These are books which are seeing a lot of interest but haven’t necessarily stayed atop bestseller lists for months and/or books with particular interest locally. The data looks at adult fiction, adult nonfiction, and young adult books (which includes fiction, nonfiction, and comics). Panorama Picks groups public libraries by coordinating American Bookseller Association (ABA) regions, which allows for a really neat way of exploring interest on a regional level. A book might be especially popular in California but less so in the Midwest, and looking at that data provides a real opportunity for local bookstores and libraries. A major goal is to help independent bookstores identify unique opportunities to reach the unmeet needs of local readers for these books. “We compile and publish Panorama Picks on a quarterly basis and we endeavor to promote our findings to local booksellers as well as to publishers and authors,” said Daniel Albohn, Panorama Project’s lead. Data for the books on these lists comes from anonymized ebook requests at libraries between April and July 2021, and books are narrowed down by their publication dates. All of the books published between April 2020 through December 2020, a nine-month window. As will be seen, some of the books included were published well before this time frame, but their ebooks became available in that window. In some cases, the ebook may be a new or updated edition. What makes Panorama Picks unique is that these books have notably longer wait lists for local library patrons, showcasing unmet demand. This is where both libraries and local booksellers come in: the opportunity to meet the demand unique to their region. The lists below showcase the most uniquely popular books in U.S. libraries, divided category and by ABA regions. The ABA regions are as follows, and yes, there are some overlapping states among them: California, Great Lakes (Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan), Hawaii, Midwest (Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin), Mountains and Plains (Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming), New Atlantic (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia), New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont), Pacific Northwest (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington), and Southeast (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia).
THE MOST UNIQUELY POPULAR BOOKS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES, April–July 2021
Here are the top 10 most uniquely popular books across the country, followed by the most uniquely popular books by region. The methodology behind Panorama Picks involves pulling the top ten national titles identified by holds and then regional lists are created, with those top ten titles removed from the final data. The top 50 titles within each region are identified, then sorted by the number of holds and number of those titles available (AKA: high demand books with a lower number of books available). Books without a print version, so ebook only titles, are pulled from the data. The remaining titles are sorted into a top 25. Using that methodology, these are the top 10 most popular books across the country, in order, followed by the most uniquely popular titles in each region. The full lists of 25 titles each are available on the Panorama Project website.
THE MOST UNIQUELY POPULAR ADULT FICTION TITLES (U.S.-WIDE)
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout — all 9 regions Piranesi by Susanna Clarke — all 9 regions The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi — all 9 regions Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow — 8 regions The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman — 8 regions Miss Bensen’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce — 7 regions Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon — 6 regions Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie — 6 regions
MOST POPULAR ADULT FICTION TITLES (CALIFORNIA)
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout Miss Bensen’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman Piranesi by Susanna Clarke The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson The Roommate by Rosie Danan Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
MOST POPULAR ADULT FICTION TITLES (GREAT LAKES—ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, OHIO, MICHIGAN)
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi Miss Bensen’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce Piranesi by Susanna Clarke Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie The Wrong Family by Tarryn Fisher The Orphan Collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
MOST POPULAR ADULT FICTION TITLES (HAWAII)
Even As We Breathe by Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle Ten Things I Hate About The Duke by Loretta Chase At Night All Blood Is Black by David Diop Local Hero by Nora Roberts The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout First Impressions by Nora Roberts The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs Daylight by David Baldacci Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
MOST POPULAR ADULT FICTION TITLES (MIDWEST—ILLINOIS, IOWA, KANSAS, MINNESOTA, NEBRASKA, NORTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, WISCONSIN)
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout Miss Bensen’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman Piranesi by Susanna Clarke Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia The Orphan Collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
MOST POPULAR ADULT FICTION TITLES (MOUNTAIN AND PLAINS—ARIZONA, COLORADO, KANSAS, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, NEW MEXICO, OKLAHOMA, SOUTH DAKOTA, TEXAS, UTAH, WYOMING)
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman Miss Bensen’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce Piranesi by Susanna Clarke The Orphan Collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon Rhythm of War–Book Four of the Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie
MOST POPULAR ADULT FICTION TITLES (NEW ATLANTIC—DELAWARE, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, MARYLAND, NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, PENNSYLVANIA, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA)
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman Miss Bensen’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce Piranesi by Susanna Clarke The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie The Wrong Family by Tarryn Fisher
MOST POPULAR ADULT FICTION TITLES (NEW ENGLAND—CONNECTICUT, MAINE, MASSACHUSETTS, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW YORK, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT)
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi Miss Bensen’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie The Once and Future Witches by Ariel Lawhon Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon Piranesi by Susanna Clarke Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
MOST POPULAR ADULT FICTION TITLES (PACIFIC NORTHWEST—ALASKA, IDAHO, MONTANA, OREGON, WASHINGTON)
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout Miss Bensen’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman Piranesi by Susanna Clarke Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
MOST POPULAR ADULT FICTION TITLES (SOUTHEAST—ALABAMA, ARKANSAS, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, KENTUCKY, LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, VIRGINIA)
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi Piranesi by Susanna Clarke Rhythm of War–Book Four of the Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow The Wrong Family by Tarryn Fisher Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
THE MOST UNIQUELY POPULAR ADULT NonFICTION TITLES (U.S.-WIDE)
Ed. Note: among the most popular titles across regions is a noted transphobic title.
Humankind by Rutger Bregman — all 9 regions Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole, M.S., R.D. — 8 regions The Gift by Edith Eva Eger — 7 regions The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel — 7 regions Ace by Angela Chen — 6 regions The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi — 5 regions Why Fish Don’t Exist by Lulu Miller — 5 regions
MOST POPULAR ADULT NonFICTION TITLES (CALIFORNIA)
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole, M.S., R.D. Polysecure by Jessica Fern Humankind by Rutger Bregman Becoming Bulletproof by Evy Poumpouras Ace by Angela Chen Why Fish Don’t Exist by Lulu Miller The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi The Gift by Edith Eva Eger Irreversible Damage by Abigail Shrier
MOST POPULAR ADULT NonFICTION TITLES (GREAT LAKES—ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, OHIO, MICHIGAN)
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel Murder of Innocence by James Patterson Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole, M.S., R.D. Becoming Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn Humankind by Rutger Bregman Irreversible Damage by Abigail Shrier What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon Ace by Angela Chen The Complete Plant-Based Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen The Gift by Edith Eva Eger
MOST POPULAR ADULT NonFICTION TITLES (HAWAII)
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel Our Time is Now by Stacey Abrams Forgiving What You Can’t Forget by Lysa TerKeurst Die With Zero by Bill Perkins The World by Richard Haass The Wim Hof Method by Wim Hof Koji Alchemy by Jeremy Umansky Wisdom from a Humble Jellyfish by Rani Shah Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho Humankind by Rutger Bregman
MOST POPULAR ADULT NonFICTION TITLES (MIDWEST—ILLINOIS, IOWA, KANSAS, MINNESOTA, NEBRASKA, NORTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, WISCONSIN)
Humankind by Rutger Bregman What We Carry by Maya Shanbhag Lang Limitless by Jim Kwik What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon Why Fish Don’t Exist by Lulu Miller The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi The Gift by Edith Eva Eger Ace by Angela Chen The Complete Plant-Based Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole, M.S., R.D.
MOST POPULAR ADULT NonFICTION TITLES (MOUNTAIN AND PLAINS—ARIZONA, COLORADO, KANSAS, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, NEW MEXICO, OKLAHOMA, SOUTH DAKOTA, TEXAS, UTAH, WYOMING)
Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole, M.S., R.D. The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel The Second Coming of the Lord by Gerald N. Lund More Than a Body by Lexie Kite Without the Mask by Charles Bird Humankind by Rutger Bregman The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl R. Trueman What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon Limitless by Jim Kwik Win the Day by Mark Batterson
MOST POPULAR ADULT NonFICTION TITLES (NEW ATLANTIC—DELAWARE, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, MARYLAND, NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, PENNSYLVANIA, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA)
Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole, M.S., R.D. The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel Why Didn’t You Just Do What You Were Told? by Jenny Diski Ace by Angela Chen Humankind by Rutger Bregman The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi The Last Kings of Shanghai by Jonathan Kaufman Why Fish Don’t Exist by Lulu Miller The Gift by Edith Eva Eger Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake
MOST POPULAR ADULT NonFICTION TITLES (NEW ENGLAND—CONNECTICUT, MAINE, MASSACHUSETTS, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW YORK, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT)
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel Why Didn’t You Just Do What You Were Told? by Jenny Diski Jesus and John Wayne by Kristin Kobes Du Mez Ace by Angela Chen Humankind by Rutger Bregman Fast. Feast. Repeat. by Gin Stephens The Last Kings of Shanghai by Jonathan Kaufman The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi The Gift by Edith Eva Eger Good Morning, Monster by Catherine Gildiner
MOST POPULAR ADULT NonFICTION TITLES (PACIFIC NORTHWEST—ALASKA, IDAHO, MONTANA, OREGON, WASHINGTON)
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel Polysecure by Jessica Fern Humankind by Rutger Bregman Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole, M.S., R.D. Lights Out by Thomas Gryta Plant Partners by Jessica Walliser What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon Why Fish Don’t Exist by Lulu Miller The Gift by Edith Eva Eger Fiber Fueled by Will Bulsiewicz, MD
MOST POPULAR ADULT NonFICTION TITLES (SOUTHEAST—ALABAMA, ARKANSAS, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, KENTUCKY, LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, VIRGINIA)
Ace by Angela Chen Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole, M.S., R.D. Why Fish Don’t Exist by Lulu Miller Irreversible Damage by Abigail Shrier Humankind by Rutger Bregman The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi The Gift by Edith Eva Eger Limitless by Jim Kwik The Daughters of Yalta by Catherine Grace Katz Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake
THE MOST UNIQUELY POPULAR Young Adult FICTION TITLES (U.S.-WIDE)
Note that manga is bundled in with YA, as you’ll see below.
The Lives of Saints by Leigh Bardugo — 8 regions How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black — 7 regions Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 12 by Koyoharu Gotouge — 5 regions Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 14 by Koyoharu Gotouge — 5 regions Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 16 by Koyoharu Gotouge — 5 regions Spy x Family, Volume 1 by Tatsuya Endo — 5 regions Spy x Family, Volume 2 by Tatsuya Endo — 5 regions Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon — 5 regions
MOST POPULAR Young ADULT FICTION TITLES (CALIFORNIA)
Throne of Glass eBook Bundle by Sarah J Maas The Lives of Saints by Leigh Bardugo Spy x Family, Volume 1 by Tatsuya Endo Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 16 by Koyoharu Gotouge Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 18 by Koyoharu Gotouge Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 17 by Koyoharu Gotouge Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 15 by Koyoharu Gotouge Spy x Family, Volume 2 by Tatsuya Endo Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 13 by Koyoharu Gotouge Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 12 by Koyoharu Gotouge
MOST POPULAR Young ADULT FICTION TITLES (GREAT LAKES—ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, OHIO, MICHIGAN)
The Selection Series 5-Book Collection by Kiera Cass The Lives of Saints by Leigh Bardugo How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black Heartstopper, Volume 2 by Alice Oseman Spy x Family, Volume 1 by Tatsuya Endo Crush by Tracy Wolff Teen Titans: Beast Boy by Kami Garcia My Hero Academia, Volume 24 by Kohei Horikoshi Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon My Hero Academia, Volume 25 by Kohei Horikoshi
MOST POPULAR Young ADULT FICTION TITLES (HAWAII)
Hawk by James Patterson A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown Spy x Family, Volume 1 by Tatsuya Endo Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 13 by Koyoharu Gotouge Skyhunter by Marie Lu Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 14 by Koyoharu Gotouge The Promised Neverland, Volume 17 by Kaiu Shirai The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen Spy x Family, Volume 2 by Tatsuya Endo
MOST POPULAR Young ADULT FICTION TITLES (MIDWEST—ILLINOIS, IOWA, KANSAS, MINNESOTA, NEBRASKA, NORTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, WISCONSIN)
Crush by Tracy Wolff The Lives of Saints by Leigh Bardugo How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 12 by Koyoharu Gotouge Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 16 by Koyoharu Gotouge Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 15 by Koyoharu Gotouge Rage and Ruin by Jennifer L. Armentrout Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 13 by Koyoharu Gotouge Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 14 by Koyoharu Gotouge
MOST POPULAR Young ADULT FICTION TITLES (MOUNTAIN AND PLAINS—ARIZONA, COLORADO, KANSAS, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, NEW MEXICO, OKLAHOMA, SOUTH DAKOTA, TEXAS, UTAH, WYOMING)
Throne of Glass eBook Bundle by Sarah J. Maas Heartstopper, Volume 2 by Alice Oseman How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black The Lives of Saints by Leigh Bardugo Spy x Family, Volume 1 by Tatsuya Endo Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 19 by Koyoharu Gotouge Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 18 by Koyoharu Gotouge Spy x Family, Volume 2 by Tatsuya Endo Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 17 by Koyoharu Gotouge Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 12 by Koyoharu Gotouge
MOST POPULAR Young ADULT FICTION TITLES (NEW ATLANTIC—DELAWARE, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, MARYLAND, NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, PENNSYLVANIA, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA)
Spy x Family, Volume 1 by Tatsuya Endo The Lives of Saints by Leigh Bardugo How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 19 by Koyoharu Gotouge Teen Titans: Beast Boy by Kami Garcia Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 15 by Koyoharu Gotouge Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 13 by Koyoharu Gotouge Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 16 by Koyoharu Gotouge Late to the Party by Kelly Quindlen
MOST POPULAR Young ADULT FICTION TITLES (NEW ENGLAND—CONNECTICUT, MAINE, MASSACHUSETTS, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW YORK, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT)
How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black The Lives of Saints by Leigh Bardugo Spy x Family, Volume 2 by Tatsuya Endo Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 15 by Koyoharu Gotouge Crush by Tracy Wolff Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 16 by Koyoharu Gotouge Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 19 by Koyoharu Gotouge Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 17 by Koyoharu Gotouge Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 18 by Koyoharu Gotouge
MOST POPULAR Young ADULT FICTION TITLES (PACIFIC NORTHWEST—ALASKA, IDAHO, MONTANA, OREGON, WASHINGTON)
The Lives of Saints by Leigh Bardugo Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 18 by Koyoharu Gotouge Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 16 by Koyoharu Gotouge Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 15 by Koyoharu Gotouge Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 13 by Koyoharu Gotouge Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 14 by Koyoharu Gotouge Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 17 by Koyoharu Gotouge Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 19 by Koyoharu Gotouge How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black Spy x Family, Volume 2 by Tatsuya Endo
MOST POPULAR Young ADULT FICTION TITLES (SOUTHEAST—ALABAMA, ARKANSAS, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, KENTUCKY, LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, VIRGINIA)
Crush by Tracy Wolff The Lives of Saints by Leigh Bardugo How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas Rage and Ruin by Jennifer L. Armentrout My Hero Academia, Volume 24 by Kohei Horikoshi The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen The Captive Kingdom by Jennifer A. Nielsen Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin
