Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney is suddenly surrounded by a political buzz (Photo: University of British Columbia).

Here are the lists of the top 10 fiction and non-fiction titles sold by independent booksellers in Alberta during the week ended Sunday, April 4, 2021.

The lists are compiled by the Book Publishers Association of Alberta, and include sales at Audreys Books in Edmonton and Glass Bookshop in Edmonton.

Is former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor Mark Carney headed for a Canadian political debut? He’s pledged his support for the Liberal Party. Political circles are abuzz with the potential he would have as a star candidate.

Of course, stars can fall, even ones that look wagon-ready. Nevertheless, it’s obvious the discriminating sort of readers who patronize independent bookstores in Alberta are giving Dr. Carney a closer look. The bad news for the Liberals is, that’s probably not a demographic that’s going to make a lot of difference. 

ALBERTA FICTION BESTSELLERS

1. Jonny Appleseed – Joshua Whitehead (Arsenal Pulp Press) *
2. The Midnight Library – Matt Haig (HarperCollins)
3. The Song of Achilles – Madeline Miller (Ecco)
4. The Rose Code – Kate Quinn (William Morrow)
5. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse – Charlie Mackesy (HarperCollins)
6. Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
7. The Vanishing Half – Brit Bennett (Riverhead Books)
8. There, There – Tommy Orange (McClelland & Stewart)
9. The Midnight Bargain – C.L. Polk (Erewhon Books) *
10. The Glass Hotel – Emily St. John Mandel (HarperCollins)

ALBERTA NON-FICTION BESTSELLERS

1. Values – Mark Carney (McClelland & Stewart)
2. My Own Blood – Ashley Bristowe (Random House Canada)
3. The Bushman’s Lair – Paul McKendrick (Harbour Publishing) *
4. The Hill We Climb – Amanda Gorman (Viking Books)
5. Wild Roses Are Worth It – Kevin Van Tighem (Rocky Mountain Books) * +
6. Lookout – Trina Moyles (Random House Canada) *
7. Braiding Sweetgrass – Robin Wall Kimmerer (Milkweed Editions)
8. How to Do the Work – Dr. Nicole LePera (HarperCollins)
9. The Bedside Book of Birds – Graeme Gibson (Doubleday Canada)
10. Neglected No More – André Picard (Random House Canada)

* Alberta Author + Alberta Publisher

The independent bookstores contributing to this weekly list are:

Audreys Books, Edmonton
Cafe Books, Canmore
Drawn to Books, Edmonton
Glass Bookshop, Edmonton
Monkeyshines Books, Calgary
Owl’s Nest Books, Calgary
Pages on Kensington, Calgary
Shelf Life Books, Calgary
The Next Page, Calgary
Three Hills Books, Three Hills

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4 Comments

  1. A whole lot of people seem to think that provincial leadership is best when it consists of high school dropouts and those who shunted from high school to high school before dropping out or being kicked out of university. Here’s a few questions. Would you want to work for a company managed by someone like that? How long do you think it would take for the company to fold, and for your job to disappear? Now ask yourself if the skills of the person suit the job they need to do. Fast talkers who don’t measure up to the job are as useless as their phony sales pitches. Would you buy a used care from these folks? Sam Slick, or someone who knows what they’re doing, and has the skills to do it? Choose carefully. There are wrong answers.

  2. All I see is another Goldman Sachs hack who no one in their right mind should even consider trusting.

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