New York City’s Three Public Library Systems Reveal the Top Checkouts of 2024

The New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library unveil first-ever citywide top checkout list, along with the top ten titles for adults, young adults, and children

December 18, 2024—Queens Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library and The New York Public Library have announced for the first time a citywide list of top checkouts for 2024, combining data from all three library systems in five boroughs. They have also announced the top 10 checkouts at each system for adults, young adults, and children.

Across New York City’s three library systems, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin was the most checked-out title, followed by Happy Place by Emily Henry and Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.

The top titles include all formats: e-books, audiobooks, and physical books. The full lists of 2024 top checkouts for each system can be found at Queens Public Library (https://connect.queenslibrary.org/2342); Brooklyn Public Library (https://bklynlib.org/top-checkouts-2024); or The New York Public Library (nypl.org/topcheckouts2024).

TOP 10 ADULT TITLES

Citywide:

1. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
2. Happy Place by Emily Henry
3. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
4. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
5. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
6. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
7. Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
8. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
9. Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
10. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

The New York Public Library

Systemwide:

1. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
2. Happy Place by Emily Henry
3. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
4. The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War
5. Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
6. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
7. Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez
8. Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
9. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
10. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

The Bronx:

1. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
2. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
3. The Women by Kristin Hannah
4. Happy Place by Emily Henry
5. Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
6. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
7. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
8. The Exchange: After the Firm by John Grisham
9. Crosshairs by James Patterson and James O. Born
10. I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

Manhattan:

1. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
2. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
3. The Women by Kristin Hannah
4. Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
5. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
6. The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
7. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
8. Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
9. James by Percival Everett
10. Good Material by Dolly Alderton

Staten Island:

1. The Women by Kristin Hannah
2. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
3. Upside Down by Danielle Steel
4. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
5. TIE Happy Place by Emily Henry
6. TIE The Exchange: After The Firm by John Grisham
7. Never Too Late by Danielle Steel
8. The Teacher by Freida McFadden
9. TIE The Coworker by Freida McFadden
10. TIE Never Lie by Freida McFadden

Brooklyn Public Library

1. Happy Place by Emily Henry
2. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
3. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
4. The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
5. I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
6. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
7. Yellowface by R. F. Kuang
8. Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
9. Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
10. The Guest by Emma Cline

Queens Public Library

1. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
2. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
3. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
4. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
5. Babel: An Arcane History by R. F. Kuang
6. The Teacher by Freida McFadden
7. Home Is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose
8. Yellowface by R. F. Kuang
9. I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
10. It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover

“Year after year, our lists of top checkouts represent the stories that most spoke to our patrons and their interests. At The New York Public Library this year, we saw audiobooks continue to play an important role in our top checkout titles—reflecting how our readers are reaching beyond print to access books—as well as an incredibly diverse range of titles,” said Brian Bannon, Chief Librarian and James Tisch Director of Branch Libraries and Education at The New York Public Library. “I’m thrilled to see the wide-ranging reading habits of our patrons represented in these lists.”

“I am delighted to see the wide range of items New Yorkers are borrowing including stories about immigrants and outsiders, cities and small towns, friends, family and love,” said Nick Higgins, Chief Librarian, Brooklyn Public Library. “Books play a critical role in everyday life—especially now—helping us to understand ourselves, one another, and the world around us.”

“While our readers’ adult and young adult choices span a variety of genres, including thrillers, fantasies, historical fiction and romance, they have one interesting thing in common—all of the authors are women,” said Queens Public Library Chief Librarian Nick Buron. “It also is worth noting that many of the stories told in the books that made our adult list are gut-wrenching, which may be an indication of how some people have been feeling during a year of change and uncertainty.”

TOP 10 YOUNG ADULT TITLES

The New York Public Library

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
2. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
3. Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
4. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
6. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
7. A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
8. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
9. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
10. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Brooklyn Public Library

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

2. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

3. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

4. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

6. If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin
7. Demon Slayer by Koyoharu Gotoge
8. Divine Rivals: A Novel by Rebecca Ross
9. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

10. Heartstopper by Alice Oseman

Queens Public Library

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
2. A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
3. A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
4. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
5. A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
6. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
7. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
8. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
9. Lightlark by Alex Aster
10. Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen

TOP 10 CHILDREN TITLES

The New York Public Library

1. No Brainer by Jeff Kinney
2. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
3. Big Shot by Jeff Kinney
4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
5. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Deep End by Jeff Kinney
6. Cat Kid Comic Club #5: Influencers by Dav Pilkey (words, illustrations, and artwork), with digital color by Jose Garibaldi & Wes Dzioba
7. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Wrecking Ball by Jeff Kinney
8. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down by Jeff Kinney
9. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
10. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney

Brooklyn Public Library

1. Diary of A Wimpy Kid: No Brainer by Jeff Kinney
2. Cat Kid Comic Club #5: Influencers by Dav Pilkey (words, illustrations, and artwork), with digital color by Jose Garibaldi & Wes Dzioba
3. Dog Man: Unleashed by Dav Pilkey
4. Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea by Dav Pilkey
5. Diary of A Wimpy Kid: Diper Överlöad by Jeff Kinney
6. Guts by Raina Telgemeier
7. Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties by Dav Pilkey
8. Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier
9. Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild by Dav Pilkey
10. Dog Man: Mothering Heights by Dav Pilkey

Queens Public Library

1. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diper Överlöde by Jeff Kinney
2. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Big Shot by Jeff Kinney
3. Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea by Dav Pilkey
4. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Deep End by Jeff Kinney
5. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer by Jeff Kinney
6. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Wrecking Ball by Jeff Kinney
7. Dog Man: Fetch-22 by Dav Pilkey
8. Dog Man: Mothering Heights by Dav Pilkey
9. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown by Jeff Kinney
10. Dog Man: Grime and Punishment by Dav Pilkey

About The New York Public Library

For over 125 years, The New York Public Library has been a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With over 90 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars. The New York Public Library receives approximately 16 million visits through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/support.

About Brooklyn Public Library

Brooklyn Public Library is one of the nation’s largest library systems and among New York City’s most democratic institutions. As a leader in developing modern 21st century libraries, we provide resources to support personal advancement, foster civic literacy, and strengthen the fabric of community among the more than 2.6 million individuals who call Brooklyn home. We provide nearly 65,000 free programs a year with writers, thinkers, artists, and educators—from around the corner and around the world. And we give patrons millions of opportunities to enjoy one of life’s greatest satisfactions: the joy of a good book.

About Queens Public Library

Queens Public Library is one of the largest and busiest public library systems in the United States, dedicated to serving the most ethnically and culturally diverse area in the country.  An independent, non-profit organization founded in 1896, Queens Public Library offers free access to a collection of more than 5 million books and other materials in 50 languages, technology and digital resources. Each year, the Library hosts tens of thousands of online and in-person educational, cultural, and civic programs and welcomes millions of visitors through its doors. With a presence in nearly every neighborhood across the borough of Queens, the Library consists of 66 locations, including branch libraries, a Central Library, seven adult learning centers, a technology center located at the Queensbridge Houses, the nation’s largest public housing complex, and a community learning center at another public housing complex, the Ravenswood Houses. It also has five teen centers, two bookmobiles, and two book bicycles.

Media contacts

QPL: Elisabeth de Bourbon, edebourbon@queenslibrary.org; BPL: Fritzi Bodenheimer, fbodenheimer@bklynlibrary.org; NYPL: Lizzie Tribone, lizzietribone@nypl.org