Ottawa’s top books: Public library releases most popular requests for 2024

Article content

The Ottawa Public Library has released its lists of the most-requested books between Jan. 1 and Dec. 1, making these the most popular of 2024. Multiple genres, Canadian writers and a mix of new releases and established titles are included in the lists for adults, teens and children.

Kristin Hannah’s historical fiction novel The Women topped the list for most requested adult English book.

Article content

Released on Oct. 27, Canadian writer Louise Penny’s The Grey Wolf, part of her popular Armand Gamache detective series, ranked second. Third was the romance novel Funny Story by Emily Henry, whose Happy Place had taken fourth spot in 2023.

The Ottawa Public Library said in a news release on Dec. 16 that demand for diverse francophone titles rose in 2024, with the number of French titles published across Canada and Europe exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Nine out of the 10 most-requested French novels were penned by Canadians, including Jean-Philippe Pleau, Éric Chacour and Sébastien Dulude.

The romance-fantasy genre featured four of the five most-requested English books for teens, including A Court of Thorns and Roses and Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, Powerless by Lauren Roberts and The Cruel Prince by Holly Black.

Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games topped the list for most-requested teen French novel for the second year in a row.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney continued to be among the most popular English book series for children, having appeared on the same list in 2023 and 2022. Familiar titles Harry Potter and Le petit prince occupied the top two spots on the list of French books for children.

Article content

Here is the full list of most-requested books across Ottawa Public Library branches in 2024.

Adult (English)

1. The Women by Kristin Hannah
2. The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny
3. Funny Story by Emily Henry
4. The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
5. This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune
6. The Briar Club by Kate Quinn
7. Atomic Habits by James Clear
8. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
9. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
10. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

Adult (French)

1. Rue Duplessis: ma petite noirceur: roman (mettons) by Jean-Philippe Pleau
2. Ce que je sais de toi by Éric Chacour
3. Amiante by Sébastien Dulude
4. Houris by Kamel Daoud
5. Cent ans d’amour by Janette Bertrand
6. Entre nous: mieux se connaître, mieux s’aimer by Sophie Grégoire Trudeau
7. Dans mon sang by Rebecca Makonnen
8. Là où je me terre: roman by Caroline Dawson
9. Deux heures avant la fin de l’été by Sébastien Pierroz
10. D. Turcotte & fils: Dany Turcotte: mon histoire by Dany Turcotte

Teen (English)

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
2. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
3. Powerless by Lauren Roberts
4. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
5. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Article content

Children’s Picture Books (English)

1. The Pigeon Has to Go to School! by Mo Willems
2. Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak
3. The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson
4. Bounce! by Robert Munsch
5. The Dictionary Story by Oliver Jeffers

Children’s Picture Books (French)

1. Le voleur de feuilles by Alice Hemming
2. Le pigeon doit aller à l’école by Mo Willem
3. J’aime l’automne by Kim Dean
4. Cinq petites citrouilles by James Dean
5. La nuit de l’Halloween by James Dean

Want to stay in the know about what’s happening in Ottawa? Sign up for the Ottawa Citizen’s arts and life newsletter — Ottawa, Out of Office — our weekly guide to eating, listening, reading, watching, playing, hanging, learning and living well in the capital.

Share this article in your social network