Character-driven stories were the most popular in 2024, at least among patrons of the Cincinnati Hamilton County Public Library.
The list released by the library has a lot of familiar names like James Patterson, Barbara Kingsolver, and Nora Roberts. Public Services Director Kathy Bach says another old familiar name rejoined the list.
“John Grisham was back on the list this year with 'The Exchange.' And I didn’t realize this until after the book was published, but it’s a sequel to 'The Firm,' which I read back in 1991 when it was published,” she says. “That was such a runaway bestseller.”
But Bach says the most popular novel was from a newcomer: Kristin Hannah.
“Her book, 'The Women,' it’s about women during the Vietnam War era,” Bach says. “It’s historical fiction and she just does a really good job bringing the '70s, Vietnam era to life.”
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Bach says people checked out more thrillers and suspense books and more character-driven stories, but it doesn't mean romance is dead. It was very popular for a number of years.
“I think it’s going to come back,” she says. “There are some new novels that are going to be coming out next year. Emily Henry — she’s not on this list this year — but she’s got a new one to come out next year. She’s kind of like the rom-com for the TikTok generation, if you will.”
Bach says there are more fiction titles than nonfiction in the list of top circulating books. She says it's about escapism.
“Sometimes they deal with reality all day long, and kind of just want to get away from it, and read something that’s just going to take them away to a different world,” she says. “That’s the best thing about books.”
Bach says one historical book that did make the top lists for adults and teens was "Killers of the Flower Moon," the historical dramatization of the murder of Osage peoples in 1920s Oklahoma.
Bach says teens are still into dystopian tales, like "The Hunger Games." And among younger readers, there's one clear winner.
“The most popular books are all by Dav Pilkey, who had done 'Captain Underpants' back in the '90s, 2000s, and now he’s got a series out called 'Dog Man' and they are incredibly popular with kids.”
Days before the end of the year, library patrons broke a record: five million digital check-outs in 2024. Those include e-books, digital magazines, audiobooks, and graphic novels. The previous record was 4 million, in 2023.
Bach says something else is becoming popular among younger patrons: physical media.
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“Music CDs in particular. I find it interesting that some younger people are getting into those again,” Bach says. “I guess it’s like vinyl came back and now it’s the CDs are having their moment, which is kind of interesting to see. A lot of the most popular ones on here are no surprise: Taylor Swift, Beyonce.”
Bach says while e-books and audiobooks are popular, print is still king.
“Most people we find kind of borrow both. They may have a book going on their Kindle, or an audiobook that they’re listening to, but they’ll come in and check out a stack of books,” she says. “Especially the kids’ books. There’s just something about paper and reading to a child and really getting them falling in love with books.”
Top 10 books for adults
1. "The Women," Kristin Hannah
2. "Lessons in Chemistry," Bonnie Garmus
3. "The Exchange," John Grisham
4. "The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store," James McBride
5. "A Calamity of Souls," David Baldacci
6. "Camino Ghosts," John Grisham
7. "Holmes, Marple and Poe," James Patterson
8. "The Edge," David Baldacci
9. "Crosshairs," James Patterson
10. "The #1 Lawyer," James Patterson
Top 10 teen books
1. "One Piece," Eiichiro Oda
2. "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," Suzanne Collins
3. "The Hunger Games," Suzanne Collins
4. "Throne of Glass," Sarah J. Maas
5. "Demon Slayer," Koyoharu Gotage
6. "The Inheritance Games," Jennifer Barnes
7. "Killers of the Flower Moon," David Grann
8. "Bleach," Tite Kubo
9. "Court of Thorns and Roses," Sarah J. Maas
10. "A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder," Holly Jackson
Top 10 kids books
1. "Dog Man: The Scarlet Shredder," Dav Pilkey
2. "Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea," Dav Pilkey
3. "Pokemon Adventures," multiple
4. "Cat Kid: Influencers," Dav Pilkey
5. "Dog Man: Mothering Heights," Dav Pilkey
6. "Cat Kid: Collaborations," Dav Pilkey
7. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer," Jeff Kinney
8. "Because of Winn-Dixie," Kate DiCamillo
9. "Cat Kid: Comic Club," Dav Pilkey
10. "The Giver," Lois Lowry
