For weeks, speculation has swirled over former President Donald Trump’s vice-presidential pick, with handfuls of hopefuls listed and considered.
Trump ended the discussion on Monday with the selection of Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate. The selection stole headlines coming just days after an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally.
The selection also brought Vance’s 2016 memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” back into prominence with a rush of requests at the Alachua County Library District.
On Sunday, the library district had zero holds for the memoir, according to spokesperson Brad McClenny. By noon on Wednesday, all 15 print copies of the book were checked out with 70 holds split between the large print and regular version.
All 30 audiobook versions were also checked out with 29 people placing holds. The two CD versions were also unavailable with five holds.
By the end of business on Wednesday, the only available version of “Hillbilly Elegy” was downloadable ebooks with seven of 31 copies available.
McClenny called it a “surge of popularity.” It’s not uncommon for the district, especially for new releases.
He said the children’s Dog Man series by Dav Pilkey prompts dozens of holds.
Currently, the new June bestseller by James Patterson and Michael Crichton, “Eruption,” has 295 holds for 75 checked-out copies.
Over at Books-A-Million near the Oaks Mall, lead cashier Lydia Gagnon said the store sees similar increased demand for new releases, whether political like Prince Harry’s “Spare” or children’s books like the Dog Man series.
When “Hillbilly Elegy” was first published in 2016, it became a New York Times bestseller. However, after eight years, the popularity settled.
Gagnon said the store eventually placed its copies in the bargain section. One copy sold last week she said, before Vance’s selection as vice president. Since Monday’s selection, Gagnon said the four copies in the bargain section quickly got bought up.
Books-A-Million has sold out of the book—with an estimate of July 30 for online orders. Gagnon said the store has asked the publisher for more copies, and hopefully they will arrive before demand wanes.
Gagnon said demand for older books spikes with political events or deaths. Matthew Perry’s memoir, published in 2022, has seen more interest since the actor’s death in October 2023.
Movies can also rejuvenate paper sales. Gagnon said patrons flocked to find Frank Herbert’s Dune series after the blockbuster releases in 2021 and 2024.
She said the “Hillbilly Elegy” movie, by the same title, failed to make an impact though. The movie was released in 2020 starring Amy Adams.
Over at Book Gallery West, the Monday nomination hasn’t translated to any noticed level of popularity.
According to Google Trends, the term “Hillbilly Elegy” rocketed from an interest level of less than 1 to the highest possible interest on Monday.
The memoir has resecured the top spots on Amazon’s bestseller page, jumping from #220 according to CBS News. The movie might also appear on your Netflix account as CBS reports it jumped to the fourth most streamed title on Wednesday.
NPR interviewed Vance in 2016 about the book. On Tuesday, the news organization posted the following about the interview:
“Editor’s Note 7/16/2024: Terry Gross’ interview with J.D. Vance about his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, was originally broadcast on Aug. 17, 2016. With the news of Vance’s nomination for Vice President, interest in this conversation has resurfaced. You can find the 2016 transcript below or click on the audio link above.”
To find the interview yourself, click here. To snag a potentially remaining ebook from the library, click here.