There are still a few months left in the year, but Canada’s largest bookstore chain, Indigo, has already revealed its best books of 2026.
If you’re looking for your next great read, this list features 10 exciting books released this year, including four by Canadian authors.
Indigo has compiled its annual best-books list since at least 2012. According to the company, more than 150 employees took part in this year’s reading process to help narrow down the selections and determine the final ranking.
The retailer is so confident in its picks that it has dubbed the titles “Guaranteed Reads,” meaning you can return one if you don’t love it.
Landing at number one in 2026 is Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke.
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You may have already heard of the novel if you spend much time on #booktok, or spotted its many copies prominently displayed in bookstores across the country.
The novel follows a traditional American wife and mother who makes a living sharing her seemingly idyllic pioneer-inspired lifestyle with millions of social media followers. But her carefully curated world takes a terrifying turn when she suddenly wakes up in the brutal reality of 1855.
And because it seems like every buzzy book is destined for the big screen these days, Yesteryear will soon become a movie, as actress and producer Anne Hathaway reportedly bought the film rights in April.
One of Canada’s most celebrated authors has landed the number two spot on Indigo’s list with her latest novel.
Eliza Sunshine by Michelle Good is a multigenerational family saga inspired by the life of the author’s mother, Martha Eliza Soonias Stiff. The novel follows three generations of Indigenous women as they navigate colonial violence, intergenerational trauma, survival and resilience.
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Good is no stranger to critical acclaim. Her debut novel, Five Little Indians, won numerous awards, including the 2020 Governor General’s Literary Award for fiction, and was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. The book also earned a spot on Indigo’s best-books list, cementing Good’s reputation as one of Canada’s most celebrated contemporary authors.
Other Canadian authors on the best-of list include Emily St. John Mandel, Malcolm Gladwell, and Manuel Garand.
St. John Mandel has published seven novels, including The Glass Hotel and Station Eleven, which was adapted into a critically acclaimed HBO miniseries in 2021.
Her latest effort, Exit Party, is Indigo’s third-best book of the year.
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Set in a post-collapse Los Angeles in 2031, the novel follows recently released ex-convict Ari Waker, who attends a post-curfew party where the host mysteriously vanishes, and people from parallel timelines begin to appear. As she tries to make sense of the bizarre events, the story delves into alternate realities, shadow worlds and both the personal and political costs of survival.
Not every book on the list is a novel, though.
Murdoku: Around the World: 80 Murder Mystery Logic Puzzles by Canada’s Manuel Garand offers something a little different. The book combines Sudoku-style puzzles with murder mystery elements, challenging readers to put their detective skills to the test.
It’s also proving to be a runaway hit. According to Indigo, the puzzle book has sold one million copies in print.
Then there’s The American Way of Killing by Malcolm Gladwell, which rounds out the top 10.
In this timely work of non-fiction, the bestselling British Canadian author turns his attention to the United States’ persistent gun violence crisis, examining the country’s unique relationship with firearms and why he believes that under-policing is the root of the problem.
Here’s a complete look at Indigo’s 10 best books of 2026:
- Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
- Eliza Sunshine by Michelle Good
- Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel
- Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
- Murdoku Vol. 3 by Manuel Garand
- Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus
- Into the Blue by Emma Brodie
- Redwood by Ben Macintyre
- John of John by Douglas Stuart
- The American Way of Killing by Malcolm Gladwell
You can find these books in stores and on Indigo’s website.