The end of 2021 is near, and with it comes the chance to reflect back on a year of reading. We've tallied the checkouts and looked through reading trends of the year to present some of the best and most popular titles of the year. Read on to see lists for adult fiction and nonfiction, teens, and children's titles.

Adult Fiction
In February 2021, Washington County Library moved our entire digital collection into the MELSA: Twin Cities Metro eLibrary. This shared collection among all Twin Cities public libraries offers increased access to a wider variety of digital titles than ever before! As a result, we have an exciting and diverse list of top adult fiction checkouts of the year:

Adult Nonfiction
Is anyone surprised that a book about living amidst chaos is one of our top nonfiction checkouts of the year? Other popular titles include award winners, books that inspired movies, and local writers on local foods.

Teens
Moving to a shared digital library has also benefitted our teen collections. This year's popular titles are inspired by movies, celebrity book clubs, and titles that have some crossover appeal for adult readers.

Children's Fiction and Nonfiction
We'd be remiss if we didn't note that our most popular children's books are always those that are part of series like Dog Man and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. To highlight some less well-known titles, we've skipped books for this year's top checkouts list.
Still looking for your next great read? Browse through our catalog to find a great book, or reach out to a Washington County librarian at your local branch to get their best recommendation for you. Happy reading!