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These were the most borrowed books from NYC’s public libraries in 2022

By

Michelle Bocanegra

Published Dec 19, 2022

Modified Dec 19, 2022

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A photo of people reading at the New York Public Library

 

The New York Public Library

By

Michelle Bocanegra

Published Dec 19, 2022

Modified Dec 19, 2022

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A psychological thriller about a woman unearthing the mysteries of her husband’s death. A memoir inspired by a popular essay rooted in grief and cultural loss. A library that opens the door to changing your past.

These are some of the stories that resonated with readers at New York City’s public libraries, according to the systems’ list of the most borrowed books in 2022. Many of the most-borrowed books were featured on All Of It's "Get Lit!" virtual book club on WNYC.  The book club started in 2020 in partnership with the New York Public Library and has driven approximately 150,000 checkouts over the last two years, the library said in a statement. WNYC and Gothamist are both part of New York Public Radio.

Across the New York Public Library, which spans the Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island, author Matt Haig’s “The Midnight Library” was the most borrowed book throughout the system, taking the No. 1 spot with a fantastical tale for the bookish brimming with what-ifs and alternate realities.

But a runaway hit in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Staten Island was “The Last Thing He Told Me” by Laura Dave — a murder mystery packaged as a fast-paced family drama and the most borrowed library book in three of the five boroughs.

Manhattan readers gave the top spot to “Crying in H Mart,” Michelle Zauner’s personal account of identity and loss — of a parent, of a sense of connection to who you are — that leans heavily on her Korean mother's death from cancer. (It began as an essay in The New Yorker in 2018.)

In Queens, Lucy Foley’s “The Paris Apartment” took the top spot among 2022 checkouts, winning over readers with a thriller about a down-on-her-luck protagonist whose brother goes missing from his swanky European home.

Here is the complete list for 2022’s most borrowed books for adults:

The New York Public Library (including the Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island)

Systemwide:

  1. "The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig
  2. "Lessons in Chemistry" by Bonnie Garmus
  3. "The Lincoln Highway" by Amor Towles
  4. "Malibu Rising" by Taylor Jenkins Reid
  5. "People We Meet on Vacation" by Emily Henry
  6. "This Time Tomorrow" by Emma Straub
  7. "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" by Taylor Jenkins Reid
  8. "Book Lovers" by Emily Henry
  9. "Verity" by Colleen Hoover
  10. "It Ends with Us" by Colleen Hoover

The Bronx:

  1. "The Last Thing He Told Me" by Laura Dave
  2. "The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig
  3. "It Ends With Us" by Colleen Hoover
  4. "Crying in H Mart" by Michelle Zauner
  5. "Dream Town" by David Baldacci
  6. "Wish You Were Here" by Jodi Picoult
  7. "Cloud Cuckoo Land" by Anthony Doerr
  8. "The Lincoln Highway" by Amor Towles
  9. "Run, Rose, Run" by Dolly Parton and James Patterson
  10. "The Match" by Harlan Coben

Manhattan:

  1. "Crying in H Mart" by Michelle Zauner
  2. "Beautiful World, Where Are You" by Sally Rooney
  3. "Cloud Cuckoo Land" by Anthony Doerr
  4. "The Lincoln Highway" by Amor Towles
  5. "Malibu Rising" by Taylor Jenkins Reid
  6. "The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig
  7. "The Last Thing He Told Me" by Laura Dave
  8. "Harlem Shuffle" by Colson Whitehead
  9. "The Candy House" by Jennifer Egan
  10. "People We Meet on Vacation" by Emily Henry

Staten Island:

  1. "The Last Thing He Told Me" by Laura Dave
  2. "Run, Rose, Run" by Dolly Parton and James Patterson
  3. "It Ends With Us"by Colleen Hoover
  4. "What Happened to the Bennetts" by Lisa Scottoline
  5. "Dream Town" by David Baldacci
  6. "Invisible" by Danielle Steel
  7. "High Stakes" by Danielle Steel
  8. "People We Meet on Vacation" by Emily Henry
  9. "Apples Never Fall" by Liane Moriarty
  10. "The Four Winds" by Kristin Hannah

Brooklyn Public Library

  1. ​"The Last Thing He Told Me" by Laura Dave
  2. "The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig
  3. "Beautiful World, Where Are You" by Sally Rooney
  4. "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue" by V.E. Schwab
  5. "People We Meet on Vacation" by Emily Henry
  6. "Malibu Rising" by Taylor Jenkins Reid
  7. "Apples Never Fall" by Liane Moriarty
  8. "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" by Taylor Jenkins Reid
  9. "The Vanishing Half" by Brit Bennett
  10. "Klara and the Sun" by Kazuo Ishiguro

Queens Public Library

  1. "The Paris Apartment" by Lucy Foley
  2. "It Ends With Us" by Colleen Hoover
  3. "The Judge’s List" by John Grisham
  4. "Apples Never Fall" by Liane Moriarty
  5. "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" by Taylor Jenkins Reid
  6. "The Last Thing He Told Me" by Laura Dave
  7. "Verity" by Colleen Hoover
  8. "Wish You Were Here" by Jodi Picoult
  9. "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue" by V.E. Schwab
  10. "What Happened to the Bennetts" by Lisa Scottoline

Update: This article has been updated to include details on New York Public Library's partnership with WNYC's "All Of It" book club,  "Get Lit." WNYC and Gothamist are both part of New York Public Radio

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brooklyn public library

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Michelle Bocanegra

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