By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays Public Library recently released the Top 10 non-fiction and fiction books checked out in 2022.
This does not include books checked out on the library's online platform.
How to get a library card<br>
Go to hayslibrary.org to apply for a temporary library card. This will give you instant access to everything in the digital library for 30 days. Complete the online form, then when you are ready, simply go to any service desk with a photo ID and proof of address to receive your permanent card.
RELATED STORY: Hays Public Library launches new activities, reading group in new year
Fiction
1. "The Last Thing He Told Me" by Laura Dave
A novel about a woman searching for the truth about her husband’s disappearance … at any cost, according to Simon and Schuster's website.
2. "The Four Winds" by Kristin Hannah
Set in 1934 in Texas, "The Four Winds" is an epic novel of love and heroism and hope, set against the backdrop of one of America’s most defining eras — the Great Depression, according to the author's website.
3. "Confess" by Colleen Hoover
A novel about risking everything for love — and finding your heart somewhere between the truth and lies, according to the author's website.
4. "Shattered" by James Patterson
Det. Michael Bennett investigates the disappearance of his partner and friend FBI agent Emily Parker. Read more on the author's website.
5. "Shadows Reel" by C.J. Box
"Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett and his wife, Marybeth, make separate discoveries that put the Pickett family in a pair of killers’ crosshairs in this thrilling new novel in the bestselling series," according to the author's website.
6. "The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig
"Between life and death, there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices..." the author says on his website. He describes the novel as a novel about all the choices that go into a life well lived.
7. "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" by Taylor Jenkins Reid
An aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon, Evelyn Hugo, is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life, according to the author's website. But as Evelyn’s story catches up with the present, it becomes clear that her life intersects with the reporter’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.
8. "Dune" by Frank Herbert
"Dune" was first published in 1965. It is a sci-fi classic set in the distant future on the planet Arrakis. Fuedal violence breaks out over control of "spice," a drug that is necessary for space travel. The re-emergence of the popularity of the novel may have been sparked by a new movie adaptation directed by Denis Villeneuve that was released in fall 2021.
9. "What Happened to the Bennetts" by Lisa Scottoline
"Jason Bennett is a suburban dad who owns a court-reporting business, but one night, his life takes a horrific turn. He is driving his family home after his daughter’s field hockey game when a pickup truck begins tailgating them, on a dark stretch of road. Suddenly two men jump from the pickup and pull guns on Jason, demanding the car. A horrific flash of violence changes his life forever," according to Penguin Random House's website.
10. "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens
A No. 1 New York Times bestseller that has been adapted into a movie, "Where the Crawdads Sing" is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder, according to Penguin Random House.
Non-fiction
1. "Wiccapedia: A Modern-Day White Witch's Guide" by Shawn Robbins and Leanna Greenaway
"'Spiritual life coaches and celebrity witches Shawn Robbins and Leanna Greenaway unlock the secrets of the Wicca universe, explaining what it means to become a 'simply fabulous' twenty-first-century witch. Newfound witches — and even more experienced ones — will learn how to tap into magic, re-empower themselves, and realize their dreams through a little witchy know-how," according to amazon.com.
2. "Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones" 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, according to the Hays Public Library summary.
3. "Taste of Home Vegetarian Made Easy: Going Meatless in a Meat-Loving Family" Taste of Home
"Whether going meatless happens once a week or every day, turn
here for over 335 fuss-free recipes everyone at the table will clamor
for," according to the Hays Public Library summary
4. "Far Above Rubies Vol. 1" by Lynda Coats
A guide for Christain parents who want to homeschool their daughters
5. "Untamed" by Glennon Doyle
"In her most revealing and powerful memoir yet, the activist, speaker,
bestselling author, and 'patron saint of female empowerment'
explores the joy and peace we discover when we stop striving to meet
others' expectations and start trusting the voice deep within us," according to the Hays Public Library summary.
6. "Far Above Rubies Vol. 2" by Lynda Coats
A guide for Christain parents who want to homeschool their daughters
7. "Crying in H Mart: A Memoir" by Michelle Zauner
"From the indie rock sensation known as Japanese Breakfast, an
unforgettable memoir about family, food, grief, love and growing up
Korean American—'in losing her mother and cooking to bring her back to
life, Zauner became herself,'" according to the Hays Public Library summary.
8. "Good Morning, Monster: A Therapist Shares Five Heroic Stories of Emotional Recovery" by Catherine Gildiner
"In this fascinating narrative, therapist Catherine Gildiner presents five of what she calls her most heroic and memorable patients. Among them: a successful, first-generation Chinese immigrant musician suffering sexual dysfunction; a young woman whose father abandoned her at age 9 with her younger siblings in an isolated cottage in the depth of winter; and a glamorous workaholic whose narcissistic, negligent mother greeted her each morning of her childhood with 'Good morning, Monster,'" according to amazon.com.
9. "The Real Anthony Fauci: Big Pharma's Global War on Democracy, Humanity and Public Health" by Robert F. Kennedy
"Pharma-funded mainstream media has convinced millions of Americans that Dr. Anthony Fauci is a hero. He is anything but," according to a summary on amazon.com.
10. "Greenlights" by Matthew McConaughey
A memoir by Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey, this book has unflinching honesty, unconventional wisdom, and lessons learned the hard way about living with greater satisfaction, according to the Hays Public Library summary.