Invision/Chris Pizzello via Associated Press
Former first lady Michelle Obama presents the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYS at the Microsoft Theater on Wednesday, July 12, 2017, in Los Angeles.
- "Becoming" has been no. 1 on Amazon's best-seller list virtually since its release and has stayed there longer than any other book since 2012's "Fifty Shades of Grey."
- Only released in November, the book is already among the "hottest titles of the decade," according to Amazon and CNN.
It seems you can cast aside the old publishing mantra "sex sells," because according to Amazon "Becoming" is better.
The memoir by former First Lady Michelle Obama "Becoming" has already assumed its mantle among the "hottest titles of the decade," according to CNN Business.
And its only been on the market for 65 days.
In fact, the former first lady's tome was the "most sold on Amazon across all formats for 47 consecutive days," according to Amazon Charts. One would have to wind back the clock to 2012, when "Fifty Shades of Grey" held Amazon's no. 1 position, to find a similar streak.
"Becoming," released on November 13 to great excitement (and the holiday-season sales), explores Obama's childhood in Chicago, racism in public life, her early marriage struggles with husband and former President Barack Obama, and her experiences after becoming the country's first black first lady.
According to what Amazon told CNN, "Becoming" "consistently held the no. 1 spot on its weekly Most Sold and Most Read nonfiction lists since the book was released." The memoir also holds the all-time record for weeks in the top spot for a memoir by a political or public figure, according to data the company provided to CNN Business.
And considering the avalanche of political memoirs, tell-alls, and autobiographical encyclopedias describing public life within the current US administration, Obama's achievement is all the more notable. No Trump-related books topped Obama's record.
According to Amazon, Obama momentarily lost the top spot on day 47, but returned a few hours afterwards. As of publishing, Obama was on the top of the Amazon Best Sellers list, with Marie Kondō and Rachel Hollis close behind.
Penguin Random House, which reportedly paid $65 million to acquire the rights to both of the the Obama's memoirs, said "Becoming" sold more than 1.4 million copies in its first week and has since ranked no. 1 on the New York Times' nonfiction best seller list, for combined print and e-books, for nine straight weeks.