Faced with another year of pandemic blues, Greater Victoria residents turned to inspirational stories in 2021, according to the public library’s annual most-borrowed book list.
“2021 was dominated by challenging events here in our province and across the world, so it’s not surprising that books with themes of hope, resilience, and embracing life topped our most-borrowed lists,” Maureen Sawa, CEO of the Greater Victoria Public Library, said in a news release.
Topping the adult fiction category was The Four Winds, by Kristin Hannah, which tells the story of farmers struggling to keep their land and livelihood during the Great Depression. The second and third spots went to The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig, and The Rose Code, by Kate Quinn, respectively.
In the non-fiction section, Barack Obama drew readers attention with his highly-acclaimed memoir, A Promised Land. Next down were Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer, and Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, by James Clear.
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Science fiction and fantasy dominated the charts for teens readers. In first was A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J. Maas, the first book in a series full of faerie lands, magic and an ancient curse. Five Total Strangers, by Natalie D. Richards, snagged second, and Firekeeper’s Daughter, by Angeline Boulley, took third.
Finally, the most checked-out kids’ book of the year was Fetch 22, and others in the Dog Man series, by Dav Pilkey. Pilkey is well known as the creator of Captain Underpants. Second and third place were taken by two other notable series, the Harry Potter books, by J.K. Rowling, and the Baby-Sitters Little Sister graphic series (a spin-off of The Baby-Sitters Club), by Katy Farina and Ann M. Martin.
Throughout the year, residents accessed 1.8 million library items, with a strong demand for digital items.
The library’s book database can be searched at gvpl.ca.
READ ALSO: Vancouver Island Regional Library presents its most popular books of 2021
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