The media storm around the Fifty Shades trilogy has not only helped bring the books across the Atlantic to us Brits, but has also kept E L James's trilogoy atop the US charts. Clearly the power of smart marketing and word-of-mouth very much evident here. The other (less than surprising) big winner in April was Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games trilogy with books sales still solid and a hit movie to boot, the franchise appears to be going from strength to strength. True Blood fans have been clamouring for Deadlocked, but my boring, non-Vampire-swooning self is more interested in The Power of Habit; particularly given the number of very bad ones that I probably have.

The top ten bestselling books in April, according to Amazon US:

1
Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James book cover

E L James
$9.57 from Amazon
2
Fifty Shades Darker by E L James book cover

E L James
$9.57 from Amazon
3
Fifty Shades Freed by E L James book cover

E L James
$9.57 from Amazon
4
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins book cover

Suzanne Collins
$9.80 from Amazon
5
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins book cover

Suzanne Collins
$5.01 from Amazon
6
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collis book cover

Suzanne Collins 
$10.79 from Amazon
7
The Hunger Games trilogy book cover

Suzanne Collins
$29.99 from Amazon
8
Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris book cover

Charlaine Harris
$15.15 from Amazon
9
The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan book cover

Rick Riordan
$11.40 from Amazon
10
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg book cover

Charles Duhigg
$16.00 from Amazon
Prices correct on 30/04/2012