The Canadian print book market has Michelle Obama to thank for another billion-dollar year. Sales of print books in 2018 were on par with 2017 figures at $1.13 billion, BookNet Canada has announced.

But that’s thanks only to the 11th-hour publication of the former U.S. first lady’s memoir, Becoming (Crown/PRHC). Sales of the book were so strong that it became the bestselling title of 2018 in Canada after just seven weeks on bookshelves.

The second bestselling title was Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck (HarperCollins). The self-help guide, which was also published in 2016, was the bestselling book of 2017.

The bestselling Canadian title was Jordan B. Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life (Random House Canada), which was also the third bestselling book of the year. The fourth bestseller was Tara Westover’s memoir Educated (HarperCollins), which was given a boost by Indigo Books & Music. The chain retailer crowned it the best book of 2018 and promoted it through prominent shelf space.

The breakdown of book categories was also consistent with 2017: 39.5 per cent were juvenile/young adult, 34.5 per cent were non-fiction, and 25.5 per cent were fiction, all within a percentage or two of 2017’s tallies. Sixty per cent of titles purchased were backlist versus 40 per cent featured on the frontlist, which also mirrors 2017 results.

The top 10 bestselling books of 2018
1. Becoming, Michelle Obama
2. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, Mark Manson
3. 12 Rules for Life, Jordan B. Peterson
4. Educated, Tara Westover
5. The Wonky Donkey, Craig Smith
6. The Woman in the Window, A.J. Finn
7. Dog Man and Cat Kid, Dav Pilkey
8. Yum and Yummer, Greta Podleski
9. The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Heather Morris
10. Then She Was Gone, Lisa Jewell

The top 10 bestselling Canadian books of 2018
1. 12 Rules for Life, Jordan B. Peterson
2. Yum and Yummer, Greta Podleski
3. The Sun and Her Flowers, Rupi Kaur
4. Milk and Honey, Rupi Kaur
5. Love You Forever, Robert Munsch
6. Cujo, Curtis Joseph
7. Washington Black, Esi Edugyan
8. The Home for Unwanted Girls, Joanna Goodman
9. Rick Mercer Final Report, Rick Mercer
10. The Marrow Thieves, Cherie Dimaline