According to the sales record of Kindle ebook, “Educated: A Memoir,” “The Gone Child” and “Three-Body Trilogy” were well received by the readers, making the top three of Amazon China’s 2020 Kindle bestseller list of paid ebooks (referred to as “the bestseller list”).

“What It Takes: Lessons in the Pursuit,” “Value: My Thoughts on Investment,” and “Silent Parade” stood out among the new ebooks, ranking top three in the 2020 Kindle’s annual new book list of paid ebooks (referred to as “the new book list”). Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen were the top three cities with the highest spending on ebooks. Shenzhen ranked number two in per capita quantity purchased, and third as a city in paid ebook sales.

Epidemic related books receive attention

The unexpected pandemic intruded in the beginning of 2020. Unless required by work and study, many chose to remain at home in response to the country’s prevention and control and spend time reading for self-improvement. Since the outbreak, a wide range of books related to epidemics and infectious diseases drew readers’ attention. “The Plague,” “The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus,” and “Love in the Time of Cholera” took the seventh, eighth and 10th places in the bestseller list. The 2012 book “Corolla Virus” by well-known Chinese writer Bi Shumin, also topping this list, made a reentry into public view this year. The book focuses on profound topics including life, humanity, and salvation, showing the duality of compassion and impotence of humanity in a time of crisis, while revealing strength and determination in humanity during a desperate plight.

“Educated: A Memoir,” on top of the bestseller list, is written by American writer Tara Westover, who recorded her incredible life experience in plain language. Through the power of education, she kept on exploring the world of the unknown and achieved self-realization. This story echoed in the hearts of many readers worldwide.

Economics and management books make the list

In addition to books on epidemics, readers were also attracted to books in the field of macro-economics, value investment, and business management. Four out of the top 10 books in the new book list are economics and management books, including “What It Takes: Lessons in the Pursuit,” “Value: My Thoughts on Investment,” “Civilization, Modern, Value Investment and China,” and “The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned From 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company.”

In 2018, Ray Dalio’s book “Principles” aroused interest in reading economics and management books. This year, “What It Takes: Lessons in the Pursuit,” the first place in the new book list, has been the main drive in continuing this trend. This book by Stephen Schwarzman, the co-founder of Blackstone Group, is a summary of his experience in investment, management, and entrepreneurship, highlighting his principles and philosophy of life. Whether or not the readers wish to dig deeper into investment management, they can be motivated by the marvelous yet checkered life experience of Schwarzman.

The book “Value: My Thoughts on Investment” is the book debut of Zhang Lei, founder of Hillhouse Capital Management. In this book, Zhang sets forth his views on investment and business, provides a deep analysis to the investment system and the company’s innovative framework, and shares his insights on work and life. Once published, the book immediately gained wide attention from readers, and was recommended by dozens of business leaders from China and beyond.

Sales of originals uplifted by popular film and TV works

The originals of popular film and TV productions have frequented the Kindle ebook list in recent years. In 2020, the writer Chen Zijin came in the spotlight. His two books “The Gone Child” and “The Long Night” were adapted for TV series. The gripping stories paired with fine acting sparked word-of-mouth online, soon lifting the sales of the two books, which ranked number two and 11 in the bestseller list.

Meanwhile, the long-applauded detective and forensics books ascended the list last year. “Silent Parade” by Keigo Higashino, “Thirteen Steps” by Kazuaki Takano, and “Eight Million Ways to Die” by Lawrence Block made the third, fourth, and fifth places in the new book list. Professor Luo Xiang’s “Lecture Notes on Criminal Law,” ranked number 10 in this list, and was favored by many readers for the book’s comprehensive and interesting cases in company with the professor’s humorous and witty interpretation.

Kindle also announced this year’s favorite publisher list in order to applaud and encourage those who have published good books through Kindle China.

The advantage of Kindle is obvious during the pandemic: As it is not restrained by conditions of publishing and transportation, readers can enjoy the books right after they are purchased. Kindle also strives to improve user experience by developing new platforms. The mini program on WeChat launched last September allows users to preview the books, read recommendations, and share book lists.

(Zee Wong)

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