Most borrowed library books of 2023 show 'Hamiltonians love a good mystery'

The most borrowed books from the library this year make one thing clear, says a city librarian. 

We "love a good mystery," said Meghan Tinmouth.

This year, six of the 10 most borrowed adult books are mysteries or thrillers including A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny, Verity by Colleen Hoover, The Maid by Nita Prose, The Boys from Biloxi by John Grisham, Desert Star by Michael Connelly, and The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell. 

But the top book, e-book and audio book was the much-hyped bestselling memoir Spare by Prince Harry.

"It's circulated incredibly well this year, and it's no surprise that book was right at the top," said Tinmouth, who manages the team responsible for acquiring titles at the Hamilton Public Library (HPL).  

One local author, Gary Barwin, made the top-10 e-book list with his historical fiction, Nothing the Same, Everything Haunted: The Ballad of Motl the Cowboy. The library featured that book with its annual summer Hamilton Reads event, making it available to borrow digitally without a wait list.

When it comes to audiobooks, the list is quite different and features young adult fantasies Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros and A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. Books by celebrities also made the list including I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy, and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson.

Tinmouth said e-book and e-audiobook borrowing seems to be influenced by books that are discussed on TikTok, and that audiobooks can attract a different audience than print books.

This year saw a "huge boom" in digital borrows, surpassing 1.4 million, almost as much as the HPL's physical circulation, Tinmouth said.

"Specifically since the pandemic, when we're looking at popular e-audio titles, we also noticed there's been a lot of viral success," such as Britney Spears's The Woman in Me, Tinmouth said.

"While the book didn't make the top 10 this year, I can guarantee you it'll probably be on next year's top 10."

One thing that may seem odd is that the 2010 film A Christmas Carol was this year's most borrowed DVD, beating out recent blockbusters and award-winning movies. 

But Tinmouth said that's not so strange.