As the last few days of 2023 wind down, it’s time to reflect on the stories that captured the hearts and minds of Naperville residents this past year.
From a second shot at romance to a beloved wizard boy whose story continues to stand the test of time to a woman who just can’t seem to finish her taxes, we’ve gathered a list of our most popular items of 2023 to inspire your next adventure at Naperville Public Library!
Most Popular Adult Fiction: “It Starts with Us” by Colleen Hoover
In the sequel to “It Ends with Us,” Colleen Hoover picks up right where the epilogue left us. Lily and her ex-husband, Ryle, have just settled into a civil co-parenting rhythm when she suddenly bumps into her first love, Atlas. After nearly two years separated, she is elated that for once time is on their side and she immediately says yes when Atlas asks her on a date. However, her excitement is quickly hampered by the knowledge that, though they are no longer married, Ryle is still very much a part of her life — and Atlas Corrigan is the one man he will hate being in his ex-wife and daughter’s life. Will Ryle get his way, or will this finally be Lily’s second chance at true love?
Most Popular Nonfiction Book: “Spare” by Prince Harry
From the significant moments of his younger years without his mother Diana to his days in the British Army, Prince Harry has struggled with anger, loneliness and, most significantly, accepting life in the spotlight. Then he met Meghan Markle. The couple were preyed upon by the press and subjected to waves of abuse, racism and lies. With his wife suffering, Harry fled the United Kingdom and the Royal Family, an act few had dared. For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. “Spare” is full of insight, revelation, self-examination and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.
Most Popular Teen Book: “The Final Gambit” by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
To inherit billions, all Avery Grambs must do is survive a few more weeks living in Hawthorne House. The only thing getting Avery through it all is the Hawthorne brothers. She knows their secrets and they know hers. But as the clock ticks down to the moment when Avery will become the richest teenager on the planet, trouble arrives in the form of a visitor who needs her help — and whose presence in Hawthorne House could change everything. It soon becomes clear there is one last puzzle to solve, and Avery and the brothers are drawn into a dangerous game against an unknown and powerful player.
Most Popular Children’s Book: “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter had never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at 4 Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry’s 11th birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!
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Most Popular Movie: “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, this film is a hilarious and big-hearted sci-fi action adventure about an exhausted Chinese American woman (Michelle Yeoh) who is swept up in an insane adventure across the multiverse.
Most Popular Video Game: “Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom”
In this sequel to “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” you’ll decide your own path through the sprawling landscapes of Hyrule and the mysterious islands floating in the vast skies above. Can you harness the power of Link’s new abilities to fight back against the malevolent forces that threaten the kingdom?
Most Popular Board Game: “The Bluey Scavenger Hunt Game”
It’s almost time for bed, but Bluey and her friends want to play a game of scavenger hunt! “The Bluey Scavenger Hunt Game” is all about finding, playing and collecting. Players must work together as a team to find 12 toy tokens. The first one to collect enough tokens and get to the finish line wins! This game is full of fun activities to perform, fun things to find and fun Bluey-themed questions to answer.
Most Popular CD: “Hackney Diamonds” by the Rolling Stones
Following the release of 2016’s Grammy Award-winning “Blue & Lonesome,” which featured brilliant versions of blues tracks that helped shape the Stones’ sound, “Hackney Diamonds” marks the band’s first studio album of original material since 2005’s “A Bigger Bang.”
Ashlee Conour is the marketing specialist at Naperville Public Library.