Kathryn Stockett’s The Calamity Club holds the top spot on this week’s Independent Press Top 40 Bestsellers: Fiction list, which tracks sales in hundreds of independent bookstores nationwide. The list was compiled by The Independent Publishers Caucus, using sales data provided by the American Booksellers Association, for the week ending September 6, 2026.
Beth Brower’s Six-Volume Run
The most striking presence on the list is Beth Brower, whose The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion series claims six of the 40 slots. Volumes 1 through 6 land at positions 7, 9, 12, 17, 23, and 25, all published by Rhysdon Press.
No other author comes close to that level of saturation. Lily King has two entries — Heart the Lover at No. 8 and Writers & Lovers at No. 21, both from Grove Press.
Classics Hold Their Ground
Homer’s The Odyssey, in Emily Wilson’s translation from W.W. Norton, sits at No. 2. John Williams’ Stoner (NYRB Classics) is at No. 10, and Octavia E. Butler’s Kindred (Beacon Press) lands at No. 24.
Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend (Europa Editions) appears at No. 27, while Richard Powers’ The Overstory (W.W. Norton) sits at No. 36.
New and Returning Fiction
Jacqueline Harpman has two books on the chart: I Who Have Never Known Men (Transit Books) at No. 3 and We Were Forbidden (Transit) at No. 37. Amanda Peters also doubles up, with The Birthing Tree (Catapult) at No. 4 and The Berry Pickers (Catapult) at No. 31.
Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These (Grove Press) is at No. 14, with Foster (Grove Press) at No. 30. Navessa Allen appears twice on the Slowburn imprint: Lights Out (Into Darkness Series #1) at No. 20 and Game On at No. 40.
The Lower Half of the Chart
The list’s second half includes Victorian Psycho: A Novel by Virginia Feito (Liveright) at No. 28 and The Eye of Goliath by Diego Muzzio (Pushkin Press) at No. 29. Monika Kim’s The Eyes Are the Best Part: Deluxe Limited Edition (Erewhon) sits at No. 33.
Gerardo Sámano Córdova’s Monstrilio: A Novel (Zando) is at No. 34, followed by Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla, Deluxe Edition at No. 35. Olga Ravn’s The Employees (New Directions) is at No. 39.
The Full Top 10
- The Calamity Club — Kathryn Stockett (Spiegel & Grau)
- The Odyssey — Homer, Emily Wilson (Transl.) (W.W. Norton)
- I Who Have Never Known Men — Jacqueline Harpman (Transit Books)
- The Birthing Tree — Amanda Peters (Catapult)
- The Poison Daughter — Sheila Masterson (Slowburn)
- John of John — Douglas Stuart (Grove Press)
- The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 1 — Beth Brower (Rhysdon Press)
- Heart the Lover — Lily King (Grove Press)
- The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 2 — Beth Brower (Rhysdon Press)
- Stoner — John Williams (NYRB Classics)
The Chart at a Glance
| Rank | Title | Author | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Calamity Club | Kathryn Stockett | Spiegel & Grau |
| 2 | The Odyssey | Homer, Emily Wilson (Transl.) | W.W. Norton |
| 3 | I Who Have Never Known Men | Jacqueline Harpman | Transit Books |
| 4 | The Birthing Tree | Amanda Peters | Catapult |
| 5 | The Poison Daughter | Sheila Masterson | Slowburn |
The chart runs weekly, and this edition covers the week ending September 6, 2026. It is a snapshot of what independent bookstore customers are actually buying, not a projection or an estimate.
Grove Press appears six times on the list. Transit Books, Slowburn, and Rhysdon Press each show multiple entries.
Stockett holds the No. 1 spot for Spiegel & Grau, which also publishes Bruce Holsinger’s Culpability at No. 26. The full 40-title list is available through The Independent Publishers Caucus.
Source: lithub.com
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