Penguin Group (USA) Weekly Update - 5/19:

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Eight New Penguin Group (USA) Books Debut on The New York Time Bestseller List, and Four #1 Positions Simultaneously Owned by Penguin Group (USA) Paperback Titles for the Second Straight Week

Penguin Group (USA) achieves eight debuts on The New York Times bestseller list for the week of May 25th. On the hardcover fiction list, Phantom Prey by John Sandford (G. P. Putnam's Sons) hits at #3, while From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris (Ace) appears at #6; and The Chris Farley Show by Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby (Viking) is at #16 on the hardcover nonfiction list. The Last Summer (Of You and Me) by Ann Brashares (Riverhead) is #20 on the trade fiction list; The Hollow by Nora Roberts (Jove) debuts at #1 on the mass-market list, while Shoot Him if He Runs by Stuart Woods (Signet) and Playing with Fire by Katie MacAlister (Signet) hit at #7 and #10 respectively on that same list. And finally, Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster (NAL) appears at #20 on the nonfiction bestseller list.

Penguin Group (USA) also owns four of the seven adult #1 slots once again - the eighth time this year that four or more Penguin Group (USA) titles have held #1 positions simultaneously on a single week's list. In addition to The Hollow, The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs (Berkley) holds at #1 on the trade fiction list for a second week (nineteen weeks overall), which marks the second consecutive week that the Berkley Group has owned both the #1 trade and mass-market fiction paperback books. And, Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (Penguin) returns to the #1 slot on the nonfiction paperback list in its 68th week; while A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle (Plume) maintains its #1 position on the paperback advice, how-to and miscellaneous list for 15 consecutive weeks.

Half of "Best of Booker" Shortlist is Comprised of Penguin Group (USA) Titles

The Booker Man Prize is opening up polling to the public to choose "The Best of the Booker," a one-time award in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Booker Prize, it was announced this week. Six titles were selected by a panel of judges from among the 41 previous Booker Prize winners for the shortlist. Among those six, three have been published by Penguin Group (USA): Pat Barker's The Ghost Road (Plume); J.M. Coetzee's Disgrace (Penguin); Nadine Gordimer's The Conservationist (Penguin).

Millions of people across the globe have the opportunity to register votes for their favorite book from the shortlist. Votes can be registered via the Man Booker Prize website, and via SMS text messaging, now through July 8th, through online partnerships with national and international media, with libraries, reading groups and book retailers. Support our authors with your vote!

The overall winner of "The Best of the Booker" will be announced as part of the London Literature Festival at the Southbank Center on July 10th, where the winner will be awarded a custom-made trophy.

Be sure to catch "The Oprah Winfrey Show" tomorrow, May 16th, when the #1 New York Times-bestselling A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle (Plume) - both the printed book and audio book - is featured on Oprah's summer favorite things show, called "Oprah's Top Picks for Summer."

In addition to the show, Oprah.com will re-promote the 10-week webcasts with Eckhart Tolle in their "Summer School" promotion. During webcast #10 last week, she urged Oprah's Book Club members to reread the book for "Summer School" and invite friends to join the book club. Tolle will also do two more exclusive web interviews with Oprah on Monday, May 26th and Monday, June 2nd.

According to Oprah's Book Club site: "Whether you are picking it up for the first time or continuing your awakening, make A New Earth your summer reading book. Join Oprah's Book Club today for exclusive access to member newsletters and your workbook for Oprah and Eckhart Tolle's 10-part A New Earth web series. Summer School starts June 16th. Find Reading Groups in your area, or invite readers to join your book club. www.oprah.com/anewearth"

Eckhart Tolle will also be interviewed by host Krista Tippett on NPR's "Speaking of Faith," the nationally syndicated show produced by Minnesota Public Radio that airs on NPR and American Public Media in air this summer.

Gotham author Julia Flynn Siler has been honored as a finalist for the prestigious Loeb Award for her work, The House of Mondavi. The Loeb Awards were established in 1957 by the last Gerald Loeb to honor journalists who make significant contributions to the understanding of business, finance and the economy. He intended to encourage reporting on these subjects that would both inform and protect the private investor and the general public.

The House of Mondavi is a comprehensive account of the scandal-plagued story of the immigrant Mondavi family that built - and then lost - a global wine empire. The hardcover edition came out last summer to great reviews. The New York Times said about the book: "Call it Greek tragedy or Shakespearean drama, Biblical strife Freudian acting out, or even a soap opera...Compelling." BusinessWeek raved, "A fascinating chronicle...a twisted tale filled with big egos, beautiful backdrops, and charismatic-yet-flawed characters who pull off towering feats and then throw them all away." The House of Mondavi is now available in paperback from Gotham.

NAL Author Jen Lancaster Hits The New York Times Bestseller List

The third time is a charm for NAL author Jen Lancaster! Fueled by a 10-city tour that has seen standing-room only crowds, Jen's third memoir Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist's Quest to Discover if Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big, Or, Why Pie is Not the Answer (NAL Trade Paperback Original) debuted this week on the New York Times paperback nonfiction bestseller list - Jen's first appearance on a national list. Bookstore events for Such a Pretty Fat have consistently drawn crowds of more than 100 people - some stores have hosted as many as 250 fans. Reviews for Such a Pretty Fat have appeared in People magazine, Chicago magazine, Today's Chicago Woman, Metro, The Chicago Sun-Times, Complete Woman, and Women's Health, with much more to come. Check out Jen's blog at www.jennsylvania.com and her book trailer.

Elizabeth Gilbert Attends Time's 100 Most Influential People Gala

Being one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people has its perks. Pictured is Eat, Pray, Love author Liz Gilbert with her father, whom she brought as her date, at Time's gala honoring their 100 "Most Influential People" issue. Following the evening, Gilbert let her publicity team at Penguin know what a joy it was to watch her dad, "all pie-eyed and delighted, negotiate the red carpet, meet the celebrities," including John McCain.

The New York Times Bestseller Highlights for the Week of May 25th

As mentioned above, Penguin Group (USA) has eight new debuts on The New York Times list for the week of May 25th. In addition, Penguin Group (USA) once again holds four of the seven adult #1 positions, including Berkley Group titles topping both paperback fiction bestseller lists for the second straight week.

Here are more New York Times bestseller highlights for the week of May 25th:

On the hardcover fiction list, Hold Tight by Harlan Coben (Dutton) is at #11 in its fourth week.

On the trade paperback fiction list, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Riverhead) is #3 in its 166th week; The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards (Penguin) is #4 in its 99th week; The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (NAL) is #11 in its 26th week; and Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos (Plume) is #15 in its eleventh week.

On the mass market paperback fiction list, Invisible Prey by John Sandford (Berkley) is #3 in its third week; The Woods by Harlan Coben (Signet) is #12 in its sixth week; The Double Agents by W.E.B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV (Jove) is #16 in its second week; and The Harlequin by Laurell K. Hamilton (Jove) is #19, also in its second week.

On the paperback nonfiction list, Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin (Penguin) is #2 position in its 67th week; and The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan (Penguin) holds at #9 in its 37th week.

On the paperback advice, how-to and miscellaneous list, Getting Things Done by David Allen (Penguin) returns to the list at #8 in its 25th week.

In the young readers sector, Ladybug Girl is #8 on the children's picture book list in its eighth week and on the children's paperback list, Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (Speak) is #8 in its eleventh week. On the children's chapter books list, Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen (Viking) holds at #3 in its third week, while Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan (Philomel, hardcover and paperback) returns to the children's series list at #10 in its 20th week.

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