The Maid was the most popular book of 2022, according to new data compiled by Fraser Valley Regional Library (FVRL).
The whodunit novel was checked out 1,889 times in digital and physical formats this year, beating out all other new release titles in the FVRL collection.
Described by the publisher as a “Clue-like, locked-room mystery and heartwarming journey of the spirit,” The Maid is the debut novel by Toronto author Nita Prose. A planned movie adaptation will feature actor Florence Pugh in the lead role.
The Maid is one of several mystery and thriller novels that made the FVRL top 10 this year. “This trend seems to reverse course from the early-pandemic popularity of non-fiction memoirs and issue-based titles,” explains Dean Kelly, Manager of Collections, Access and Digital Services. “This year’s top titles reflect the immense popularity of genre fiction and a desire for escapism in difficult times.”
Other novels in the list include Lucy Foley’s thriller The Paris Apartment and Kate Quinn’s historical thriller The Diamond Eye.
Only one non-fiction title broke the top 10 this year: Brené Brown’s Atlas of the Heart.
The list was compiled based on total library checkouts in all formats (physical copies and ebooks, as well as downloadable audiobooks) of adult books that were added to the FVRL collection in 2022.
FVRL’S TOP TEN ADULT BOOKS IN 2022:
1. The Maid by Nita Prose
2. The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
3. The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn
4. Something to Hide by Elizabeth George
5. Sparring Partners by John Grisham
6. Verity by Colleen Hoover
7. Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson
8. Dream Town by David Baldacci
9. Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown
10. Invisible by Danielle Steel
An extended list of the most-borrowed adult books can be found on the FVRL website.
Many factors influenced the reading trends of library customers this year:
· Book to film/TV adaptions are on the rise, which often generate interest in an author’s work. Notable examples include Heartstopper, the Netflix series based on Alice Oseman’s graphic novels; Three Pines, the new Amazon Prime mystery series based on the novels of Louise Penny; and an upcoming adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones & The Six, also on Amazon Prime.
· Social media’s #BookTok trend has helped both adult and young adult readers discover backlist titles by authors such as Colleen Hoover and Adam Silvera.
· Celebrity book clubs have boosted the popularity of titles such as Maggie O’Farrell’s The Marriage Portrait (Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club) and Donna Tartt’s 1992 dark academia novel The Secret History (Read with Jenna Book Club).
In addition to the year’s top adult books, Kelly and his staff have been crunching the numbers to uncover the year’s most-borrowed books for children and teens.
Library customers also enjoy access to movies and TV shows, music CDs and digital magazines. FVRL’s most-borrowed items in these categories include popular entertainers Adele and Taylor Swift, as well as recently released blockbuster movies like Jurassic World Dominion, The Lost City and Dune.
