Ottawa Public Library (OPL) has released the highly anticipated list of OPL’s most-requested books of 2024. These annual lists for adults, teens, and children highlight the titles that captured readers' attention this year, curated from the number of hold requests placed at OPL in English and French between January 1 and December 1, 2024. From exciting new releases to beloved classics, the lists offer something for everyone. Explore the selections and discover insights provided by OPL’s knowledgeable Content Services team about these must-read titles.
Adult (English)
- The Women by Kristen Hannah
- The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny
- Funny Story by Emily Henry
- The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
- This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune
- The Briar Club by Kate Quinn
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
- Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
- The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
2024's Adult English Fiction and Non-Fiction list features a collection of new releases from established favourites along with some rising stars.
While many titles in the top ten have built up demand over months or years, Canadian favourite Louise Penny's The Grey Wolf was officially released in print on October 27, and quickly sprinted to second place. There’s no surprise—OPL readers love the Inspector Gamache mystery series.
Historical fiction continues to be popular with readers, but the trend of books set in and around the second World War seems to be dying down. Kristin Hannah's The Women and Kate Quinn's The Briar Club both tell stories of the latter half of the twentieth century: The Women is about a 20-year-old nursing student shipping out to Vietnam in 1965 and The Briar Club centres upon the residents of an all-female boarding house in 1950s Washington, DC.
Humour and romance wooed readers with Emily Henry's Funny Story and Carley Fortune's This Summer Will Be Different. Henry's latest, Funny Story, follows Daphne Vincent through the aftermath of broken engagement as she figures out who she is with the help of fake dating her new roommate in the charming, fictional town of Waning Bay, Michigan. Canada Reads 2024 finalist Carley Fortune’s This Summer Will Be Different gifts readers with the excitement of a sun-soaked romance set among the beauty of Prince Edward Island.
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese joins the Most Requested’s two-year club, having made the list last year, and is the only Fiction title to do so on this year’s list. Atomic Habits, by James Clear, one of two non-fiction titles in the top ten, was also an Ottawa favourite in 2023.
Shelby van Pelt's Remarkably Bright Creatures comes in at number nine, breaking our hearts and making us smile. In brief, Tova Sullivan meets Marcellus, an octopus. What follows includes friendship, pain, compassion, and warmth uplifting you to a place where you can breathe through it all.
Rounding out OPL Most Requested 2024 is Freida McFadden's The Housemaid, a psychological thriller with twists and turns that had many readers locked in for a chilling ride.
Adult (French)
- Rue Duplessis : ma petite noirceur : roman (mettons) by Jean-Philippe Pleau
- Ce que je sais de toi by Éric Chacour
- Amiante by Sébastien Dulude
- Houris by Kamel Daoud
- Cent ans d’amour by Janette Bertrand
- Entre nous : mieux se connaître, mieux s'aimer by Sophie Grégoire Trudeau
- Dans mon sang by Rebecca Makonnen
- Là où je me terre : roman by Caroline Dawson
- Deux heures avant la fin de l’été by Sébastien Pierroz
- D. Turcotte & fils : Dany Turcotte : mon histoire by Dany Turcotte
Demand for diverse francophone titles continues to climb and in 2024, broke records for requests once again. The number of titles published in French in Canada and Europe have exceeded pre-pandemic levels.
The top ten list is made up of almost exclusively Canadian authors this year who are proving themselves on the national and international stage.
Self-reflection is an important theme in a number of these titles which echoes the existential times in which we live. Several of the titles are biographies or novels based on the authors’ lives such as Jean-Philippe Pleau, Rebecca Makonnen, and Dany Turcotte.
Award winners always generate great public interest, such as the Canadian author Éric Chacour who won numerous awards including the prestigious Prix des libraires de France, Goncourt winner Kamel Daoud, and the Ottawa Book Award winner Sébastien Pierroz published by Ottawa’s Éditions David.
Tragically Caroline Dawson passed away in 2024 in her forties and has resulted in a resurgence in popularity of her book.
Female authors are very present on top requested lists including beloved author Janette Bertrand and celebrity author Sophie Grégoire Trudeau.
A number of these authors were new stars on the literary scene, including Sébastien Dulude.
While these titles made it to the top ten list, thousands of deserving books were published in French this year, and in Ontario as well as Indigenous authors, for example. Use the highlighted lists to find incredible reads and check our staff lists regularly to find your next exciting books.
Teen (English)
- A court of thorns and roses by Sarah J. Maas
- A good girl's guide to murder by Holly Jackson
- Powerless by Lauren Roberts
- Throne of glass by Sarah J. Maas
- The cruel prince by Holly Black
Romantasy, a genre that combines fantasy settings and romance tropes, continues to be popular in teen fiction this year. In fact, four of the five most requested titles for 2024 fall into this genre.
The most requested teen title, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas, is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast with deadly fairies, enemies-to-lovers romance and steamy scenes. Familiarly referred to by its BookTok hashtag #ACOTAR, this title has millions of linked videos and a very loyal fanbase! Unsurprisingly, Sarah J Maas fans are returning to her first series, Throne of Glass, which has also claimed a top 5 spot this year.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder slipped to second most requested teen title this year. The streaming adaptation of this popular mystery/thriller debuted this summer on BBC and Netflix, and a second season is currently in production.
Powerless by Lauren Roberts is the first title of a newer romantasy trilogy, originally self-published in 2023. It became a favourite on BookTok and was quickly picked up by Simon and Schuster. The final book in the Powerless trilogy will be published in May 2025, and fans are eagerly awaiting its TV series adaption, which is currently in development.
Finally, The Cruel Prince by Holly Black has seen a resurgence in popularity this year. Published in 2018, this dark fantasy features a strong female protagonist, Fairieland setting, forbidden love and jaw-dropping plot twists. Loved by fans who prefer their fantasy with a lighter side of romance.
Teen (French)
- Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
- La rose écarlate by Patricia Lyfoung
- Obélix et compagnie by Goscinny
- Louca by Bruno Dequier
Just like last year, The Hunger Games holds the number one spot in this year's teen top five, followed once again by The Inheritance Games, a thrilling read! La rose écarlate, a graphic novel series by Patricia Lyfoung takes the third spot, still very much beloved by teens for its mix of swashbuckling adventure and romance. To round up this category, we have Obélix et compagnie from beloved graphic novel series Astérix, and Louca, a graphic novel about a teen passionate about soccer and the ghost of a young soccer player that (sometimes!) helps him get better at the sport.
Children’s Fiction and Non-fiction (English)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney (series)
- Wild Robot by Peter Brown (series)
- Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell
- Wrath of the Triple Goddess by Rick Riordan
- The Bad Guys in the Serpent and the Beast by Aaron Blabey
Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid continues to be a favourite series with kids. Lucky for our younger readers, this long-running humorous series has shown no signs of slowing down!
Peter Brown’s touching Wild Robot series is new to OPL’s Most Requested list. The release of the motion picture earlier this year catapulted this science fiction series, which started in 2016, to second place.
Fantasy is still a popular genre with younger readers, with long-time favourite Rick Riordan’s newest Percy Jackson novel, Wrath of the Triple Goddess and 2024’s newest fantasy phenom, Katherine Rundell’s Impossible Creatures rounding out the top five.
Children’s Fiction and Non-fiction (French)
- Harry Potter à l'école des sorciers by J. K. Rowling
- Le petit prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
- Facile à lire by a variety of authors
- La cabane de Rémi by Michelle Khalil
- Dodu est sale by Michelle Khalil
Familiar favourites, Harry Potter and the classic Le petit prince, continue to be in demand with OPL readers. What is unusual this year is the popularity of our new decodable early readers. Supporting changes in the Ontario reading curriculum, this type of early reader focuses on words that can be sounded out based on rules of phonetics. As Ottawa schools have adopted new ways of teaching reading, the demand for books of this type has skyrocketed! Series Facile à lire and Mochelle Khalil's Une syllabe à la fois have been especially popular in 2024, taking all but the first two spots in our top five.
Children’s Graphic Novels (English)
- Dog Man by Dav Pilkey (series)
- Baby-Sitters Club by Various (series)
- Wings of Fire by Barry Deutsch (series)
- Baby-Sitters Little Sister by Various (series)
- Cat Kid Comic Club by Dav Pilkey (series)
It’s all about the series in Graphic Novels!
Dav Pilkey, a perennial favourite author among kids, dominates this year’s list with his hilarious Dog Man series leading the pack, and its spin-off, Cat Kid Comic Club, sneaking in in fifth place.
Graphic novel adaptations of popular book series are also very popular. Kids can’t get enough of the Baby-Sitters Club graphic novel adaptation, which pairs humourous, relatable stories of tween friendship, family and babysitting with clear, engaging art. The spin-off series, Baby-Sitters Little Sister, aimed at a slightly younger audience, is also in demand.
Rounding out the list is Barry Deutsch’s graphic novel adaptation of the popular Wings of Fire series, a super pick for dragon-loving kids who are looking for a high fantasy adventure and drama.
Children’s Graphic Novels (French)
- Super Chien by Dav Pilkey (serie)
- Les Légendaires by Patrick Sobral (serie)
- L'agent Jean! by Alex A. (serie)
- Le club des baby-sitters by Raina Telgemeier (serie)
- Baby-sitters petite soeur by Katy Farina (serie)
As in English, Dav Pilkey's series Super chien has been by far the most requested graphic novels, followed by long-standing favorite Les légendaires and Quebec creator Alex A.'s L'agent Jean. To round it up, Le club des baby-sitters and Baby-sitters petite soeur take the fourth and fifth place. Humour, fantasy and realistic stories of friendship and family are the most popular graphic novel genres for kids.
Children’s Picture Books (English)
- The Pigeon Has to Go to School! by Mo Willems
- Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak
- The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson
- Bounce! by Robert Munsch
- The Dictionary Story by Oliver Jeffers
Mo Willems' new book, The Pigeon HAS to Go to School!, is the most requested picture book, and for good reason. In this story, the fear of the unknown stresses Pigeon out—she wishes she could go back to being Baby Pigeon instead of starting school. Mo Willems, a Master of Children’s Literature, brings his signature humor to life with simple yet expressive illustrations. His books are colorful, full of personality, and make for read-aloud favorites that kids and parents both enjoy.
Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak is a delightful surprise among the most requested picture books, which are often dominated by the authors and illustrators who are household names in children's picture book publishing. This older book, published in 2015, marked Kenard Pak's first work as both author and illustrator. It is the first in a series of three picture books with spare text and muted watercolor illustrations that beautifully capture the wonder of the changing seasons. While the story primarily focuses on the natural world, Pak also celebrates city life, featuring drawings of diverse townspeople that reflect a vibrant and inclusive community.
The Snail and the Whale is a 2003 children's picture book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. It tells the charming story of an unlikely friendship between a tiny snail and a giant whale, who help each other in extraordinary ways. Although more than 20 years old, this beloved book remains a favorite among readers. Julia Donaldson's engaging storylines and rhyming language continue to captivate children, making her books timeless treasures that kids beg to hear again and again.
Bounce is another superbly silly tale from by Canada's #1 storytelling legend, Robert Munsch, about two mischievous kids and their adventures with the buttons on a hospital bed. Although Munsch is no longer actively writing, his publisher continues to release two previously written books each year, ensuring his stories will keep kids laughing for years to come.
Oliver Jeffers is one of the most recognizable and talented authors in children’s literature today, and The Dictionary Story is a stunning work of art in book form invites readers to return again and again to enjoy its humor and beauty. This longer-than-average picture book stars a dictionary who longs to tell a story like the other books on the shelf. She decides to use some of her words for a story—with disastrous results! The details are amazing—even the backgrounds include words definitions.
Children’s Picture Books (French)
- Le voleur de feuilles by Alice Hemming
- Le pigeon doit aller à l'école by Mo Willem
- J'aime l'automne by Kim Dean
- Cinq petites citrouilles by James Dean
- La nuit de l'Halloween by James Dean
Alice Hemming's Le voleur de feuilles is in first place for the second year in a row. This is a truly delightful picture book about a squirrel trying to find the reason why all the leaves are missing, and well worth its top spot on the list once again!
Just as in English, Mo Willems Le pigeon doit aller à l'école is in high demand.
The series Pat le chat by James and Kim Dean has been popular with young children for many years now, in French as well as English. These simple stories with appealing, colorful illustrations and catchy phrases are fun to read aloud, and are taking once again several spots in our top five.
All of these books are in the Library’s catalog and many are available in multiple formats, including e-books, audiobooks, and accessible editions.