Nine out of the top ten books checked out from the New York Public Library’s 92 branches in 2015 were written by women, according to a list posted online by the library on Monday.
Readers in the Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island borrowed Jodi Picoult’s psychological thriller "Leaving Time" more than any other book in the system.
Their second favorite selection in 2015 was Paula Hawkins’ debut mystery novel, "The Girl on the Train," destined for the silver screen next year.
In the third place was "Go Set a Watchman," the controversial earlier draft of — and eventual sequel to — Harper Lee’s classic novel "To Kill a Mockingbird."
Other books to make the top ten include: Lena Dunham’s humorous quasi-memoir, quasi- how-to guide "Not That Kind of Girl;" "In the Unlikely Event," the first adult novel from beloved children’s book author Judy Blume in 17 years; and "Grey," the retelling of E.L. James’ erotic “Fifty Shades of Grey” from hero Christian Grey's perspective.
Marshall Karp and James Patterson’s "NYPD Red 3," the third in a crime series following a special police task force, was the only novel authored by a male writer — or two — to land on the NYPL’s citywide most checked-out list this year.
Borough by borough, "The Girl on the Train" gripped Manhattan readers more than other book, "NYPD Red 3" logged the most check-outs in Staten Island, and "TASC: Test Assessing Secondary Completion: Strategies, Practice, & Review," a prep book for a new high school equivalency test, edged out "NYPD Red 3" in The Bronx.
We spotted a few other intriguing trends in the NYPL’s tallies.
Staten Islanders couldn’t get enough original chick lit master, Danielle Steel, the best-selling author of four out of their 10 most checked-out books.
Library patrons at the Eastchester branch in the Bronx were especially curious about Wicca this year, their most-wanted book listed as "Llewellyn's Complete Book of Names for Pagans, Wiccans, Witches, Druids, Heathens, Mages, Shamans & Independent Thinkers of all Sorts Who are Curious About Names from Every Place and Every Time."
And readers frequenting the Harlem branch in Manhattan expressed a pronounced interest in astrology, borrowing “Divine Love Astrology: Revealing Spiritual Truth for Personal Transformation” more than any other book.
Here's a map, courtesy of the NYPL, of the popular books in 2015 by branch:
