Unveiling NHFPL’s Top Reads of 2023!

Hold onto your reading glasses!

As we step into 2024, it’s time to reflect on the literary adventures that captivated New Haven readers last year. We’re thrilled to share with you the Top 25 most popular books borrowed from the Library in 2023!

This list offers a fascinating glimpse into the literary landscape of the Elm City, showcasing the diverse tastes and interests of our community. So, grab your favorite reading nook and cozy up as we unveil the reads that kept New Haven turning pages in 2023.

Adults

Teens

Kids

The Complete Lists

Visit your local branch for a physical booklet, or check out the full lists below.

Adult Top Reads

Physical Collection

  1. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
  2. The Other Side of Prospect : A Story of Violence, Injustice, and the American City by Nicholas Dawidoff
  3. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
  4. Happy Place by Emily Henry
  5. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
  6. Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
  7. Horse by Geraldine Brooks
  8. I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
  9. Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
  10. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
  11. Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan
  12. Spare by Prince Harry
  13. Desert Star by Michael Connelly
  14. Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner
  15. A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny
  16. The House of Wolves by James Patterson & Mike Lupica
  17. The Boys From Biloxi by John Grisham
  18. Maame by Jessica George
  19. Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
  20. 3 Days to Live by James Patterson
  21. Simply Lies by David Baldacci
  22. No Plan B : A Jack Reacher Novel by Lee Child & Andrew Child
  23. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
  24. Countdown by James Patterson & Brendan Dubois
  25. Unnatural History by Jonathan Kellerman

Libby

  1. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
  2. I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
  3. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
  4. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
  5. Spare by Prince Harry
  6. Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
  7. Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan
  8. Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
  9. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
  10. Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
  11. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
  12. Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes
  13. The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times by Michelle Obama
  14. Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng
  15. Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng
  16. Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
  17. Book Lovers by Emily Henry
  18. Spare by Prince Harry
  19. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
  20. Yellowface by R. F. Kuang
  21. Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
  22. It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
  23. The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
  24. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
  25. I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai

Teen Top Reads

Physical Collection

  1. My Hero Academia Series by Kohei Horikoshi
  2. Olympians Series by George O’Connor
  3. Dragon Ball Super Series by Akira Toriyama (Art by Toyotarou)
  4. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Series by Koyoharu Gotouge
  5. Heartstopper Series by Alice Oseman
  6. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
  7. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
  8. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
  9. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
  10. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
  11. Fairy Tail Series by Hiro Mashima
  12. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
  13. The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
  14. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
  15. Crown of Midnight: A Throne of Glass Novel by Sarah J. Maas
  16. Heir of Fire: A Throne of Glass Novel by Sarah J. Maas
  17. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
  18. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
  19. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
  20. Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
  21. Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
  22. Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser (Art by Robyn Smith)
  23. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
  24. A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
  25. The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

Libby

  1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
  2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
  3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
  4. Catching Fire: Hunger Games 2 by Suzanne Collins
  5. Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
  6. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
  7. The Maze Runner: Book One by James Dashner
  8. Matched by Allyson Braithwaite Condie
  9. Mockingjay: Hunger Games 3 by Suzanne Collins
  10. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
  11. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
  12. The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
  13. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
  14. Divergent by Veronica Roth
  15. The Alchemyst by Michael Scott
  16. A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
  17. Havenfall by Sara Holland
  18. New Moon: Twilight Book 2 by Stephenie Meyer
  19. The Body by Bill Bryson
  20. The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
  21. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
  22. Castle of Lies by Kiersi Burkhart
  23. Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
  24. Eclipse: Twilight Book 3 by Stephenie Meyer
  25. Every Day by David Levithan

Children’s Top Reads

Physical Collection

  1. Dog Man by Dav Pilkey
  2. Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce
  3. Cat Kid Comic Club by Dav Pilkey
  4. 5 Worlds by Mark & Alexis Siegel
  5. Double Down (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 11) by Jeff Kinney
  6. Diper Overlode (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 17) by Jeff Kinney
  7. Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas
  8. Mister Wolf’s Class by Aron Nels Steinke
  9. The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster! by Mo Willems
  10. Cabin Fever (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 6) by Jeff Kinney
  11. Pete the Cat Plays Hide-and-Seek by Kim & James Dean
  12. The Sour Grape by Jory John & Pete Oswald
  13. Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega (Art by Rose Bousamra)
  14. Rodrick Rules (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2) by Jeff Kinney
  15. The Secret Garden on 81st Street : A Modern Graphic Retelling of The Secret Garden by Ivy Noelle Weir
  16. Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzalez (Art by Gabriela Epstein)
  17. Crunch by Kayla Miller
  18. Monster Friends by Kaeti Vandorn
  19. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin (Art by James Dean)
  20. Three Bite Rule by Anne Lamb
  21. Firefighter Flo! by Andrea Zimmerman (Art by Dan Yaccarino)
  22. Elephants Cannot Dance! by Mo Willems
  23. Tidesong by Wendy Xu
  24. Absolutely Nat by Maria Scrivan
  25. Peppa Pig and the Great Race by Candlewick Press

Libby

  1. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
  2. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
  3. The Giver by Lois Lowry
  4. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
  5. The Ugly Truth (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 5) by Jeff Kinney
  6. The Long Haul (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 9) by Jeff Kinney
  7. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
  8. I Can’t Take It! (Big Nate) by Lincoln Peirce
  9. Kristy and the Snobs by Ann M. Martin
  10. Magic Tree House, Books 1-4: Mystery of the Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne
  11. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
  12. Cabin Fever (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 6) by Jeff Kinney
  13. Genius Mode (Big Nate) by Lincoln Peirce
  14. Great Minds Think Alike (Big Nate) by Lincoln Peirce
  15. Pray for a Fire Drill (Big Nate) by Lincoln Peirce
  16. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
  17. The Third Wheel (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 7) by Jeff Kinney
  18. Unlocked (Keeper of the Lost Cities) by Shannon Messenger
  19. Artie and the Wolf Moon by Olivia Stephens
  20. Big Nate and Friends by Lincoln Peirce
  21. Cat Kid Comic Club by Dav Pilkey
  22. Dibs on This Chair (Big Nate) by Lincoln Peirce
  23. Good-bye Stacey, Good-bye by Ann M. Martin
  24. Hard Luck (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 8) by Jeff Kinney
  25. Big Nate Makes a Splash by Lincoln Peirce

Beyond the Top Reads

It’s important to note that the Top 25 list only reflects borrowing data from the New Haven Public Library. Many New Haveners also purchase books, borrow from other libraries, or access ebooks and audiobooks through other platforms, so the actual range of books enjoyed by New Haven readers in 2023 is likely even broader and more diverse.

While the top 25 highlights the most popular reads, the Library’s vast collection offers something for everyone. Our dedicated library staff are always happy to help you find your next literary adventure, whether you’re a die-hard genre fan or a curious newcomer.

We invite you to explore our shelves and discover your own favorites! Happy reading, New Haven!