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Chicago Public Library's Most Popular Books of 2014: 'Gone Girl' Wins Again

By Mina Bloom | January 14, 2015 12:59pm
 For the second year in a row, thriller "Gone Girl" was a favorite among Chicago readers.
For the second year in a row, thriller "Gone Girl" was a favorite among Chicago readers.
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DNAinfo

CHICAGO — For the second year in a row, thriller "Gone Girl" was the most checked-out adult fiction book from the Chicago Public Library.

The book, which was written by Chicago-based author Gillian Flynn, was adapted into a film that has been well-received by critics.

Flynn's book was among the most popular adult fiction books of 2014, according to the public library. The year-end list was composed based on the number of checkouts and hold requests at city library branches.

No. 2 is "The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt, which was published in 2013. The book is centered on a young New York City boy who becomes captivated by a painting which leads him on an odyssey.

Michael Chabon's book "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay" is the third most popular, and "Fifty Shades of Grey" by E. L. James comes in at No. 4. The latter has been adapted into a movie that is due out Feb. 13.

Funny women with popular TV shows made the year-end list of the most popular adult nonfiction.

Actress and comedian Amy Poehler's memoir "Yes Please" came in at No. 6. The former improviser stars in the NBC comedy "Parks and Recreation," which is in its final season.

Actress and showrunner Lena Dunham's book of personal essays, "Not That Kind of Girl," was the fifth most popular book of the year. Dunham writes, directs and stars in the HBO drama "Girls."

Here are the top 20 most checked-out adult fiction books in 2014: 

1. "Gone Girl: A Novel" by Gillian Flynn, published in 2012

2. "The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt, published in 2013

3. "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clary" by Michael Chabon, published in 2012

4. "Fifty Shades of Grey" by E. L. James, published in 2012

5. "The Invention of Wings" by Sue Monk Kidd, published in 2014

6. "The Silkworm" by Robert Galbraith, published in 2014

7. "Sycamore Row" by John Grisham, published in 2013

8. "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr, published in 2014

9. "Top Secret Twenty-One" by Janet Evanoivch, published in 2014

10. "The Husband's Secret" by Liane Moriarty, published in 2013

11. "And the Mountains Echoed" by Khaled Hosseini, published in 2013

12. "Unlucky 13" by James Patterson, published in 2014

13. "The Target" by David Baldacci, published in 2014

14. "The Cuckoo's Calling" by Robert Galbraith, published in 2013

15. "Cross My Heart" by James Patterson, published in 2013

16. "Private L.A." by James Patterson, published in 2014

17. "Takedown Twenty" by Janet Evanovich, published in 2013

18. "Missing You" by Harlan Coben, published in 2014

19. "NYPD Red 2" by James Patterson, published in 2014

20. "The Gods of Guilt" by Michael Connelly, published in 2013

While these books were popular, Chicago librarians had different books on their "to-read" lists in 2014. They shared their favorites in a "Best of the Best" literary list put out last month. Check out those picks here.

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