Ever wonder what books your friends or neighbours have been reading lately?
Well, I won’t gossip about your particular friends or neighbours, but I can tell you what books are most popular in Creston based on the number of checkouts from the library.
The stats are fascinating, both in what they say about our general readership, and what they say about our own tastes in literature.
For instance, I thought I had discovered a hidden gem in David Mitchell’s The Bone Clocks, only to discover it had been checked out 11 times last year alone—which, given the 3-week loan duration, means it was likely in someone’s home more often than it was on the library shelf.
On the other hand, our most popular DVD was Poldark Series 1–which I have to admit I had never heard of until compiling this list–signed out an incredible 45 times in 2016. Perhaps I had better see for myself what the fuss is about!
Speaking of surprises, who would have guessed that 29 of the top 30 Junior Graphic titles would be Garfield books? Okay, maybe everyone knew except for me! The one non-Garfield item that made the top 30? Raina Telgemeier’s Smile, a funny, sad, and moving memoir based on a traumatic orthodontic experience, checked out a very respectable 16 times in 2016, and now #1 on my must-read list.
Here are some other top items for 2016 that may interest you:
Top magazine: People Weekly
Top Adult Fiction: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Top Adult Non-Fiction: The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson
Top Mystery Novel: A Banquet of Consequences by Elizabeth George
Top Local History: Water: Who Needs It? By Norman E. Simmons
Top Young Adult Fiction: Allegiant by Veronica Roth
Top Picture Book: Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
Top Chapter Book: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney
Want to see more? I’ve compiled the Top 5 Books in a range of categories for your enjoyment and inspiration, accessible here: www.crestonlibrary.com/top2016.
Speaking of top 5 lists, here are my top 5 upcoming library events to check out:
#5. Bill Truscott on Orchards, March 20, 7pm. Part of the popular Growing in the Creston Valley series.
#4. Poetry Jam! Friday, March 24, 7pm. Read your own poem or someone else’s on an agricultural theme. Part of “A Full Plate” celebrations.
#3. Coding with Scratch – Computer coding workshops for kids aged 6-12, every Tuesday and Thursday after school until the end of the school year.
#2. Easter Egg Hunt – April 13, 11am. Come for Family Storytime at 10:30 and stay for an all-ages Easter Egg Hunt in the library’s Lawrence Lavender Reading Garden.
#1. Creston Valley History Series with Tammy Bradford, “Part 3: History Mysteries”. Saturday, March 18, 2pm. Come early or good luck finding parking!
You can check out all of our events and programs at www.crestonlibrary.com or www.facebook.com/crestonlibrary. Happy reading everyone!
Aaron Francis is the Chief Librarian at Creston Valley Public Library.He is currently reading The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma.
