These were the most popular library books in Vancouver for 2020

Among other things, 2020 was a year when a lot more people got into (or back into) reading for fun. Hey, we write for a living, so it’s a bonus for us. It’s also a bonus for the Vancouver Public Library, which saw a year of increased activity across the board. Let’s check it out!

According to a CBC article, the overall circulation of the VPL (books, e-books and audiobooks) was up roughly 50% from 2019. And, some parts of the e-book collection saw as much as a 4000% growth. Geeze, well, it’s nice to see that books are back in action.

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So what were people reading? Let’s find out!

Fiction

Print books:

1. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
2. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
3. Dutch House by Ann Patchett
4. Better Man by Louise Penny
5. Big Sky by Kate Atkinson

E-Books:

1. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
2. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
3. Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
4. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
5. The Old Success by Martha Grimes

Non-Fiction

Print:

1. Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know by Malcolm Gladwell
2. Becoming by Michelle Obama
3. Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
4. The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson
5. Three Women by Lisa Taddeo

E-Books:

1. Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F. Saad
2. Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know by Malcolm Gladwell
3. Becoming by Michelle Obama
4. White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin J. DiAngelo
5. Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

On the fiction side, the uber-successful coming of age tale Where the Crawdads Sing and Atwood’s latest novel seemed to be the most popular. Meanwhile, Michelle Obama’s memoir and Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book were both heavy hitters in non-fiction.

Looking for a relatively easy New Year’s resolution? Read a couple more books! After all, a library card is free, and this is a great way to use public services.