Are you looking for your next great read? Whether you love getting lost in a gripping novel, enjoy thought-provoking non-fiction or prefer a good mystery, Indigo revealed its picks for the best books of 2026 last week, and there’s something for almost every type of reader.
Each year, Canada’s largest bookstore chain puts together its list of standout titles, and this year’s selections include everything from literary fiction and family sagas to murder mystery puzzles and an examination of America’s gun violence crisis. More than 150 Indigo employees participated in the selection process, helping narrow down the choices to just 10 books. Four of the titles are by Canadian authors.
Topping the list is Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke, a novel that explores what happens when a social media influencer whose brand is built around an idealized traditional lifestyle suddenly finds herself transported to the harsh realities of 1855. The book has already attracted considerable attention on BookTok, and a film adaptation is reportedly in development with Anne Hathaway as both the star and producer.
Canadian author Michelle Good takes second place with Eliza Sunshine, a multigenerational story inspired by her mother’s life that explores the experiences of three generations of Indigenous women. Emily St. John Mandel’s Exit Party, a novel set in a post-collapse Los Angeles where alternate realities begin to intersect, rounds out the top three.
Other notable selections include Murdoku Vol. 3 by Canadian author Manuel Garand, which combines murder mysteries with logic puzzles, and Malcolm Gladwell’s The American Way of Killing, a non-fiction examination of gun violence in the United States.
Indigo’s Top 10 Best Books of 2026
1. Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
2. Eliza Sunshine by Michelle Good – Canadian
3. Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel – Canadian
4. The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
5. Murdoku Vol. 3: Around the World by Manuel Garand – Canadian
6. Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus
7. Into the Blue by Emma Brodie
8. Redwood by Ben Macintyre
9. John of John by Douglas Stuart
10. The American Way of Killing by Malcolm Gladwell
Indigo is so confident in its selections that the books are part of its “Guaranteed Reads” program, which allows customers to return a title if they don’t love it, subject to the program’s terms. Explore the complete collection of Indigo’s Best Books of 2026 online or at your local Indigo bookstore.
