The Hamilton Review of Books' Independently Published Bestsellers List: April 2024
Take a look at which independently published books Canadians are purchasing from independent bookstores.
May 21, 2024
Fiction
The Future by Catherine Leroux (Author), Susan Ouriou (Translator) Biblioasis
Perfect Little Angels by Vincent Anioke, Arsenal Pulp Press
Bury the Lead: A Quill & Packet Mystery by Kate Hilton (Author), Elizabeth Renzetti (Author), Spiderline (House of Anansi Press)
Chrysalis: Stories by Anuja Varghese, House of Anansi Press
Grey Dog by Elliott Gish, ECW Press
Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit by Nadine Sander-Green, House of Anansi Press
Shut Up You’re Pretty by Téa Mutonji, Arsenal Pulp Press
Scientific Marvel: Poems by Chimwemwe Undi, House of Anansi Press
Lightning Strikes the Silence: A Lane Winslow Mystery by Iona Whishaw, Touchwood Editions
The Oneironaut ∅1 by Sheri-D Wilson, Write Bloody North
Nonfiction
The Age of Insecurity: Coming Together as Things Fall Apart by Astra Taylor, House of Anansi Press
The Prairie Gardener’s Go-To for Herbs by Janet Melrose (Author), Sheryl Normandeau (Author), Touchwood Editions
The Medicine Chest: A Physician's Journey Towards Reconciliation by Jarol Boan, University of Regina Press
40 Days & 40 Hikes: Loving the Bruce Trail One Loop at a Time by Nicola Ross, ECW Press
Squandered: Canada's Potash Legacy by Eric Cline, University of Regina Press
Suing for Silence: Sexual Violence and Defamation Law by Mandi Gray, UBC Press
Tipiskawi Kisik: Night Sky Star Stories by Wilfred Buck, Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre Inc.
Around the Kitchen Table: Métis Aunties' Scholarship by Laura Forsythe (Editor), Jennifer Markides (Editor) by University of Manitoba Press
52 Weeks to a Sweeter Life for Caregivers, Activists and Helping Professionals: A Workbook of Emotional Hacks, Self-Care Experiments and Other Good Ideas by Farzana Doctor, Douglas & McIntyre
On Community by Casey Plett, Biblioasis
Kids
Sometimes I Feel Like an Oak by Danielle Daniel (Author), Jackie Traverse (Illustrator), Groundwood Books
We Need Everyone by Michael Redhead Champagne (Author), Tiff Bartel (Illustrator), Highwater Press
The Keeper of Stars by Jennifer Harris (Author), Dorothy Leung (Illustrator), Owlkids
Maya Plays the Part by Calyssa Erb, Annick Press
Meena Can’t Wait by Farida Zaman, Orca Book Publishers
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, 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, as 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 continuing to see the lingering effect of Canada Reads in fiction, but many new releases are showing up. We continue to have a particularly strong showing from the university presses in nonfiction.
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