“These latest Picks align with NPD Books’ recent report [PDF] on the strength of backlist titles which represented an all-time high of 69% of print sales in Q2 2020. For every bestseller that captures national attention, there are literally hundreds of backlist titles that are still brand new to most readers—and Panorama Picks helps surface the ones they’re actively interested in,” said Guy LeCharles Gonzalez, Project Lead for Panorama Project. Data for the books on these lists comes from ebook requests at libraries between April and June 2020, and books are narrowed down by their publication dates. All of the books published between April and December 2019, a nine-month window. As will be seen, some of the books included were published well before this time frame, but their ebooks became available in that window. Especially interesting this quarter is that these books were all ones requested during the pandemic quarantine throughout the USA. “This round of Panorama Picks is a snapshot of a unique period of time for public libraries, as a number of factors potentially impacted readers’ interests and behaviors,” said LeCharles Gonzalez. ” From the COVID-19 pandemic closing schools, physical bookstores, and library buildings driving a reported increase in digital circulation, to anticipated new releases being pushed to the Fall, and Macmillan ending its controversial embargo on library ebooks—it’s been a disruptive time for the publishing industry.” The lists below showcase the most uniquely popular books in U.S. libraries, divided category and by ABA regions. The ABA regions are as follows, and yes, there are some overlapping states among them: California, Great Lakes (Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan), Hawaii, Midwest (Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin), Mountains and Plains (Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming), New Atlantic (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia), New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont), Pacific Northwest (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington), and Southeast (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia). First, a look at the most popular titles in libraries nationwide by category, regardless of ratio of holds to available copies (AKA the lists that won’t be too surprising). These books have the highest number of holds.
THE MOST POPULAR BOOKS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES, April-June 2020
ADULT FICTION
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes Normal People by Sally Rooney The Dutch House by Ann Patchett Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid The Guardians by John Grisham City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert The Wives by Tarryn Fisher The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell A Minute to Midnight by David Baldacci The Book Women of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
ADULT NONFICTION
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell The Body by Bill Bryson Know My Name by Chanel Miller Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger Dear Girls by Ali Wong How To Do Nothing by Jenny Odell
Young Adult
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas American Royals by Katharine McGee The Toll by Neal Shusterman Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin Starsight by Brandon Sanderson The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic by Michael McCreary The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys
Now a look at the top 10 most uniquely popular books across the country, followed by the most uniquely popular books by region. The methodology for Panorama Picks means that the top ten national titles are identified by holds—those are above—and then regional lists are created, with those top ten titles pulled from the final data. The top 50 titles within each region are identified, then sorted by the number of holds and number of those titles available (AKA high demand books with a lower number of books available). Books without a print version, so ebook only titles, are pulled from the data. The remaining titles are sorted into a top 25. Using that methodology, these are the top 10 most popular books across the country, in order. LeCharles Gonzalez emphasizes the value these lists have for booksellers, as well as librarians, particularly now. “These regional insights into libraries’ digital collections can be useful to publishers (and booksellers) in heeding NPD’s Kristen McLean’s advice to identify ‘opportunities to help communities, educators, and readers solve problems.’ With an ongoing pandemic disrupting the supply chain, and a Presidential election that will surely disrupt everything, this would be an ideal time for publishers to start envisioning models that go beyond blaming libraries for declining book sales,” he said.
THE MOST UNIQUELY POPULAR BOOKS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES, April-June 2020
ADULT FICTION
MOST POPULAR ADULT FICTION TITLES (U.S.-WIDE)
Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister Nothing To See Here by Kevin Wilson Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez On Earth, We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout
MOST POPULAR ADULT FICTION TITLES (California)
Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy On Earth, We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
MOST POPULAR ADULT FICTION TITLES (Great Lakes–Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan)
Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston Call Your Daughter Home by Deb Spera This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger The Catcher In The Rye by J. D. Salinger The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow Virgin River by Robyn Carr The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister
MOST POPULAR ADULT FICTION TITLES (Hawaii)
Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy The Catcher In The Rye by JD Salinger Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout Trust Exercise by Susan Choi This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
MOST POPULAR ADULT FICTION TITLES (Midwest–Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin)
Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston Call Your Daughter Home by Deb Spera This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary The Catcher In The Rye by JD Salinger The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister
MOST POPULAR ADULT FICTION TITLES (Mountain and Plains — Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming)
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger Call Your Daughter Home by Deb Spera The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris Virgin River by Robyn Carr The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister
MOST POPULAR ADULT FICTION TITLES (New Atlantic–Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia)
Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston Call Your Daughter Home by Deb Spera This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger The Catcher In The Rye by JD Salinger The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary The Winemaker’s Wife by Kristin Harmel The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
MOST POPULAR ADULT FICTION TITLES (New England — Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont)
Call Your Daughter Home by Deb Spera Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger The Catcher In The Rye by JD Salinger The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
MOST POPULAR ADULT FICTION TITLES (Pacific Northwest–Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington)
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy The Long Call by Ann Cleeves Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow Catcher In The Rye by JD Salinger Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary Drive Your Plow Over The Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
MOST POPULAR ADULT FICTION TITLES (Southeast–Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia)
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston Call Your Daughter Home by Deb Spera The Catcher In The Rye by JD Salinger The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris
ADULT NonFICTION
MOST POPULAR ADULT NonFICTION TITLES (U.S.-WIDE)
Chaos by Dan Piepenbring I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi Good Economics for Hard Times by Abhijit V. Banerjee Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg
MOST POPULAR ADULT NonFICTION TITLES (California)
Permission to Feel by Marc Brackett, Ph.D. Chaos by Dan Piepenbring Mythos by Stephen Fry Indian-ish by Priya Krishna Half Baked Harvest Super Simple by Tieghan Gerard Good Economics for Hard Times by Abhijit V. Banerjee Tartine by Elisabeth Prueitt Radical Compassion by Tara Brach Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown Be The Bridge by LaTasha Morrison
MOST POPULAR ADULT NonFICTION TITLES (Great Lakes–Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan)
Permissison to Feel by Marc Brackett, Ph.D. Chaos by Dan Piepenbring Idiot by Laura Clery Good Economics for Hard Times by Abhijit V. Banerjee The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer Mythos by Stephen Fry Be The Bridge by LaTasha Morrison I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi Nothing Fancy by Alison Roman High Achiever by Tiffany Jenkins
MOST POPULAR ADULT NonFICTION TITLES (Hawaii)
Creative Lettering and Beyond by Laura Lavender The Milk Street Cookbook by Christopher Kimball The Algebra of Happiness by Scott Galloway Happy Money by Ken Honda Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson Epidemics and Society by Frank M. Snowden Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister by Jung Chang The Art of Simple Living by Shunmyo Masuno Aloha Rodeo by David Wolman I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi
MOST POPULAR ADULT NonFICTION TITLES (Midwest–Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin)
Good Economics for Hard Times by Abhijit V. Banerjee Chaos by Dan Piepenbring This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay Idiot by Laura Clery Everyday Millionaires by Chris Hogan Mythos by Stephen Fry High Achiever by Tiffany Jenkins Nothing Fancy by Alison Roman I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi Before and After by Judy Christie
MOST POPULAR ADULT NonFICTION TITLES (Mountain Plains–Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming)
The Heavens Are Open by Wendy Watson Nelson Insights From a Prophet’s Life by Sheri Dew The Priesthood Power of Women by Barbara Morgan Gardner Chaos by Dan Piepenbring Idiot by Laura Clery The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer Permission to Feel by Marc Brackett, Ph.D. Everyday Millionaires by Chris Hogan Running with Sherman by Christopher McDougall Be The Bridge by LaTasha Morrison
MOST POPULAR ADULT NonFICTION TITLES (New Atlantic — Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia)
Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown Nothing Fancy by Alison Roman Mythos by Stephen Fry What Color Is Your Parachute? 2020 Edition by Richard N. Bolles Indian-ish by Priya Krishna Notes From a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi In The Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado Stony the Road by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. The Anarchy by William Dalrymple Good Economics for Hard Times by Abhijit V. Banerjee
MOST POPULAR ADULT NonFICTION TITLES (New England — Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont)
Chaos by Dan Piepenbring Good Economics for Hard Times by Abhijit V. Banerjee Mythos by Stephen Fry In The Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado Notes From a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi Becoming Eve by Abby Stein Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism by Anne Case Idiot by Laura Clery How Not to Diet by Michael Greger, M.D., FACLM High Achiever by Tiffany Jenkins
MOST POPULAR ADULT NonFICTION TITLES (Southeast — Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia)
Idiot by Laura Clery Permission to Feel by Marc Brackett, Ph.D. Good Economics for Hard Times by Abhijit V. Banerjee Nothing Fancy by Alison Roman Chaos by Dan Piepenbring The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer Mythos by Stephen Fry I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi Be The Bridge by LaTasha Morrison Before and After by Judy Christie
MOST POPULAR ADULT NonFICTION TITLES (Pacific Northwest — Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington)
One Long River of Song by Brian Doyle A Pilgrimage to Eternity by Timothy Egan Permission to Feel by Marc Brackett, Ph.D. Good Economics for Hard Times by Abhijit V. Banerjee Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown Indian-ish by Priya Krishna Be The Bridge by LaTasha Morrison The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer Mythos by Stephen Fry Mediterranean Instant Pot by America’s Test Kitchen
Young Adult (Fiction, Nonfiction, and Comics)
MOST POPULAR Young Adult TITLES (U.S.-WIDE)
These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff Rebel by Marie Lu Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki The Grace Year by Kim Liggett Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson Avatar: The Last Airbender by F. C. Yee Only Ashes Remain by Rebecca Schaeffer Conceal, Don’t Feel: A Twisted Tale by Jen Calonita Supernova by Marissa Meyer Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
MOST POPULAR Young Adult TITLES (California)
These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling It’s Trevor Noah by Trevor Noah Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff Conceal, Don’t Feel by Jen Calonita In Real Life by Cory Doctorow Only Ashes Remain by Rebecca Schaeffer The Silver Eyes by Scott Cawthon Rebel by Marie Lu Mirror, Mirror by Jen Calonita
MOST POPULAR Young Adult TITLES (Great Lakes — Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan)
Avatar: The Last Airbender by F. C. Yee These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling Mirror, Mirror by Jen Calonita Conceal, Don’t Feel by Jen Calonita The Silver Eyes by Scott Cawthon The Grace Year by Kim Liggett Crier’s War by Nina Varela It’s Trevor Noah by Trevor Noah Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki Into The Pit by Scott Cawthon
MOST POPULAR Young Adult TITLES (Hawaii)
Maybe This Time by Kasie West The Fall of Crazy House by James Patterson Rebel by Marie Lu I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera My Hero Academy, Volume 21 by Kohei Horikoshi Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki
MOST POPULAR Young Adult TITLES (Midwest — Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin)
Avatar: The Last Airbender by F. C. Yee These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling The Grace Year by Kim Liggett It’s Trevor Noah by Trevor Noah The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff Conceal, Don’t Feel by Jen Calonita Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan
MOST POPULAR Young Adult TITLES (Mountain Plains — Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming)
Avatar: The Last Airbender by F. C. Yee Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff The Piper’s Pursuit by Melanie Dickerson Supernova by Marissa Meyer These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling Maybe This Time by Kasie West Only Ashes Remain by Rebecca Schaeffer The Grace Year by Kim Liggett Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan Stepsisters by Jennifer Donnelly
MOST POPULAR Young Adult TITLES (New Atlantic — Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia)
Avatar: The Last Airbender by F. C. Yee Supernova by Marissa Meyer Cheshire Crossing by Andy Weir These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling It’s Trevor Noah by Trevor Noah Rebel by Marie Lu Only Ashes Remain by Rebecca Schaeffer The Grace Year by Kim Liggett Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
MOST POPULAR Young Adult TITLES (New England — Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont)
Avatar: The Last Airbender by F. C. Yee Only Ashes Remain by Rebecca Schaeffer It’s Trevor Noah by Trevor Noah Conceal, Don’t Feel by Jen Calonita Supernova by Marissa Meyer Rebel by Marie Lu Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan In Real Life by Cory Doctorow Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling
MOST POPULAR Young Adult TITLES (Pacific Northwest — Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington)
Avatar: The Last Airbender by F. C. Yee These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling It’s Trevor Noah by Trevor Noah Supernova by Marissa Meyer Conceal, Don’t Feel by Jen Calonita Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff Only Ashes Remain by Rebecca Schaeffer I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver Laura Dean Keeps Breakinng Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
MOST POPULAR Young Adult TITLES (Southeast — Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia)
Avatar: The Last Airbender by F. C. Yee These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling The Grace Year by Kim Liggett Supernova by Marissa Meyer It’s Trevor Noah by Trevor Noah Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan Rebel by Marie Lu Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
During the pandemic, racial injustice and police brutality once again rose to wide public consciousness. These title requests reflect that, but for a deeper dive into the anti-racist books readers sought from their public libraries during this same time period, Panorama Project Picks created a special data set.
