Neither him streaming nor cell phones, nor Instagram nor Tinder nor TikTok They managed to get the Argentines to abandon the books. In the most reading country in Latin America, 51 percent of us read at least one title in the last year and 40 percent, two. According to the Survey of Cultural Consumption presented a few months ago by the Ministry of Culture, 77 percent of those consulted declared that reading represented entertainment for them and that, when it came to having a good time, narrative was the preferred genre.
As a summary and also, as a reading guide for the summer, we asked some of the most important bookstores in the country –Yenny/El Ateneo, Cúspide and Santa Fe Bookstore-, to tell us which books Argentines chose in 2023, to inform and entertain themselves. The ranking they provided us (with some differences between them) distinguished two categories: fiction and non-fiction.
Here we tell you who were the authors who were at the top of the scale and what their books are about.
The fictions
The last novel of Isabel Allende, “The wind knows my name” (Sudamericana), remained at the top of the bestseller ranking for much of 2023, reaffirming the indissoluble pact of the Chilean writer with her readers. The story she tells speaks of personal destiny in times of great crisis and of detachment as the greatest proof of love between a father and a son.
Another unbeatable bestselling author occupied the top of the best sellers for months: Florence Bonelli. The queen of love stories once again captivated her always faithful readers with her latest novel, “The Neville House.” The formidable Miss Manon” (Planeta). A woman who manages a bank in London, in the 19th century, is the kickoff of a story of intrigue, power and a lot of erotic tension.
Another classic in the ranking, Eduardo Sacheri; It is also one of the great successes of 2023. His fiction “Nosotros dos en lastorm” (Alfaguara) deals with an always complex and attractive theme, the ’70s and the story of two militants of armed organizations. His purpose was to invite reflection, with respect for all ideas.
A new figure, foreign to the cultural world, entered the podium this year and never left. Is about Lucia Numer, a makeup artist who uploaded her bad experiences in love matters to her Instagram account. From the success of her back and forth with her followers came her first novel, “Goodbye Puppy” (Planet), which tells the life story of four women and what they experienced when trying to find a partner. A leap, from networks to paper, which is giving very good results.
Two international hits complete this list of fiction bestsellers. One is by the Japanese Toshikazu Kawaguchi, a producer, director and screenwriter, who with his first novel “Before the coffee gets cold” (Plaza&Janés), sold millions of copies around the world. What is it about? From a coffee shop where, if you sit in a certain chair, there is the possibility of traveling to the past and returning before the coffee gets cold. The adventures that happen from there, to four characters, have magic and romanticism.
Taylor Jenkins Reid comes from the world of film and television, but has already established herself as a very successful author. Her mega event is called “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” (Umbriel), which was published in 2017 and never stopped selling. In fact, this novel entered the Argentine rankings last year and never dropped from the top positions. It is the story of a Hollywood diva who, in her adulthood, decides to tell her love story to the press for the first time. A mix of mystery and secrets, what can go wrong?
Non-fiction
Although Argentines have a long tradition of reading political books, especially in election years, in 2023 texts linked to neuroscience, psychology and philosophy remained very firm on the best-seller podium.
The book “The power of words”, by neuroscientist Mariano Sigmanabout the importance of good communication habits, was published in 2022, but continued to arouse great interest in 2023. It has very clear explanations, good advice, and the solidity of enormous knowledge on the topic it deals with.
Everyone has heard of “family constellations”, an issue that has been very fashionable in recent years. It is a current of thought that links traumas with situations that are inherited in the family, from generation to generation. The psychologist Mark Wolynn has written “This pain is not mine” (Grupal/Gaia), one of the current successful books, on this topic. A very good introduction, for anyone interested in these topics.
An atypical book that has been among the best sellers for a long time is “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Victor Frankl (Herder). Written almost 90 years ago, its author, an Austrian doctor who suffered the Holocaust firsthand, proposes a technique called Logotherapy. This is a tool of hope to get through life’s worst tragedies. The permanence of his message is already a surprise. It is worth knowing, then, his optimistic vision of existence.
As for political books, “The knot”, by Carlos Pagni (Planeta)with its historical and economic analysis of the Conurbano, was one of the most commented of 2023. Also “Meeting Perón”, by Juan Manuel Abal Medina (Planeta), with a fundamental testimony about the intimacy of Montoneros and the return of the former president, was very attractive to readers. Milei’s unauthorized biography, “El loco”, written by Juan González (Planet), revealed peculiar and unknown aspects of the current president, and generated great interest in both voters and detractors.
Finally, “The Third”, by Alejandro Wall and Gastón Edul (Planet) was the most read book about the World Cup of the year. It tells the behind-the-scenes story of the feat that led Argentina to obtain its third star.
Other bestsellers
There is another ranking that measures the demand for books aimed at a more specialized reader. Copies with fewer sales, but whose success is indicative of the acceptance of authors who are read in a more limited niche, occupied by experimental literature, classic texts, poetry and new writers. Bookstores that specialize in this type of material (although all books are sold everywhere) usually establish their own sales rankings. That is the case of Eterna Cadencia, in the Palermo neighborhood, which publishes its bestsellers every week. In the same neighborhood, the Librería del Fondo is another space that this type of readers choose and that contributed its ranking for this note.
In them, Hernán Díaz was at the top of the scale all year long. The Argentine, author of the novel “Fortune” who won the last Pulitzer Prize, is a special case; because it also had very good weeks in the ranking of the large chains. “Fortuna” is a novel about money, which takes place during a time of extreme economic crisis in the United States. The newspaper El País has just chosen it as “novel of the year.”
Another author who remained high in this ranking is Alejandra Kamiya. She is a writer with a career, with several books and awards to her credit, who this year published a widely read title: “The Patience of Water on Every Stone” (Eterna Cadencia). Minimal, intimate and poetic stories that captivated readers.
They say that a recommendation is the most direct way to find a good book. What better advice, then, than the reading that thousands and thousands of readers enjoyed?
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