Toronto, ON – Nov. 20, 2019 – A new report on book clubs in Canada looks at demographics, how picks are chosen, and more.
Between 2018 and the first three quarters of 2019, the percentage of Canadian book buyers who belong to a book club or reading group jumped from 7% to 14%. With celebrity book clubs being all the rage these days, you might assume that the uptick is Reese Witherspoon’s doing. But results from BookNet Canada’s surveying of Canadian book club members shows that less than half (47%) are members of a celebrity book club. Among these, Oprah reigns supreme (46%), followed by Emma Watson (26%), Emma Roberts (20%), and Sarah Jessica Parker and Reese Witherspoon tied at 17% each.
Another myth busted by the study released this week, Reading Together: Book Clubs in Canada, is the stereotype of the in-it-for-the-wine book club; 64% of members reported that they joined their club mainly to talk about books, while the second most popular reason was to be exposed to new books (56%), followed by the more social reasons: meeting new friends (50%), connecting with existing friends (39%), and talking about life (31%). And where did book club members hear about the books that they discussed? The key influencers for members who suggested picks to their clubs were word-of-mouth (52%), bookstores (49%), and libraries (44%).
Unsurprisingly, adult fiction was the most popular top-level subject read by book clubs, at 74%, with Mysteries or Thrillers at the top of that category (60%). Adult non-fiction wasn’t far behind, however, with 65% of book clubs having read at least one non-fiction pick. In that category, True Crime and Biographies or Memoirs were the most popular subgenres, with 44% each.
Lots more information on book clubs in Canada, including gender and age breakdowns, top considerations for choosing a book club pick, suggestions from members on how to better support book clubs, and more can be found in the full study available at booknetcanada.ca/reading-together. New research on sales trends, format breakdowns, reading behaviour, and more can always be found at booknetcanada.ca/research.
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BookNet Canada is a non-profit organization that develops technology, standards, and education to serve the Canadian book industry. Founded in 2002 to address systemic challenges in the industry, BookNet Canada supports publishing companies, booksellers, wholesalers, distributors, sales agents, and libraries across the country.
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund (CBF) for this project. / Nous reconnaissons l’appui financier du gouvernement du Canada par l’entremise du Fonds du livre du Canada (FLC) pour ce projet.
Media Contact:
Zalina Alvi
Marketing & Communications Manager
BookNet Canada
zalvi@booknetcanada.ca
(416) 362-5057 x 2250
