CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – Libraries are a place for literary lovers to find their next bookish adventure, and the Kanawha County Public Library has a wide variety of titles and genres for patrons to choose from.
This led Nexstar’s WOWK to ask which titles were the most popular last year. The staff at the KCPL looked into their records and shared with us a list of the titles they saw patrons borrowing the most.
According to the KCPL, these were the top eight titles checked out as a physical copy in 2023:
1. “Simply Lies” by David Baldacci
“Simply Lies” is a psychological thriller that follows a former detective and a con artist as the two women go head-to-head in a murder investigation where the detective has become a prime suspect and must prove she’s been set up. The book was first released on April 18, 2023.
2. “The 23rd Midnight” by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
“The 23rd Midnight” is the 23rd book in the Women’s Murder Club Series by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, and it was first published on March 3, 2023. The series follows a detective as she seeks the “attention-seeking copycat” who is recreating murders by a famous serial killer she put in jail.
3. “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus
“Lessons in Chemistry” follows a female scientist in 1960s California who wants to prove a woman’s place isn’t just in the home and ends up the host of a cooking show. A few years later, when she becomes the star of her own cooking show and a single mother, she works to not only teach women to cook but how to change the status quo. The book was first published in March 2022.
4. “Spare” by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
“Spare” is the autobiography released Jan. 10, 2023, by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, in which he details his life as the “spare” to the thrown, including details about grieving the loss of his mother, his time in the British Army, his romance and marriage to Meghan, duch*ess of Sussex, and his decision to leave the country for the preservation of his family’s mental health.
5. “Storm Watch” by C.J. Box
“Storm Watch” is a murder mystery following a game warden in Wyoming who investigates a mysterious death at a remote high-tech facility. As he works to crack the case, he finds federal agents, extreme environmentalists and even the governor getting in the way of the investigation. The novel is the 23rd in Box’s Joe Pickett series and released on Feb. 28, 2023.
6. “Worthy Opponents” by Danielle Steel
“Worthy Opponents” follows a single mother who has inherited her grandfather’s New York City department store and an investor interested in the business. After turning down his offer for the store, she hits a run of bad luck and finds herself stuck in a corner. The book was first published March 7, 2023.
7. “Unnatural History: An Alex Delaware Novel” by Jonathan Kellerman
Unnatural History: An Alex Delaware Novel” is a crime fiction novel first published Feb. 7, 2023. It is the 38th book in the Alex Delaware series. The story follows a psychologist and a detective working to solve the mystery of a wealthy photographer whose assistant found him shot to death. The investigation becomes more complex as more murders occur, leading to “one of the deadliest threats they’ve ever faced.”
8. “Identity” by Nora Roberts.
“Identity” is a thriller first published on May 23, 2023, that follows a former “army brat” finally making a home in a Baltimore neighborhood. But after she and her roommate host their first dinner party, she finds the back door broken, cash and her car stolen, and her roommate dead. Though she flees to escape the murderous con man behind the crime, she knows he’s still out there finding new victims and possibly searching for her.
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While those titles were the ones most checked out in physical form, some bookworms prefer to get their literary titles in a digital format, which comes in handy for on-the-go reading.
The KCPL employees also shared which titles were checked out most often as a digital copy in 2023:
1. “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus
“Lessons in Chemistry” follows a female scientist in 1960s California who wants to prove a woman’s place isn’t just in the home and ends up the host of a cooking show. A few years later, when she becomes the star of her own cooking show and a single mother, she works to not only teach women to cook but how to change the status quo. The book was first published in March 2022.
2. “Verity” by Colleen Hoover
“Verity” was published Dec. 7, 2018. The novel follows a struggling writer hired by a best-selling author’s husband to finish a successful series his wife cannot due to an injury. While sorting through the author, Verity’s, office, she finds a “bone-chilling” autobiography the author never intended to be read.
3. “Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros
“Fourth Wing” is the first book in a new romantasy series first published May 2, 2023. The novel follows a young woman who intended to live a quiet life before her mother, a commanding general, orders her to join the candidates hoping to become dragon riders. With some wanting her out of the way to better their chances, or just for being her mother’s daughter, she has to rely on wits to get through each day, especially as war grows closer to the kingdom.
4. “I’m Glad My Mom Died” by Jennette McCurdy
“I’m Glad My Mom Died” is an autobiography by former child actor Jennette McCurdy that first published Aug. 9, 2022. McCurdy details the restrictions her mother placed on her growing up, including her diet, looks and career. She also discusses how she chose to seek therapy and quit acting following her mother’s death.
5. “Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver
“Demon Copperhead” is the story of a teenager born to a teenage single mother in Appalachia and his ability to survive through foster care, child labor, athletic success, derelict schools, addiction, love and loss. The novel was first released on Oct. 18, 2022. Kingsolver’s novel is meant to take a modern, American South spin on Charles Dickens’ classic “David Copperfield.”
6. “Spare” by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
“Spare” is the autobiography released Jan. 10, 2023, by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, in which he details his life as the “spare” to the thrown, including details about grieving the loss of his mother, his time in the British Army, his romance and marriage to Meghan, duch*ess of Sussex, and his decision to leave the country for the preservation of his family’s mental health.
7. “It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover
“It Ends With Us” is a contemporary romance novel following a small-town girl who spread her wings and started her own business in Boston. After starting a relationship with an “arrogant” neurosurgeon who has a soft spot for her, she begins to question why he had the “no dating” rule before they met. To complicate things further, her first love reappears in her life. The novel was first published Aug. 2, 2016.
8. “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid
“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” follows the story of a young, unknown magazine reporter chosen by aging, reclusive Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo to write her biography, which could jump-start her career. Evelyn shares her story from making her way to Los Angeles to leaving show business, and the seven husbands she married throughout her career. As her story nears the present day, the lives of both the actress and the reporter begin to intersect. The book was first released on June 13, 2017.
According to the KCPL, “Lessons in Chemistry” and “Spare” were the only two books to make it onto both Top 8 lists. Colleen Hoover was the only author to have more than one title on either list.
But it doesn’t end with books! When the KCPL reopened its downtown Charleston branch in 2022 after remodeling, they also started loaning out tools. The staff also took a look back to find that pressure washers were the most borrowed tool of 2023, followed by string trimmers/weed eaters and then garden tillers rounding out the top three.
To learn more about how to sign up for a library card or about services and events through the library, visit the KCPL website.
