The most popular books borrowed from Fife’s libraries have been revealed.
And it seems Fifers love a good crime novel – particularly a thriller written by other Fifers..
Three of the top five fiction books borrowed from Fife libraries in 2021 were written by popular home-grown authors James Oswald, Ian Rankin and Val McDermid.
And another well-known local man, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, also features on the top five non-fiction chart.
Here, we reveal what’s hot in fiction, non-fiction and children’s books at Fife libraries just now.
And we get reaction from two of the authors, excited to be enjoying success on home turf.
Top 5 fiction books
Newburgh writer and farmer James Oswald tops the fiction chart for 2021 with What Will Burn.
It’s the latest in his bestselling Inspector McLean series that turned Oswald into one of Scotland’s most celebrated crime writers.
And it was borrowed 332 times last year.
Following hard on his heels is Cardenden-born Ian Rankin with his 22nd Rebus mystery In A House of Lies,
And Kirkcaldy’s Val McDermid comes in at number four with Tony Hill and Carol Jordan crime thriller How The Dead Speak.
Meanwhile, Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novel Blue Moon and The Long Call by Ann Cleeves also feature in the top five.
McDermid said she was very excited to be on the list, particularly as she would never have become an author if it weren’t for public libraries.
“It’s tremendous. There must be something in the water in Fife,” she said.
“It’s incredibly gratifying to be borrowed so much from libraries.
“When I was growing up in Kirkcaldy we lived across the road from the library and it was my home from home for many years.
“There wasn’t the money to feed my reading habit so for me, the library system is a blessing.
“It’s how I became an author.”
Top 5 non-fiction books
Michelle Obama’s autobiography Becoming is most popular in non-fiction with 116 loans.
But former Fife MP Gordon Brown’s book Fife: A History from Earliest Times to the Present Day is at number two.
And Winn Raynor’s The Salt Path, Anne Glenconner’s tales of life as Princess Margaret’s Lady in Waiting and Amir Khan’s observations of life as a full-time GP all feature.
Gordon Brown said: “Fife libraries really do matter and getting books to read is particularly important at this time of Covid, so I want to thank all the staff who have worked to keep the service going through this period.”
Top 5 children’s books
Former Children’s Laureate Julia Donaldson proves she is as popular as ever with Fife youngsters.
She took four of the top five places with The Scarecrow’s Wedding, What The Ladybird Heard Next, Superworm and Spinderella.
And only enduring children’s favourite The Very Hungry Caterpiller by Eric Carle stopped Donaldson from sweeping the boards.
