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Most Borrowed Library Books

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Stylist Team
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Every year the Public Lending Right releases a list of the most borrowed library books from the previous year which gives us a fascinating insight into the nation’s reading habits. 2010-2011’s figures are out today and reveal that James Patterson is easily the most popular author in libraries with over one million loans to his name and 17 appearances in the top 100. Dan Brown and Stieg Larsson are almost as successful, suggesting our reading appetites are fairly grisly at the moment. However it was heart-warming to see Julia Donaldson’s childhood classic The Gruffalo putting in an appearance at number 28, while the novel that inspired this year’s big Oscars contender, The Help, is at number 38.

See which titles made the top 50 in our gallery below – click on any image to launch the gallery, and let us know what you think of the list on Twitter @stylistmagazine

  • 1. The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown

  • 2. 61 hours, Lee Child

  • 3. Private, James Patterson

  • 4. 9th Judgement, James Patterson

  • 5. Worst Case, James Patterson

  • 6. Caught, Harlan Coben

  • 7. Don’t Blink, James Patterson & Howard Roughan

  • 8. The Postcard Killers: a novel, James Patterson and Liza Marklund

  • 9. The Complaints, Ian Rankin

  • 10. Worth Dying For, Lee Child

  • 11. The Killing Place, Tess Gerritsen

  • 12. The girl who kicked the hornets' nest, Stieg Larsson; translated by Reg Keeland

  • 13. Swimsuit, James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

  • 14. Sister, Rosamund Lupton

  • 15. The girl with the dragon tattoo, Stieg Larsson; translated by Reg Keeland

  • 16. Nine Dragons, Michael Connelly

  • 17. Big Girl: a novel, Danielle Steel

  • 18. I, Alex Cross, James Patterson

  • 19. The Burning Wire, Jeffery Deaver

  • 20. The Spy, Clive Cussler and Justin Scott

  • 21. The girl who played with fire, Stieg Larsson; translated by Reg Keeland

  • 22. Blood Brothers, Josephine Cox

  • 23. Doors Open, Ian Rankin

  • 24. Theodore Boone, John Grisham

  • 25. Hard Girls, Martina Cole

  • 26. Gone Tomorrow, Lee Child

  • 27. Blind Fury, Lynda La Plante

  • 28. The Gruffalo, Julia Donaldson ; illustrated by Axel Scheffler

  • 29. Broken, Karin Slaughter

  • 30. Family Ties : A Novel, Danielle Steel

  • 31. Play Dead, Harlan Coben

  • 32. Deliver Us From Evil, David Baldacci

  • 33. The Snowman, Jo Nesbo ; translated by Don Barlett

  • 34. The Return Journey, Maeve Binchy

  • 35. The Other Family, Joanna Trollope

  • 36. Alex Cross’s Trial, James Patterson

  • 37. Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel

  • 38. The Help, Kathryn Stockett

  • 39. The Chosen One, Sam Bourne

  • 40. A Week in December, Sebastian Faulks

  • 41. The Choice, Susan Lewis

  • 42. 206 Bones, Kathy Reichs

  • 43. Savour the Moment, Nora Roberts

  • 44. The Search, Nora Roberts

  • 45. Picture Perfect, Jodi Picoult

  • 46. House Rules, Jodi Picoult

  • 47. The Scarpetta Factor, Patricia Cornwell

  • 48. Girl Missing, Tess Gerritsen

  • 49. In Time For Christmas, Katie Flynn

  • 50. Heading Home, Katie Flynn

  • 51. Aliens Love Underpants, Claire Freedman and Ben Cort

  • 52. Minding Frankie, Maeve Binchy

  • 53. Bad Boy, Peter Robinson

  • 54. The Reversal, Michael Connelly

  • 55. Horrid Henry and the Abominable Snowman, Francesca Simon ; illustrated by Tony Ross

  • 56. The Legacy, Katherine Webb

  • 57. The Family, Martina Cole

  • 58. Sacred Hearts, Sarah Dunant

  • 59. You’ve Been Warned, James Patterson and Howard Roughan

  • 60. 8th Confession, James Patterson

  • 61. The Silent Sea, Clive Cussler with Jack du Brul

  • 62. A Perfect Proposal, Katie Fforde

  • 63. Silent Scream, Lynda La Plante

  • 64. The Shadow of your Smile, Mary Higgins Clark

  • 65. Twenties Girl, Sophie Kinsella

  • 66. Stolen, Lesley Pearse

  • 67. Fever of the Bone, Val McDermid

  • 68. The Weight of Silence, Heather Gudenkauf

  • 69. Southern Lights, Danielle Steel

  • 70. The Little Stranger, Sarah Waters

  • 71. Juliet, Naked, Nick Hornby

  • 72. Beyond The Sunset, Anna Jacobs

  • 73. Run for your life, James Patterson

  • 74. True Blue, David Baldacci

  • 75. The Quickie, James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

  • 76. Bloodline, Mark Billingham

  • 77.The Scarecrow, Michael Connelly

  • 78. Gone, Mo Hayder

  • 79. Horrid Henry and the football fiend, Francesca Simon ; illustrated by Tony Ross

  • 80. Fear the Worst, Linwood Barclay

  • 81. We’re going on a bear hunt, Michael Rosen ; illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

  • 82. Sail, James Patterson

  • 83. The Book of Tomorrow, Cecelia Ahern

  • 84. Heart and soul, Maeve Binchy

  • 85. The Monster in the Box, Ruth Rendell

  • 86. A change in altitude, Anita Shreve

  • 87. Long Time Coming, Robert Goddard

  • 88. The Confession, John Grisham

  • 89. Nothing To Lose, Lee Child

  • 90. Ellis Island, Kate Kerrigan

  • 91. Little Darlings, Jacqueline Wilson

  • 92. Cross Fire, James Patterson

  • 93. Crossfire, Dick Francis and Felix Jones

  • 94. Born Bad, Josephine Cox

  • 95. Cross Country, James Patterson

  • 96. Lost River, Stephen Booth

  • 97. Genesis, Karin Slaughter

  • 98. The Winter Ghosts, Kate Mosse

  • 99. Tigerlily’s Orchids, Ruth Rendell

  • 100. Long Lost, Harlan Coben