Press Release
1st February 2013
Shetland Library reveals most borrowed books of 2012
Shetland Library has announced the most borrowed books of 2012 including – for the fifth year running – three by popular adult fiction author Ann Cleeves who takes the top three spots. Her Shetland novels weren’t the only ones to make the top ten; Silent Voices, one of her Vera Stanhope books, is at number 3.
This is followed with a debut novel by Amanda Hodgkinson, 22 Britannia Road, at number 4.
Library Manager, Karen Fraser, says: “It is unusual for a debut novel to come in so high up on our list but its position has definitely been boosted by the fact that it has been a popular choice with book groups. 22 Britannia Road is in our ‘Book Group Bonanza’ collection and is available in multiple copies.
“As always, local publications feature very strongly. Soonds o' Shetlan' publication Lowrie went straight to the top of the adult talking books chart, despite only being launched a month before the end of 2012. This is because we were gifted 60 copies by Soonds o' Shetlan', so there are plenty of copies for everyone to get it quickly.
“We’ve seen a lot of significant new local publications in the Shetland lending list this year. Top spot goes to Martin Smith's Hoswick Man, very closely followed by Bjarnhild Tulloch's memoir of wartime Norway, Terror in the Arctic.
“The adult non-fiction list is topped by the ever-popular Guinness World Records, though many of the loans are probably to children. Conversely, the top children's talking books are the Harry Potter novels, but many of the borrowers are likely to be adults!”
Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid books take the first six top places in the children's fiction list. This dominance does not surprise Young People's Services Librarian, Morag Nicolson, who says: “The books are hugely popular in schools, well promoted on TV and film, and they featured as favourites in the 2012 Summer Reading Scheme.
“Michael Morpurgo's War Horse was also popular, as it was made into a film and is a favourite class reader in schools. Both these authors are equally popular with boys and girls. Film tie-ins such as Twilight and The Hunger Games are popular with young adult readers and it's very encouraging to see them wanting to read the book as well as see the film.”
In other categories, Julia Donaldson is the most borrowed author of picture books for younger readers, Queen are top of the pops in the CD collection with their Absolute Greatest hits, and Norwegian is the most-favoured language learning pack.
Finally, the users of the library's newest category of stock – ebooks, which were launched in July, seem to favour the ever popular Nordic crime authors, and S. J. Bolton's Shetland-based novel, Sacrifice continues to be popular, both in ebook and traditional form. S.J. Bolton was one of the Library's visiting authors last year.
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