2020’s Most Popular Books at Wentworth Library

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We can finally celebrate the end of 2020 with end-of-the-year lists. Best book lists for 2020 are fun, despite the difficulty many had reading during the pandemic lockdown. But how about locally? What are the top books at West St. Paul’s Wentworth Library in 2020?

We all know that 2020 was a screwy year, but keep in mind how pandemic restrictions impacted libraries. Dakota County Libraries were completely closed for a time before opening with curbside checkout. They finally opened for in-person browsing with limited hours and capacity in June, and that’s where we’ve been since. There’s also been a sharp uptick in digital checkouts, thanks to the pandemic, along with a shifting of library resources to make more ebooks available (these lists only count physical books).

Top 25 Adult Books for 2020

1. Masked Prey by John Sanford
2. The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
3. Long Range by C.J. Box
4. Fair Warning by Michael Connelly
5. American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
6. Walk the Wire by David Baldacci
7. Hush by James Patterson
8. Lost by James Patterson
9. The Boy From the Woods by Harlan Coben
10. The Best Mistake by Nora Roberts
11. Thief River Falls by Brian Freeman
12. Thick as Thieves by Sandra Brown
13. Camino Winds by John Grisham
14. Hideaway by Nora Roberts
15. Texas Outlaw by James Patterson
16. Moral Compass by Danielle Steel
17. Long Bright River by Liz Moore
18. Half Moon Bay by Jonathan Kellerman
19. Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano
20. From the Grave by David Housewright
21. The Numbers Game by Danielle Steel
22. The Museum of Desire by Jonathan Kellerman
23. Blindside by James Patterson
24. If It Bleeds by Stephen King
25. Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Evolution by Brian Freeman

Here’s an example of the pandemic impact: Last year’s most popular book had 299 checkouts. This year’s? 105.

Top 25 Children’s Books for 2019

1. Baby-Sitters Little Sister: Karen’s Witch by Ann M. Martin
2. Dog Man: Grime and Punishment by Dav Pilkey
3. Big Nate: Blow the Roof Off! by Lincoln Peirce
4. Captain Underpants and the Revolting Revenge of the Radioactive Robo-Boxers by Dav Pilkey
5. Narwhal on a Sunny Night by Mary Pope Osborne
6. Sky Police! by Meredith Rusu
7. The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants: George and Harold’s Epic Comix Collection by Meredith Rusu
8. Baby-Sitters Little Sister: Karen’s Roller Skates by Ann M. Martin
9. Plants vs. Zombies: Better Homes and Guardens by Paul Tobin
10. Plants vs. Zombies: The Garden Path by Paul Tobin
11. I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Georgia Ball
12. Big Nate: The Gerbil Ate My Homework by Lincoln Peirce
13. I Am Anna by Christy Webster
14. Onward: A Day With Dad by Susan Amerikaner
15. Ducky and Bunny Help Out! by Suzanne Francis
16. Snapdragon by Kat Leyh
17. Stella Endicott and the Anything-Is-Possible Poem by Kate DiCamillo
18. Pete the Kitty and the Unicorn’s Missing Colors by Kim Dean
19. The Mermaid Park Mystery
20. I Am Elsa by Christy Webster
21. I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916 by Georgia Bail
22. Onward: Oh Brother! by Natasha Bouchard
23. Pete the Cat’s Family Road Trip by Kim Dean
24. Pete the Cat’s Groovy Guide to Kindness by Kim Dean
25. Thea Stilton and the Treasure Seekers: The Compass of the Stars by Thea Stilton

Top 25 Teen Books for 2019

1. Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
2. One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus
3. By the Book by Amanda Sellet
4. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
5. Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Louise Simonson
6. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
7. Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang
8. The Night Country by Melissa Albert
9. Shadow of the Batgirl by Sarah Kuhn
10. Star Wars by Greg Pak
11. The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson
12. Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli
13. Almost American Girl by Robin Ha
14. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
15. Faith: Taking Flight by Julie Murphy
16. 19 Love Songs by David Levithan
17. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
18. A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer
19. Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu
20. Go With the Flow by Lily Williams
21. Hawk by James Patterson
22. Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
23. Girls Garage by Emily Pilloton
24. Infinity Son by Adam Silvera
25. Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer

There you have it. Get out to the library and do some more reading in 2020.

Thanks to the Dakota County Library staff for running the numbers for us.

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