What Washingtonians Read in 2023

Image

In 2023, more than 7 million items were borrowed, streamed or downloaded from the DC Public Library. This year, Washingtonians were interested in graphic novels and memoirs. Dav Pilkey's “Dog Man” and “Cat Kid Comic Club” occupied eight of the top ten fiction spots. Adults favored memoirs like Prince Harry's “Spare” and Jennette McCurdy's “I'm Glad My Mom Died." eBooks and eAudiobooks covered a range of genres, and streaming services like Kanopy attracted viewers to international films and children’s shows. Technology skill courses on LinkedIn Learning also saw significant engagement.

The top 10 titles in 2023 by format are as follows:

6. "Dog Man: Mothering Heights" by Dav Pilkey

7. "Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls" by Dav Pilkey

8. "Dog Man: Grime and Punishment" by Dav Pilkey

9. "Cat Kid Comic Club: Collaborations" by Dav Pilkey

10. "Cat Kid Comic Club: On Purpose" by Dav Pilkey

6. "The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma" by Bessel van der Kolk

7. "All About Love: New Visions" by bell hooks

8. "Cold War Correspondent" by Nathan Hale

9. "An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us" by Ed Yong

10. "Blades of Freedom" by Nathan Hale

6. "Romantic Comedy" by Curtis Sittenfeld

7. "I Have Some Questions for You" by Rebecca Makkai

8. "Book Lovers" by Emily Henry

9. "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" by Taylor Jenkins Reid

10. "Carrie Soto Is Back" by Taylor Jenkins Reid

6. "The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma" by Bessel van der Kolk

7. "All About Love: New Visions" by bell hooks

8. "An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us" by Ed Yong

9. "Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty" by Patrick Radden Keefe

10. "Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants" by Robin Wall Kimmerer

6. "Dog Man: Grime and Punishment" by Dav Pilkey

7. "Cat Kid Comic Club: Collaborations" by Dav Pilkey

8. "Cat Kid Comic Club: On Purpose" by Dav Pilkey

9. "Cat Kid Comic Club" by Dav Pilkey

10. "How Fast Is the Flash?" by Victoria Armstrong

6. "Whales: Diving into the Unknown" by Casey Zakroff

7. "Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas" by Jeanne Walker Harvey

8. "Sharks and Other Sea Monsters: Encyclopedia Prehistorica" by Robert Sabuda

9. "Birds of Prey: Terrifying Talons" by Joe Flood

10. "The Little Mermaid: A Pop-Up Adaptation of the Classic Fairy Tale" by Robert Sabuda

6. "Demon Copperhead" by Barbara Kingsolver

7. "Romantic Comedy" by Curtis Sittenfeld

8. "Pineapple Street" by Jenny Jackson

9. "Remarkably Bright Creatures" by Shelby Van Pelt

10. "One Italian Summer" by Rebecca Serle

6. "Born a Crime" by Trevor Noah

7. "Tastes Like War" by Grace M. Cho

8. "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

9. "How to Do Nothing" by Jenny Odell

10. "Atomic Habits" by James Clear

6."The Light We Carry" by Michelle Obama

7. "Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents" by Lindsay C. Gibson

8. "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

9. "Educated" by Tara Westover

10. "Atomic Habits" by James Clear