Indigo Announces Best Books of 2011

- Bookseller's List Offers Easy Gift Inspiration for Holiday Shoppers -

TORONTO, Nov. 30, 2011 /CNW/ - Today, Indigo announces the best books of 2011 with lists of top titles in Fiction, Non-Fiction, Teens and Kids books. As selected by Indigo's book buying team who read hundreds of titles every year, this year's compilation of must-read books features award winners, debuts, and masterful storytellers from Canada and around the world. With a tale for every kind of bibliophile, the year's best reading from Canada's one stop holiday shop offers tremendous gift inspirations for every age and stage.

"From world-renowned authors like Michael Ondaatje, Julian Barnes and Stephen King, to fresh voices shortlisted for multiple awards, our top 11 for '11 are a diverse assortment of powerful storytelling that we know booklovers will be excited to discover and celebrate," says Bahram Olfati, Vice President - Trade Books, Indigo Books & Music Inc.

Recognizing the continued popularity of young adult fiction - teen books remain the biggest selling category behind adult fiction at Indigo and Chapters stores nationally - Indigo also announced their picks for the top teen and kids titles of the year too.

"In young adult fiction we find books bursting with relatable characters in fantastic situations that provide teens great entertainment. The year's collection of top titles becomes a great shopping list for this typically hard-to-shop-for group," continues Olfati.

Indigo's collection of the Best of 2011 offers inspiration and insight for passionate readers of every age. For more of the best books of the year, and to join the conversation with thousands of avid readers,

• Visit indigo.ca,
• Become a fan at facebook.com/chaptersindigo, or
• Follow Indigo on Twitter at twitter.com/chaptersindigo.

Indigo Best of 2011 - Fiction

1. Halfblood Blues, Esi Edugyan - winner 2011 Scotiabank Giller Prize
2. The Cat's Table, Michael Ondaatje - Ondaatje's most personal
3. The Sisters Brothers, Patrick Dewitt - winner 2011 Governor Generals' Literary Award for Fiction
4. The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern - a totally original, enchanting debut
5. The Sense of An Ending, Julian Barnes - winner 2011 Man Booker Prize
6. The Art of Fielding, Chad Harbach - a perfect book for Dad
7. 1Q84, Haruki Murakami - long awaited masterpiece; taut, mind-bending story
8. The House of Silk, Anthony Horowitz - the first Sherlock Holmes story authorized by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's estate
9. Swamplandia, Karen Russell - a quirky, spooky book from a young writer to watch
10. 11/22/63, Stephen King - speculative fiction reviving vintage Stephen King
11. Reamde, Neal Stephenson - an action-packed thriller driven by ideas and questions

Indigo Best of 2011 - Non-Fiction

1. Steve Jobs: A Biography, Walter Isaacson
2. The Hare with Amber Eyes, Edmund De Waal
3. Boomerang, Michael Lewis
4. The Better Angels of Our Nature, Steven Pinker
5. Into The Silence, Wade Davis
6. Catherine the Great, Robert K. Massie
7. Bossypants, Tina Fey
8. In The Garden of Beasts, Erik Larson
9. Blood, Bones & Butter, Gabrielle Hamilton
10. Blue Nights, Joan Didion
11. Civilization: The West and The Rest, Niall Ferguson

Indigo Best of 2011 - Teen

1. The City of Fallen Angels, Cassandra Clare
2. Divergent, Veronica Roth
3. The Death Cure, James Dashner
4. Beauty Queens, Libba Bray
5. Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs
6. This Dark Endeavour, Kenneth Oppel
7. Shine, Lauren Myracle
8. The Scorpio Races, Maggie Stiefvater
9. Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Laini Taylor
10. Monster Calls, Patrick Ness
11. Where Things Come Back, John Corey Whaley

Indigo Best of 2011 - Kids

1. The Son Of Neptune, Rick Riordan
2. Amulet 4: Last Council, Kazu Kibuishi
3. Wildwood, Colin Meloy
4. Wonderstruck, Brian Selznick
5. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, Catherynne Valente
6. Press Here, Herve Tullet
7. Scaredy Squirrel Has A Birthday Party, Melanie Watt
8. Me... Jane, Patrick McDonnell
9. Stuck, Oliver Jeffers
10. I Want My Hat Back, Jon Klassen
11. Liesl & Po, Lauren Oliver

About Indigo Books & Music Inc.

With books always at our heart and soul we at Indigo are about telling stories and creating experiences. Indigo is Canada's largest purveyor of ideas and inspiration to enrich your life, with books, specialty toys, gifts and lifestyle enhancing products that affordably offer intrinsic quality, beauty and timelessness of design. Indigo is a publicly traded Canadian company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (IDG). As the largest book and specialty retailer in Canada, Indigo operates in all provinces under different banners including Indigo Books & Music; Indigo Books, Gifts, Kids; IndigoSpirit, Chapters, The World's Biggest Bookstore, and Coles. The online division, www.chapters.indigo.ca, features books, eBooks, toys, music and DVDs, and hosts the award winning Indigo Online Community.

Indigo Books & Music Inc. founded the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation in 2004 to address the underfunding of public schools, their libraries and the resulting literacy crisis.  Every year the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation commits $1.5 million to high-needs elementary schools so they can rebuild their libraries with the purchase of new books and education resources.  To date the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation has committed more than $10 million to 110 schools nationally.