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Minnesota Libraries
Most-Borrowed Books

We asked Minnesota public libraries for their top-circulating titles. Here are the most-checked-out adult and teen books around the state.
ANOKA COUNTY
data for 2008-2010
Adult
1. Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich
2. Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich
3. Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich

DAKOTA COUNTY
data for 2003-2010
Adult
1. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Juvenile
1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

DULUTH
data for 1999-2010
Adult
1. Duluth: An Illustrated History of the Zenith City by Glen N. Sandvik
2. Duluth: Sketches of the Past edited by Ryck Lydecker, Lawrence J. Sommer & Arthur Larsen
3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

HENNEPIN COUNTY
data for 2010
Adult
1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
2. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
3. Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich
Juvenile
1. The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

GREAT RIVER REGIONAL LIBRARY
(BENTON, MORRISON, SHERBURNE, STEARNS, TODD and WRIGHT COUNTIES)
data for 2004-2010
Adult
1. True Believer by Nicholas Sparks
2. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
3. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
Juvenile
1. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
2. Summer of the Sea Serpent by Mary Pope Osborne
3. Haunted Castle on Hallows Eve by Mary Pope Osborne

RAMSEY COUNTY
data for 1985-2010
Adult
1. Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
2. For My Daughters by Barbara Delinsky
3. The Last Resort by Dan Binchy
Juvenile
1. Knights of the Kitchen Table by Jon Scieszka
2. Arthur's Mystery Envelope by Marc Brown
3. The Not-So-Jolly Roger by Jon Scieszka

SAINT PAUL
data for 1999-2010
Adult
1. Saint Paul: The First 150 Years by Virginia Brainard Kunz
2. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman
3. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

SCOTT COUNTY
data for 2010
Adult
1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
2. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
3. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Juvenile
1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

WASHINGTON COUNTY
data for 2004-2010
Adult
1. While My Pretty One Sleeps by Mary Higgins Clark
2. Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer
3. Bitter Sweet by LaVyrle Spencer

 

Book Club Club

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    Candace Simar of Pequot Lakes loves writing about Minnesota history

    By MinnPost Staff | Published Thu, Feb 18 2010 8:14 am

    Candace Simar travels from Pequot Lakes to talk with book clubs about her historical fiction. You can meet her at the Book Club Blast.

    MinnPost: Tell us about your recent book release.

    Candace Simar: Minnesota history is one of my favorite things.

    All my life I’ve daydreamed about the earliest days of Minnesota, wondered how historical events impacted ordinary people’s lives, and imagined characters and stories.

    My debut historical novel, “Abercrombie Trail” (North Star Press), tells the story of Scandinavian immigrants caught in the tumultuous times of the 1862 Sioux Uprising.    

    MP: Which writers or works have been the strongest influences on your own writing?

    CS: My favorite authors are Annie Proulx, Cormac McCarthy, Jonis Agee, Larry McMurtry, Janice Holt Giles and Leon Uris. 

    I like books with surprising characters and stories that aren’t predictable, formulaic, or overly sentimental.

    I like books where research is woven seamlessly into the story. All the better if I learn something new by reading it.

    MP:  What do you love most about living in Minnesota?

    CS: My roots sink deep into the black soil of Minnesota.

    As the great-grandchild of immigrants, I have a definite feeling that I am fulfilling my ancestors' dreams. Many family stories wiggle into my writing. 

    Born and raised on a dairy farm in Otter Tail County, I attended nursing school in St. Paul, and have lived my entire adult life in Pequot Lakes in the midst of the beautiful pines.

    Book Club Posts | Thu, Feb 18 2010 8:14 am | Comment

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    minnpost.com/bookclubclub

    MinnPost's Book Club Club (BCC) is a club made up of existing Minnesota book clubs — a community of engaged readers and writers. Book clubs of all sizes, themes and types that meet anywhere in the state are welcome to join. Membership is free. Minnesotans who like to talk about books in less-formal settings — at home or work, in coffee shops or online — can become BCC members by signing up for the free BCC email newsletter. All contact information shared with MinnPost is kept confidential.

    The registration widget for clubs, and newsletter sign-up widget for individuals, are below. E-mail us with any questions: BookClubClub@MinnPost.com