Continuing our series of regional bestsellers that we started last week with the bestselling books in Canada's provinces and territories, we're going to pair up some provinces and territories for the next several weeks and see which Canadian authors are selling in each, what's different, and what's the same.
Using data from BNC SalesData, the national sales tracking service for the English-language print trade market, we'll be looking at each region's top 10 Canadian-authored ISBNs according to total units sold over the last four weeks in various subjects.
In today's post, we're going to start by matching up New Brunswick and Quebec to see the differences and similarities for the Mystery & Detective books they buy, followed by the Cookbook bestsellers in Alberta and Nova Scotia. Do you think there'll be big differences? Only one way to find out: Read on, friends, read on.
Bestselling Mystery & Detective books in New Brunswick and Quebec
New Brunswick
Quebec
It should probably come as no surprise that buyers of English-language Mystery & Detective books in Quebec buy a lot of Louise Penny. All of her Chief Inspector Gamache novels are set in the province of Quebec, and Penny herself lives in the Eastern Townships. Not only are they buying her new novel, A Great Reckoning, but her backlist titles make up six of the remaining eight slots.
However, Penny's fans are definitely not limited to Quebec; A Great Reckoning and 2011's Still Life are also top sellers in New Brunswick.
Book buyers in New Brunswick also mirror their counterparts in Quebec when it comes to buying books set in their own province. Linda Moore's The Fundy Vault, while technically set in Nova Scotia, references the Bay of Fundy, which is found between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
Bestselling Cookbooks in Alberta and Nova Scotia
Alberta
Nova Scotia
Cooking has even more regional differences than do Mystery & Detective novels, which might not come as a surprise to you, smart reader. Specifically, books with the words "Nova Scotia" and "Halifax" in the title sold more in Nova Scotia than in Alberta and, conversely, Edmonton Cooks sold more in Alberta.
Albertans seem to enjoy books on how to smoke their foods — Smoking, Eh! — and on preparing "authentic cowboy fare" — The Canadian Cowboy Cookbook. Nova Scotians, meanwhile, are buying books on traditional East Coast cooking: Pantry and Palate and Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens.
Come back next week when we'll be taking a look at four more provinces and two more subject categories!
