What books did Canadian library patrons love in 2023? In this blog post, we share lists of the most circulated books in the Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Juvenile and Young Adult subject categories.
The following lists were created based on data from January 1, 2023, to December 3, 2023, using LibraryData, BookNet’s national library collection and circulation analysis tool.
A quick note about the Juvenile and Young Adult lists: LibraryData uses ISBN clusters to track circulation, holds, etc. in the system. This differs from SalesData, which reports data at a per-ISBN level. We do this because of how libraries report their collection data to us — their data is broken out by their Catalog ID or record. Each record can contain multiple ISBNs, often all of the editions of a single work. When you use the library, you put a hold on a copy of Pride and Prejudice, for example, and you usually don't mind which particular edition or ISBN you receive — just that you get the first available copy! Some clusters may contain ISBNs for different but related works. For example, occasionally all of the titles in a series or set may be clustered as a single work.
Top 10 most circulated Fiction books of 2023
It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
The Maid by Nita Prose 🍁
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
The Boys from Biloxi by John Grisham
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Sparring Partners by John Grisham
Long Shadows by David Baldacci
Desert Star by Michael Connelly
You can see all of these titles in this CataList catalogue: Most Circulated Titles in Canada in 2023 – Fiction
This year's Fiction list features a mix of subcategories, including Romance, Thrillers, Women, Mystery & Detective, Crime, Feminist, and Short Stories. Unlike last year, where three Canadian-authored titles made it to the top ten, the 2023 ranking includes only The Maid by Nita Prose, returning for its second year.
Colleen Hoover stands out as the only author with two titles on this list.
Top 10 most circulated Non-Fiction books of 2023
Spare by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama
The Myth of Normal by Gabor Maté; Daniel Maté 🍁
Ducks by Kate Beaton 🍁
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry 🍁
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Run Towards the Danger by Sarah Polley 🍁
Freezing Order by Bill Browder
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
You can see all of these titles in this CataList catalogue: Most Circulated Titles in Canada in 2023 – Non-Fiction
Similar to last year, six titles from this list are part of the Biography & Autobiography BISAC category. James Clear, Sarah Polley, and Bill Browder are repeated authors who were also present in last year’s top 10.
Top 10 most circulated Juvenile and Young Adult books of 2023
Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney
Dog Man series by Dav Pilkey
The Baby-Sitters Club series by Ann M. Martin
Big Nate series by Lincoln Peirce
Bad Guys series by Aaron Blabey
Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey
Baby-Sitters Little Sister series by Ann M. Martin
Wings of Fire series by Tui T. Sutherland
Cat Kid Comic Club series by Dav Pilkey
Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
You can see all of these titles in this CataList catalogue: Most Circulated Titles in Canada in 2023 – Juvenile and Young Adult
This year, all titles on this list are Juvenile Fiction books. No Young Adult titles made it on the list. Only three series are new to this list compared to last year’s list: Dog Man series by Dav Pilkey, Big Nate series by Lincoln Peirce, and Baby-Sitters Little Sister series by Ann M. Martin. The remaining seven series were present in the 2022 list.
Are you a library staffer or publisher who wants to see more data like this? Check out LibraryData, BookNet’s national library collection and circulation analysis tool. Do you have questions about any of our products, services or this list? Contact us!
The BISAC to Thema translator has been updated.