Toronto Star bestsellers: Michael J. Fox goes 'Back to the Future' in new memoir

In his latest, “Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continnum” — at No. 3 on the original non-fiction list and No. 2 on Canadian non-fiction — he looks back, with co-author Nelle Fortenberry, on the two roles that changed his life: Alex P. Keaton in TV series “Family Ties” and Marty McFly in movie “Back to the Future.”

Meanwhile, Reese Witherspoon — who besides being an actor and producer is creator of an eponymous book club — has written her first novel, “Gone Before Goodbye,” with prolific mystery author Harlan Coben.

At No. 4 on the original fiction list, it’s about an army combat surgeon who gets ensnared in a murder mystery after accepting a lucrative plastic surgery job.

And then there’s director M. Night Shyamalan, known for his spooky movies, who teamed with romance writer Nicholas Sparks on the novel “Remain,” at No. 7 in original fiction.

It’s described as a “supernatural romance” and, yes, a movie version is already in the works starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Phoebe Dynevor. 

There’s another non-fiction book with a movie connection, albeit a more sombre one. “We Survived the Night” has been described by author Julian Brave NoiseCat as being influenced by his Oscar-nominated residential school documentary “Sugarcane.”

The book is a blend of history and mythology, memoir and reportage, according to Penguin Random House, combining NoiseCat’s own story with the stories of Indigenous people across North America.

It’s at No. 8 on the Canadian non-fiction list.

ORIGINAL FICTION

1. Always Remember, Charlie Mackesy, Penguin (1)*

2. The Intruder, Freida McFadden, Poisoned Pen (2)

3. The Secret of Secrets, Dan Brown, Doubleday (6)

4. Gone Before Goodbye, Harlan Coben, Reese Witherspoon, Grand Central (1)

5. Alchemised, SenLinYu, Del Ray (4)

6. Mate, Ali Hazelwood, Berkley (2)

7. Remain, Nicholas Sparks, M. Night Shyamalan, Doubleday Canada (1)

8. Twice, Mitch Albom, Harper (2)

9. Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal, Meghan Quinn, Bloom (1)

10. Final Orbit, Chris Hadfield, Random House Canada (2)

ORIGINAL NON-FICTION

1. Elbows Up!, edited by Elamin Abdelmahmoud, McClelland & Stewart (1)

2. 1929, Andrew Ross Sorkin, Viking (1)

3. Future Boy, Michael J. Fox, Nelle Fortenberry, Flatiron (1)

4. Last Rites, Ozzy Osbourne, Grand Central (2)

5. Vanished Beyond the Map, Adam Shoalts, Allen Lane (2)

6. Guinness World Records 2026, Craig Glenday, Guinness World Records (5)

7. Against the Grain, Terry O’Reilly, Collins (1)

8. 107 Days, Kamala Harris, Simon & Schuster (4)

9. A Truce That Is Not Peace, Miriam Toews, Knopf Canada (7)

10. Hostage, Eli Sharabi, Harper Influence (2)

CANADIAN FICTION

1. Final Orbit, Chris Hadfield, Random House Canada

2. Revolve, Bal Khabra, Viking

3. The Spirit of Scatarie, Lesley Crewe, Vagrant

4. The Hitchhikers, Chevy Stevens, St. Martin’s

5. The Marionette, Terry Fallis, McClelland & Stewart

6. She Didn’t See It Coming, Shari Lapena, Doubleday Canada

7. The Paris Express, Emma Donoghue, Harper Perennial

8. Pick a Colour, Souvankham Thammavongsa, Knopf Canada

9. The Grey Wolf, Louise Penny, Minotaur

10. Wild Card, Elsie Silver, Bloom

CANADIAN NON-FICTION

1. Elbows Up!, edited by Elamin Abdelmahmoud, McClelland & Stewart

2. Future Boy, Michael J. Fox, Nelle Fortenberry, Flatiron

3. Vanished Beyond the Map, Adam Shoalts, Allen Lane

4. Against the Grain, Terry O’Reilly, Collins

5. A Truce That Is Not Peace, Miriam Toews, Knopf Canada

6. John Candy, Paul Myers, House of Anansi

7. Lafleur, Steven Finn, Pierre Gince, Simon & Schuster

8. We Survived the Night, Julian Brave NoiseCat, Random House Canada

9. 52 Ways to Reconcile, David A. Robertson, McClelland & Stewart

10. Value(s), Mark Carney, Signal

CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULT

1. Secret Santa, Sophie Jomain, Manon Bucciarelli, Éditions et Diffusions Auzou 

2. A Heart for Christmas, Sophie Jomain, Manon Bucciarelli, Éditions et Diffusions Auzou 

3. Jessi Ramsey, Pet-Sitter (Baby-sitters Club #18), Ellen T. Crenshaw, Ann M. Martin, Graphix

4. The Prophecies Begin (Warriors #3), Erin Hunter, Natalie Riess, Sara Goetter, HarperAlley

5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (interactive illustrated edition), J.K. Rowling, Karl James Mountford, Jess Tice-Gilbert, Bloomsbury

6. Fake Skating, Lynn Painter, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

7. Little Blue Truck’s Halloween, Alice Schertle, Jill McElmurry, Clarion

8. Boo!, Robert Munsch, Michael Martchenko, Scholastic Canada

9. The Court of the Dead, Rick Riordan, Mark Oshiro, Disney-Hyperion

10. Twilight (20th anniversary edition), Stephenie Meyer, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

COOKING

1. Every Salad Ever, Greta Podleski, One Spoon

2. Good Things, Samin Nosrat, Aya Brackett, Random House

3. Sally’s Baking 101, Sally McKenney, Clarkson Potter

4. Indian Food Is Easy, Vijaya Selvaraju, Appetite by Random House

5. Anna Cooks, Anna Olson, Appetite by Random House

6. Tunes and Wooden Spoons III, Mary Janet MacDonald, Margie MacDonald, MacIntyre Purcell

7. The Korean Vegan: Homemade, Joanne Lee Molinaro, Avery

8. Skinnytaste High Protein, Gina Homolka, Heather K. Jones, Clarkson Potter

9. Milk Street Shorts, Christopher Kimball, Voracious

10. Lidia’s the Art of Pasta, Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, Tanya Bastianich-Manuali, Appetite by Random House

*Weeks on list

The bestseller lists are compiled by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited from information provided by BookNet Canada’s national sales tracking service, BNC SalesData.