The New York Public Library Announces Top Book Check Outs of 2015

Author Jodi Picoult’s novel Leaving Time is the most popular book systemwide  

DECEMBER 28, 2015 – The New York Public Library has compiled the top books checked out in 2015 from its 92 branches in The Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island.

Leaving Time, a psychological thriller by bestselling author Jodi Picoult, led the 2015 list, followed by Paula Hawkins’s debut mystery novel The Girl on the Train and Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman, the much-anticipated follow-up to the classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird.

The Library also released the top 10 books checked out from each of the three boroughs it serves, along with the top title at each of its circulating libraries. While the top system-wide books list includes e-titles, the top books per branch do not.

The Girl on the Train took the top spot in Manhattan, NYPD Red 3 by Marshall Karp and James Patterson was number one in Staten Island, and TASC: Test Assessing Secondary Completion: Strategies, Practice, & Review, a study guide for high school equivalency exams published by Kaplan Publishing, narrowly beat out NYPD Red 3 in The Bronx.

Individual branches saw a wide variety of books checked out the most, from Henry A. Clumpton’s The Art of Intelligence Lessons from a Life in the CIA's Clandestine Service at City Island Library in the Bronx, to Prodigal Son by Danielle Steel at South Beach Library in Staten Island.

“The variety of books on these lists shows the depth and breadth of our circulating collections, as well as the various ways in which our patrons interact with us and our materials,” said Christopher Platt, the Vice President of Library Services at NYPL. “Whether they are improving their circumstances by checking out test prep books or picking up best sellers for their commutes, New Yorkers need, love and use their local libraries.”

Over 20 million items, including books, are circulated throughout the NYPL system each year. Opportunities to check out items will be even greater in 2016, when hours expand at branches across the system thanks to a $43 million city funding increase for New York’s three public library systems: NYPL, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Library. Check out nypl.org for new hours, which go live on Jan. 4.

Top 10 Books Systemwide

  1. Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
  2. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
  3. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
  4. NYPD Red 3 by Marshall Karp and James Patterson
  5. Prodigal Son by Danielle Steel
  6. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
  7. Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham
  8. In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume
  9. The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
  10. Grey by E. L. James

Top 10 Books in the Bronx

  1. TASC: Test Assessing Secondary Completion: Strategies, Practice, & Review
  2. NYPD Red 3 by Marshall Karp and James Patterson
  3. Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
  4. Prodigal Son by Danielle Steel
  5. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
  6. The Family Business 3 by Carl Weber
  7. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
  8. Pegasus by Danielle Steel
  9. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
  10. Grey by E.L. James

Top 10 Books in Manhattan

  1. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
  2. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
  3. Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham
  4. Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
  5. Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
  6. In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume
  7. Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson
  8. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
  9. NYPD Red 3 by Marshall Karp and James Patterson
  10. Yes Please by Amy Poehler

Top 10 Books in Staten Island

  1. NYPD Red 3 by Marshall Karp and James Patterson
  2. Prodigal Son by Danielle Steel
  3. Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
  4. Pegasus by Danielle Steel
  5. Country by Danielle Steel
  6. Undercover by Danielle Steel
  7. Hush by Karen Robards
  8. The Job 3 by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg
  9. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
  10. In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

Top Books by Branch in the Bronx

  • Allerton - TASC: Test Assessing Secondary Completion: Strategies, Practice, & Review
  • Baychester - NYPD Red 3 by Marshall Karp and James Patterson
  • Belmont - Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
  • Bronx Library Center - Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
  • Castle Hill - TASC: Test Assessing Secondary Completion: Strategies, Practice, & Review
  • City Island - The Art of Intelligence Lessons from a Life in the CIA's Clandestine Service by Henry A. Crumpton
  • Clason's Point - TASC: Test Assessing Secondary Completion: Strategies, Practice, & Review
  • Eastchester - Llewellyn's Complete Book of Names for Pagans, Wiccans, Witches, Druids, Heathens, Mages, Shamans & Independent Thinkers of all Sorts Who are Curious About Names from Every Place and Every Time by K.M. Sheard
  • Edenwald - TASC: Test Assessing Secondary Completion: Strategies, Practice, & Review
  • Francis Martin - Dengeki Daisy by Kyousuke Motom
  • Grand Concourse - TASC: Test Assessing Secondary Completion: Strategies, Practice, & Review
  • High Bridge - TASC : Test Assessing Secondary Completion: Strategies, Practice, & Review
  • Hunt's Point - Blood, Sweat, & Payback by Wahida Clark
  • Jerome Park - TASC: Test Assessing Secondary Completion: Strategies, Practice, & Review
  • Kingsbridge - Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
  • Melrose – Parasyte by Hitoshi Iwaaki
  • Morris Park - True Love by Jennifer Lopez
  • Morrisania - TASC: Test Assessing Secondary Completion: Strategies, Practice, & Review
  • Mosholu - TASC: Test Assessing Secondary Completion: Strategies, Practice, & Review
  • Mott Haven - TASC: Test Assessing Secondary Completion: Strategies, Practice, & Review
  • Parkchester - New York State Grade 5 Elementary-level English Language Arts Test
  • Pelham Bay - NYPD Red 3 by Marshall Karp and James Patterson
  • Pelham Parkway-Van Nest – Calculus by Frank Ayres and Elliott Mendelson
  • Riverdale - The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
  • Sedgwick - TASC: Test Assessing Secondary Completion: Strategies, Practice, & Review
  • Soundview - Prince Lestat by Anne Rice
  • Spuyten Duyvil - Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
  • Throg's Neck - NYPD Red 3 by Marshall Karp and James Patterson
  • Tremont - Get Your Hopes Up!: Expect Something Good to Happen to You Every Day by Joyce Meyer
  • Van Cortlandt - Anti-inflammatory Eating Made Easy: Nutrition Plan and 75 Recipes for a Healthier Body by Michelle Babb
  • Wakefield - The Family Business 3 by Carl Weber
  • West Farms - TASC: Test Assessing Secondary Completion: Strategies, Practice, & Review
  • Westchester Square - NYPD Red 3 by Marshall Karp and James Patterson
  • Woodlawn Heights - Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson
  • Woodstock - The Nature of Good and Evil by Sylvia Brown

Top Book by Branch in Manhattan

  • 115th Street - Prince Lestat by Anne Rice
  • 125th Street - Back to Me by Wanda Campbell
  • 58th St. - The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
  • 67th St. - The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
  • 96th St - The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
  • Aguilar - Barron's U.S. Citizenship Test
  • Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book - Just a Taste by Deirdre Martin
  • Battery Park City -  
  • Bloomingdale - Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
  • Chatham Square - Avatar: The Last Airbender. Part One by Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, Gene Luen Yang, Gurihiru
  • Columbus - Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
  • Countee Cullen - Between the World and Me by Ta-Nahesi Coates
  • Epiphany - Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
  • Fort Washington - Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
  • George Bruce - Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
  • Grand Central - Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
  • Hamilton Fish Park - Blue Exorcist by Kazue Kato and John Werry
  • Hamilton Grange - Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
  • Harlem - Divine Love Astrology: Revealing Spiritual Truth for Personal Transformation
  • Hudson Park - The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
  • Inwood - Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
  • Jefferson Market - Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
  • Kips Bay - The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
  • Macomb's Bridge - TASC: Test Assessing Secondary Completion
  • Mid-Manhattan - Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham
  • Morningside Heights - Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
  • Muhlenberg - The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
  • Mulberry - Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
  • New Amsterdam - The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
  • Ottendorfer - The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
  • Library for the Performing Arts - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams
  • Riverside - Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
  • Roosevelt Island - NYPD Red 3 by Marshall Karp and James Patterson
  • Science, Industry and Business Library - Successful Business Plan: Secrets & Strategies
  • Seward Park - Fairy Tail 43 by Hiro Mashima
  • St. Agnes - In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume
  • Terence Cardinal Cooke-Cathedral - Double-Daring Book for Girls by Andrea Buchanan
  • Tompkins Square - The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
  • Washington Heights - GED Test Skill Builder: Math
  • Webster - Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson
  • Yorkville - The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters

Top Books by Branch in Staten Island:

  • Dongan Hills - Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
  • Great Kills - NYPD Red 3 by Marshall Karp and James Patterson
  • Mariners Harbor - TASC: Test Assessing Secondary Completion: Strategies, Practice, & Review
  • Huguenot Park - Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
  • New Dorp - Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
  • Port Richmond - NYPD Red 3 by Marshall Karp and James Patterson
  • Richmondtown - Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
  • South Beach - Prodigal Son by Danielle Steel
  • St. George - I'll Stand By You: One Woman's Mission To Heal the Children of the World by Elissa Montanti and Jennifer Haupt
  • Stapleton - Pretty Guardian: Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi
  • Todt Hill - Prodigal Son by Daniel Steel
  • Tottenville - NYPD Red 3 by Marshall Karp and James Patterson
  • West New Brighton - The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Media Contact:

Amy Geduldig | amygeduldig@nypl.org

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