According to Association of American Publishers (AAP) net sales revenue report, summer readers rocked the hardcover market in July. Sales in this category rose nearly 34 percent compared to the same period last year.

At the same time, adult paperback sales declined almost 30 percent. As you can see by the Year to Date chart embedded above, adult paperback sales have declined 20 percent and adult hardcover sales are down nearly 18 percent compared to last year.

Once again, eBooks posted massive gains. Here’s more from the release: “In the midst of the summer books season, Adult Hardcovers enjoyed a significant year-to-year monthly net sales revenue increase of more than 30%.  E-Books continue a consistent monthly triple-digit percentage growth track while Downloaded Audiobooks also show another month of increased revenue.”