What You Read 2023: CCPL's Top Books of the Year

Drum roll, please! Charleston County Public Library is excited to share another year of your top borrowed books! So far in 2023, our patrons have circulated over 2.9 million items, both digital and print, and we still have one month to go. From the almost 3 million items circulated this year, there are a few popular picks that kept their place on the hold shelves. Covering a broad range of genres from captivating memoirs to spicy romance, let’s take a look at the top borrowed books, ebooks, and audiobooks Charleston has been borrowing this year.  As expected, some of the most popular books from 2023 were shiny new releases, but many older and steadfast favorites made the list to reflect trends, current events, and patrons' reading tastes. 

TOP SPOTS IN 2023

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus took the top spot in the Adult category! The novel is Garmus's debut novel. It tells the story of women’s lives, careers, and struggle for empowerment in the late 50s and early 60s. Lessons in Chemistry follows the story of Elizabeth Zott, a brilliant chemist who is forced to become a television chef when she finds herself a young, single mother.

A Court of Thorns and Roses leads the YA category again this year!.  A Court of Thorns and Roses is the first in the series by Sarah J. Maas, which follows the story of Feyre (a young huntress) and how her life changes when she is imprisoned in the kingdom of her enemy, much to her shock and despair. Thus begins the love/hate type relationship between the two main characters, Feyre and Tamlin.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets once again takes the number one spot in the Children's category. Harry Potter books remain as popular as they were when first released in 1997! Harry Potter, is a boy who learns on his 11th birthday that he is the orphaned son of two powerful wizards and possesses unique magical powers of his own. He is summoned from his life as an unwanted child to become a student at Hogwarts, an English boarding school for wizards. There, he meets several friends who become his closest allies and help him discover the truth about his parents' mysterious deaths. 

Keep scrolling for the top 10 spots in all three categories and links to reserve or check out a digital copy of any of these chart-topping books. If you'd like to place a hold for a physical copy of the books to pick-up in branch search our Classic Catalog HERE.

We look forward to seeing what books make it to the top in 2024! Happy New Year and keep reading, Charleston!