ST. LOUIS – From page-turners to classics, libraries around the St. Louis region offer plenty of books for readers of all ages and interests.

Some may enjoy fictional works with massive plot twists. Others may enjoy autobiographies or firsthand accounts of historical events. Wherever your preferences may fall, there’s a healthy mix of both trending among the top checkouts at local libraries.

What are the most-borrowed books from St. Louis-area libraries?

Inspired by our Nexstar sister station in Denver , FOX learned of the top titles from 2023 in St. Louis County, St. Charles County and Jefferson County, in addition to the top authors from last year in the City of St. Louis.

St. Louis County Library

The Top 5 books checked out in 2023…

1. “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus (Pub. 2022)
2. “Happy Place” by Emily Henry (2023)
3. “It Starts with Us” by Colleen Hoover (2022)
4. “Spare” by Prince Harry (2023)
5. “The Paris Apartment” by Lucy Foley (2022)

St. Charles City-County Library

The Top 10 fictional books checked out in 2023…

1. “It Starts with Us” by Colleen Hoover (2022)
2. “The Last Thing He Told Me” by Laura Dave (2021)
3. “Verity” by Colleen Hoover (2018)
4. “The Boys From Biloxi: A Legal Thriller” by John Grisham (2022)
5. “Sparring Partners: Novellas” by John Grisham (2022)
6. “It Ends with Us” by Colleen Hoover (2016)
7. “The Hotel Nantucket” by Elin Hilderbrand (2022)
8. “Desert Star” by Michael Connelly (2022)
9. “No Plan B: A Jack Reacher Novel” by Andrew Grant and Lee Child (2022)
10. “Mad Honey: A Novel” by Jennifer Finney Boylan and Jodi Picoult (2022)

The Top 5 audiobooks checked out in 2023…

1. “Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros” (2023)
2. “Spare” by Prince Harry (2023)
3. “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas (2015)
4. “Happy Place” by Emily Henry (2023)
5. “A Court of Mist and Fury” by Sarah J. Maas (2016)

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Daily News

Jefferson County Library

The Top 10 adult fictional books checked out in 2023…

1. “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens (2018)
2. “The Last Thing He Told Me” by Laura Dave (2021)
3. “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie (1939)
4. “All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr (2014)
5. “The Hotel Nantucket” by Elin Hilderbrand (2022)
6. “The Paris Apartment” by Lucy Foley (2022)
7. “The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig (2020)
8. “The Girl Who Survived” by Lisa Jackson (2022)
9. “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper E. Lee (1960)
10. “28 Summers” by Elin Hilderbrand (2020)

The Top 5 non-fictional books checked out in 2023…

1. “Spare” by Prince Harry (2022)
2. “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI” by David Grann (2017)
3. “The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy!” by Ree Drummond (2021)
4. “The Power of Now: A Guide To Spiritual Enlightenment” by Eckhart Tolle (1997)
5. “The Glass Castle: A Memoir” by Jeannette Walls (2023)

St. Louis Public Library

The Top 10 authors checked out in the summer of 2023…

1. James Patterson
2. Sandra Boynton
3. Eric Carle
4. Danielle Steel
5. Shari Lapena
6. Ruth Ware
7. Dean Koontz
8. Elin Hilderbrand
9. S.A. Cosby
10. Colson Whitehead

Checkout trends

Colleen Hoover and Elin Hilderbrand were two of the more popular authors in terms of library checkouts in the St. Louis region last year.

Prince Harry’s “Spare” was widely considered the top non-fiction checkout at regional libraries last year.

“Lessons in Chemistry,” “It Ends with Us, “Fourth Wing” and “Happy Place” were all among New York Times Best Sellers books at certain points last year.

Overall, the findings show that bookworms in the St. Louis area enjoy selections that are widely popular, both over the last few years and with timeless titles.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.