Not only is "Fifty Shades of Grey" dominating reader's minds, but it's also dominating the bestsellers list.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the erotic romance trilogy is expected to hit the 20 million-sales mark in the U.S. this week, making it one of the fastest-selling book series in recent memory.
The novel tells the story of 22-year-old recent college grad Anastasia Steele, who enters into a dominant/submissive sexual relationship with a BDSM-crazed billionaire named Christian Grey.
"It's entered the cultural conversation, which has made the trilogy much bigger than books often are," said Anne Messitte, publisher of Vintage Books, an imprint of Bertelsmann AG's Random House Inc., which released the titles in the U.S., according to WSJ.
As of July 2, the trilogy, which includes the next two novels "Fifty Shades Darker" and then "Fifty Shades Freed," has sold 19.4 million copies in both print and e-book form since its publication in March. The trilogy ranked, first, second, and third on The Wall Street Journal's best-seller list published on Saturday.
Through July 2, e-book sales of 9.6 million were nearly identical to 9.8 paperback sales in the U.S., Vintage said.
According to WSJ, strong word of mouth, followed by media attention to the sudden throngs of suburban moms and other women of all ages reading what some consider being soft porn, helped increase sales. For many readers, e-book devices provided the opportunity to indulge without others noticing the title.
The novels have been sold in 41 territories world-wide, said Valerie Hoskins, a London-based literary agent who represents the author of the steamy novels, E.L. James.
Approximately one in five print copies of all books sold in the U.S. this spring were part of the trilogy, reports a Nielsen BookScan press release this week, according to the Examiner. It continues to hold the top spots on most of the bestselling book lists across the nation, including USA Today and Amazon.
The Guardian reported that James is the first author to sell over 100,000 copies of a trilogy in a single week and has become the bestselling paperback of all time.
The book is so popular that celebrities are getting attached to the book as well.
According to Entertainment Wise, former "EastEnders" actress Natalie Cassidy has become the latest celebrity to "be taken over" by "Fifty Shades of Grey." She revealed that she can't stop thinking about sex after reading the book.
"After hearing so much about it from friends and colleagues, I gave in and bought a copy. And boy am I pleased," Cassidy said. "I was gripped from the beginning and could relate to Anastasia's journey."
The former "Celebrity Big Brother" housemate said that she can "relate" to Anastasia. Also, her sex life has improved with boyfriend Adam Cottrell.
Talking about sex, she said, "I haven't stopped thinking about it. Poor Adam!"