BookNet bestsellers: Canadian non-fiction

Books about physical and financial health dominate this week’s Canadian non-fiction bestsellers’ list, for the two weeks ending Jan. 15:

1. The Wealthy Barber Returns, David Chilton
(Financial Awareness, $19.95 pa, 9780968394748)

2. The Looneyspoons Collection, Janet and Greta Podleski
(Granet Publishing, $34.95 cl, 9780968063156)

3. Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood, Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming
(Whitecap Books, $29.95 pa, 9781552859940)

4. Meals That Heal Inflammation, Julie Daniluk
(Random House of Canada, $29.95 pa, 9780307359988)

5. Retirement’s Harsh New Realities, Gordon Pape
(Penguin Canada, $24 pa, 9780143179221)

6. The Book of Awesome, Neil Pasricha
(Berkley/Penguin, $17.50 pa, 9780425238905)

7. Maya, Justin Jennings
(Royal Ontario Museum Press, $5.05 pa, 9780888544872)

8. The Supercharged Hormone Diet, Natasha Turner
(Random House of Canada, $22 pa, 9780307356512)

9. From This Moment On, Shania Twain
(Atria/Simon & Schuster, $29.99 cl, 9781451620740)

10. Debt Free Forever: Take Control of Your Money and Your Life, Gail Vaz-Oxlade
(HarperCollins Canada, $21.99 pa, 9781554685912)

11. It’s Your Money, Gail Vaz-Oxlade
(HarperCollins Canada, $21.99 pa, 9781554688678)

12. Thirty Years of the Game at Its Best, Gare Joyce
(Viking Canada, $39 cl, 9780670065943)

13. Chef Michael Smith’s Kitchen, Michael Smith
(Penguin Canada, $32 pa, 9780143177630)

14. Lynn Crawford’s Pitchin’ In, Lynn Crawford
(Viking Canada, $37 cl, 9780670065936)

15. The Tiger, John Vaillant
(Vintage Canada, $22 pa, 9780307397157)

16. Cold Hard Truth, Kevin O’Leary
(Doubleday Canada, $29.95 cl, 9780385671743)

17. Persuasion, Arlene Dickinson
(HarperCollins Canada, $32.99 cl, 9781443405966)

18. Count on Yourself, Alison Griffiths
(Touchstone/S&S, $19.99 pa, 9781439189313)

19. Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell
(Little, Brown and Company/Hachette, $19.99 pa, 9780316017930)

20. Prisoner of Tehran, Marina Nemat
(Penguin Canada, $18 pa, 9780143052173)

BookNet bestsellers: Fiction

Stieg Larsson’s thrillers dominate this week’s list following the release of David Fincher’s U.S. remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Canadians Esi Edugyan and Patrick deWitt also appear with Half-Blood Blues (#5) and The Sisters Brothers (#7).

For the two weeks ending Jan. 8:

1. The Help, Kathryn Stockett
(Penguin, $18.50 pa, 9780425232200)

2. The Jefferson Key, Steve Berry
(Ballantine/Random House, $11.99 mm, 9780345505521)

3. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, Stieg Larsson
(Penguin, $18 pa, 9780143170112)

4. The Girl Who Played with Fire, Stieg Larsson
(Penguin, $18 pa, 9780143170136)

5. Half-Blood Blues, Esi Edugyan
(Thomas Allen Publishers, $24.95 pa, 9780887627415)

6. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson
(Penguin, $18 pa, 9780143170129)

7. The Sisters Brothers, Patrick deWitt
(House of Anansi Press, $22.95 pa, 9781770890329)

8. Toys, James Patterson and Neil McMahon
(Grand Central Publishing/Hachette, $10.99 mm, 9780446571746)

9. Before I Go to Sleep, S.J. Watson
(HarperCollins, $21.99 pa, 9781443404068)

10. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (movie tie-in edition), Stieg Larsson
(Penguin, $18 pa, 9780143186007)

11. Sarah’s Key, Tatiana de Rosnay
(St. Martin’s Griffin/Raincoast, $15.50 pa, 9780312370848)

12. Death Comes to Pemberley, P.D. James
(Knopf Canada, $32 cl, 9780307362032)

13. A Discovery of Witches, Deborah Harkness
(Penguin, $17 pa, 9780143119685)

14. Locked On, Tom Clancy
(Putnam/Penguin, $31 cl, 9780399157318)

15. The Book of Negroes: Illustrated Edition, Lawrence Hill
(HarperCollins Canada, $19.99 cl, 9781443412193)

16. The Next Always, Nora Roberts
(Berkley/Penguin, $18.50 pa, 9780425243213)

17. One Summer, David Baldacci
(Grand Central/Hachette, $14.99 pa, 9780446583152)

18. Moonlight in the Morning, Jude Deveraux
(Pocket Star/Simon & Schuster, $9.99 mm, 9781416509745)

19. Private: #1 Suspect, James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
(Little, Brown and Company/Hachette, $29.99 cl, 9780316097406)

20. Innocent, Scott Turow
(Grand Central/Hachette, $10.99 mm, 9780446562409)

Book links roundup: 2011 Canadian bestsellers, Apple self-publishing rumours, and more

• Random House of Canada and Penguin Canada lead Canadian entries on the 2011 Globe & Mail bestsellers’ list
• Is Apple launching a digital self-publishing program?
• Kitty lit: reimagined classics from The Sound and the Furry to The Great Catsby
• James Franco sells debut novel to Amazon
  
• Jonathan Lethem has “no stake in defending lame stuff”
• Remembering U.K. illustrator and cartoonist Ronald Searle

In the September 2011 issue of Q&Q: Guy Vanderhaeghe completes his iconic Western trilogy

Q&Q speaks to Governor General’s Literary Award–winning Saskatoon author Guy Vanderhaeghe about the final book in his Western trilogy, the ambitious A Good Man.

Also in September, rekindling interest in history with high-profile political biographies, a look at independent U.S. bookstore e-book sales, and touring the country with Doug Gibson. Plus reviews of new books by Brian Francis, David Gilmour, Marina Endicott, and more.

FEATURES
A good guy
After nearly two decades, Guy Vanderhaeghe has completed his iconic Western trilogy – and now he’s ready to move on

Raising the dead white men
Can a handful of high-profile political biographies rekindle interest in Canadian history?

E-reading’s awkward embrace
If the experience of U.S. indies is anything to go by, Canadian booksellers gearing up to begin selling e-books should expect some bumps along the road

FRONTMATTER
Orphaned Key Porter authors take back control of their work
How digital technology has put audiobooks within reach of small presses
In memoriam: Robert Kroetsch
Montreal violin-maker Tom Wilder turns publisher
Snapshot: Knopf Random Canada executive vice-president and publisher Louise Dennys
Cover to cover: R.T. Naylor’s Crass Struggle
Touring the country with Doug Gibson
Guest opinion: Rolf Maurer on rethinking the role of the arts

REVIEWS
Natural Order by Brian Francis
The Perfect Order of Things by David Gilmour
The Little Shadows by Marina Endicott
Our Daily Bread by Lauren B. Davis
Eating Dirt by Charlotte Gill

PLUS more fiction, non-fiction, and poetry

BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Starfall by Diana Kolpak; Kathleen Finlay, photog.
No Ordinary Day by Deborah Ellis
First Descent by Pam Withers
The Busy Beaver by Nicholas Oldland
Once Every Never by Lesley Livingston

PLUS more fiction, non-fiction, and picture books

Q&Q/BOOKNET CANADA BESTSELLERS

THE LAST WORD
Greenpeace International’s Tzeporah Berman on finding a balance between her own voice and that of the organization she represents

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In the July/August issue of Q&Q: 2011 fall preview

The busy season for publishers has no shortage of big new releases, with novels from Ondaatje, Vanderhaeghe, and Endicott, the Massey Lectures from Adam Gopnik, and kids’ books from Kenneth Oppel and Kit Pearson. In the July/August 2011 issue, Q&Q takes a look at the fall season’s top titles.

Also in this issue, QR-code marketing, novelist Esi Edugyan’s sophomore blues, and publishers’ reactions to Indigo’s new co-op program. Plus reviews of new books by Lynn Coady, Nicole Lundrigan, Cary Fagan, and more.

FEATURES
Fall preview
A sneak peek at the season’s top fiction, non-fiction, children’s, and international titles

The CBA’s balancing act
The Canadian Booksellers Association looks to new digital partnerships – and old-school member outreach – to regain its place as the united voice of booksellers

After the collapse
Canadian book distributors remain optimistic following the bankruptcy of H.B. Fenn and Company

FRONTMATTER
Esi Edugyan finds an unlikely inspiration for her sophomore novel, Half-Blood Blues
Winnipeg’s Aqua Books revinvents itself as a popular community hangout
Joshua Knelman’s art-theft investigation landed him a book deal
Best short stories: Michael Christie on David Bezmozgis’s “Tapka”
Indigo’s new co-op program faces mixed publisher reaction
Is QR-code marketing just a fad, or can it sell books?
Cover to cover: Caitlin Sweet’s The Pattern Scars
Snapshot: eBound Canada CEO Robert Hayashi

REVIEWS
The Water Man’s Daughter by Emma Ruby-Sachs
Alone in the Classroom by Elizabeth Hay
Glass Boys by Nicole Lundrigan
The Antagonist by Lynn Coady
How Shakespeare Changed Everything by Stephen Marche
PLUS more fiction, non-fiction, and poetry

BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Dear Baobab by Cheryl Foggo; Qin Leng, illus.
Nini by François Thisdale
The Summer of Permanent Wants by Jamieson Findlay
Testify by Valerie Sherrard
Born Ugly by Beth Goobie
Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier
PLUS more fiction, non-fiction, and picture books

THE Q&Q/BOOKNET CANADA BESTSELLERS

THE LAST WORD
Authors who borrow from historical events face real ethical issues, writes novelist D.J. McIntosh

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In the April 2011 issue of Q&Q: Susan Musgrave talks to Lorna Crozier

It’s been more than a decade since the iconic – and iconoclastic – Susan Musgrave published a new collection of poetry. In the April 2011 issue of Q&Q, Musgrave discusses her new collection, Origami Dove (McClelland & Stewart), with fellow B.C. poet Lorna Crozier, whose collection Small Mechanics also appears this spring with M&S. Also in April, a profile of overlooked short story author Clark Blaise, a special report on B.C. publishing, and a feature on the financial struggles facing Canadian literary journals. Plus reviews of new books by Julie Booker, John Furlong, Joe Ollmann, Chester Brown, Nicola Winstanley, Elisa Amado, Mélanie Watt, and more.

FEATURES

On poetry and prose
Two of B.C.’s leading poets – Susan Musgrave and Lorna Crozier – discuss writing, self-doubt, and Al Purdy’s birthday cake

Special report on B.C. publishing
Industry newcomer Randal Macnair brings new life to Oolichan Books; B.C. BookWorld’s Alan Twigg on surviving lean times; New Society carves out a distinctive niche in D&M’s growing eco-book empire; B.C. booksellers find solidarity at this year’s provincial book fair

Rough cuts
A year after the Department of Canadian Heritage slashed funding for small-run periodicals, many venerable literary magazines are struggling to adapt

FRONTMATTER
Clark Blaise’s return to form
An insider’s take on the collapse of H.B. Fenn and Company
Snapshot: Books for Business CEO Sean Neville
Best short stories: Alexander MacLeod on Alice Munro
Cover to cover: Gil Adamson’s Ashland
Guest opinion: Carmine Starnino on rebooting the CanLit canon
Kirstie McLellan Day’s hockey-book hat trick

REVIEWS
Up Up Up by Julie Booker
Patriot Hearts: Inside the Olympics That Changed a Country by John Furlong with Gary Mason
Mid-Life by Joe Ollmann
Paying for It by Chester Brown
Touch by Alexi Zentner
Esther: The Remarkable True Story of Esther Wheelwright, Puritan Child, Native Daughter, Mother Superior by Julie Wheelwright
Underground by Anatanas Sileika
PLUS more fiction, non-fiction, and poetry

BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Cinnamon Boy by Nicola Winstanley; Janice Nadeau, illus.
What Are You Doing? by Elisa Amado; Manuel Monroy, illus.
You’re Finally Here! by Mélanie Watt
Banjo of Destiny by Cary Fagan
PLUS more fiction, non-fiction, and picture books

THE Q&Q/BOOKNET CANADA BESTSELLERS

THE LAST WORD
Cynthia Holz on a writer’s search for inspiration between novels

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Harry Potter, Dan Brown dominate U.K. list of best-selling books

The stereotype has it that England is filled with recondite literati ensconced in mahogany-lined libraries reading leather-bound volumes of Romantic poetry and plump Victorian novels. This as compared to the beer-swilling philistines in America, gorging themselves on a diet of Dan Brown and Tom Clancy (if they read at all). Well, newly released data indicates that this conception is flawed. Readers in the U.K., it would seem, have every bit as much devotion to Dan Brown as their counterparts across the Atlantic.

As noted in the Guardian over the weekend, Brown took the number one spot on Neilsen Bookscan’s list of the U.K.’s best-selling books released since the company began collecting data in 1998. According to the service, which tracks 90 per cent of book purchases in the U.K., The Da Vinci Code moved 4,522,025 units between 1998 and 2010, which accounted for a staggering £22,857,837.53 in revenue. Angels and Demons, Brown’s prequel to The Da Vinci Code, took the fourth spot on the list, with 3,096,850 units sold, accounting for sales of £15,537,324.84.

Not surprisingly, the bulk of the top 10 is devoted to Harry Potter: all seven of J.K. Rowling’s books about the boy wizard are featured, with the first in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, taking the number two spot. The only place in the top 10 not devoted to Brown or Rowling goes to Stephenie Meyers’ Twilight, which clocks in at number nine. In fact, one has to make it to number 13 before a title by an author not among the three already mentioned appears: Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones.

Perhaps surprisingly, Stieg Larsson does not crop up on the list until number 17, although the three novels in the Swedish author’s Millennium Trilogy came in at numbers one, two, and three respectively on the list of U.K. bestsellers for 2010.

Daily book biz round-up: Jonathan Franzen sells better with Oprah; Stephen King acts; and more

Today’s book news:

• First authorized book on U.K.’s MI6 says that James Bonds existed
• Oprah-stamped Freedom takes Stieg Larsson’s place atop Amazon bestsellers list
• Stephen King guest stars in a TV series
• Toronto mayor David Miller discusses his new book
• Cultural critic, activist, and author Jill Johnston dies

Daily book biz round-up: Canadians love Shilpi Somaya Gowda; Rumsfeld memoir due in January; and more

Today’s book news:

• How U.S.-based Shilpi Somaya Gowda came to dominate the Canadian bestsellers list
• NY Times takes a closer look at the high-stakes Barnes & Noble squabble
• Donald Rumsfeld memoir to be released in January
• A look inside an Iraqi bookstore
• The CBC chats with Kobo CEO Michael Serbinis
• Neat piece about the personal libraries of deceased authors

Daily book biz round-up, April 8

News for a quiet Thursday:

• Tom Clancy’s first novel in seven years sounds kinda like The A-Team
• E-book sales beat audiobook sales in 2009
• Simon & Schuster to publish George Carlin’s letters in 2011
• Yann Martel’s latest rates a big ol’ C+ from EW
• Kobo offering $9.99 Canadian bestsellers