2021 is over, so let's take a look at which books were most popular with Charlotte Mecklenburg Library readers this year. We pulled circulation data for our adult fiction (both print and digital), adult nonfiction, young adult fiction, juvenile fiction and graphic novels.

A few listings stood out this year:

• For the first time in a while, no novel returned to the top ten fiction list that appeared there the previous year. 
• Digital usage dominated the list this year. The top print adult novel circulated wouldn’t even have made the digital list. The top adult print nonfiction book would have been #10 on the digital list. 
• Last year, Michelle Obama’s memoir Becoming was the #1 nonfiction title.  This year, President Obama’s memoir A Promised Land comes in at #2.  However, President Obama’s memoir did top the audio list.
• Jeff Kenny, once again, dominated the print juvenile fiction list and Dav Pilkey cleaned up on the digital side.
• The top graphic novel, Sisters by Raina Telgemeier, circulated more than twice the number of times as the second place graphic novel. It was also the top Young Adult book of the year.

We hope you enjoy going through this year’s lists and be sure to visit your local library branch and our webpage and get started on reading the books for this year’s list.

Print Adult Fiction

• The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
• The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
• Win by Harlan Coben
• A Gambling Man by David Baldacci
• The Guest List by Lucey Foley
• The Red Book by James Patterson & David Ellis
• Eternal by Lisa Scottoline
• The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
• The Bounty: A Fox and O’Hare Novel by Janet Evanovich & Steve Hamilton​

Digital Adult Fiction

1. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
2. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
3. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
4. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
5. The Guest List by Lucy Foley
6. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by Victoria Schwab
7. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
8. In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
9. American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
10. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

Print Adult Nonfiction

1. Caste: The Origins of our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
2. A Promised Land by Barack Obama
3. The Premonition: A Pandemic Story by Michael Lewis
4. Peril by Bob Woodward & Robert Costa
5. Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
6. Untamed by Glennon Doyle
7. The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race by Walter Isaacson
8. I Alone Can Fix it: Donald J. Trump's Catastrophic Final Year by Carol Leonnig & Philip Rucker
9. Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at any Age by Sanjay Gupta, MD with Kristin Loberg
10. Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam Grant

Digital Adult Nonfiction

1. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb
2. Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder
3. Untamed by Glennon Doyle
4. A Promised Land by Barack Obama
5. Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
6. The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson
7. Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
8. Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
9. Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
10. The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson

Print Young Adult Fiction

1. Sisters by Raina Telgemeier
2. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
3. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
5. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
6. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
7. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
8. Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer
9. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
10. I'm Not Dying With You Tonight by Kimberly Jones & Gilly Segal

Digital Young Adult Fiction

1. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
2. Five Total Strangers by Natalie D. Richards
3. Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer
4. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
5. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
6. Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
7. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
8. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
9. I'm Not Dying with You Tonight by Kimberly Jones & Gilly Segal
10. Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

Fiction & Nonfiction Audio Books (Digital and Physical)

1. A Promised Land by Barack Obama
2. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
3. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
4. Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
5. The Guest List by Lucy Foley
6. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
7. Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know by Malcolm Gladwell
8. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
9. Becoming by Michelle Obama
10. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson

Graphic Novels (Young Adult & Adult)

1. Sisters by Raina Telgemeier
2. The boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy
3. My Hero Academia 1, Izuku Midoriya: Origin by Kohei Horikoshi
4. My Hero Academia 3, All Might by Kohei Horikoshi
5. My Hero Academia 2, Rage, You Damned Nerd by Kohei Horikoshi
6. My Hero Academia 24, All it Takes is One Bad Day by Kohei Horikoshi
7. My Hero Academia16, Red Riot by Kohei Horikoshi
8. The Lightning Thief: The Graphic Novel by Rick Riordan
9. My hero academia 25, Tomura Shigaraki Origin by Kohei Horikoshi
10. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

You might have noticed your holds aren’t arriving as quickly as you’re used to. Or those Halloween titles you requested for your children weren’t on the shelves until well into December! Due to unprecedented supply chain delays and worker shortages, some titles have been delayed or canceled altogether. Books are sitting in warehouses or container ships for months, waiting for workers to process them and ship them to us.

We apologize for the longer than usual wait times, which are unfortunately a common problem right now, but please know we’re working our hardest to make sure the books, DVDs, audiobooks, and other library materials you love are in your hands as soon as we’re able to get them to you. We appreciate your patience and look forward to returning to the timely service you’ve come to expect!

--

This blog was written by Bethany Pierce, librarian for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

What better place to fall in love than the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library? We don’t mean romantic love alone. All love is welcome here. Familial, platonic, volunteer, literary—you name it.

As an essential community connector, libraries are places where people fall in love with, and among, books – and we want to hear your story. Have you made a new a friend at a Library program or while serving as  a Library volunteer? Maybe a Library employee suggested to you a self-help book that changed the trajectory of your life and your love self. Or, maybe your dog helps shy readers conquer their fears of reading aloud each week through a Paws to Read program at your local library branch and inspiring literacy in children brings you joy.

That’s a whole lot of love to share.

This is your chance to let the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library know how we've helped you fall in love with financial literacy, locate your dream career or introduced you to a life-changing hobby. And, if really did brush hands with the love of your life while looking for a good read at the Library, we want to know about that too.

SHARE YOUR LIBRARY LOVE STORY by Friday, February 4, 2022.

*Collected stories will be lightly edited (punctuation, spelling, etc.) and used on the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library blog, social media platforms and in other areas where marketing the stories is deemed appropriate. Participation in this survey is voluntary and only first names will be used in public posts.

Thank you for sharing the love.

The Hickory Grove Branch Library is located on the Eastside of Charlotte, NC. This vibrant and eclectic neighborhood connects deeply with the immigrant community with everything from diverse restaurants and grocery stores to language immersion schools and of course, the library itself. The Hickory Grove Branch has a large world language collection for all ages with Spanish being the largest number of items represented in the collection. Additionally, ten other languages are represented including Vietnamese, Chinese, French, Japanese and Korean.

Within just a couple of miles from the library, this community has two Spanish language immersion education programs. Charlotte Bilingual Preschool for ages three through five has provided innovative solutions for preparing Spanish-speaking children for success in school by providing superior dual language, multi-cultural early childhood education. And they have been providing this educational service in the Hickory Grove neighborhood for over twenty-two years. In the other direction, located in the old Eastland Mall Parking lot, is the Charlotte East Language Academy for kindergarten through eighth grade.  The school was established in 2018 and is a Title I school.

The Hickory Grove neighborhood has several community organizations dedicated to helping newcomers settle into life here in the Queen City. OurBRIDGE for Kids is a nonprofit organization that supports the immigrant and refugee community in Charlotte by providing afterschool programming and other community-based initiatives. The Latin American Coalition is a community of Latin Americans, immigrants and allies that promotes full and equal participation of all people in the civic, economic, and cultural life of North Carolina through education, celebration and advocacy. Finally, the Simmons YMCA New American Welcome Center is designed to provide a combination of services and strategies to connect and enhance cross-cultural understanding. With a focus on language and education, employment, health and wellbeing, citizenship and civic engagement, and the Y helps empower immigrants to achieve their full potential.

East Charlotte is also home to the Charlotte History Museum. This museum features programs and exhibits that explore important civic themes and how their meaning has evolved over time, including ideals of liberty, freedom, equity, justice, democracy, and citizenship. The museum sits on an eight-acre wooded campus and it is also the site of the oldest surviving house in Mecklenburg County, the Rock House, which was built circa 1774 for the Hezekiah Alexander household. And if you need to grab a bite after a day at the museum, Antoine James, the Access Services Manager at Hickory Grove, highly recommends our area for its food and restaurants. His favorite? Why Not Pizza located right next door to Hickory Grove Library. They have everything from pizza and pasta, to subs and wings. It is a staff favorite for sure!

New to Charlotte? Explore other neighborhoods through the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library blog and WelcomeCLT, a digital space created for newcomers to Charlotte.

Resources:

• Hickory Grove Branch Library - 5935 Hickory Grove Rd, Charlotte, NC 28215 | 704-416-4400
• Charlotte Bilingual Preschool - 6300 Highland Ave, Charlotte, NC 28215 | 704-535-8080
• Charlotte History Museum - 3500 Shamrock Dr, Charlotte, NC 28215 | 704-568-1774
• Charlotte East Language Academy - 6108 Wilora Lake Rd, Charlotte, NC 28212 | 980-343-0380
• Latin American Coalition - 4938 Central Ave #1, Charlotte, NC 28205
• OurBRIDGE for Kids - 3925 Willard Farrow Dr, Charlotte, NC 28215 | 980-272-6022
• Why Not Pizza - 7008 E W.T. Harris Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28215 | 704-536-0891
• YMCA New American Welcome Center - 6824 Democracy Dr, Charlotte, NC 28212 | 704-716-6600

--

This blog written by Lonna Vines, children's librarian for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

This blog was written as part of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library's Black Lives Matter program initiative. Learn more about the program and corresponding events here.

In June 2020, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library made a statement that “systemic racism and inequity have no place in our Library as we stand up for equity, access, inclusion, diversity and democracy.” Library staff has been working to find ways to support our community by creating opportunities to learn and dialogue with one another through Library programs and resources.   

As part of the Library's commitment to Black Lives Matter programming, a new Storytime series, "i can Read Black Stories" launched on Saturday, January 2, 2021. The target audience for the weekly program is families with children between the ages 0-5. During Storytime diverse Library staff members read picture books that feature characters who are Black, African American or people of color. The stories, songs, and movement activities will support empathy and understanding of issues affecting the Black community and offer strategies to foster conversations on equity and inclusivity.

Some books like The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson or Ruth and the Green Book by Alexander Ramsey Calvin have historical overtones, while others like Baby Goes to Market by Atinuke and Sonya’s Family by Elliot Riley feature “everyday diversity.” Books to affirm and empower, like I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes and I Am Enough by Grace Byers are also shared often.

Why read Black stories? Educator Rudine Sims Bishop, professor emerita at The Ohio State University, devoted her career to multicultural literacy. In her seminal work, Mirrors, Window, and Sliding Glass Doors she writes, “When children cannot find themselves reflected in the books they read, or when the images they see are distorted, negative, or laughable, they learn a powerful lesson about how they are devalued in the society of which they are a part.”

Of the 3,717 children’s books published in the United States in 2019, only 1,094 of them were about Black, Indigenous and/or Persons of Color (BIPOC). Data on books by and about Black, Indigenous and People of Color published for children and teens is compiled by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Cooperative Children’s Book Center determines that a book is about characters of a specific ethnicity or racial identity if the main character is BIPOC or if a BIPOC character or real person is featured significantly in the book, even if the main character is white. If the main character is white and there are secondary characters of color who do not play a key role in the story, then a book is not considered to be about BIPOC.

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library celebrates Día during April. Día is a nationally recognized initiative that emphasizes the importance of literacy for all children from all backgrounds. It is a daily commitment to linking children and their families to diverse books, languages, and cultures. On Saturday, April 24 at 11 a.m., join the Children’s Services department for a special Día-themed I Can Read Black Stories program. The program which will be live streamed via the Facebook Page for ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center. It will celebrate Afro-Hispanic and Afro-Latino authors and illustrators and Afro-Hispanic and Afro-Latino characters. To watch live Storytime programs visit the ImaginOn's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ImaginOn/ and choose “LIVE” on the left-hand navigation list. There will be a red dot next to the word “LIVE” to indicate that Storytime is in session.

Learn more about the program here

Programs like Día and i can Read Black Stories help children to embrace diversity by accepting differences in others. Teaching children to accept differences when they are young helps them to have responsible, caring and positive social interactions when they are older. We hope that you will join us for these programs as we further our mission to improve lives and build a stronger community.

--

This blog was written by Alesha Lackey, children’s services manager at Allegra Westbrooks Regional Library.

Mecklenburg County 7 Recycling FAQs & Answers

On May 11, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library will host a FREE webinar to teach our patrons ages 12+ how to Recycle Right! Advanced registration is required to receive the participation link. Recycling resources will be shared with registrants before and after the program.

Register here

Library staff is organizing the event with two residential recycling educators. In preparation for the event we asked the public educators what they most need residents to understand. They didn’t hesitate to explain how materials need to be prepared correctly to be efficiently sorted at the recycling center. Here are their two critical requests:

• Do not bag recyclables! Plastic bags cause tremendous operational and financial challenges for our processing facility. No flexible plastic wraps, films, bags or packaging should ever be put in the recycling cart.
• Recyclables must be loose, clean, dry and empty! Recyclable items must be placed individually in the recycling cart, not in bags, for the separation equipment to function properly. Never put one type of recyclable inside of another (i.e. aluminum cans in a cardboard box.) All recyclables must be non-contaminated. This means every individual item must be clean, dry and empty, with no residue of the original contents (i.e. food.)

Following are the questions solid waste staff receive weekly*:

*Please note these are the recycling guidelines for Mecklenburg County, requirements may differ slightly in other counties.

1. What plastic items can I put in my residential curbside cart?

ONLY plastic bottles and jugs, with a pourable neck or spout that is smaller at the top than the base, are accepted. These are the only pure plastic types that we can sell on the recyclable materials commodity market. Labels do not need to be removed.

Examples include: Water and soda bottles of any colors, milk or juice jugs, laundry jugs, shampoo or lotion bottles (pumps should be removed and trashed first.)

Please note the following common household plastics are not accepted in Curbside Recycling:

Plastic bags/bubble wrap, produce clamshells, yogurt cups, dairy tubs, takeout food containers, styrofoam, zip pouches, vitamin and medication bottles, disposable utensils and plastic cups, buckets, storage containers, hoses.

1. What recycling symbol numbers (1, 2, 5, 7 etc.) are accepted locally?

None. See question FAQ #1 above listing the only plastics that are acceptable.

The RICs (resin identification codes) listed inside the chasing arrows triangle on the bottom of plastic packaging are, unfortunately, no longer reliable. Therefore, we do not use them anymore.

1. What do I do with lids and caps?

Never place loose lids or caps in the recycling cart. Loose lids and caps are small and fall through our machines and end up contaminating the glass that is collected. Glass mixed with plastic and metal caps (among other things) cannot be sold to processors as raw materials as it is considered contaminated – so keep the plastic caps on the bottles.

It is “ok” to leave securely attached plastic caps and lids on clean, dry and empty cartons, bottles, jugs and jars. Never try to recycle caps by themselves.

1. How much grease is tolerated to recycle pizza boxes?

Somewhere between a smidge and a tad; Yes that is an intentionally vague answer! Of course we prefer to only accept clean and dry cardboard to only process and sell by the ton the highest quality recyclables. We definitely do not want whole pieces of pizza or crust left in the box (yes it happens!) Cheese, sauce and crumbs are also contaminants. If ½ your box is clean, rip that part off to recycle and please trash anything with food or grease residue.

1. Are aluminum foil and pans (pie, lasagna, roasting) recyclable?

No. Our machines can only recognize and sort aluminum cans. Additionally, more often than not these common aluminum food storage items are contaminated with food. Remember we do not want food residue on anything.

1. How do I dispose of household batteries?

Rechargeable batteries must be disposed of properly because they contain hazardous elements such as lithium, nickel, and metal hydrides. Never place rechargeable batteries in your trash or recycling carts as they are the number one cause of fires at our facilities. Please take rechargeable batteries to the household hazardous waste station at one of our full service drop off centers.

Traditional alkaline batteries can be put in the trash to be sent to the landfill, because they do not contain any hazardous elements.

1. What types of glass can be recycled?

Similar to plastics (see FAQ #1), only glass bottles and jars typically used in your kitchen or bathroom are accepted. All colors of glass are accepted. Caps and lids can remain on, if securely attached, (see FAQ #3). Labels do not need to be removed.

We prefer separated glass be brought to our full service drop off centers and deposited into the large yellow dumpsters marked, “Clean Glass Only.”

Please note the following common household glass items are not accepted:

Dishes and glasses, pyrex/corning ware, vases, bulbs, picture frames, windows, aquariums, ceramics, porcelain, crystal.

To learn more and have all of your questions answered live, please register for an upcoming Recycle Right presentation. If you still have questions, email [email protected] or visit wipeoutwaste.com.

--

This blog was written by Maitri Meyer, residential waste reduction educator for Mecklenburg County.

Does the clutter in your home have you feeling stressed and overwhelmed? Does your home look out of control? An organized home helps you focus more, it relieves stress and saves you time. It improves your overall health.

Join us online as Joanna Clausen, Owner of NEST Organizing in Huntersville, NC, shares her tips and tricks for getting organized. Joanna is a mother of three and a professional organizer. She uses her passion for organization to help others take control of their home and stuff. Learn more about Joanna here.

To learn the NEST organization process for how to reset, declutter, sort, purge and clean:

May 4, 2021 at 7 p.m. Register here.

May 5, 2021 at 6 p.m. Register here

Make cooking meals easier by having a clean and ready-to-go kitchen. To learn techniques to organize your kitchen and pantry:

May 11, 2021, at 7 p.m. Register here.

May 12, 2021 at 6 p.m. Register here.

Turn your home office into a productive workspace. To declutter and sort your home office and papers:

May 18, 2021 at 7 p.m. Register here.

May 19, 2021 at 6 p.m. Register here.

Keep, donate, trash and shred. This is a personal journey. Let’s create organizational habits, reenergize your home and organize for success.