CPL’s Most Popular Books of 2022

What books were most popular at Chicago Public Library during 2022? We've published the lists for adult fiction and nonfiction, teen books and kids books based on checkouts and hold requests. As usual, recent bestsellers chart highest. Let's take a look at some of the newer titles that broke through into the ranks of our most popular books.

Adults

Fiction

The 2022 titles on the most popular adult fiction list include Emily Henry's aptly-named Book Lovers, a romantic comedy about a literary agent and a book editor, and Charmaine Wilkerson's Black Cake, a family saga that involves a recipe for a traditional Caribbean cake. Both made our list of the best books of the year, as did The Candy House by Jennifer Egan and Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, which also charted here. 

2022 was also a big year for word-of-mouth sensation Colleen Hoover, who charted with three of her many books here, including a 2022 release, Reminders of Him, a romance about an ex-convict making amends. 

View the full list of the most popular adult fiction.

Nonfiction

The highest-ranking book on our most popular adult nonfiction list is our most recent One Book, One Chicago selection, Art Spiegelman's classic graphic novel Maus, a dazzling memoir about family and the Holocaust. Thank you, as always, for joining us for this special community-wide program.

As for 2022 publications that charted, they include memoirs from a pair of acting celebrities: I'm Glad My Mom Died, a memoir of abuse and addiction from former child star Jennette McCurdy, and Finding Me, an acclaimed memoir from the accomplished and celebrated Viola Davis about overcoming poverty and other challenges along the way to finding stardom and success.

View the full list of the most popular adult nonfiction.

Teens

The list of most popular books for teens was dominated by the Heartstopper book series that was adapted into the sweet and tender TV sensation of the same name. Interest in the series also led to significant interest in another book from author Alice Oseman, Loveless, which we named one of the best of the year.

Other entries on the chart included the Spy X Family series and Malinda Lo's novel Last Night at the Telegraph Club, which won the National Book Award and ranked among our best teen books of 2021.

View the full list of the most popular books for teens.

Kids

The most popular books for kids list is a testament to the continued success, year after year, of a few beloved authors: Jerry Craft, Jeff Kinney, Dav Pilkey, Raina Telgemeier and Mo Willems.

The most recent titles on the list are from 2021, starting with another literature-spoofing title in Pilkey's Dog Man series, Dog Man: Mothering Heights. Who can resist a good pun?

View the full list of the most popular books for kids.

More Recommendations

Explore 2021's most popular books for comparison. And keep up with our latest popular trends all year round with our lists of the most popular books of the previous month. 

Popularity isn't everything, of course. Visit and be sure to bookmark our Books, Teens and Kids pages for expert staff picks, blogs and lists all year long. Check out our picks for the best titles of 2022. And sign up for our email newsletters to have our reading suggestions delivered right to your inbox.