The Hamilton Review of Books' Independently Published Bestsellers List: January 2024
Take a look at which independently published books Canadians are purchasing from independent bookstores.
February 15, 2024
Fiction
Denison Avenue by Christina Wong (Author), Daniel Innes (Illustrator), ECW Press
Shut Up You’re Pretty by Téa Mutonji, Arsenal Pulp Press
The Future by Catherine Leroux (Author), Susan Ouriou (Translator) Biblioasis
Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice, ECW Press
Secret Sex: An Anthology by Russell Smith (editor), Rare Machines (Dundurn Press)
Pinching Zwieback by Mitchell Toews, At Bay Press
Turning the Corner by Lori Ulrich, Quillkeepers Press
The Daughter Who Walked Away by Kimia Eslah, Roseway Publishing
Palookaville 24 by Seth, Drawn & Quarterly
Your Body Was Made for This by Debbie Bateman, Ronsdale Press
Nonfiction
On Community by Casey Plett, Biblioasis
The Age of Insecurity: Coming Together as Things Fall Apart by Astra Taylor, House of Anansi
Seeking Social Democracy: Seven Decades in the Fight for Equality by Edward Broadbent (Author), Frances Abele (Author), Jonathan Sas (Author), Luke Savage (Author), ECW Press
Garden Inventories: Reflections on Land, Place and Belonging by Mariam Pirbhai, Wolsak & Wynn
Crisis and Contagion: Conversations on Capitalism and COVID-19 by Ian McKay (Editor), Between the Lines
On The Road to Abandoned Manitoba: Taking the scenic route through historic places, Gordon Goldsborough, Great Plains Press
nehiyawetan kikinahk? / Speaking Cree in the Home: A Beginner's Guide for Families by Andrea Custer (author), Belinda Daniels (author), Lana Whiskeyjack (illustrator), University of Regina Press
Mohawk Warriors, Hunters & Chiefs | Kanien'kehá:ka Ronterí:ios, Rontó:rats & Rotiiá:ner: The Art of | Ne Tom Wilson Tehoháhake rononionniánion by David Liss & Tom Wilson Tehoháhake, Goose Lane Editions
Daddy Lessons by Steacy Easton, Coach House Books
101 Fascinating Canadian Music Facts by David McPherson, Dundurn Press
Kids
We Need Everyone by Michael Redhead Champagne (Author), Tiff Bartel (Illustrator), Highwater Press
Zander Stays by Maureen Fergus (Author), Scot Ritchie (Illustrator), Pajama Press
stay up: racism, resistance, and reclaiming Black freedom by Khodi Dill (Author), Stylo Starr (Illustrator), Annick Press
Salma Writes a Book by Danny Ramadan (Author), Anna Bron (Illustrator), Annick Press
Who We Are in Real Life by Victoria Koops, Groundwood Books
How I Built This List:
I am very grateful for all the bookstores who generously shared their sales data with me. The information used to create this list was drawn from the sales of Another Story Bookshop in Toronto, Biblioasis Bookshop in Windsor, The City and the City Books in Hamilton, Epic Books in Hamilton, McNally Robinson Booksellers (both the Grant Park and the Forks Locations in Winnipeg), McNally Robinson Saskatoon, Shelf Life Books in Calgary and Wordsworth Books in Waterloo. We’re covering a fair amount of Canada, but I hope to add more stores over time and create a more wide-ranging list. If you are a bookstore who would like to contribute to the list please get in touch with us, we’d love to have more information.
Many of the authors on this list will be new to readers, but what I’ve done here is create a bestseller list drawn only from those books published by Canadian-owned independent presses. Most of the books in the top half of both the fiction and the nonfiction bestseller lists sold well in several of the stores on the list and many of the other titles are books that sold well in only one or two stores who shared information. Sometimes these were strongly regional titles. This month we’re seeing the impact of the holiday sales of December, which pushes more giftable titles up the list, along with some of the biggest books of the previous year. We’re also seeing the impacts of the news cycle as people search for ways to understand current events through books.
I acknowledge that this list is not at all perfect. It is only a small sampling of the data out there, but it is a fascinating look at what independently published books Canadians are purchasing from independent bookstores across a reasonable amount of Canada.
My deep thanks to the Hamilton Review of Books for publishing this Independent Bestseller List. Please, if you’re looking for something wonderful to read, visit your nearest independent bookstore and ask them what they suggest. The people who work in these stores know an amazing amount about books and will find you your next best possible read.
Noelle Allen