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Summer's biggest book bust: Prince Harry's 'Spare' lands as most discarded read
24 Jul, 2023 / 11:53 AM / OMNES Media LLC

Source: http://www.mashable.com

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Mashable: The book caused a massive buzz when it was released just six months ago.

Prince Harry's highly anticipated memoir, Spare, seems to have lost its sparkle as tourists are leaving copies behind at popular holiday spots, creating a unique situation for hoteliers and resorts.

The book caused a massive buzz when it was released just six months ago, skyrocketing to the top of Amazon's bestseller list and even setting a Guinness World Record for the fastest-selling non-fiction book ever, with over 1.43 million copies sold on its debut day. It outpaced other acclaimed works, including former US President Barack Obama's A Promised Land.

Once a top-seller on Amazon with over 1.43 million copies sold on its debut day, Spare now finds itself left behind at popular vacation spots like Spain, Turkey, and Greece. Tourists have been spotted abandoning the book poolside, leaving it in hotel lobbies, rooms, and even tossing it into beachside bins, according to the Daily Express.

This surplus of Spare copies has become a headache for holiday specialists, On the Beach, as local bookstores and libraries refuse to accept them. Zoe Harris, Chief Customer Officer at On the Beach, expressed frustration at the overwhelming number of books they have to handle.

The situation has reached an unprecedented level, with lost property offices in popular resorts overflowing with discarded copies of Spare. Some hotels have even returned the books left behind by their guests.

Zoe Harris urged hotels to stop sending more copies, as they are struggling to get rid of them all. In a witty remark, she suggested that perhaps everyone should take a page from Prince Harry's book and spare themselves the bother in the first place.

The dramatic shift in readers' interest from enthusiasm to indifference has left the industry and Prince Harry's memoir in a unique and unexpected situation.