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New York City's libraries are giving insight into what books New Yorkers read in 2021.
The New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library and Queens Public Library all released their top checkouts for the year, revealing that The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, A Promised Land by Barack Obama, and The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah were three of the most popular books in NYC.
The Vanishing Half, by the same author of The Mothers, is a novel about twin sisters, inseparable as children, who ultimately choose to live in two very different worlds, one black and one white.
A Promised Land by Barack Obama is the first volume of Obama's presidential memoirs, featuring his journey from a young man searching for his identity to the leader of the free world.
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, by the same author of The Nightingale and The Great Alone, is an epic novel of love and heroism and hope, set against the backdrop of one of America’s most defining eras—the Great Depression.
"It’s interesting that so many of the top titles were featured as part of book clubs—the WNYC book club and others—showing that New Yorkers are certainly craving a sense of togetherness through reading following a period of unprecedented isolation," said Lynn Lobash, NYPL’s Assistant Director of Reader Services. "Other popular books received praise and accolades over the past year and readers want to join the conversation. But, at their very core, the top checkouts were a universal joy to read, demonstrating that while New York's bibliophiles are a diverse group, they share a deep love and appreciation of reading."
The top titles included all formats—e-books, audiobooks, and physical books—and while print circulation was impacted by the pandemic the systems saw increases late in the year, especially following the October announcement of the elimination of late fines, the libraries say. The New York Public Library system, for example, saw a 10% increase in circulation in the weeks following that announcement.
RECOMMENDED: These are the best books of 2021 according to the New York Public Library
Below were NYC libraries' top checkouts of 2021:
Brooklyn Public Library
1. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
2. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
3. A Promised Land by Barack Obama
4. The Guest List by Lucy Foley
5. Caste: the Origins of our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
6. Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hing
7. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
8. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
9. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
10. Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Queens Public Library
1. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
2. A Promised Land by Barack Obama
3. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
4. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
5. The Guest List: A Novel by Lucy Foley
6. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
7. Caste: the Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
8. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
9. Anxious People: A Novel by Fredrik Backman translated by Neil Smith
10. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab
The New York Public Library
Systemwide:
1. The Vanishing Half: A Novel by Brit Bennett
2. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
3. Klara and the Sun: A Novel by Kazuo Ishiguro
4. A Promised Land by Barack Obama
5. Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
6. The Guest List: A Novel by Lucy Foley
7. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
8. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our
Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb
9. The Other Black Girl: A Novel by Zakiya Dalila Harris
10. Malibu Rising: A Novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Bronx:
1. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
2. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
3. 21st Birthday by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
4. A Gambling Man by David Baldacci
5. Caste: the Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
6. The Russian by James Patterson and James O. Born
7. The Affair: A Novel by Danielle Steel
8. The Red Book by James Patterson and David Ellis
9. Win by Harlan Coben
10. Neighbors: A Novel by Danielle Steel
Manhattan:
1. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
2. Caste: the Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
3. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
4. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
5. Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
6. The Guest List: A Novel by Lucy Foley
7. Such A Fun Age: A Novel by Kiley Reid
8. Anxious People: A Novel by Fredrik Backman translated by Neil Smith
9. A Promised Land by Barack Obama
10. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Staten Island:
1. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
2. 21st Birthday by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
3. Neighbors: A Novel by Danielle Steel
4. Legacy by Nora Roberts
5. A Gambling Man by David Baldacci
6. Deadly Cross by James Patterson
7. Eternal by Lisa Scottoline
8. The Red Book by James Patterson and David Ellis
9. The Russian by James Patterson and James O. Born
10. The Affair: A Novel by Danielle Steel
They also released the top checkouts for young adults, which contained quite a few series, from Twilight to Shadow and Bone:
Brooklyn Public Library Top 10 Checkouts for Young Adults
1. One of Us Is Lying by Karen M McManus
2. Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto
3. A Court of Thorns and Roses: Book 1 by Sarah J Maas
4. Shadow and Bone: The Grisha Trilogy, Book 1 by Leigh Bardugo
5. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins
6. Midnight Sun: Twilight Series, Book 5 by Stephanie Meyer
7. We Were Liars by E Lockhart
8. Bleach by Tite Kubo
9. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
10. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
NYPL Top 10 Checkouts for Young Adults
1. Shadow and Bone: The Grisha Trilogy, Book 1 by Leigh Bardugo
2. Midnight Sun: Twilight Series, Book 5 by Stephanie Meyer
3. We Were Liars by E Lockhart
4. One of Us Is Lying: Book 1 by Karen M.
McManus
5. Siege and Storm: The Grisha Trilogy, Book 2 by Leigh Bardugo
6. Crooked Kingdom: Dregs Series, Book 2 by Leigh Bardugo
7. The Cruel Prince: Folk of the Air Series, Book 1 by Holly Black
8. Five Total Strangers by Natalie D. Richards
9. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins
10. One of Us Is Next: The Sequel to One of Us Is Lying by Karen M.
McManus
Queens Public Library Top 10 Checkouts for Young Adults
1. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins
2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
3. The Cruel Prince: Folk of the Air Series, Book 1 by Holly Black
4. Shadow and Bone: The Grisha Trilogy, Book 1 by Leigh Bardugo
5. They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
6. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
7. Midnight Sun: Twilight Series, Book 5 by Stephanie Meyer
8. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
9. A Court of Thorns and Roses: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series,
Book 1 by Sarah J Maas
10. The Fault in our Stars by John Green
You can find out which books were the top checked out by children at nypl.org, bklynlib.org or queenslibrary.org.