New York and the 5 boroughs have vastly different tastes when it comes to borrowing books from the public library. We have received new data from all of the different library systems to give you a sense on what people are borrowing and reading. One of the most interesting aspects of this list are that 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 top most of the lists. This is because in all districts these books are remedial reading.
The most read books throughout all New York Public Library’s 88 branches:
Educated by Tara Westover
Becoming by Michelle Obama
One Good Deed by David Baldacci
MANHATTAN
Battery Park City “The Big Kahuna” by Janet and Peter Evanovich
Columbus “Becoming” by Michelle Obama
Hudson Park “Educated: A Memoir” by Tara Westover
Washington Heights “Circe” by Madeline Miller
THE BRONX
Clason Point “Eat Beautiful: Food and Recipes to Nourish Your Skin from the Inside Out” by Wendy Rowe
Grand Concourse “Slick” by Brenda Hampton
Mott Haven “Murdergram, Part 2” by Nisa Santiago
Parkchester “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury
Van Cortlandt “Girl, Wash Your Face” by Rachel Hollis
QUEENS
Astoria “China Rich Girlfriend” by Kevin Kwan
Howard Beach “The Inn” by James Patterson
Ozone Park “New York City SHSAT Prep” (for Specialized High School Admissions Testing)
Kew Gardens Hills “The New Girl” by Daniel Silva
Woodhaven “One Piece” by Eiichiro Oda
BROOKLYN
Carroll Gardens “Normal People” by Sally Rooney
Gravesend Dong Zhou Kan magazine
Marcy “My Sister, the Serial Killer” by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Park Slope “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens
Walt Whitman Library “Private Property” by La Jill Hunt
STATEN ISLAND
Great Kills “The Perfect Witness” by Iris Johansen
New Dorp “The Island of Sea Women” by Lisa See
St. George “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman
Stapleton “1984” by George Orwell
Tottenville “Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup” by John Carreyrou
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.