3 ms·

Wow, I guess I'm both surprised and not surprised to see the Harry Potter series in 5 of the 20 top read fiction spots.

gdulli 9y ago
It benefits Amazon to sell more head vs. tail items, easier warehouse and inventory planing. Amazon's "suggestions" and charts create a self-fulfilling optimization loop. Also factor in other variables like which publishers they have a better relationship with, etc.
- nicky0 9y ago
  You are missing the point I think. Potter books aren't in the top 20 sold books, only the most read.
- tgb 9y ago
  Surely "most read" is based off Kindle statistics where warehouse and inventory planning don't really matter. And they're not in the "most sold" since, presumably, everyone already owns them who would consider reading them.
  - SyneRyder 9y ago
    > And they're not in the "most sold" since, presumably, everyone already owns them who would consider reading them. Also the Harry Potter books are part of the Prime lending library / Kindle Unlimited, so Prime members can read it for free without buying. (Plus if I try to buy Kindle versions, I'm redirected - by Amazon! - to the 3rd party Pottermore website instead. Which, when I click on it, gives me an error at gbp.shop.pottermore.com that "The page you requested does not exist.")
  - stevenmays 9y ago
    I'd assume Goodreads which they own is factored into those statistics.
TillE 9y ago
What's up with Order of the Phoenix in the highest spot, though? I thought it was easily one of the worst of the series, and Goodreads ratings more or less agree with me, ranking only Chamber of Secrets lower.
- carrier_lost 9y ago
  I think it's the best of the series, but I find that when conversation turns to Harry Potter, I'm often alone in my view.
  - TremendousJudge 9y ago
    weird, basically everyone I know says it's the best in the series
    - thaumasiotes 9y ago
      Count me in the "worst" bucket. I liked the first four books (and, oddly, the sixth).
  - therealdrag0 9y ago
    Same. Was my favorite (at least better than all the preceding books), but many others disagree complaining about Harry being "emo".
- r3bl 9y ago
  Order of the Phoenix gets a high spot on every list. For example: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1.Best_Books_Ever https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1.Best_Books_Ever #2 on that list. I always wondered the same, but could never reach a conclusion why it seemed like it was always rated above the rest of the series. It is definitely the one that turned the series from "saving the school" to "saving the world" and the series made a sharp turn after that one. That's the best reason I could come up with.
- yttrium 9y ago
  I find that most people either rank it first in the series, or somewhere near the bottom with no real in-between. I think it's the finest book in the series, my girlfriend thinks it's the worst. From personal experience, it seems that more people find it to be the best than the worst, but there's a lot of disagreement.
Bedon292 9y ago
The Harry Potter books were just released on Kindle Unlimited about a month ago. Its not surprising that they are all up in the top 20, since people are going to read them right after release. It the exact ones in the exact order are likely something to do with the average rate people read at.

It benefits Amazon to sell more head vs. tail items, easier warehouse and inventory planing. Amazon's "suggestions" and charts create a self-fulfilling optimization loop. Also factor in other variables like which publishers they have a better relationship with, etc.

nicky0 9y ago
You are missing the point I think. Potter books aren't in the top 20 sold books, only the most read.
tgb 9y ago
Surely "most read" is based off Kindle statistics where warehouse and inventory planning don't really matter. And they're not in the "most sold" since, presumably, everyone already owns them who would consider reading them.
- SyneRyder 9y ago
  > And they're not in the "most sold" since, presumably, everyone already owns them who would consider reading them. Also the Harry Potter books are part of the Prime lending library / Kindle Unlimited, so Prime members can read it for free without buying. (Plus if I try to buy Kindle versions, I'm redirected - by Amazon! - to the 3rd party Pottermore website instead. Which, when I click on it, gives me an error at gbp.shop.pottermore.com that "The page you requested does not exist.")
- stevenmays 9y ago
  I'd assume Goodreads which they own is factored into those statistics.

TillE 9y ago

What's up with Order of the Phoenix in the highest spot, though? I thought it was easily one of the worst of the series, and Goodreads ratings more or less agree with me, ranking only Chamber of Secrets lower.

carrier_lost 9y ago
I think it's the best of the series, but I find that when conversation turns to Harry Potter, I'm often alone in my view.
- TremendousJudge 9y ago
  weird, basically everyone I know says it's the best in the series
  - thaumasiotes 9y ago
    Count me in the "worst" bucket. I liked the first four books (and, oddly, the sixth).
- therealdrag0 9y ago
  Same. Was my favorite (at least better than all the preceding books), but many others disagree complaining about Harry being "emo".
r3bl 9y ago
Order of the Phoenix gets a high spot on every list. For example: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1.Best_Books_Ever https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1.Best_Books_Ever #2 on that list. I always wondered the same, but could never reach a conclusion why it seemed like it was always rated above the rest of the series. It is definitely the one that turned the series from "saving the school" to "saving the world" and the series made a sharp turn after that one. That's the best reason I could come up with.
yttrium 9y ago
I find that most people either rank it first in the series, or somewhere near the bottom with no real in-between. I think it's the finest book in the series, my girlfriend thinks it's the worst. From personal experience, it seems that more people find it to be the best than the worst, but there's a lot of disagreement.

Bedon292 9y ago

The Harry Potter books were just released on Kindle Unlimited about a month ago. Its not surprising that they are all up in the top 20, since people are going to read them right after release. It the exact ones in the exact order are likely something to do with the average rate people read at.