What were we reading in 2022? Des Moines Public Library releases list of most popular picks

While the Des Moines Public Library offers a bevy of activities, events and resources, and even lets people borrow cookie cutters, a light therapy lamp or a laser engraver from the Library of Things, the organization still primarily focuses on books.

The Des Moines Public Library has been tracking what's been most popular with its patrons, and in the final weeks of the year, the library started sharing the most requested material of 2022 by genre.

Now that normal hours have resumed following the holiday season, it's a great time to check out some of the following if you're looking to figure out what to read going into the new year.

The library's original lists, as well as more information on events and activities, can be found at dmpl.org.

Most requested non-fiction

1. "I'm Glad My Mom Died," by Jennette McCurdy

2. "Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results," by James Clear

3. "Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism," by Amanda Montell

4. "Crying in H Mart," by Michelle Zauner

5. "Happy-Go-Lucky," by David Sedaris

6. "Finding Me," by Viola Davis

7. "Confidence Man," by Maggie Haberman

8. "Unmasked: My Life Solving America's Cold Cases," by Paul Holes

9. "Living Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories," by Kelly Ripa

10. "The Light We Carry," by Michelle Obama

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Most requested general fiction

1. "It Ends with Us," by Colleen Hoover

2. "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo," by Taylor Jenkins Reid

3. "Lessons in Chemistry," by Bonnie Garmus

4. "The Last Thing He Told Me," by Laura Dave

5. "The Hotel Nantucket," by Elin Hilderbrand

6. "It Starts with Us," by Colleen Hoover

7. "Carrie Soto Is Back," by Taylor Jenkins Reid

8. "Beach Read," by Emily Henry

9. "Sparring Partners," by John Grisham

10. "This Time Tomorrow," by Emma Straub

More:Our Des Moines: Why buy when you can borrow from the Library of Things?

Most requested science fiction

1. "Fairy Tale," by Stephen King

2. "The House in the Cerulean Sea," by T.J. Klune

3. "Sea of Tranquility," by Emily St. John Mandel

4. "A Court of Thorns and Roses," by Sara J. Maas

5. "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue," by Victoria Schwab

6. "A Court of Mist and Fury," by Sara J. Maas

7. "The School for Good Mothers," by Jessamine Chan

8. "A Court of Silver Flames," by Sarah J. Maas

9. "Under the Whispering Door," by T.J. Klune

10. "Babel," by R.F. Kuang

Most requested teen fiction

1. "Firekeeper's Daughter," by Angeline Boulley

2. "The Summer I Turned Pretty," by Jenny Han

3. "Throne of Glass," by Sarah J. Maas

4. "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder," by Holly Jackson

5. "The Lightning Thief," by Rick Riordan

6. "The Inheritance Games," by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

7. "Rivals," by Katharine McGee

8. "To Kill a Mockingbird," by Harper Lee

9. "It's Not Summer Without You," by Jenny Han

10. "The Sea of Monsters," by Rick Riordan

Most requested DVDs

1. "Where the Crawdads Sing" — Mystery — 125 minutes

2. "Everything, Everywhere, All at Once" — Sci-fi/Action-Comedy — 139 minutes

3. "Elvis" — Biopic/Musical — 159 minutes

4. "Nope" — Horror — 130 minutes

5. "Jurassic World: Dominion" — Sci-Fi — 146 minutes

6. "Downtown Abbey: A New Era" — Historical Fiction — 125 minutes

7. "Bullet Train" — Action — 126 minutes

8. "Minions: The Rise of Gru" — Animated Comedy — 90 minutes

9. "The Lost City" — Action-Comedy — 112 minutes

10. "1883: A Yellowstone Origin Story" — Historical fiction — Multi-episode mini-series on four discs

Most requested books across genres

1. "It Ends With Us," by Colleen Hoover: The most requested book of year for Des Moines Public Library was No. 5 on USA Today's Best-Selling Books of 2022 list. Though this romance novel was originally published in 2016, its sequel, "It Starts with Us" was released in October and sits at the very top of the USA Today's Best-Sellers list for the year.

2. "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo," by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Originally published in 2017, this novel follows the scandalous life of the title character, an aging Hollywood starlet who entered show business in the 1950s.

3. "The Paris Apartment," by Lucy Foley: This mystery novel published in February is about a down-and-out protagonist who goes to stay with her half-brother in Paris. However, when she shows up at his apartment, she discovers he's missing.

4. "Where the Crawdads Sing," by Delia Owens: Though this literary, murder-mystery novel was released in 2018, it received a movie adaptation of the same name this year that likely helped buoy this book so high in local popularity for 2022.

5. "Verity," by Colleen Hoover: This 2018 thriller follows struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh, who is hired to finish writing the books of an author who cannot write due to injury. However, while going through the author's unfinished manuscripts, Lowen uncovers a hidden text and a horrifying secret.

6. "Lessons in Chemistry," by Bonnie Garmus: This debut historical-fiction novel was named the Barnes & Noble Book of the Year for 2022 and follows a female chemist in the 1960s who eventually also finds herself as a single mother and a cooking show contestant. A portion of the book's popularity has come from the video-sharing platform Tik Tok.

7. "I'm Glad My Mom Died," by Jennette McCurdy: This provocatively titled memoir comes from Jennette McCurdy, known for her role as Sam on the Nickelodeon show "iCarly." Here, McCurdy recounts an abusive relationship with her mother and the strife she faced as a child actress.

8. "Book Lovers," by Emily Henry: Another book that has gotten a bit of a bump from Tik Tok, "Book Lovers" is a romance novel centered on a literary agent and an editor.

9. "Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results," by James Clear: Perhaps the book that's most useful to those starting 2023 with a list of goals and resolutions, this self-help book advises readers on how to build desirable habits in practical ways.

10. "The Last Thing He Told Me," by Laura Dave: The last thing on this list is "The Last Thing He Told Me," a 2021 mystery novel about a woman whose been tasked by her disappeared husband to protect his daughter.

Isaac Hamlet covers arts, entertainment and culture at the Des Moines Register. Reach him at ihamlet@gannett.com or 319-600-2124, or follow him on Twitter at @IsaacHamlet.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: What were the most popular books and DVDs in Des Moines in 2022?