Read any good books lately?
Ever wonder what other people across the Southland are reading?
Me, too. So what better time than the dead of winter to find out?
I know the first thing I want to do when I finish a good read is tell everyone about it, mostly via social media.
I did just that when I wrapped up Fredrik Backman’s “A Man Called Ove,” a 2015 fiction release about a curmudgeonly old man beset by sadness and loss that reminded me a bit too much of a few seniors I’ve known.
I did the same for “The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer,” a 2011 nonfiction release by Siddhartha Mukherjee that I would call “essential” to anyone who has or knows anyone who has cancer.
Both are very different books and yet both had a very profound effect on me.
And that’s what a good book should do, right? Inform us, affect us, connect us.
At the beginning of the year, I reached out to four local libraries to find out which titles, authors and genres were most popular during 2017.
Numbers are a kind of endorsement. But so are recommendations. Ask anyone who’s ever consulted Yelp or TripAdvisor.
I’ll reveal the library data but I’d still like to hear from you, avid reader. What good books have you read recently? And, if you’re so inclined, tell me what makes them special.
You don’t have to go all literature-professor on me, just give your honest opinion. What makes a book special? An interesting plot, a unique setting? Maybe it’s the way it holds your attention, satisfies a yearning, attacks an issue or allows you to escape?
Robin Lauren, adult reference manager at the Tinley Park Library, said, “Speaking personally, reading is all about escaping my mundane existence. Whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, a well-written book takes me away from my everyday concerns into another time period, place or perspective. Reading and, to a lesser extent, watching movies, are the only free opportunities we have to get out of ourselves without side effects, hangovers or the expense and planning intrinsic to travel. The ‘free’ part, of course, implies getting one’s media from a library.”
I think a good book changes us in some way — by stoking curiosity or emotion, by shedding light on a new idea or affirming an old one, or simply by allowing us to wander another world or experience life through someone else’s eyes.
Though it’s tough to draw conclusions about regional reading habits, such as which authors, titles or genres are best received across the Southland, local public library data can offer some insight.
For example, last year, author John Grisham’s “Camino Island” was popular with patrons of Oak Lawn and Palos Heights libraries, while “Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race,” a 2016 release, was still going strong at the New Lenox library.
Tinley Park
Anthony Andros is assistant administrator at the Tinley Park Public Library, which circulated more than 615,000 items in 2017.
He said while the library does not track individual titles, “I can tell you that mysteries, young adult, thrillers and romance continue to be our most sought-after fiction genres.”
In terms of titles, among the very most popular fiction books this year include Backman’s “A Man Called Ove” and “Wonder” by R.J. Palacio, which was released in 2012 but perhaps experienced a bump last year due to the movie’s debut.
As for the most popular nonfiction books, Andros said, “Hillbilly Elegy” by J.D. Vance and “What Happened” by Hillary Rodham Clinton were among the most checked out titles in 2017.
He also said, “Many different sources point to ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ as the most read/requested book of all-time (in addition to the Bible).”
New Lenox
At the New Lenox Public Library, where some 255,000 items were checked out last year, director Michelle Krooswyk said top fiction titles were “And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer” by Fredrik Backman and “Wyoming Brave” by Diana Palmer.
Most popular among the nonfiction genre were “The Ketogenic Cookbook” by Jimmy Moore, “Hidden Figures” by Margot Lee Shetterly and “The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook” by Mickey Trescott.
Palos Heights
Jesse Blazek, director of Palos Heights Public Library, said, for 2017, “it’s no surprise that John Grisham tops the list with ‘Camino Island'” at that facility.
More Top Picks Testers Soil
Running a close second was James Patterson’s “The 16th Seduction,” she said.
Blazek said other notable high demand titles last year included “Killers of the Flower Moon” by David Grann, which she said is “by far our most sought after nonfiction title,” and “A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles, “which was probably the biggest surprise of the year for us.”
Oak Lawn
At the Oak Lawn Public Library, which amasses data on patron reading habits in great detail, saw some 378,000 materials checked out last year, said spokeswoman Erin Foley.
Grisham’s “Camino Island” was among the most adult popular fiction titles, as well as “Into the Water” by Paula Hawkins and “The Black Book” by James Patterson, Foley said.
Nonfiction hits were “Being Mortal” by Atul Gawande, “Dead Wake” by Erik Larson and “The Worst Hard Time” by Timothy Egan, Foley said.
In the fiction audiobook department, Margaret Atwood’s 1985 release, “The Handmaid’s Tale,” is still intriguing, while “The Last Anniversary” by Liane Moriarty was also popular.
Strongest nonfiction audiobooks were “A Long Way Home” by Saroo Brierley and “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen.
At the Oak Lawn facility, as well as the other libraries contacted, the popularity of ebooks and audiobooks is on the rise.
Share your thoughts
A lot of people like to search for new reading material by author. Foley said the top five authors in adult fiction at the Oak Lawn facility last year were James Patterson, John Grisham, Danielle Steel, Debbie Macomber and David Baldacci.
For many readers, a book doesn’t end on its last page. The ideas, characters and plotlines become discussion material, which is why all four of the libraries contacted offer book discussion opportunities, either led by a librarian or by an outside group.
In Oak Lawn, Foley said, discussion groups help keep library staff in tune with the community’s reading habits and interests.
“As of right now, we have book groups for: I Heart Romance, Mysteries in the Morning, Everything Irish, Refreshing Reads, 20/30ish and Paging Through History,” she said.
Blazek said Palos Heights Library runs three monthly book discussion groups, two that meet at the library and one that gathers on Wednesday evenings at a local restaurant to talk about a science-fiction selection. All are open to new members at all times, she said.
The New Lenox Library offers two book clubs, one that meets twice a month to discuss a variety of titles and one that meets every month to talk about specifically about mysteries, Krooswyk said.
And, if you’re also interested in what local folks are writing about, check out the local authors section at the Tinley Park Library, where Andros said staff is seeing “a significant increase in our local population self-publishing or getting published from an established publisher; dozens of these titles have been added to our Local Authors Collection.”
Now that you know a bit about what others are reading, please chime in. Share your thoughts and selections. Send favorite titles or lists of favorite titles to the email below.
All that’s left to do now is snuggle on the sofa with a blanket, a cup of tea and, of course, the next literary adventure.
Twitter @dvickroy