The Hays Public Library recently released the top circulated nonfiction and fiction books for 2023.
Nonfiction
1. "SPARE" by PRINCE HARRY
"For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. A landmark publication, "Spare" is full of insight, revelation, self-examination and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief." — Hays Public Library
2. "I'M GLAD MY MOM DIED" by JENNETTE MCCURDY
"Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother's dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called "calorie restriction," eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, "Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn't tint hers?" She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income." — Hays Public Library
3. "KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON" by DAVID GRANN
"In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe.
"Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off. As the death toll surpassed more than twenty-four Osage, the newly created F.B.I. took up the case, in what became one of the organization's first major homicide investigations. An undercover team, including one of the only Native American agents in the bureau, infiltrated the region, struggling to adopt the latest modern techniques of detection to bring an end to the deadly crime spree. Together with the Osage they began to expose one of the most chilling conspiracies in American history." — Hays Public Library
4. "FRIENDS, LOVERS, AND THE BIG TERRIBLE THING" by MATTHEW PERRY
"In an extraordinary story that only he could tell — and in the heartfelt, hilarious, and warmly familiar way only he could tell it — Matthew Perry lays bare the fractured family that raised him (and also left him to his own devices), the desire for recognition that drove him to fame, and the void inside him that could not be filled even by his greatest dreams coming true. But he also details the peace he's found in sobriety and how he feels about the ubiquity of Friends, sharing stories about his castmates and other stars he met along the way." — Hays Public Library
5. "THE LIGHT WE CARRY" by MICHELLE OBAMA
"There may be no tidy solutions or pithy answers to life's big challenges, but Michelle Obama believes that we can all locate and lean on a set of tools to help us better navigate change and remain steady within flux.
In "The Light We Carry," she opens a frank and honest dialogue with readers, considering the questions many of us wrestle with: How do we build enduring and honest relationships? How can we discover strength and community inside our differences? What tools do we use to address feelings of self-doubt or helplessness? What do we do when it all starts to feel like too much?" — Hays Public Library
6. "THE WAGER" by DAVID GRANN
"From the author of 'Killers of the Flower Moon,' a page-turning story of shipwreck, survival and savagery, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth. The powerful narrative reveals the deeper meaning of the events on 'The Wager,' showing that it was not only the captain and crew who ended up on trial but the very idea of empire." — Hays Public Library
7. "ATOMIC HABITS" by JAMES CLEAR
"No matter your goals, "Atomic Habits" offers a proven framework for improving—every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results." — Hays Public Library
8. "BREATHE IN, BREATHE OUT" by STUART SANDEMAN
"The internationally bestselling practical guide on how to breathe for better sleep, stress management, improved self-esteem and to care for your mental health." — Hays Public Library
9. "GREENLIGHTS" by MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY
"Discover the memoir that has inspired millions of readers through the Academy Award-winning actor's unflinching honesty, unconventional wisdom, and lessons learned the hard way about living with greater satisfaction." — Hays Public Library
10. "THE CREATIVE ACT" by RICK RUBIN
"Many famed music producers are known for a particular sound that has its day. Rick Rubin is known for something else: creating a space where artists of all different genres and traditions can hone in on who they really are and what they really offer. He has made a practice of helping people transcend their self-imposed expectations in order to reconnect with a state of innocence from which the surprising becomes inevitable.
"Over the years, as he has thought deeply about where creativity comes from and where it doesn't, he has learned that being an artist isn't about your specific output, it's about your relationship to the world. Creativity has a place in everyone's life, and everyone can make that place larger. In fact, there are few more important responsibilities." — Hays Public Library
Fiction
1. "IT ENDS WITH US" by COLLEEN HOOVER — ROMANCE
"From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 'It Starts with Us and All Your Perfects, a 'brave and heartbreaking novel that digs its claws into you and doesn't let go, long after you've finished it' (Anna Todd, New York Times bestselling author) about a workaholic with a too-good-to-be-true romance can't stop thinking about her first love—soon to be a major motion picture starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni." — Hays Public Library
2. "FIREFLY LANE" by KRISTIN HANNAH
Kristin Hannah's 'Firefly Lane' became a touchstone novel in women's lives. Across the world, women embraced the story of Tully and Kate's enduring friendship. They laughed with Tully and cried with Kate and anguished over Tully's fractured relationship with her mother." — Hays Public Library
3. "IT STARTS WITH US" by COLLEEN HOOVER — ROMANCE
"Lily and her ex-husband, Ryle, have just settled into a civil co-parenting rhythm when she suddenly bumps into her first love, Atlas, again. After nearly two years separated, she is elated that for once, time is on their side, and she immediately says yes when Atlas asks her on a date." — Hays Public Library
4. "FLY AWAY" by KRISTIN HANNAH
"In 'Fly Away', the second in the Firefly Lane series, Kristin Hannah returns to the world of unforgettable characters and asks the question, How do you hold yourself together when your world has fallen apart?
"'Fly Away' is the story of three women who have lost their way and need each other—plus a miracle—to transform their lives. An emotionally complex, heart wrenching novel about love, family, motherhood, loss, and redemption, "Fly Away" reminds us that where there is life, there is hope and where there is love, there is forgiveness." — Hays Public Library
5. "THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO" by TAYLOR JENKINS REID
"Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?" — Hays Public Library
6. "BAD SUMMER PEOPLE" by EMMA ROSENBLUM
"Emma Rosenblum's 'Bad Summer People' is a whip-smart, propulsive debut about infidelity, backstabbing, and murderous intrigue, set against an exclusive summer haven on Fire Island." — Hays Public Library
7. "THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME" by LAURA DAVE — THRILLER
"Before Owen Michaels disappears, he smuggles a note to his beloved wife of one year: 'Protect her.' Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers—Owen's sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother." — Hays Public Library
8. "STORM WATCH" by C.J. BOX — MYSTERY
"Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett investigates a mysterious death at a secret remote high-tech facility." — Hays Public Library
9. "VERITY" by COLLEEN HOOVER — THRILLER
"Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.
"Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity's recollection of the night her family was forever altered." — Hays Public Library
10. "REMINDERS OF HIM" by COLLEEN HOOVER
"After serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake, Kenna Rowan returns to the town where it all went wrong, hoping to reunite with her four-year-old daughter. But the bridges Kenna burned are proving impossible to rebuild. Everyone in her daughter's life is determined to shut Kenna out, no matter how hard she works to prove herself." — Hays Public Library