It’s cold, and you’re looking for a good book to read yourself or to your kids inside, where it’s warm. Take a page from Sawyer Free Library card holders and check out what they checked out most last year.
“The titles checked out last year at the Sawyer Free Library reflect stories that resonated with people of all ages and echoed the themes that matter to so many of us — family and friends, love and grief, success, perseverance and hope,” said Library Director Jenny Benedict. “The titles at the top of the lists supported readers to learn more about themselves and the world around them, enriching their lives and inspiring learning, which is at the heart of the library’s mission.”
With a total circulation of close to 170,000 in 2023, new authors and familiar favorites topped the lists, including Geraldine Brooks, Jodi Picoult and Barbara Kingsolver.
For a community steeped in history and despite the American Revolution, readers were drawn to “Spare,” by Prince Harry Duke of Sussex, topping the list of most borrowed book in the Adult Nonfiction category. “Horse” by Geraldine Brooks topped the list of Adult Fiction. In fact, the Adult Fiction list was all women authors.
The debut novel “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus was among the favorites, along with Pulitzer Prize–winning science journalist Ed Yong’s New York Times bestseller, “An Immense World.” Yong’s book is described as a multisensory exploration of the many ways in which animals perceive their environment.
Of the thousands of print, digital, and audiobooks borrowed from the Sawyer Free Library, these were card holders’ favorites in 2023:
Top Adult Fiction
1. “Horse” by Geraldine Brooks
2. “Mad Honey” by Jodi Picoult
3. “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus
4. “Reminders of Him” by Colleen Hoover
5. “Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver
6. Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
7. “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin
8. “Our Missing Hearts” by Celeste Ng
9. “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt
10. “Verity” by Colleen Hoover
Top Adult Nonfiction
1. “Spare” by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
2. “An Immense World” by Ed Yong
3. “Downshiftology: Healthy Meal Prep” by Lisa Bryan
4. “The Healthy, Happy Gut Cookbook” by Dr. Heather Finley
5. “Poetry Unbound: 50 Poems to Open Your World,” by Pádraig Ó Tuama
6. “Dinners with Ruth” by Nina Totenberg
The top checkouts for children’s books featured titles from a few popular series, including “Dog Man” by Dav Pilkey, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” by Jeff Kinney, and “The Babysitter Club” based on the novel by Ann M. Martin.
The Young Adult titles with the highest circulation were “The Tryout,” a graphic novel about courage and friendship by Christina Soontornvat; “Throne of Glass,” the first in Sarah J. Maas’s popular fantasy book series, along with the classic novel “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald and the powerful nonfiction book, “Killers of the Flower Moon” by journalist David Grann.
Top Teen Fiction
1. “The Tryout” by Christina Soontornvat
2. “Throne of Glass” by Sarah J. Maas
3. “The Great Gatsby” by Scott F. Fitzgerald
4. “Killers of the Flower Moon” by David Grann
5. “The Maze Runner” by James Dashner
Top Children’s
1. “Dog Man and Cat Kid” by Dav Pilkey
2. “Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild” by Dav Pilkey
3. “Dog Man: Fetch-22” by Dav Pilkey
4. “The Babysitter Club: Karen’s Worst Day” by Katy Farina
5. “The Babysitter Club: Kristy and the Snobs” by Chan Chau
6. “Diary of the Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley’s Journal” by Jeff Kinney
Find these and millions of other books through the Sawyer Free Library. Visit the library’s temporary location at 21 Main St. in downtown Gloucester or the website at sawyerfreelibrary.org where librarians are always there to help find a new book to read and much more. The library has been serving the community for more than 175 years.
Approximately 14,000 people hold Sawyer Free Library cards. Anyone who resides or attends school in Gloucester can obtain a library card for free by applying in person, online, or by mail. For more information, visit the website or call 978-325-5500.
Each year, Sawyer Free Library hosts hundreds of programs; all of its programs and exhibitions are free to the public.
For details on the 2025 Sawyer Free Library and ways to support the historic project, visit sawyerfree2025.org.