Perennial bestsellers: The tried and true titles of the last five years

While backlist titles have always made up the majority of book sales in Canada every year, our recent research has shown that backlist titles are selling more than ever before.

But which core backlist titles are staples for Canadian book buyers, selling steadily year after year?

Our new edition of Perennial Bestsellers: The Most Reliable Books to Stock by Category 2017–2021 offers insight into the backlist titles selling the most consistently in the Canadian book market. With data from 2017 to 2021, this report helps to identify backlist titles that have sold reliably over the last five years, making them tried and true.

This report is a follow-up to our three previous perennial bestseller studies in 2010, 2013 and 2017, and is available exclusively for SalesData subscribers (subscribers can access the study here with credentials available on the salesdata.ca home page).

Alongside the top 20 perennially bestselling titles in each of the 19 categories, we've highlighted three "Classics and newsmakers" and three "Titles you may have missed."

Here are some of the highlights:

Classics and newsmakers

1. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (Romance): The first book in the Outlander series, sales for this title and series remain strong with an ongoing, popular television adaptation.

2. The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood 🍁 (Women): This classic is Canadian author Margaret Atwood’s first novel, published initially in 1969.

3. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (Fantasy): A 2019 television adaptation ensures that this perennial bestseller endures.

4. Daring Greatly by Brené Brown (Self-Help): With steady sales year after year, this title is one of many perennial bestsellers on this list by Brené Brown.

5. Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat, illustrated by Wendy MacNaughton (Cooking): An award-winning reference book, this title inspired a 2018 documentary series.

Titles you may have missed

1. The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis 🍁 (Canadian): The first in an award-winning series, this title was adapted into an animated film in 2017.

2. Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson 🍁 (Literary): First published in 2000, this award-winning title was adapted into a film in 2020.

3. An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield 🍁 (Biography & Autobiography): Canadian readers are still over the moon with this title by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield.

4. Mythology by Edith Hamilton (History): This 75th anniversary edition has reinvigorated sales for this classic title.

5. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (Young Adult Fiction): The first in the Red Queen series, sales for this title are set to continue with a new adaptation in the works.

There's so much more in the full study!

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