As noted in the previous post, the Panorama Project looks at the books most frequently requested at libraries across the U.S. and breaks down the popularity by region. This snapshot is extremely intriguing, as it not only gives the top-down perspective of the current big books, but it also gives a more micro level look at which books are popular in specific areas of the country. It’s a neat means of seeing if some books are more popular in, say, the midwest than in the southeast, or in California as opposed to the northeast. More, these are under-the-radar books, rather than simply the best selling titles that land on every widely available list and publication. Panorama Picks acquires their information via aggregated and anonymous ebook borrower data and makes it freely available, with an interest in reaching the eyes of local booksellers who might be able to meet the demand of those patrons. Their criteria, as listed on their website, is as follows:
We create lists of the most in-demand titles in each category for eight regions around the country. We then identify and rank the adult/young-adult fiction and non-fiction titles published in the last 12 to 24 months. These are titles booksellers are likely to have in stock that in many cases aren’t enjoying significant sales. Next, we weed out well known bestsellers, book club selections and other heavily promoted titles.
They’re able to offer up a really nice range of titles, and, for readers, a new means of looking at what their neighbors are reading and maybe what they, too, might find interesting. (Note that, of course, this data is limited to ebook data, so it doesn’t take into account those without ereaders, those who don’t know or use library ebook services, or books which do not have an ebook format or are available to the library ebook market). Regions are defined by those used for independent bookstores across the U.S. I’ve started with looking at the books overall, then broken them out by region. These numbers look only at adult fiction, adult nonfiction, and young adult books (both fiction and nonfiction). Worth noting: it appears anything in the comic format, unless very obviously for adults, ends up in YA. So some of the titles in the top 10 across regions don’t exactly fit what YA more traditionally includes. But they’re interesting to see nonetheless.
The Most Popular Under-The-Radar Library Books, April–June 2019
The titles below are limited to ten at most, ranked by highest library popularity.
Adult Fiction
My Ex-Life by Stephen McCauley (6 lists) A Princess In Theory by Alyssa Cole (5 lists) This Could Change Everything by Jill Mansell (5 lists) Women In Sunlight by Frances Mayes(4 lists) Night Moves by Nora Roberts (4 lists) Send Down The Rain by Charles Martin(4 lists) Still Lives by Maria Hummel (4 lists) The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir (4 lists) The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson(4 lists) The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain (4 lists)
This is such a fascinating assortment of titles, with a pile more titles landing on three of the regional lists. The list includes romance—always a solid library genre—as well as books by established genre authors who focus on women’s reading interests like Mansell, Chamberlain, and Roberts. Looking at the titles is fun here, too: we have sunlight and rain, as well as both a book and a bookshop.
Adult Nonfiction
Keto Slow Cooker & One-Pot Meals by Martina Slajerova (5 lists) The Self-Driven Child by William Stixrud, PhD, Ned Johnson (4 lists) Crazy Love by Francis Chan (4 lists) How To Stop Feeling Like Sh*t by Andrea Owen (4 lists) In Shock by Rana Awdish (4 lists) Invested by Danielle Town, Phil Town (4 lists) Peak Performance by Brad Stulberg, Steve Magness (4 lists)
Not included above are the pile of books appearing on three lists across the regions. It’s not surprising that self-improvement, parenting, and books about health, food, and fitness top the list here. Titles that were on three lists included additional titles in these categories of nonfiction like Buttermilk Graffiti, You Do You, and Dr. Colbert’s Keto Zone, among others.
Young Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
Defy The Worlds by Claudia Gray (4 lists) Fatal Throne by MT Anderson (4 lists) Never Say Die by Anthony Horowitz (4 lists) The Fourth Closet by Scott Cawthon, Kira Breed-Wrisley (4 lists) Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao (3 lists) Ice Wolves by Amie Kaufman, Levente Szabo (3 lists) Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann (3 lists) Lies You Never Told Me by Jennifer Donaldson (3 lists) Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh (3 lists) The Freddy Files by Scott Cawthon (3 lists)
What I find most fascinating about the young adult lists are their spread of titles. While some books appear on half of the regional lists, most books within the lists see themselves only there or on one additional list. It seems as though the titles being borrowed within the YA category spanning fiction and nonfiction, as well as comics, allows for such a spread (that’s pure speculation, of course!). It could also be indicative of general regional trends for genre and format among younger readers.
The Most Popular Under-The-Radar Library Books by Region, April–June 2019
California
Adult Fiction
Before I Let You Go by Kelly Rimmer The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir Strange Dogs by James SA Corey The Book Club by Mary Alice Monroe Song of a Captive Bird by Jasmin Darznik Send Down the Rain by Charles Martin The Glass Room by Ann Cleeves Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions by Mario Giordano, John Brownjohn Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel In the Distance by Hernan Diaz
Adult Nonfiction
The Colorful Dry Garden by Maureen Gilmer The Years by Annie Ernaux, Alison L. Strayer It’s Not Always Depression by Hilary Jacobs Hendel, Diana Fosha The Fourth Trimester by Kimberly Ann Johnson Unfuck Your Brain by Faith Harper, PhD This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay Buttermilk Graffiti by Edward Lee The Baby-Led Weaning Family Cookbook by Tracey Murkett, Gill Rapley The Displaced by Viet Thanh Nguyen How to Be Single and Happy by Jennifer Taltz
Young Adult
Brazen by Pénélope Bagieu Lost Crow Conspiracy (Blood Rose Rebellion, Book 2) by Rosalyn Eves You Will Be Mine by Natasha Preston The Freddy Files by Scott Cawthon The Chaos of Standing Still by Jessica Brody The Handsome Girl & Her Beautiful Boy by BT Gottfried The Legend of Korra The Promised Neverland, Volume 1 by Kaiu Shirai, Posuka Demizu The Body by Stephen King Frat Girl by Kiley Roache
Great Lakes (Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan)
Adult Fiction
A Devil of a Duke by Madeline Hunter A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, Ginny Tapley Takemori Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake by Sarah Graves Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourne Pelican Point by Irene Hannon The One You Can’t Forget by Roni Loren Night Moves by Nora Roberts Three Days Missing by Kimberly Belle
Adult Nonfiction
My Morning Routine by Benjamin Spall, Michael Xander You Do You by Sarah Knight New Minimalism by Kyle Louise Quilici The Book of Why by Judea Pearl, Dana Mackenzie The Royal Art of Poison by Eleanor Herman Off the Clock by Lauren Vanderkam Finish by Jon Acuff Army of None by Paul Scharre Get Over It! by Iyanla Vanzant The Yes Brain by Daniel J. Siegel, Tina Payne Bryson
Young Adult
Most Wanted by Rae Carson The Summer of Broken Things by Margaret Peterson Haddix Never Say Die by Anthony Horowitz Dare Mighty Things by Heather Kaczynski Sparks of Light by Janet B. Taylor The Freddy Files by Scott Cawthon Lies You Never Told Me by Jennifer Donaldson August and Everything After by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski Haunting The Deep by Adriana Mather Fragments of the Lost by Megan Miranda
Hawaii
Adult Fiction
Harry’s Trees by Jon Cohen Vampire’s Faith by Rebecca Zanetti One and Only by Jennifer Holiday Dark Queen by Faith Hunter Nightblind by Ragnar Jonasson A Princess In Theory by Alyssa Cole Sleep Like a Baby by Charlaine Harris Watch Me Disappear by Janelle Brown Highland Promise by Alyson McLayne Down A Dark Road by Linda Castillo
Adult Nonfiction
Assume the Worst by Carl Hiaasen, Roz Chast Strong As a Mother by Kate Rope Complete Family Wealth by James E. Hughes, Jr., Susan E. Massenzio, Keith Whitaker Surviving and Thriving with an Invisible Chronic Illness by Ilana Jacqueline Logical Family by Armistad Maupin Rick Steves Iceland by Rick Steves Crazy Love by Francis Chan Food by Mark Hyman The Perfect Cookie by America’s Test Kitchen The Common Good by Robert B. Reich
Young Adult
All That Was by Karen Rivers In Her Skin by Kim Savage Now You See Her by Lisa Leighton, Laura Stropki One-Punch Man, Volume 13 by ONE, Yusuke Murata, ONE, Yusuke Murata One-Punch Man, Volume 12 by ONE, Yusuke Murata, ONE, Yusuke Murata All We Can Do Is Wait by Richard Lawson Crystal Blade by Kathryn Purdie The Boyfriend Bracket by Kate Evangelista Neanderthal Opens the Door To The Universe by Preston Norton Spinning by Tillie Walden
Midwest (Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin)
Adult Fiction
My Ex-Life by Stephen McCauley A Princess In Theory by Alyssa Cole A Summer In Sonoma by Robyn Carr The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain The Secret Book & Scone Society by Ellery Adams The Bookshop Of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson The Book of M by Peng Shepherd Still Lives by Maria Hummel The Room on Rue Amélie by Kristin Harmel Tin Man by Sarah Winman
Adult Nonfiction
The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi, Fumitake Koga What To Expect Before You’re Expecting by Heidi Murkoff, Sharon Mazel The Cadaver King and Country Dentist by Radley Balko, Tucker Carrington, John Grisham Building A StoryBrand by Donald Miller Resilient by Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Forrest Hanson Tip Of The Iceberg by Mark Adams Basic Witches by Jaya Saxena, Jess Zimmerman The Complete Make-Ahead Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen Keto Slow-Cooker and One-Pot Meals by Martina Slajerova Doing Harm by Maya Dusenbery
Young Adult
Little Monsters by Kara Thomas Fragments of the Lost by Megan Miranda Sovereign by April Daniels Amid Stars and Darkness by Chani Lynn Feener Fugitive Six by Pittacus Lore Immortal Reign by Morgan Rhodes Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco Ice Wolves by Amie Kaufman, Levente Szabo Reign Of The Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh Top Ten by Kate Cotugno
Mountains and Plains (Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming)
Adult
Blue Ridge Sunrise by Denise Hunter Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao The Armageddon File by Stephen Coonts Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke Send Down The Rain by Charlotte Martin Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi Survive The Night by Katie Ruggle An Inconvenient Beauty by Kristi Ann Hunter This Could Change Everything by Jill Mansell Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente
Adult Nonfiction
Fodor’s Essential Italy 2018 by Fodor’s Travel When Einstein Walked with Gödel by Jim Holt Dr. Colbert’s Keto Zone Diet by Don Colbert Basic Witches by Jaya Saxena, Jess Zimmerman Dare To Sketch by Felix Scheinberger The Self-Driven Child by William Stixrud, PhD, Ned Johnson Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together In The Cafeteria by Beverly Daniel Tatum A Life Less Throwaway by Tara Button Real Life Dinners by Rachel Hollis Ready or Not! by Michelle Tam, Henry Fong
Young Adult
In Some Other Life by Jessica Brody Piper by Jay Asher, Jessica Freeburg, Jeff Stokely Never Say Die by Anthony Horowitz The Surface Breaks by Louise O’Neill Life Inside My Mind edited by Jessica Burkhart Sightwitch by Susan Dennard Now A Major Motion Picture by Cori McCarthy All Out edited by Saundra Mitchell Frat Girl by Kiley Roache A Teen’s Guide to Getting Stuff Done by Jennifer Shannon, Doug Shannon
New Atlantic (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia)
Adult Fiction
The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur Iron and Magic by Ilona Andrews The Husband Hour by Jamie Brenner Red Clocks by Leni Zumas Everything Here Is Beautiful by Mira T. Lee The Broken Girls by Simone St. James The Western Star by Craig Johnson Women In Sunlight by Frances Mayes Night Moves by Nora Roberts
Adult Nonfiction
Rick Steves Paris 2018 by Rick Steves Baby-Led Feeding by Jenna Helwig Invested by Danielle Town, Phil Town Powerful by Patty McCord The Secret Lives of Colors by Kassia St Clair Keto Lunches by Stephanie Pedersen The Beginner’s Keto Diet Cookbook by Martina Slajerova Letters To The Church by Francis Chan Ask A Manager by Alison Green Rick Steves Italy 2018 by Rick Steves
Young Adult
Paper Hearts by Ali Novak The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis The Wicker King by K. Ancrum Never Say Die by Anthony Horowitz Invictus by Ryan Graudin The Fourth Closet by Scott Cawthon, Kira Breed-Wrisley Wolves and Roses by Christina Bauer The IF In Life by Rashad Jennings, Michael Strahan The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed I Stop Somewhere by TE Carter
New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont)
Adult Fiction
A Princess In Theory by Alyssa Cole Hellbent by Gregg Hurwitz Call Mr. Zebra by Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi Night Moves by Nora Roberts The Book Club by Mary Alice Monroe This Could Change Everything by Jill Mansell Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado My Ex-Life by Stephen McCauley The Summer List by Amy Mason Doan Provenance by Ann Leckie
Adult Nonfiction
New Minimalism by Kyle Louise Quilici The Secret Lives of Colors by Kassia St Clair Dr. Colbert’s Keto Zone Diet by Don Colbert The Bogleheads’ Guide to the Three-Fund Portfolio by Taylor Larimore, John C. Bogle The Third Door by Alex Banayan Unbeaten by Mike Stanton Would You Rather? by Katie Heaney Rick Steve’s Paris 2018 by Rick Steves Ayurveda by Sahara Rose Ketabi, Deepak Chopra How To Stop Feeling Like Sh*t by Andrea Owen
Young Adult
Onyx and Ivory by Mindee Arnett Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller Reflection by Elizabeth Lim Lies You Never Told by Jennifer Donaldson Now Is Everything by Amy Giles What You Left Me by Bridget Morrissey Defy The Worlds by Claudia Gray Kenzie’s Rules for Life by Mackenzie Ziegler, Maddie Ziegler Nothing Happened by Molly Booth Wolves and Roses by Christina Bauer
Pacific Northwest (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington)
Adult Fiction
The Hunger by Alma Katsu Crimson Lake by Candice Fox The Gray Ghost by Clive Cussler, Robin Burcell More Than Meets The Eye by Karen Witemeyer Mr. Flood’s Last Resort by Jess Kidd A Defense of Honor by Kristi Ann Hunter An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon Grey Sister by Mark Lawrence The Sparsholt Affair by Alan Hollinghurst This Could Change Everything by Jill Mansell
Adult Nonfiction
Modern Macrame by Emily Katz Brain Food by Lisa Mosconi PhD The Abundance of Less by Andy Couturier Ready or Not! by Michelle Tam, Henry Fong Algorithms of Oppression by Safiya Umoja Noble No More Mean Girls by Katie Hurley The Self-Love Experiment by Shannon Kaiser The Rational Bible by Dennis Prager The Green Witch by Arin Murphy-Hiscock The Million-Dollar, One-Person Business by Elaine Pofeldt
Young Adult
Take Me On by Katie McGarry Ink, Iron, and Glass by Gwendolyn Clare The Mond Virus by Donna Freitas Hope Nation by Rose Brock My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Volume 1 by Hideyuki Furuhashi, Betten Court The Wicker King by K. Ancrum Cross Fire by Fonda Lee Bright Burns The Night by Sara B. Larson Speak: The Graphic Novel by Laurie Halse Anderson and Emily Carroll Berserker by Emmy Laybourne
Southeast (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia)
Adult Fiction
Night Moves by Nora Roberts Survive The Night by Katie Ruggle Vampire’s Faith by Rebecca Zanetti The Address by Fiona Davis A Princess In Theory by Alyssa Cole Unbridled by Diana Palmer The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir As Bright As Heaven by Susan Meissner Hellbent by Gregg Hurwitz The Room on Rue Amélie by Kristin Harmel
Adult Nonfiction
Own the Day, Own Your Life by Aubrey Marcus The Financial Diet by Chelsea Fagan, Lauren Ver Hage You Do You by Sarah Knight Crazy Love by Francis Chen The Million-Dollar, One-Person Business by Elaine Pofeldt Real Life Dinners by Rachel Hollis Less by Rachel Aust Invested by Danielle Town, Phil Town This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay The Butchering Art by Lindsey Fitzharris
Young Adult
Lies You Never Told Me by Jennifer Donaldson A Conspiracy of Stars by Olivia A. Cole Satellite by Nick Lake Moonrise by Sarah Crossan The IF In Life by Rashad Jennings, Michael Strahan Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh Anger Is A Gift by Mark Oshiro I Hate Everyone But You by Gaby Dunn, Allison Raskin The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed Runaways by Christopher Golden
