What are the best-selling books at the Book Fair?

Argentine authors are leading the way when publishers are asked about the best-selling books so far at the 49th Buenos Aires International Book Fair. Samanta Schweblin, Mariana Enriquez , Leila Guerriero , and Hebe Uhart top the lists offered by the companies one week before the end of the fair.

“This extra-long weekend at the fair was a celebration. Many readers and authors gave talks and signed books, including Javier Cercas, Claudia Piñeiro, Nelson Castro, Balmaceda, Maitena, Jimena La Torre, Nik, Ludovica Squirru Dari, and others,” Valeria Fernandez Naya, Marketing and Communications Director at Penguin Random House, told Clarín .

In that space, one of the largest at the Fair, which is usually packed anyway, Samanta Schweblin 's stories that make up El buen mal ($33,900) top the list of books most requested by readers.

Behind that comes The Hunger Games 5: Dawn of the Harvest ($34,900), by bestseller Suzanne Collins, author of several young adult novel series ( The Hunger Games, Catching Fire , and Mockingjay ) that have already been adapted for the big screen and translated into 53 languages.

In third place is Korean Han Kang , winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature for The Vegetarian ($30,000), a discovery for many who begin with this novel to explore poetic prose and dark plots. In fourth place is the new story by Claudia Piñeiro , entitled The Death of Another ($29,000), which proposes a disturbing thriller that begins when a young woman who works as an escort falls naked from a fifth floor: did she try to commit suicide? Did they try to kill her?

The top five closes with an essay that has been making waves since Pope Francis became seriously ill: God's Fool at the End of the World ($34,500), by the Spaniard Javier Cercas, became one of the books of this edition of the Fair and its author was interviewed repeatedly to try to understand the mark the Argentine pontiff will leave.

"Unit sales are above those of 2024, up approximately 25 percent . We still have a very strong week ahead of us in terms of the publisher's activities," said the Marketing and Communications Director of Penguin Random House.

At the Planeta stand, in line with the recent Netflix release of the series El Eternauta, interest in the comic strip created by Héctor Germán Oesterheld (born 1919 and died in 1978) and cartoonist Francisco Solano López (1928-2011) is growing. There are several reissues of the work, in different sizes and with articles contextualizing the work.

Behind El Eternauta ($28,500), Planeta's ranking continues with Recetas para vivir mejor ($32,000) by cardiologist and popularizer Daniel Lopez Rosetti, which presents a guide to improving well-being through four fundamental pillars: philosophy of life, nutrition, physical activity, and sleep quality.

Third place goes to bestseller Rebecca Yarros, author of more than twenty novels, including Wings of Blood (Empireo 1) ($35,900), populated by dragons and brave girls.

The Betrayal of My Tongue ($29,800) by actress and writer Camila Sosa Villada is in fourth place, while Happiness ($27,500) by psychologist Gabriel Rolón . Outside the top five are The Country the Owners Want ($31,000), the new novel by economist Alejandro Bercovich ; In Case We Return One Day ($34,500) by Spanish author María Dueñas , another of this year's standouts; and Conspiracy in London ($29,900), the debut novel by historian Felipe Pigna .

Adriana Hidalgo, for her part, presents as best-seller A Small Part of the Universe ($25,800), a compilation of unpublished texts by Hebe Uhart that recovers the depth and freshness of her literary vision, compiled by Pía Bouzas and Eduardo Muslip. This is followed by the new edition of The Pillow Book ($28,900) by Sei Shōnagon , a classic of Japanese literature, and Complete Poetry ($36,000) by Olga Orozco , which highlights the power of her poetic work.

Furthermore, within its children's label Pípala, the beautiful and poetic Hector, the extraordinarily strong man ($19,500), by Magali Le Huche , and When I Grow Up ($18,900), by Davide Cali , stand out, an illustrated book that captivates the little ones with its tenderness and creativity.

Other books by Hebe Uhart are also well positioned: the stories in Impressions of a School Principal ($26,500) released last year and which brings together her first stories, as well as Love is a Strange Thing ($27,900), which compiles three unpublished novels by Uhart published after her death.

At Anagrama, Leila Guerriero leads the way with The Call (32,500 USD), the book chosen this year by the journalists and experts who award the Critics' Prize at the Book Fair. Behind that top spot, horror queen Mariana Enriquez consolidates her presence with several titles: Our Share of the Night (38,000 USD), a novel that blends the supernatural with family tragedy; The Dangers of Smoking in Bed (29,900 USD) and The Things We Lost in the Fire (28,500 USD), both collections of short stories that delve into fear and the macabre; and A Sunny Place for Shady People (33,200 USD), which rediscovers disturbing tales.

The El Aleph bookstore, in the Blue Pavilion, was also very busy. First place went to Wings of Blood ($36,500) by Rebecca Yarros , reaffirming her popularity with a novel that combines fantasy and epic adventure. In second place was the classic Wuthering Heights ($25,800) by Emily Brontë , which continues to fascinate new generations. Harvest Dawn ($35,200) by Suzanne Collins took third place, confirming the impact of The Hunger Games saga. In fourth place was The Call ($33,900) by Leila Guerriero , while fifth place was occupied by the comic book El Eternauta ($29,700), capitalizing on the worldwide success of the Netflix series.

For its part, Big Sur Distribuidora presents a list headed by The Year We Spoke to the Sea ($24,500) by Andrés Montero , published by La Pollera Ediciones. Next up is Argentinian Alejandra Kamiya , who, while working on her first novel, continues to delight readers with her three volumes of short stories published by Eterna Cadencia: here with The Patience of Water on Every Stone ($27,800). In third place is López López ($23,900), the debut novel by Tomás Downey , published by Fiordo. At the bottom of the list are Cuban Elaine Vilar Madruga with Jungle Sky ($25,600) and The Swimmer in the Secret Sea ($22,500) by William Kotzwinkle, published by China Editores.

Finally, Ampersand surprises with a selection that combines art, design, and literature. Leading the list is A Story Without an End ($29,800) by Carlo Ginzburg , a work that explores the relationship between history and fiction. Next up is The Origins of the Book ($32,400) by Filippo Ronconi , an essay on the evolution of this cultural object; and A History of Graphic Design ($38,500) by Johanna Drucker and Emily McVarish , an indispensable reference for those interested in this discipline. Completing the list are The Writing Eye ($33,700) by Luis Felipe “Yuyo” Noé , and Heisenberg's Law ($26,900) by Ida Vitale , both works that combine art and philosophical reflection.