The Independent Press Top 40 Bestsellers: Fiction
Here are this week’s Independent Press Top 40 Bestsellers for fiction, based on sales in hundreds of independent bookstores nationwide, generously provided by the American Booksellers Association. Compiled, designed, and distributed by The Independent Publishers Caucus.
This article presents the Independent Press Top 40 Bestsellers: Fiction for the week ending October 4, 2026. The list ranks the 40 most popular fiction books sold in hundreds of independent bookstores across the United States. It is compiled and distributed by The Independent Publishers Caucus, a group within the American Booksellers Association, which represents independent bookstores. The data is provided by the American Booksellers Association, an organization that supports independent bookshops. The list includes a mix of genres such as literary fiction, historical fiction, horror, and poetry, reflecting trends in readers' preferences during this specific week.
The top three bestselling fiction books for the week are The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett, May We Feed the King by Rebecca Parry, and I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman. The Calamity Club is published by Spiegel & Grau, while the other two are released by Transit Books. The list also features classic works like Homer’s The Odyssey and The Iliad, newly translated by Emily Wilson and published by W.W. Norton. Other notable entries include Stoner by John Williams, a 1965 novel reissued by NYRB Classics, and The Overstory by Richard Powers, a 2018 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, reprinted by W.W. Norton.
The list showcases a variety of genres and themes. Horror is represented by Sometimes I Scare Myself by Jeneva Rose and The Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson. Historical fiction appears with titles like May We Feed the King and The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters. Literary fiction is prominent, with works such as Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan and The Trees by Percival Everett. There are also niche genres like sapphic romance with Carmilla, Deluxe Edition by Sheridan Le Fanu, which inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The list reflects diverse storytelling styles and reader interests.
Several books in the list are part of series or have multiple volumes. The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower appears seven times, with volumes 1 through 7 listed consecutively. Other series include the Into Darkness Series with Lights Out by Navessa Allen and the Gods and Monsters series with Dawn of the Cursed Queen by Amber V. Nicole. Deluxed or special editions of some books are also featured, such as Carmilla, Deluxe Edition and Dawn of the Cursed Queen: Deluxe Special Edition. These recurring entries suggest strong reader engagement with serialized storytelling.
The list includes books from a wide range of publishers, both large and small. Major publishers like W.W. Norton, Grove Press, and Catapult appear multiple times, indicating their significant presence in the independent bookstore market. Smaller or independent presses such as Transit Books, Rhysdon Press, and Torrey House Press also feature prominently, highlighting their role in publishing diverse and niche fiction. For example, Transit Books publishes May We Feed the King and I Who Have Never Known Men, while Rhysdon Press specializes in The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion series.
The list includes works by well-known and emerging authors. Kathryn Stockett, author of *The Calamity Club*, is known for her bestselling novel *The Help*. Claire Keegan, whose books *Small Things Like These* and *Walk the Blue Fields* appear on the list, is an acclaimed Irish writer. Emily Wilson, who translated Homer’s *The Odyssey* and *The Iliad*, is a classicist and translator recognized for her accessible and modern translations of ancient texts. Other authors like Percival Everett (*The Trees*) and Olga Ravn (*The Employees*) are known for their literary contributions.
