The BC Bestseller List is compiled using sales data from over 80 independent bookstores in BC, which is provided to the ABPBC by TBM BookManager. The list represents sales of BC published books released within the calendar year.
No. 1
On Island: Life Among the Coast Dwellers
by Pat Carney
TouchWood Editions | 9781771512107 | Order Online
In this story collection, Pat Carney follows the rhythms of day-to-day life in coastal BC. Featuring a revolving cast of characters—the newly retired couple, the church warden, the musician, the small-town girl with big city dreams—Carney’s keen observations of the personalities and dramas of coastal life are instantly recognizable to readers who are familiar with life in a small community. With her narrative of dock fights, pet shows, family feuds, logging camps and the ever-present tension between islanders and property-owning “off-islanders,” Carney’s witty and perceptive voice describes how the islanders weather the storms of coastal life.
BC Bestseller for 5 consecutive weeks.
No. 2
The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from A Secret World
by Peter Wohlleben
Greystone Books | 9781771642484 | Order Online
In this international bestseller, forester and author Peter Wohlleben draws on groundbreaking scientific discoveries to describe how trees are like human families; tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them, support them as they grow, share nutrients with those who are sick or struggling, and even warn each other of impending dangers. With their newfound understanding of the delightfully complex life of trees, readers will never be able to look at a walk in the woods the same way again.
BC Bestseller for 31 consecutive weeks.
No. 3
Embers: One Ojibway’s Meditations
by Richard Wagamese
Douglas & McIntyre | 9781771621335
In this carefully curated selection of everyday reflections, Richard Wagamese finds lessons in both the mundane and sublime as he muses on the universe, drawing inspiration from working in the bush–sawing and cutting and stacking wood for winter as well as the smudge ceremony to bring him closer to the Creator. Embers is perhaps Richard Wagamese’s most personal volume to date. Honest, evocative and articulate, he explores the various manifestations of grief, joy, recovery, beauty, gratitude, physicality and spirituality–concepts many find hard to express. But for Wagamese, spirituality is multifaceted. Within these pages, readers will find hard-won and concrete wisdom on how to feel the joy in the everyday things. Wagamese does not seek to be a teacher or guru, but these observations made along his own journey to become, as he says, “a spiritual bad-ass,” make inspiring reading.
BC Bestseller for 25 consecutive weeks.
No. 4
Hello Humpback!
by Roy Henry Vickers & Robert Budd, illustrated by Roy Henry Vickers
Harbour Publishing | 9781550177992 | Order Online
With bright and bold illustrations of the wild and magical West Coast by celebrated artist Roy Henry Vickers, this sturdy board book will delight babies and toddlers as they begin to experience and recognize the sights and sounds of the natural world. Hello Humpback!, a “first words” book, introduces iconic West Coast animals, from hungry sea otters to hopping orcas, and is sure to become an instant classic.
BC Bestseller for 10 consecutive weeks.
No. 5
Chilcotin Chronicles: Stories of Adventure and Intrigue from British Columbia’s Central Interior
by Sage Birchwater
Caitlin Press | 9781987915334 | Order Online
Set in the wild and untamed country of central British Columbia’s Chilcotin Plateau, Chilcotin Chronicles is about men and women caught in its interface of cultures and changing landscape. Indigenous inhabitants and white newcomers brought together by the fur brigades, then later by the gold rush, forged a path together that was uncharted and unpredictable. Birchwater discovers that their stories, seemingly disconnected, are intrinsically linked together to create a human ecosystem with very deep roots. The lives of these early inhabitants give substance to the landscape and meaning to the people who live there today.
BC Bestseller for 2 consecutive weeks.
No. 6
British Columbia Lullaby
by P.L. McCarron & Joy Steuerwald
Baby Lullaby Books | 9780991946389 | Order Online
The newest in the Baby Lullaby Souvenir series, this lovely portrait of BC highlights the various regions from forests to vineyards to the Pacific Ocean. The text is a gentle lullaby for the very young, and the images will appeal to anyone living in beautiful BC. A wonderful gift for locals and visitors alike.
BC Bestseller for 33 consecutive weeks.
No. 7
Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family’s Journey
by Margriet Ruurs, illustrated by Nizar Ali Badr
Orca Book Publishers | 9781459814905 | Order Online
This unique picture book was inspired by the stone artwork of Syrian artist Nizar Ali Badr, discovered by chance by Canadian children’s writer Margriet Ruurs. The author was immediately impressed by the strong narrative quality of Mr. Badr’s work, and, using many of Mr. Badr’s already-created pieces, she set out to create a story about the Syrian refugee crisis. Stepping Stones tells the story of Rama and her family, who are forced to flee their once-peaceful village to escape the ravages of the civil war raging ever closer to their home. With only what they can carry on their backs, Rama and her mother, father, grandfather and brother, Sami, set out to walk to freedom in Europe. Nizar Ali Badr’s stunning stone images illustrate the story. Orca Book Publishers is pleased to offer this book as a dual-language (English and Arabic) edition.
BC Bestseller for 16 consecutive weeks.
No. 8
Birds of British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest: A Complete Guide
by Richard Cannings, Tom Aversa & Hal Opperman
Heritage House Publishing | 9781927527566 | Order Online
A full-colour, all-in-one regional field guide to every bird species found in BC and the Pacific Northwest, featuring 900 photographs. Discover more than four hundred bird species in Birds of British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest—the quintessential guide for serious birders or those who are ready to take their bird-watching to the next level. Join renowned bird experts Richard Cannings, Tom Aversa, and Hal Opperman as they illuminate key identification traits, vocalizations, seasonal status, habitat preferences, and feeding behaviours. Compact full-page accounts include maps and nine hundred photographs by the region’s top bird photographers. With a wide territorial range that covers much of BC through to southern Oregon and the Rocky Mountain crest west beyond the Pacific coast, this is the most complete and comprehensive portable guide of its kind available.
BC Bestseller for 2 consecutive weeks.
No. 9
The Queen of the North Disaster: The Captain’s Story
by Colin Henthorne
Harbour Publishing | 9781550177619
Few recent events in British Columbia have seized the public mind like the 2006 sinking of the BC Ferries passenger vessel Queen of the North. Across Canada, it was one of the top news stories of the year. In BC it has attained the status of nautical legend. On the tenth anniversary of the tragedy, Captain Colin Henthorne recalls with accuracy and detail that ill-fated voyage and all its terrible repercussions. The Queen of the North Disaster: The Captain’s Story dispels rumours about what really happened that night, revealing a fascinating inside look at a modern marine disaster.
BC Bestseller for 27 consecutive weeks.
No. 10
Wolf Island
by Nicholas Read, photographs by Ian McAllister
Orca Book Publishers | 9781459812642 | Order Online
The Great Bear Rainforest is a majestic place full of tall trees, huge bears and endless schools of salmon. Award-winning photographer and author Ian McAllister’s luminous photographs illustrate the story of a lone wolf who swims to one of the small islands that dot the rainforest’s coast. The island provides him with everything he needs—deer, salmon, fresh water—everything, that is, but a mate. When a female wolf arrives on the island’s rocky shores, she and he start a family and introduce their pups to the island’s bounty.
BC Bestseller for 2 consecutive weeks.
No. 11
Tails Don’t Lie 2: A Pack of Dog Cartoons
by Adrian Raeside, illustrated by Adrian Raeside
Harbour Publishing | 9781550177930 | Order Online
Tails Don’t Lie 2 is Adrian Raeside’s hilarious follow-up to the bestselling Tails Don’t Lie (Harbour Publishing, 2013), collecting even more of his favourite cartoons featuring our four-legged hairy scroungers. This new volume explores important canine traits like why dogs covet the driver’s seat, what would happen if dogs went on space missions (do aliens have dogs?), the humiliation of tail docking, the immense importance of trees to a dog, and the eternal question of why squirrel-chasing isn’t included in dog agility courses.
BC Bestseller for 4 consecutive weeks.
No. 12
Haida Gwaii: A Guide to BC’s Islands of the People, Expanded 5th Edition
by Dennis Horwood
Heritage House Publishing | 9781772031225 | Order Online
Haida Gwaii: A Guide to BC’s Islands of the People is the newly updated, expanded, full-colour edition of Dennis Horwood’s bestselling guidebook. Applying his in-depth knowledge of the islands’ geography, social history, and natural and cultural attractions, Horwood equips travellers with everything they need to know about visiting these glorious gems of the Pacific. This indispensable guide includes stunning photography, full-colour maps, regional histories, archaeological sites, accommodation listings, sample itineraries, and informative facts about local wildlife.
BC Bestseller for 1 consecutive week
No. 13
Hard Knox: Musings from the Edge of Canada
by Jack Knox
Heritage House Publishing | 9781772031492 | Order Online
In Hard Knox, seasoned columnist and consummate everyman Jack Knox offers up his uniquely hilarious views on Canadian life as seen from the western fringes of the country—in particular from the “Island of Misfit Toys” as he aptly calls his Vancouver Island home. This treasure trove of west-coast wit and wisdom touches on everything from “smug anti-Americanism” to extreme weather to flagrant public displays of affection in Canada’s westernmost capital. Whether you’re a born-and-bred Islander, a transplanted Albertan in the throes of culture shock, or a confused tourist, we all have something to learn from the school of Hard Knox.
BC Bestseller for 1 consecutive week.
No. 14
Two Sisters
by E. Pauline Johnson, illustrated by Sandra Butt
Waterlea Books | 9780994999719 | Order Online
For the first time, Pauline Johnson’s “The Two Sisters,” a First Nations legend, is accompanied by sumptuous illustrations that showcase the splendour of the Salish Sea. The universal themes of Creation, courage, and peace run through this legend of two little girls who grow up to be courageous young women who help to bring lasting peace to their world. The story is supplemented by a reference section that will enable a reader, parent, teacher, or visitor to the coast to immerse themselves in the rich history of Coast Salish cultures.
BC Bestseller for 1 consecutive week
No. 15
The Nordic Guide to Living 10 Years Longer: 10 Easy Tips For a Happier, Healthier Life
by Dr. Bertil Marklund
Greystone Books | 9781771642910
Swedish doctor Bertil Marklund covers broad ground in this short book, providing a comprehensive guide to lifestyle choices, many of which are inspired by Nordic ideals about engaging in vigorous outdoor recreation, foraging for food such as berries, and—important to those in Northern climes—getting enough sunlight. Other tips cover areas such as sleep and the negative impact of stress. We can all make some of the changes outlined in the book without completely rethinking the way we live. By providing pragmatic and realistic advice, Dr. Marklund gives you the power to make a difference in your own life–today, and for the future.
BC Bestseller for 1 consecutive week.