Famous authors, books made into TV shows: Sturgis Library's 10 most borrowed books of 2023

Curious about what the neighbors were reading most last year, we asked officials at Sturgis Library in Barnstable to share the 10 most borrowed books of 2023.

True, Sturgis is a small library with 55 people borrowing its top-circulated book, "Lessons in Chemistry," but it is also a historical gem near the center of Cape Cod. At 3090 Main St., the library is in what was built as the house of Rev. John Lothropp in 1644 and lays claim to being the oldest building in America to house a public library.

If you are looking for something to read in 2024, below is a list of Sturgis' most borrowed and renewed books, along with a brief description of each.

Book-banning on Cape Cod

With the constitutionality of book bans in the news and recently before the U.S. Supreme Court, we asked Sturgis Library Director Lucy Loomis if any of the 10 most popular books from last year were the subject of bans.

Loomis said Sturgis had received attempts to have some books banned − though not the ones on this list − but the requests came from people in other states.

In response, Sturgis was one of the Cape Cod libraries that last year met with the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and adopted a policy which sets out requirements for changes in its collection policy, including one saying only local residents can request a book be banned.

"While none of these books have been challenged locally as far as I know, the book “Horse” by Geraldine Brooks got some negative commentary for her portrayal of the Black characters in the story,” Loomis emailed, referring to an article in “The Atlantic” magazine.

The New York Times’ review of the book by Pulitzer Prize-winning Brooks of Martha's Vineyard also addressed the issue of race in her work.

'Lessons in Chemistry' by Bonnie Garmus

Follows the fictional life of 1960s chemist Elizabeth Zott, who gets little respect for her work until she takes the helm of a popular cooking show. The novel was turned into an eight-episode miniseries, starring Brie Larson, for Apple TV that aired from October through November 2023.

'The Personal Librarian' by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

This work of historical fiction tells the story of J.P. Morgan’s personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene, who was hired to curate rare manuscripts and other materials for Morgan’s Pierpont Morgan Library. Greene becomes a powerhouse of New York City society but struggles as racism forces her to hide her heritage as a Black American and pass as white.

'Demon Copperhead' by Barbara Kingsolver

“A masterful recasting of ‘David Copperfield,’ narrated by an Appalachian boy whose wise, unwavering voice relates his encounters with poverty, addiction, institutional failures and moral collapse – and his efforts to conquer them,” is how The Pulitzer Prize website describes Kingsolver’s book, which won for American literature last year. On her own website, Kingsolver acknowledges how Charles Dickens’ moral anger and compassion in “David Copperfield” was an inspiration as she created her copper-haired narrator.

'Hello Beautiful' by Ann Napolitano

From the author of “Dear Edward” comes a novel about a family that deals with navigating tragedy, both in William Waters growing up, and later in the life a spirited young woman is planning to share with him. According to the author’s website, “Hello Beautiful” “is a gorgeous, profoundly moving portrait of what’s possible when we choose to love someone not in spite of who they are, but because of it.”

'The Mountains Sing' by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

The author’s website describes the plot, saying “'The Mountains Sing' tells an enveloping, multigenerational tale of the Trần family, set against the backdrop of the Việt Nam War. Trần Diệu Lan, born in 1920, was forced to flee her family farm with her six children during the Land Reform. Years later in Hà Nội, her young granddaughter, Hương, comes of age as her parents and uncles fight in a war that tears not just her beloved country, but her family apart.” This is Nguyen’s debut novel and the first book she has written in English.

'The Dovekeepers' by Alice Hoffman

Set in ancient Israel, “The Dovekeepers” is based on the story of 900 Jews who held out against the Roman armies at Masada in the Judean desert for months in the year 70. Only two women and five children survived. “Based on this tragic and iconic event, Hoffman weaves a spellbinding tale of four extraordinary bold, resourceful and sensuous women, each of whom comes to Masada by a different path,” according to Hoffman’s website, which also says the novel is her most ambitious and took five years to write.

'Horse' by Geraldine Brooks  

At the novel’s center is 19th century racehorse and sire Lexington, a horse so great that a century later researchers are studying his bones in hopes of discovering what made him and his line so amazing.  In a story that spans 1850 Kentucky to 2019 Washington, D.C., Brooks explores the legacy of a horse. “Horse” won first prize in the 17th annual Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award.

'The Boys From Biloxi' by John Grisham

John Grisham’s 25th book returns to Mississippi where he grew up, graduated in 1977 from the University of Mississippi and set several previous legal thrillers. “The Boys From Biloxi” is a sweeping saga that covers the childhood friendship of its two main characters, how they end up on opposite sides of the law and the legal battle that ensues.

'The Plot' by Jean Hanff Korelitz

In an interview with Jimmy Fallon, the author described the plot of “The Plot” as the story of a failed writer who was teaching a creative writing course when a cocky student said he had a great plot that would make him famous. The teacher has to agree it’s a good plot and when the student dies, the teacher steals the idea. “He gets famous but he can't enjoy it, because he’s so worried someone will come out of the woodwork and accuse him, and then someone does,” Korelitz said in the interview. She is the author of “You Should Have Known,” which became an HBO mini series called “The Undoing.”

'The Marriage Portrait,' by Maggie O'Farrell

“The author of award-winning ‘Hamnet’ brings the world of Renaissance Italy to jewel-bright life in this unforgettable fictional portrait of the captivating young duchess Lucrezia de’ Medici as she makes her way in a troubled court,” according to publisher Penguin Random House. Irish writer O’Farrell, who explores Shakespeare’s world in “Hamnet,” has also authored nonfiction in “I Am, I Am, I Am,” the story of her 17 close brushes with death.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Top 10 most borrowed books of 2023 at Sturgis Library in Barnstable