The website 49th Shelf, found here, has one purpose: to help readers discover Canadian books. It provides the opportunity to browse through publishers, bestselling books, up and coming authors, and more coming from all over Canada. 

Kingsville Times/Website

49th Shelf is produced by the Association of Canadian Publishers, which supports Canadian book publishers. The 49th Shelf website is the self-proclaimed “largest celebration of Canadian books on the Internet” and is over a decade old. It has several departments where readers can explore different books and bonus content for those who become free members. A separate section of the 49th Shelf for kid’s books can be found here. 

Departments

The Chat contains interviews from authors throughout Canada to share about their books. Most recently in January, Amal Alhomsi talked about his debut Senescence: A Year in the Canadian Rockies. He answered a range of questions all about his memoir. The Chat also interviews winning authors of many awards, such as the Governor General Literacy Awards and the Giller Prize Special. 

Booksellers across Canada discuss which books they are currently recommending to customers in Shelf Talkers. The latest edition was from November of 2024, featuring ten different booksellers with their book picks. These included several cookbooks from Galiano Island Books in British Columbia, Satellite Image by Michelle Berry from Words Worth Books in Ontario, and more. 

In Quick Hits, Kiley Turner compiles books into short lists by genre. Some lists include “Four Unputdownable Books Full of Family Drama” or “Quick Hits: Food, Pot, Sci-fi and More”. The genre and publisher of each book is stated, along with a short synopsis and a few reviews. This department focuses on stories that were praised highly when they were released. It covers all genres and will select from any year. 

Julie Booker uses her column for kid’s books in Notes from a Children’s Librarian. She chooses books for different age groups according to a monthly theme, January’s being snow. Booker’s picks ranged for kindergarten to over grade three, with a description for each book. 

Another department updated monthly is On Our Radar, where editor Kerry Clare shares her reading list. Clare read various genres in January, from Catherine Tsalikis’ biography Chrystia: From Peace River to Parliament to a literary fiction that was listed on 49th Shelf’s 2024 Books of the Year list: Hiroshima Bomb Money by Terry Watada. 

Browsing Books

With over 135,000 titles to sift through, there are many ways to search for books on 49th Shelf. The search function can be used to specify an author or book. The New Books tab of the website has weekly lists that highlight new books coming out in various genres. Some of the past weeks’ genres have been new fiction, new nonfiction, and new books on cinema. 

Another way to search for books is by genre. In their Genres tab, 49th Shelf has a lengthy list of genres for readers to look through. Once selected, there are many books to explore. An example would be the literary genre, which yielded many results. 

Sarah Harrigan/Submitted

There is also an Award Winners tab, where readers can browse finalists and winners for many awards throughout Canada. These include awards such as the Balsillie Prize, the Amazon First Novel Award, and the Ottawa Book Awards. 

Getting Books

While casual visitors have access to much of 49th Shelf’s content, those who sign up for free and become members can interact with the community. Members have privileges such as special content, a monthly newsletter, and creating their own book lists. 49th Shelf members also have entry into giveaways. These monthly giveaways have ten books with three copies each. February includes books of many genres, and the deadline to enter the giveaway is March 1st. The winners are then randomly drawn, and copies of the books are sent by the publishers. 

Other than giveaways, 49th Shelf can’t be used to receive books. While it doesn’t sell books itself, once a book is selected it includes the sites that a reader can use to purchase it. For example, Saints Rest by Luke Francis Beirne has Amazon and Indigo listed as some places to buy it once it is released in March. 

Sarah Harrigan/Submitted

Whether readers opt for joining 49th Shelf’s community or simply exploring what the website has to offer, it’s a wonderful resource for those looking to find more Canadian books and publishers.