The publishing industry has been chilled by the nation's economic woes, and with the exception of vampire fiction, sales have slowed. Here are some sleeper hits of 2008, according to the Associated Press:

The Elegance of the Hedgehog, written by Muriel Barbery, translated by Alison Anderson. In a year when Nobel literature judge Horace Engdahl ridiculed Americans as indifferent to foreign writers, this French novel about a middle-aged concierge and a troubled young girl has 65,000 copies in print, up from an original 20,000. 

The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry. An Irish novel centered on a 100-year-old mental patient, it was published in June with a first printing of just 4,000. Thanks to strong reviews and, again, word-of-mouth, the book is now in its sixth printing, with 30,000 copies.

Obamanomics by John R. Talbott. A catchy call for a bottom-up economy seems like an obvious hit now, but not when it was offered a year ago, as Hillary Clinton was the presumed Democratic presidential nominee and the Iraq War the foremost current event. Published in July with a first printing of 15,000, soon after Obama clinched the nomination, the book now has 55,000 copies in print.