New York City’s Three Public Library Systems Reveal Most Checked Out Books of 2025
The New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library share the top checkouts across all five boroughs
James by Percival Everett was the most popular book in New York City
December 16, 2025—The New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library today announced a citywide list of the most borrowed books of 2025, combining data from all three library systems in five boroughs. They have also announced the top 10 most checked out titles from each library system for adults.
Across New York City’s three library systems, James by Percival Everett was the most checked-out title, followed by The God of the Woods by Liz Moore and Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros.
The full lists of the Top Checkouts of 2025 can be found at The New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library.
TOP 10 ADULT TITLES
Citywide:
- James by Percival Everett
- The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
- Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
- Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
- All Fours by Miranda July
- The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can't Stop Talking About by Mel Robbins
- Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
- The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
- Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
- Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
The New York Public Library
Systemwide:
- James by Percival Everett
- The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
- All Fours by Miranda July
- The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can't Stop Talking About by Mel Robbins
- The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
- The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami
- Deep End by Ali Hazelwood
- The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
- Funny Story by Emily Henry
The Bronx
- The Crash by Freida McFadden
- The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
- The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can't Stop Talking About by Mel Robbins
- The Wedding People: A Novel by Alison Espach
- James by Percival Everett
- Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
- The House of Cross by James Patterson
- Paranoia by James Patterson
- Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
- The Waiting by Michael Connelly
Manhattan
- The Wedding People by Alison Espach
- The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
- Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
- James by Percival Everett
- Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
- The Women by Kristin Hannah
- All Fours by Miranda July
- The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
- Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
- Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Staten Island
- The Crash by Freida McFadden
- The Women by Kristin Hannah
- The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
- The Wedding People by Alison Espach
- The Tenant by Freida McFadden
- Never Say Never by Danielle Steel
- Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
- The Waiting by Michael Connelly
- Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
- The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can't Stop Talking About by Mel Robbins
Brooklyn Public Library
- Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
- The Women by Kristin Hannah
- The Wedding People by Alison Espach
- Happy Place by Emily Henry
- Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
- All Fours by Miranda July
- James by Percival Everett
- Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
- The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
- The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Queens Public Library
- Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
- Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
- Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
- Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
- Babel, Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution by R.F. Kuang
- Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingslover
- The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
- The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose
- Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
- The Tenant by Freida McFadden
“Our much-anticipated top checkout lists are a testament to the universal joy of reading, and are one of the most direct mirrors we can hold to the books that most capture the imagination of New Yorkers every year. It’s especially fun to see the mix of titles that rose to the top this year. Readers gravitated to a wide range of books, from literary fiction like James by Percival Everett and All Fours by Miranda July, to genre favorites spanning romance, romantasy, thrillers, and mystery,” said Brian Bannon, Chief Librarian and Merryl and James Tisch Director of Branch Libraries and Education at The New York Public Library.
“Against the backdrop of a record number of book bans across the country, it’s powerful to see New Yorkers continuing to read books from every point of view,” said Edwin Maxwell, Chief Librarian, Brooklyn Public Library. “Reading helps build empathy and invites dialogue–qualities that have never been more important than now.”
“It’s exciting to see women authors once again dominating our top-circulating titles,” said Queens Public Library Chief Librarian Nick Buron. “In recent years, traditional bestsellers and established authors have been losing their market share as newer voices increasingly connect with readers through social media. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver saw a significant surge following its Pulitzer Prize win, while platforms like BookTok continue to drive strong demand for authors such as Rebecca Yarros, R.F. Kuang, Freida McFadden, and Jeneva Rose. Our top checkouts reflect readers’ enthusiasm for both popular fiction genres and critically acclaimed literary works, and we’re also seeing a clear trend of readers discovering an author and then diving into their full body of work, particularly with McFadden, Yarros, and Kuang.”
In addition to the city-wide and system-specific lists for adults, The New York Public Library has published its top checkouts for teens and young adults here. Queens Public Library has published its top checkouts for Children and Young Adults, as well as Most Popular Books by Location, Most Popular International Books, and Most Popular Songs, EMagazines, and Videos.
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. Providing innovative library service for over 125 years, we 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 are a global leader in the fight for the freedom to read through our Books Unbanned initiative, offering teens across the US access to the library’s online catalog. 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 in the nation’s largest public housing complex, five teen centers, five bookmobiles, and two book bicycles.
Media contacts:
NYPL: Lizzie Tribone, lizzietribone@nypl.org
BPL: Fritzi Bodenheimer, fbodenheimer@bklynlibrary.org
QPL: Elisabeth de Bourbon, edebourbon@queenslibrary.org