From romance novels and tomes about success to books about trauma, anxiety and the meaning of life, the bestseller charts show the transformations Romanian society has gone through in the last 15 years. An analysis carried out by Libris, based on book sales from 2011-2025, provides a literary x-ray of Romania and how tastes have changed over the years.
2011-2015: The years dominated by commercial titles
According to Libris analysis, the best-selling books between 2011 and 2015 were volumes “Butterflies”by Irina Binder. The author built her popularity online, on a blog, and later published her first novels. Although their quality was often questioned by both critics and experienced readers, they enjoyed great commercial success.
In the same period, Romanian readers massively bought international bestsellers such as the erotic novel “Fifty Shades of Grey”by EL James, the thriller “Inferno”by Dan Brown, or “Adultery”, by Paulo Coelho.
The sales charts also showed interest in motivational volumes and books about personal success, such as “Life as a Spike”.
And the book by the president at the time, Klaus Iohannis, was also a success. Romanian readers wanted to know what the former mayor of Sibiu is proposing, step by step.
During the same period, a novel set in World War II Germany also entered the top. Unlike many of the other titles, interest in ,“The Book Thief”by Markus Zusak, continues today, a sign that it has passed the test of time.
The full top looks like this:
1. Butterflies vol. 1+2 – Irina Binder
2. Fifty Shades of Gray – EL James
3. The book thief – Markus Zusak
4. Life is like a pile. Little anti-missing treatise – Alan H. Cohen
5. Step by step – Klaus Iohannis
6. Love like a stick. Small treatise on success in love – Alan H. Cohen
7. Fifty Shades Darker Vol. II From the Fifty Shades trilogy – EL James
8. Adultery – Paulo Coelho
9. Inferno – Dan Brown
10. What we say to each other when we don’t talk – Chris Simion
2016 – 2020: Interest in personal development and spirituality begins
After 2015, reading preferences changed noticeably. More and more readers began to look for books about meaning, spirituality and inner balance. Even though some titles are not scientifically validated, commercial success has been great. As well as for volume 3 of “Butterflies”, which dominated sales during that period.
Four years of war, four books…
A psychological thriller, extremely popular even today among lovers of the genre and a true revelation when it was published, also entered the top: “The Silent Patient”, by Alex Michaelides.
Also then, Romanians also discovered Yuval Noah Harari, with the volume “Sapiens”. And interest in books set during the Holocaust continued. “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas”by John Boyne, moved many readers.
According to Libris, interest in reading has increased during the pandemic:
“In the first weeks of the lockdown, the demand in the 18-24 segment increases by 85%, and authors like Camus and Márquez reach circulations that the bookstore had never seen before.”
The full top looks like this:
1. Butterflies. Volume 3 – Irina Binder
2. The Extraordinary Power of Your Subconscious Mind – Joseph Murphy
3. Insomnias – Irina Binder
4. The intelligence of matter – Dumitru Constantin Dulcan
5. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas – John Boyne
6. Mind beyond – Dumitru Constantin Dulcan
7. The silent patient – Alex Michaelides
8. Sapiens. A Brief History of Mankind – Yuval Noah Harari
9. The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark – Jill Tomlinson
10. My Story – Michelle Obama
2021-2025 – Trauma and emotional health became the main topics of interest
The best-selling title in recent years has been “When the body says no“by Gabor Maté, a book about the connection between inner trauma and physical illness. Also climbing the bestseller charts were volumes such as “Healing the Inner Child”by Stefanie Stahl, “Man in Search of the Meaning of Life”by Viktor Frankl, or “The 5 wounds that prevent us from being ourselves”by Lise Bourbeau. All of these books have in common a concern for emotional balance, anxiety, self-relationship, and trauma management.
One of the most interesting publishing phenomena of the last 10 years remains the constant success of the novel “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas“by John Boyne. According to representatives of the online bookstore, the book has been on the bestseller list almost continuously, and the number of copies sold has increased year on year.
A young adult book about the war in Syria also entered the top – “How long do lemons bloom”by Zoulfa Katouh – , but also a novel highly appreciated by critics: “Three apples fell from the sky”by Narine Abgarian.
Top 10 best-selling books between 2021-2025
1. When the body says no – Gabor Maté
2. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas – John Boyne
3. The Great Dictionary of Diseases and Conditions – Jacques Martel
4. The Extraordinary Power of Your Subconscious Mind – Joseph Murphy
5. The Art of Manipulation – Kevin Dutton
6. Man in search of the meaning of life – Viktor E. Frankl
7. Healing the inner child – Stefanie Stahl
8. The 5 wounds that prevent us from being ourselves – Lise Bourbeau
9. How long do lemons bloom – Zoulfa Katouh
10. Three apples fell from the sky – Narine Abgarian
