Among Canadian booksellers contacted by Q&Q, there was a general consensus that 2012 was a conservative year for non-fiction.
David Worsley, co-owner of Words Worth Books in Waterloo, Ontario, observed: “The big titles are spread out across genres. But there has been lots of interest in biographies, especially rock ‘n’ roll biographies.”
Mike Hamm, manager of Bookmark in Halifax, found his customers gravitating toward more austere non-fiction narratives. “This year featured strong sales for titles that were very contemplative and ultra-serious in tone,” he says.
Click on the thumbnails to view booksellers’ picks for the top non-fiction titles of 2012.
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- For the first time, Dame Judi Dench has divulged details about her acting career in her autobiography <i>And Furthermore</i>. <br /> <br /> This memoir is currently a bestseller at Munro's Books in Victoria.
- And Furthermore by Judi Dench (St. Martin's Griffin/Raincoast)
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- Lidia Yuknavitch's <i>The Chronology of Water</i> is a powerful memoir, about a young woman's emerging sexuality, that has become a word-of-mouth favourite at Pages on Kensington in Calgary. <br /> <br /> It's the kind of book that people read and then come back to the store to talk about, says store co-owner Simone Lee.
- The Chronology of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch (Hawthorne Books/Raincoast)
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- Christopher Hitchens' final book is based on articles he wrote for <i>Vanity Fair</i> chronicling his battle with esophageal cancer. <br /> <br /> Mike Hamm, manager of Bookmark in Halifax, says, The best performer for us was slight in terms of page count but important in its depiction of one of the world's great minds and articulate voices in a body that was failing."
- Mortality by Christopher Hitchens (Signal/M&S)
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- <i>The Passage of Power</i> is the fourth instalment in Robert A Caro's multi-volume biography of Johnson, covering the years from 1958 to1964, from Johnson's time as senate majority leader to his vice-presidency and eventual presidency.<br /> <br /> This book is currently a bestseller at Ben McNally Books in Toronto.
- The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert A. Caro (Knopf)
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- This year has been a pivotal year for rock 'n' roll memoirs. Pete Townshend's <i>Who I Am</i> is a candid and expressive journey into the musician's past.<br /> <br /> This autobiography is currently a favourite at Words Worth Books in Waterloo, Ontario.
- Who I Am by Pete Townshend (HarperCollins)
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- 95319
- Cheryl Strayed's memoir of endurance is currently an Oprah's Book Club 2.0 selection. <br /> <br /> But that is not the book's only reason for success, says Mike Hamm of Bookmark in Halifax. It was gaining a strong presence on its own through great review action and word of mouth.
- Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed (Knopf)
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- <i>The Secret Race</i> takes a decisive look into professional cycling and the doping issue that has tainted the sport.<br /> <br /> Co-authored by disgraced cyclist Tyler Hamilton and writer Daniel Coyle, this book is a customer favourite at Bookmark in Halifax.
- The Secret Race: Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France: Doping, Cover-ups, and Winning at All Costs by Tyler Hamilton and Daniel Coyle (Bantam/Random House)
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- 95360
- Salman Rushdie's autobiography <i>Joseph Anton</i> was a surprise hit at Ben McNally Books in Toronto. Store owner Ben McNally says the memoir is selling better than any of Rushdie's fiction.
- Joseph Anton: A Memoir by Salman Rushdie (Knopf Canada)
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