Curious about what your fellow library users in Pittsburgh are reading? I am!
Paired with each top title, I suggest a way to find similar reads.
If you haven’t read one of the top titles, jump in! And, if you have read them all, hopefully you can find a satisfying suggestion in this list.
Interested in comparing last year to this year? In 2019, the top eBook borrow with 1,171 circulations was “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens. The autobiography “Becoming” by Michelle Obama saw 1,023 borrows in 2019, and is ever popular, with over 100 print copies checked out at the time of this writing!
In third place in 2019, the historical fiction “A Dangerous Act of Kindness” by L.P. Fergusson had 914 borrows. In 2020, the top borrows show a shift in readership to confront systemic racism, but the need for pleasure reading holds strong as “Crawdads” remains in the top ranks.
1.“White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism” by Robin DiAngelo (2,811 digital borrows)
This title explores the counterproductive reactions white people have when their assumptions about race are challenged, and how these reactions maintain racial inequality. You can check out this title as a print book, as an eAudio on OverDrive/Libby or as an eBook on OverDrive/Libby.
If you are motivated to learn more after reading “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism,” try out a nonfiction book on this list of Staff Picks.
2. “How to Be an Antiracist” by Ibram X. Kendi (2,011 digital borrows)
Kendi takes readers through a widening circle of antiracist ideas–from the most basic concepts to visionary possibilities–that will help readers see all forms of racism clearly, understand their poisonous consequences, and work to oppose them in our systems and in ourselves. You can check out this title as a print book, as an eAudio on OverDrive/Libby or as an eBook on OverDrive/Libby.
If you found “How to Be an Antiracist” and “White Fragility” thought-provoking and want to read about race and social justice in fiction format, try a title from this Staff Pick of fiction titles.
3. “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens (1,615 borrows)
An exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. You can check out this title as a print book, as an eAudio on OverDrive/Libby or as an eBook on OverDrive/Libby.
If you enjoyed “Where the Crawdads Sing,” try out similar titles from this Staff Pick.
If you are new to our eResources, check out these tutorial videos on how to get started. If you have any additional questions, you can contact a librarian through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. You can also call us at 412-622-3114 or email us at info@carnegielibrary.org.