If there’s one bright spot to come out of 2020 it’s that many of us got a chance to read more books, explore new authors and genres, and use the library in new ways.
As we stayed home during the pandemic, we were able to visit new places and meet new people through stories.
It’s always fun to look back at what was popular with our community, and from the looks of these titles there were some clear community trends around children’s favorites; interest in books about race, equality, and social justice; and entertaining escapes with popular series.
How many of these books, eBooks, and audiobooks did you read this year? Which ones are going on your TBR list for 2021?
2020 Top 100 Titles by Checkouts (includes all ages, genres, and formats)
- American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
- Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: The Hunger Games Series, Book 0 by Suzanne Collins
- Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
- Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.
- Long Range: Joe Pickett Series, Book 20 by C.J. Box
- Untamed by Glennon Doyle
- Dutch House: A Novel by Ann Patchett
- Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson
- Camino Winds by John Grisham
- Becoming by Michelle Obama
- How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
- Vanishing Half: A Novel by Brit Bennett
- Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
- Too Much and Never Enough: How my Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man by Mary L. Trump
- Guest List: A Novel by Lucy Foley
- Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
- New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
- Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
- Outlander: Outlander Series, Book 1 by Diana Gabaldon
- Guardians by John Grisham
- Henna Artist: A Novel by Alka Joshi
- So You Want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo
- Power of Vulnerability by Barry Kaplan
- Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi
- Boy from the Woods by Harlan Coben
- Atomic Habits – A Summary by James Clear
- Blue Moon by Lee Child
- City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
- Lord of the Fleas by Dav Pilkey
- Walk the Wire: Amos Decker Series, Book 6 by David Baldacci
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
- Water Dancer: A Novel by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
- Pokémon Adventures by Hidenori Kusaka
- Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know by Malcolm Gladwell
- Unfu*k Yourself by Gary John Bishop
- Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) by Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Hunger Games (Special Edition) by Suzanne Collins
- Brawl of the Wild by Dav Pilkey
- Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
- Testaments by Margaret Atwood
- Wives: A Novel by Tarryn Fisher
- Nickel Boys: A Novel by Colson Whitehead
- Good Egg by Jory John
- Thank You Book by Mo Willems
- Big Summer: A Novel by Jennifer Weiner
- Night Fire by Michael Connelly
- Bitterroots by C.J. Box
- Overstory: A Novel by Richard Powers
- Call of The Wild by Jack London
- Virgin River: Virgin River Series, Book 1 by Robyn Carr
- Glass Hotel: A Novel by Emily St. John Mandel
- Green Ember by S.D. Smith
- Old School by Jeff Kinney
- Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
- A Better Man: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel by Louise Penny
- Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout
- Getaway by Jeff Kinney
- Tattooist of Auschwitz: A Novel by Heather Morris
- Unsheltered: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver
- Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson
- A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump’s Testing of America by Philip Rucker
- All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny
- Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Jan Watson
- I Will Take a Nap! By Mo Willems
- Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
- Double Down by Jeff Kinney
- Body Keeps the Score by Bessel A. van der Kolk
- Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
- Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
- A Minute to Midnight by David Baldacci
- Meltdown by Jeff Kinney
- A Long Petal of the Sea: A Novel by Isabel Allende
- Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware
- Wonder by R.J. Palacio
- Color of Law by Richard Rothstein
- I Found You: A Novel by Lisa Jewell
- Rising Strong as a Spiritual Practice by Brene Brown
- Reverie by Ryan La Sala
- Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler
- In Five Years: A Novel by Rebecca Serle
- This Tender Land: A Novel by William Ken Krueger
- Starless Sea: A Novel by Erin Morgenstern
- Greg Heffley’s Journal by Jeff Kinney
- Country Guesthouse: Sullivan’s Crossing Series, Book 5 by Robyn Carr
- Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! by Mo Willems
- Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
- Other Mrs.: A Novel by Mary Kubica
- Fair Warning: Jack McEvoy Series, Book 3 by Michael Connelly
- 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand
- Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan
- Masked Prey: Prey Series, Book 30 by John Sandford
- Golden in Death: In Death Series, Book 50 by J.D. Robb
- Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
- Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
- The 20th Victim: Women’s Murder Club Series, Book 20 by James Patterson
- Frozen 2 – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack/Deluxe Edition by Kristen Anderson-Lopez
- I’m Not Dying with You Tonight by Kimberly Jones
- Dragonslayer by Tui T. Sutherland