These Were the New York Public Library's Most Checked Books of 2016

"The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins is number one, followed by "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Many New York readers love a good psychological thriller, while others can't get enough of Beyonce, the Public Library's list of top check outs of 2016 reveals. 

While bestseller "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins reigned supreme as the most checked out book in the New York Public Library system this year, break it down to branch level and you'll find "Becoming Beyonce" by J. Randy Taraborrelli was the most popular book at Mott Haven in the Bronx. 

Overall, New Yorkers' reading habits this year showed a penchant for a gripping crime novel, an interest in the history of race relations in America and an enduring love for a good autobiography. 

While "The Girl on the Train" was the most checked out book systemwide, award-winning "Between the World and Me" by Ta-nehisi Coates came second. 

Coates' non-fiction book, described as a journey through America's history of race, was the 2015 National Book Award winner for non-fiction. 

Books by entertainers Mindy Kaling and Aziz Ansari also cracked the top 10. 

And not every borough had the same taste in literature. 

While "The Girl on the Train" made it on the Bronx's list of top checked books, "NYPD Red 4" by James Patterson took the top spot, as it did in Staten Island. 

Plus it appeared readers in the Bronx were also studying up -- the second most checked book for New York Public Library readers in that borough was "TASC: Test Assessing Secondary Completion: Strategies, Practice, & Review." 

See below for the top 10 check outs by area: 

Top 10 Books Systemwide 

1. "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins 

2. "Between the World and Me" by Ta-nehisi Coates 

3. "When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi 

4. "Go Set a Watchman" by Harper Lee 

5. "Why Not Me?" by Mindy Kaling 

6. "Modern Romance" by Aziz Ansari and Eric Klinenberg 

7. "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee 

8. "The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt 

9. "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr 

10. "The Nightingale" by Kristin Hannah 

Top 10 Books in the Bronx 

1. "NYPD Red 4" by James Patterson 

2. "TASC: Test Assessing Secondary Completion: Strategies, Practice, & Review" 

3. "Go Set a Watchman" by Harper Lee 

4. "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins 

5. "Private Paris" by James Patterson 

6. "Between the World and Me" by Ta-nehisi Coates 

7. "Killer Dolls" by Nisa Santiago 

8. "Undercover" by Danielle Steel 

9. "Precious Gifts" by Danielle Steel 

10. "Vengeance: A Novel" by Zane 


Top 10 Books in Manhattan 

1. "Between the World and Me" by Ta-nehisi Coates 

2. "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins 

3. "Go Set a Watchman" by Harper Lee 

4. "When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi 

5. "Modern Romance" by Aziz Ansari and Eric Klinenberg 

6. "The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing" by Marie Kond 

7. "M Train" by Patti Smith 

8. "NYPD Red 4" by James Patterson 

9. "Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End" by Atul Gawande 

10. "My Brilliant Friend Childhood, Adolescence Book 1" by Elena Ferrante 

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