The Women by Kristen Hannah was the most popular English language book for adults at Ottawa public libraries this year.
The Ottawa Public Library Board released its list of the most requested titles by readers between Jan. 1 and Dec. 1 on Monday. This year’s list features a variety of new releases and classics, with historical fiction, humour and romance novels gripping Ottawa bookworms.
The Women recounts the experience of a woman who was a nurse during the Vietnam War. The book shines a light on women who put themselves in harm’s way and their often-forgotten sacrifice in times of war. The Briar Club, the story of an all-female boarding house in the 1950s, also peaked reader’s interest in the historical fiction category.
Canadian author Louise Penny took the second-place spot with the October release of the hardcover copy of the The Grey Wolf in the highly popular Armand Ganache series.
Humour and romance also proved popular with readers with Emily Henry’s Funny Story and Carley Fortune’s This Summer Will be Different ranking highly.
Demand for francophone titles continued to increase, with a record number of requests for French books made this year. The top French-language novels featured almost exclusively Canadian authors.
Romance books were in high demand among teen readers. A Court of Thorns and Roses, a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast with deadly fairies, was the most popular book among Ottawa young adults.
Classics such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid showed no signs of slowing down for children’s fiction and non-fiction titles.
All of the books are in the library’s catalog and many are available in multiple formats, including e-books, audiobooks and accessible editions.
Here is a full list of the most requested books in the Ottawa Public Library system this year:
Adult (English)
- The Women by Kristen Hannah
- The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny
- Funny Story by Emily Henry
- The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
- This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune
- The Briar Club by Kate Quinn
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
- Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
- The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Adult (French)
- Rue Duplessis : ma petite noirceur by Jean-Philippe Pleau
- Ce que je sais de toi by Éric Chacour
- Amiante by Sébastien Dulude
- Houris by Kamel Daoud
- Cent ans d’amour by Janette Bertrand
- Entre nous : mieux se connaître, mieux s’aimer by Sophie Grégoire Trudeau
- Dans mon sang by Rebecca Makonnen
- Là où je me terre by Caroline Dawson
- Deux heures avant la fin de l’été by Sébastien Pierroz
- D. Turcotte & fils: Dany Turcotte: mon histoire by Dany Turcotte
Teen (English)
- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
- A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
- Powerless by Lauren Roberts
- Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
- The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Teen (French)
- Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
- La rose écarlate by Patricia Lyfoung
- Obélix et compagnie by Goscinny
- Louca by Bruno Dequier
Children’s Fiction and Non-fiction (English)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney (series)
- Wild Robot by Peter Brown (series)
- Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell
- Wrath of the Triple Goddess by Rick Riordan
- The Bad Guys in the Serpent and the Beast by Aaron Blabey
Children’s Fiction and Non-fiction (French)
- Harry Potter à l’école des sorciers by J. K. Rowling
- Le petit prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
- Facile à lire by a variety of authors
- La cabane de Rémi by Michelle Khalil
- Dodu est sale by Michelle Khalil
Children’s Graphic Novels (English)
- Dog Man by Dav Pilkey (series)
- Baby-Sitters Club by Various (series)
- Wings of Fire by Barry Deutsch (series)
- Baby-Sitters Little Sister by Various (series)
- Cat Kid Comic Club by Dav Pilkey (series)
Children’s Graphic Novels (French)
- Super Chien by Dav Pilkey (series)
- Les Légendaires by Patrick Sobral (series)
- L’agent Jean! by Alex A. (series)
- Le club des baby-sitters by Raina Telgemeier (series)
- Baby-sitters petite soeur by Katy Farina (series)
Children’s Picture Books (English)
- The Pigeon Has to Go to School! by Mo Willems
- Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak
- The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson
- Bounce! by Robert Munsch
- The Dictionary Story by Oliver Jeffers
Children’s Picture Books (French)
- Le voleur de feuilles by Alice Hemming
- Le pigeon doit aller à l’école by Mo Willem
- J’aime l’automne by Kim Dean
- Cinq petites citrouilles by James Dean
- La nuit de l’Halloween by James Dean