Top 10 Titles of 2023 Released

March 12, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Prince Harry and Jack Reacher Top the List

Nanaimo, BC (January 4, 2024) – The results are in! At Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL), we’ve tallied up the titles our library users borrowed the most in 2023. We have the top 10 most popular adult fiction print titles, young adult books, children’s books, eBooks, and digital audiobooks.

And the results are royally unsurprising.

“Spare by Prince Harry was the hottest book of 2023, both in audiobook, eBook and print non-fiction. The abundance of recent Royal news obviously contributed to its popularity, and not surprisingly, the book was a big hit all over the world.” Comments Louise Broadley, Divisional Manager of Collections and Support Services, VIRL.

“We’re also not surprised that Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands was also a top contender. It was in the top 10 list of Canada Reads from 2023, which selects excellent, Canadian titles year after year. Our fans and library users are plugged into their list, and it shows,” says Monica Finn, Library Manager, South Cowichan. “A book club in Mill Bay selected Ducks and it was the first graphic novel most members had read. Fortunately, it was available as an eBook as well, so everyone was able to access a copy.”

VIRL includes 39 branch libraries across Vancouver Island, gulf islands, Haida Gwaii, Bella Coola, and coastal communities. These library branches serve over 130,000 card holders. In 2023 alone, over 4.9 million items were borrowed at VIRL.

See what book lovers across our Vancouver Island Regional Library system borrowed this past year and find inspiration for your next read. Check something new out at https://virl.bc.ca or follow the links below.

Top 10 Most Popular Adult Print Fiction: 

  1. No Plan B by Lee Child and Andrew Child
  2. Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton
  3. Simply Lies by David Baldacci
  4. Fayne by Ann-Marie MacDonald
  5. Long Shadows by David Baldacci
  6. The Boys from Biloxi by John Grisham
  7. A Heart Full of Headstones by Ian Rankin
  8. Demon Copperhead: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver
  9. Desert Star by Michael Connelly
  10. A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny

Top 10 Most Popular YA Novels:

  1. Heartstopper Volume 4 by Alice Oseman
  2. Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
  3. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
  4. Heartstopper Volume 2 by Alice Oseman
  5. Heartstopper Volume 3 by Alice Oseman
  6. Hunting by Stars by Cherie Dimaline
  7. Heartstopper Volume 1 by Alice Oseman
  8. The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
  9. The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
  10. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Top 10 Most Popular Children’s Books:

  1. Dog Man, Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea by Dav Pilkey
  2. Pete the Cat Plays Hide-and-Seek by Kim Dean
  3. Peekaboo Rex! By Sandra Boynton
  4. Peppa Pig and the Earth Day Adventure
  5. Peppa Pig and the Great Race
  6. The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster by Mo Willems
  7. An Elephant & Piggie Biggie! Volume 5 by Mo Willems
  8. Leaves! By Robert Munsch
  9. Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Big Shot by Jeff Kinney
  10. Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-a-Lot by Dav Pilkey

Top 10 Most Popular eBooks: 

  1. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
  2. The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny
  3. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
  4. The 6:20 Man: A Thriller by David Baldacci
  5. The Diamond Eye: A Novel by Kate Quinn
  6. Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
  7. Desert Star by Michael Connelly
  8. Spare by Prince Harry
  9. A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny
  10. The Judge’s List: A Novel by John Grisham

Top 10 Most Popular Digital Audiobooks

  1. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
  2. Mad Honey: a Novel by Jodi Picoult
  3. Desert Star by Michael Connelly
  4. Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes
  5. The Boys from Biloxi by John Grisham
  6. A Better Man by Louise Penny
  7. The Judge’s List by John Grisham
  8. The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
  9. A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny
  10. Spare by Prince Harry

About VIRL 

VIRL delivers tremendous economies of scale and significant returns on investment, by working with 38 local governments across a 42,000 kmservice area. Our collective services are a demonstrable commitment to livability and affordability and are enjoyed by nearly a third of residents overall. These services include free access to dynamic programming and events, bookable meeting rooms, and 39 branches that are essential Third Spaces in communities large and small. VIRL has the third-largest public library collection in BC, featuring downloadable e-books, audiobooks, digital news, streaming services, children’s materials, and much more.