Israel’s Bestselling Original Books: Nonfiction Takes the Lead
Israel Today’s annual list of original books (ספרי המקור) for תשפ”ה reveals a familiar pattern: the Israeli reading public leans toward theoretical, non-fiction works, while prose fiction is largely sidelined from the top ranks. The year’s top ten includes several well-known non-fiction titles, alongside a couple of fiction entries that stand out precisely because they’re rare. In a market where audience preferences are often debated, the data points to a stable cultural appetite: inquiry, analysis, and guidance far outpace narrative fiction when it comes to the most-sold original books.
The Top Ten: A Closer Look
Here are the ספרי המקור הנמכרים ביותר בשנת תשפ”ה, with transliterated titles to help non-Hebrew readers navigate the list. Note that only two items break from the non-fiction mold, underscoring the broader trend:
- “Chatoof” (חטוף) — Eli Sharabi / Sela Meir
- “Investments for the Lazy” (השקעות לעצלנים) — Tamir Mandelovsky / Matzpen
- “The Blue Diamond Trilogy” (טרילוגיית היהלום הכחול) — Sharon Hiyon Ginat / Sipurot Shnugat
- “Nexus” (נקסוס) — Yuval Noah Harari / Kinneret Zmora-Dvir
- Carmel Comics 4: Circus Adventure (כראמל הקומיקס 4 הרפתקה בקרקס) — Meira Barnea-Goldberg / Kinneret Zmora-Dvir
- “If You Are Reading These Words” (אם אתם קוראים את המילים האלה) — Shlomo Kwis, Rachel Plant-Rosen / Tuviy
- “Good Money” (כסף טוב) — Shaul Amsterdamski / Keter
- “The Ladder of Thieves” (סולם גנבים) — Lior Anglman / Kinneret Zmora-Dvir
- “The Book of Green Onions” (ספר הבצלים הירוקים) — Ehud Banai / Keter
- “I Can Explain” (אני יכול להסביר) — Doron Fishler / Kinneret Zmora-Dvir
Rounding out the list, there are mentions of additional notable works like Until Your Heart Plays (עד שליבך יתנגן) by Alma Lev and other continuing bestsellers, but the core picture remains: the ranking is dominated by non-fiction, with only a couple of fiction titles breaking through the concrete order.
What This Says About Reading Habits in Israel
On the surface, a nonfiction-heavy top ten might seem predictable in a market where current events, policy studies, and self-improvement titles perform well. But it also raises questions about how Israelis choose to engage with literature. Non-fiction appeals to readers seeking practical knowledge, present-day analysis, or self-education—fields where text-based learning feels immediately useful in daily life and civic discourse. The relative scarcity of prose fiction at the summit suggests that, for many readers, literature is a space for reflection and reading as a purposeful activity rather than leisurely escape.
There’s a further cultural dimension: several entries are linked to broader debates—security, economics, or national history—that resonate with public concerns. The inclusion of a global bestseller author like Yuval Noah Harari next to local voices underscores a blended appetite for both universal ideas and Israel-focused insight.
Two Notable Exceptions: Prose That Made the List
Two fiction-oriented works do appear in the top tier, signaling that when prose breaks through, it does so in a way that captures the public imagination. The Blue Diamond Trilogy represents a romantic-urban literary arc with broad appeal, while The Circus Adventure installment in the Carmel Comics line demonstrates that children and youth readership also values serialized narrative. These exceptions remind us that, while the market leans nonfiction, there is always room for fiction to surprise and expand the conversation about what constitutes a “current book” for Israeli readers.
Implications for Publishers and Book Lovers
Publishers may take from this list a cue to lean into accessible, well-researched nonfiction that speaks to current affairs, economics, or practical skills—areas that reliably draw attention and sustain sales. At the same time, the occasional fiction hit shows there is space for literary storytelling, particularly when it intersects with popular genres or age-appropriate markets. For readers, the takeaway is nuanced: reading remains a valuable habit in Israel, but its most visible expressions this year skew toward knowledge, analysis, and guidance, with fiction occupying a more selective, though still important, niche.
Bottom Line
Israel’s bestsellers for תשפ”ה reinforce a simple truth about the culture of reading: nonfiction dominates the conversation, and original books—whether about economics, security, or self-improvement—are the ones that most readers reach for today. Yet the presence of a few fiction titles among the top shows that storytelling still has its moment when it captures the public imagination.
