A vacation-season July shot of students at the east gate of Shanghai Jiaotong University. Image – Getty: PhotonsInAction
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
Old and New Energy in the Chinese Market
In our China Bestsellers report today on July’s charts, we’re reminded that the summer on the mainland is a time of extensive holiday reading-list activity among China’s vast student population. And what could be a more familiar fixture in such a season as the 1961 Red Crag? The book in its 2024 edition from China Youth Press is by Luo Guangbin and Yan Yiyan—former inmates in a Sichuan prison–and set in Chongqing in 1949, during the Chinese Civil War.
‘Red Crag’
Long listed as recommended reading for students, the book stood again at No. 1 in July on the OpenBook fiction list, and this latest surge in its market dominance was enhanced by what our OpenBook associates note were short videos interpreting the book’s key elements. In particular, a “micro-short drama” called Red Crag Guardian “presents a panoramic view of the collision and resonance between the new era’s legal forces and the spirit of Red Crag,” as our associates eloquently put it.
Much newer work to watch for? Lu Sihao’s Light in Life, with the author’s focus on people born in China after the 1990s found a lot of traction. Lu is published by Hunan Literature and Art Press, and understands the upheavals and uncertainties that many in his readership’s generation have faced.
‘It’s a Long Journey’
One of Lu’s most frequently quoted lines is, “As long as we have light in our hearts, we are no longer afraid of the dark night,” and many have seemed to warm to that in such works as his story collection, It’s a Long Journey.
The prolific Zhangjiagang-born 34-year-old author—educated at the Australian National University and at the University of Melbourne—approaches his readership as a sort of mentor and friend, at one point saying to the generation who reads him, “I know you have walked far and you are tired, but I still hope you can encounter people and things that make you steadfast, and your true heart won’t be betrayed.”
‘Embracing the End’
You may recall our notation of Lu’s Embracing the End in our August 2023 China Bestseller article. In that instance, the author showed the sort of agility he can display on China’s generally slow-moving charts, the book having leapt to No. 6 in the same month of its publication.
We can hope that our OpenBook friends’ analysis is on-target as usual and about to bring the new Light in Life to our bestseller lists so we can know more about it—and hope that Lu’s work begins to attract the interest of publishers who may translate it into some Western languages.
Another book being flagged by our colleagues in Beijing is Guo Degang’s Performing a Segment: Guo Degang Tells Ji Gong, a book being driven this summer by celebrity appeal and a title we may thus soon see on the fiction charts.
In nonfiction in July, there’s a canny note from OpenBook: the summer’s focus on school reading can also mean an intensification of interest in parenting nonfiction., thanks to “increased family interaction during the summer break”—a phenomenon surely quite universally recognized. While these aren’t showing up on the nonfiction charts yet, who can’t appreciate titles such as Understanding Is More Important Than Love and Chill Parents, Stronger Kids?
Below, then, are OpenBook’s overall lists from July 2025—China’s bestsellers in fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books, followed by OpenBook’s lists of bestselling fiction and nonfiction in China by authors from outside the country. At the end of our article, as always, you’ll find notes on how the lists are constructed.
OpenBook’s Fiction Bestsellers, July 2025
| July 2025 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9787515373850 | 202408 | Red Crag | Luo Guangbin, Yang Yiyan | China Youth Press |
| 2 | 9787536097261 | 202207 | Someone To Talk To | Liu Zhenyun | Flower City Press |
| 3 | 9787572608582 | 202210 | The Litchi Road | Ma Boyong | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 4 | 9787519013295 | 201607 | Dream of the Red Chamber | Cao Xueqin | The Publishing House of the China Literary Federation |
| 5 | 9787530221532 | 202110 | To Live (2021 Edition) | Yu Hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 6 | 9787580104199 | 202506 | Quagmire | Liu Chuxin | Lijiang Press |
| 7 | 9787573510921 | 202412 | One Hundred Years of Solitude (2025 Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 8 | 9787536692930 | 200801 | The Three-Body Problem | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 9 | 9787020002207 | 199807 | Dream of the Red Chamber | Cao Xueqin | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 10 | 9787557032821 | 202504 | If Journey to the West were a Group of Cats (1) | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 11 | 9787229030933 | 201011 | Death’s End | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 12 | 9787536693968 | 200805 | The Dark Forest | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 13 | 9787572610912 | 202305 | The Annoyance of the Gods | Ma Boyong | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 14 | 9787500601593 | 200508 | Red Crag | Luo Guangbin,Yang Yiyan | China Youth Press |
| 15 | 9787530221396 | 202106 | Ordinary Word (3 Volumes)(2021 Edition) | Lu Yao | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 16 | 9787020008735 | 199807 | Journey to the West | Wu Cheng’en | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 17 | 9787512517219 | 202411 | Wait for Me Towards Light (vol.2) | Jiang Zi Bei | International Culture Publishing Corporation |
| 18 | 9787572624247 | 202505 | Everything Is Fine | Ma Boyong | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 19 | 9787020008742 | 199807 | Water Margin | Shi Nai’an,Luo Guanzhong | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 20 | 9787201112695 | 201703 | Siddhartha | Hermann Hesse | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 21 | 9787541161834 | 202207 | Notebook of a Grave Robber (1) | Nanpai Sanshu | Sichuan Literature & Art Press |
| 22 | 9787020139590 | 201906 | The Last Quarter of the Moon | Chi Zijian | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 23 | 9787536097254 | 202207 | Chicken Feathers Everywhere | Liu Zhenyun | Flower City Press |
| 24 | 9787536094420 | 202107 | Laughter and Tears: A Novel | Liu Zhenyun | Flower City Press |
| 25 | 9787541161841 | 202207 | Notebook of a Grave Robber (2) | Nanpai Sanshu | Sichuan Literature & Art Press |
| 26 | 9787544766500 | 201701 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | Yilin Press |
| 27 | 9787506344791 | 200812 | Street Wizards (Revised Edition) | Feng Jicai | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 28 | 9787559662675 | 202302 | Meet in Spring | Zong Hu Xiu Hua | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 29 | 9787541161858 | 202207 | Notebook of a Grave Robber (3) | Nanpai Sanshu | Sichuan Literature & Art Press |
| 30 | 9787512516236 | 202404 | Wait for Me Towards Light (vol.1) | Jiang Zi Bei | International Culture Publishing Corporation |
OpenBook’s Nonfiction Bestsellers, July 2025
| July 2025 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9787020116133 | 201606 | Red Star Over China | Edgar Snow | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 2 | 9787570726158 | 202506 | From the Soil | Fei Xiaotong | Anhui Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 3 | 9787020084357 | 201104 | I and the Temple of Earth | Shi Tiesheng | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 4 | 9787111495482 | 201504 | The Courage to Be Disliked | Ichiro Kishimi,Fumitake Koga | China Machine Press |
| 5 | 9787515843100 | 202507 | Answer Fluently | Xie Pu | China Industry and Commerce Joint Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 6 | 9787201161693 | 202008 | Counselling for Toads: A Psychological Adventure | Robert de Board | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 7 | 9787557033989 | 202502 | If History were a Group of Cats: Qing Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 8 | 9787557033118 | 202406 | If History were a Group of Cats: The Late Ming Dynasty and the Early Qing Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 9 | 9787557030599 | 202306 | If History were a Group of Cats: Xia, Shang and Western Zhou Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 10 | 9787521775181 | 202506 | 2049: Possibilities in the Next 10,000 Days | Kevin Kelly | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd. |
| 11 | 9787536094352 | 202109 | My Altay | Li Juan | Flower City Press |
| 12 | 9787557030582 | 202306 | If History were a Group of Cats: The Spring-autumn and Warring State Period | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 13 | 9787557030162 | 202305 | If History were a Group of Cats: Late Yuan and Early Ming Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 14 | 9787513948623 | 202504 | Comic I Ching | Wang Xinrui | Democracy and Construction Press |
| 15 | 9787557017477 | 201902 | If History were a Group of Cats: Qin, Chu, Western Han and Eastern Han Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 16 | 9787557024413 | 202105 | If History were a Group of Cats: Prosperity of the Tang Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 17 | 9787544276986 | 201910 | Educated: A Memoir | Tara Westover | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 18 | 9787575403467 | 202409 | 1000 Questions on Chinese Culture | Bright Culture Research Center | Hunan Education Press |
| 19 | 9787557028657 | 202210 | If History were a Group of Cats: Southern Song, Jin and Yuan Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 20 | 9787557027063 | 202204 | If History were a Group of Cats: Song, Liao, Jin Dynasty and the Western Xia Regime | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 21 | 9787557025847 | 202111 | If History were a Group of Cats: Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 22 | 9787557031589 | 202311 | If History were a Group of Cats: The Ming Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 23 | 9787550207479 | 201206 | Illustrate the World: 100 Most Beautiful Places in China | Editing Group of This Book | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 24 | 9787557020149 | 201909 | If History were a Group of Cats: Three Kingdoms | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 25 | 9787557023041 | 202010 | If History were a Group of Cats: Sui and Tang Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 26 | 9787540484880 | 201801 | The Gay Genius: The Life and Times of Su Tungpo | Lin Yutang | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 27 | 9787521774665 | 202504 | The Great Way: Duan Yongping’s Investment Q&A | Munger College, Zhao Liya | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd. |
| 28 | 9787557020132 | 201909 | If History were a Group of Cats: The End of Eastern Han Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 29 | 9787516840597 | 202412 | Chinese Culture 1000 Questions | Fan Yu | Taihai Publishing House |
| 30 | 9787522200514 | 202105 | Nonviolent Communication | Marshall B.Rosenberg | Huaxia Publishing House |
OpenBook’s Children’s Bestsellers, July 2025
| July 2025 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9787556889884 | 202505 | Treasure Hunting in Ningxia | Jingding Comic | 21st Century Press Group |
| 2 | 9787532767373 | 201408 | Charlotte’s Web | Elwyn Brooks White | Shanghai Translation Publishing House |
| 3 | 9787522502816 | 202107 | Biography of Ao Bing (1) | Erstrovsky, Guji,Li Zilan | Jiuzhou Press |
| 4 | 9787544288590 | 201806 | Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window (2018 Edition) | Tetsuko Kuroyanagi | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 5 | 9787558593871 | 202507 | The Tao Te Ching in Comics | Wang Zhe | The North China Women & Children’s Publishing House |
| 6 | 9787522536507 | 202506 | Biography of Ao Bing (2) | Erstrovsky,Guji,Li Zilan | Jiuzhou Press |
| 7 | 9787558580949 | 202401 | Traveling with Poetry | Rizhi Books | The North China Women & Children’s Publishing House |
| 8 | 9787514246681 | 202505 | Achievers: My Fate is Mine to Command | Zhao Haijuan | Cultural Development Publishing House |
| 9 | 9787531347491 | 201502 | The Elephant That Eats the Night | Bai Bing | Chunfeng Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 10 | 9787556882236 | 202408 | Treasure Hunting in Jilin | Jingding Comic | 21st Century Press Group |
| 11 | 9787807733911 | 202412 | Comics 1000 Questions of Chinese Culture | Gan Chao | Tricircle Press |
| 12 | 9787534618727 | 199807 | The Straw Hut | Cao Wenxuan | Jiangsu Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 13 | 9787558594069 | 202507 | The First Lesson in Life | Su Yue | The North China Women & Children’s Publishing House |
| 14 | 9787501609413 | 201504 | Bronze and Sunflower | Cao Wenxuan | Foreign Literature Press |
| 15 | 9787534256301 | 200909 | Dreaming of Being a Wolf King (2018 Edition) | Shen Shixi | Zhejiang Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 16 | 9787556878871 | 202311 | Treasure Hunting in Shanxi | Jingding Comic | 21st Century Press Group |
| 17 | 9787530778340 | 202409 | Growth Handbook for Adolescent Boys | Xie Zhidong | New Buds Publishing House |
| 18 | 9787536574366 | 201601 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Stratego | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 19 | 9787556869589 | 202301 | Treasure Hunting in Beijing | Jingding Comic | 21st Century Press Group |
| 20 | 9787534633362 | 200505 | Bronze and Sunflower | Cao Wenxuan | Jiangsu Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 21 | 9787536574397 | 201601 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Clever Little Prodigy | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 22 | 9787536574380 | 201601 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Who’s the Smart Guy? | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 23 | 9787556869572 | 202301 | Treasure Hunting in Shanghai | Jingding Comic | 21st Century Press Group |
| 24 | 9787536574373 | 201601 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: The Great Adventure of the Castle | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 25 | 9787556869831 | 202302 | Treasure Hunting in Hainan | Jingding Comic | 21st Century Press Group |
| 26 | 9787556869855 | 202302 | Treasure Hunting in Neimenggu | Jingding Comic | 21st Century Press Group |
| 27 | 9787556869848 | 202302 | Treasure Hunting in Heilongjiang | Jingding Comic | 21st Century Press Group |
| 28 | 9787521726473 | 202012 | A Dog Named Money | Bodo Schafer | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd. |
| 29 | 9787500794141 | 200911 | Pippi Longstocking | Astrid Lindgren, Ingrid Vang Nyman | China Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 30 | 9787556869664 | 202302 | Treasure Hunting in Shaanxi | Jingding Comic | 21st Century Press Group |
International Fiction Bestsellers, July 2025
| July 2025 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Author Nationality | Chinese Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9787573510921 | 202412 | One Hundred Years of Solitude (2025 Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Colombia | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 2 | 9787201112695 | 201703 | Siddhartha | Hermann Hesse | Germany | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 3 | 9787544766500 | 201701 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | United States of America | Yilin Press |
| 4 | 9787201142708 | 201812 | Klingsor’s Last Summer | Hermann Hesse | Germany | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 5 | 9787544291163 | 201708 | Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 6 | 9787544291170 | 201708 | One Hundred Years of Solitude (50th Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Colombia | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 7 | 9787208061644 | 200604 | The Kite Runner | Khaled Hosseini | United States of America | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
| 8 | 9787201141527 | 201810 | Strait is the Gate | Andre Gide | France | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 9 | 9787544269452 | 202112 | Malice (2022 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 10 | 9787541160868 | 202109 | The Vegetarian | Han Kang | Korea | Sichuan Literature & Art Press |
| 11 | 9787544774666 | 201812 | Jane Eyre | Charlotte Bront? | Britain | Yilin Press |
| 12 | 9787506394864 | 201709 | Sophie’s World | Jostein Gaarder | Norway | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 13 | 9787544298995 | 202009 | Miracles of the Namiya General Store (2020 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 14 | 9787539983295 | 201510 | Foundation (Revised Edition) | Isaac Asimov | United States of America | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 15 | 9787213119309 | 202506 | The Fabricated Criminal | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Zhejiang People’s Publishing House |
| 16 | 9787532761760 | 201308 | The Outsider | Albert Camus | France | Shanghai Translation Publishing House |
| 17 | 9787573500014 | 202111 | The Devotion of Suspect X (2022 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 18 | 9787514235586 | 202110 | The complete detective Sherlock Holmes | Arthur Conan Doyle | Britain | Cultural Development Publishing House |
| 19 | 9787513348362 | 202208 | Look Back | Tatsuki Fujimoto | Japan | New Star Press Co., Ltd. |
| 20 | 9787530217054 | 201712 | The Alchemist | Paulo Coelho | Brazil | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
International Nonfiction Bestsellers, July 2025
| July 2025 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Author Nationality | Chinese Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9787020116133 | 201606 | Red Star Over China | Edgar Snow | United States of America | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 2 | 9787111495482 | 201504 | The Courage to Be Disliked | Ichiro Kishimi,Fumitake Koga | Japan | China Machine Press |
| 3 | 9787201161693 | 202008 | Counselling for Toads: A Psychological Adventure | Robert de Board | Britain | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 4 | 9787521775181 | 202506 | 2049: Possibilities in the Next 10,000 Days | Kevin Kelly | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd. |
| 5 | 9787544276986 | 201910 | Educated: A Memoir | Tara Westover | United States of America | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 6 | 9787522200514 | 202105 | Nonviolent Communication | Marshall B.Rosenberg | United States of America | Huaxia Publishing House |
| 7 | 9787521741124 | 202204 | The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness | Eric Jorgenson | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd. |
| 8 | 9787572621277 | 202412 | Live | Lam Chua | Singapore | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 9 | 9787521773651 | 202504 | Murdle, Volume 1 | G.T. Karber | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd. |
| 10 | 9787550268517 | 201607 | Positive Discipline (Revised Edition) | Jane Nelsen | United States of America | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 11 | 9787515350622 | 201804 | The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People | Stephen R. Covey | United States of America | China Youth Press |
| 12 | 9787508661766 | 201606 | The Power of Now | Eckhart Tolle | Germany | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd. |
| 13 | 9787111787372 | 202507 | Organizational Capability: Secrets of Sustainable Business Success (3rd Edition) | Arthur Yeung | United States of America | China Machine Press |
| 14 | 9787521776829 | 202506 | How Countries Go Broke: The Big Cycle | Ray Dalio | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd. |
| 15 | 9787515360430 | 202007 | The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Revised Edition) | Stephen R. Covey | United States of America | China Youth Press |
| 16 | 9787516837375 | 202401 | There’s An Elephant In Every Mosquito: Why We Don’t Get Upset About Little Things For No Reason | Ernstfried Hanisch, Eva Wunderer | Germany | Taihai Publishing House |
| 17 | 9787108009821 | 199807 | 1587, A Year of No Significance | Ray Huang | United States of America | SDX Joint Publishing Company |
| 18 | 9787301344897 | 202409 | A Global History from Prehistory to the 21st Century (Vol.1) | Leften Stavros Stavrianos | United States of America | Peking University Press |
| 19 | 9787301346228 | 202409 | A Global History from Prehistory to the 21st Century (Vol.2)) | Leften Stavros Stavrianos | United States of America | Peking University Press |
| 20 | 9787210096528 | 201709 | Mindset: The New Psychology of Success | Carol S. Dweck | United States of America | Jiangxi People’s Publishing House |
Notes on These Charts
OpenBook
is a privately owned industry-data research firm based in Beijing. It functions somewhat as Nielsen and NDP do from the West, and Nielsen Book Research International has worked with OpenBook in Asian operations.
With authoritative data and information resources, OpenBook is able to deliver consulting service to partners who would like to explore the Chinese book market and identify suitable partners.
At last report, OpenBook monitored more than 26,000 online and off-line bookstores.
The online channel includes digital retailers such as large self-operated online stores, platform stores, and small- and medium-sized stores.
The off-line channels include more than 5,100 bookstores. Coverage includes most of the state-owned and influential privately owned bookstores in 30 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions. Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Tibet are not included in OpenBook’s system. In 2024, OpenBook tracked around 82.66 billion RMB in sales (US$11.39 billion).Retail outlets include:
- Traditional bookstores
- Supermarkets
- Campus bookstores
- “Professional” stores, said to be small stores with a specific industrial or trade focus
- Airport stores
In addition, OpenBook is drawing data from online bookstores of three main types:
- The “Tmall” stores of Alibaba (Tmall is described as a marketplace of companies that create storefronts online to sell products including books)
- The “JingDong” Stores of JD.com (similar to Tmall as a marketplace of both individual companies and bookstores operated by JD.com)
- Ten independent online bookselling retailers
China has 500 or more publishers in operation today. Most of them are government-owned. Private publishers are required to generate ISBNs for their titles from a publishing company that is government-owned—which, in other words, creates a system in which all ISBNs are registered through government channels. The government approves each book published in China.
More China bestseller reports from Publishing Perspectives are here, and more on the Chinese book publishing market is here.
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