More U.S. libraries are sharing which books their patrons loved in 2024, with James McBride and Kristin Hannah among the authors most in demand last year. (Public libraries in Boston, New York, and Seattle reported their rankings last month.)
The library system in Multnomah County, Oregon—home to Portland—released the list of its most borrowed books, the Oregonian reports, with McBride’s Kirkus Prize–winning The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store at No. 1 among adult physical books, followed by Hannah’s The Women. The top five was rounded out by Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead, Percival Everett’s Kirkus Prize–winning James, and Tana French’s The Hunter.
In Phoenix, Arizona, AZ Family reports, Hannah’s The Women took the top spot in the adult books list, with Michael Crichton and James Patterson’s Eruption at No. 2. McBride’s The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store was at No. 3, followed by Ashley Elston’s First Lie Wins and Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid.
In Hennepin County, Minnesota, where the Twin Cities are located, William Kent Krueger’s The River We Remember was the No. 1 adult print book, Patch reports; the novel is set in the fictional town of Jewel, Minnesota. Hannah’s The Women followed at No. 2, with the rest of the top five comprised of Ann Patchett’s Tom Lake, Bonnie Garmus’ Lessons in Chemistry, and McBride’s The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
