Top 10 books borrowed in 2006
More than six million items were issued at Christchurch City Libraries between 1 December 2005 and 1 December 2006. In that period, Danielle Steel, J.K. Rowling, Jacqueline Gillespie, R.L. Stine and Paul Jennings were the most popular authors with library users.
No fewer than six books by Danielle Steel made it in to the Top 10 of adult fiction, while the remaining four places were taken up by Josephine Cox, Maeve Binchy, Sidney Sheldon and Marian Keyes.
Once I was a Princess, the harrowing true story of Jacqueline Gillespie, an Australian teenager who fell in love with an abusive Malaysian prince, was the most borrowed book in the adults non fiction section. Other entries included several books on Christchurch and Canterbury history and the popular Jamie Oliver cook book, The Return of the Naked Chef.
Harry Potter was a clear favourite in the children’s fiction. The last two instalments in the series reached the Top 10, while Australian author Paul Jennings also had two books in the list. Puzzle books were popular in the non fiction section along with history and natural history books.
A similar review, this time just of books published in this 12-month period, showed a more diverse result with the latest Marian Keyes novel taking the top spot in the adult fiction category.
Jacqueline Gillespie’s Once I was a Princess remained at No. 1 in the adults non fiction section.
R. L. (Robert Lawrence) Stine was the most popular children’s author with three of his 2006 books in the Top 10.
Princesses, mermaids and pirates featured in the books of choice for children’s non fiction, although the Edmonds cooking guides for youngsters proved popular as well.
Adult Fiction
| Titles | Authors | Issues |
|---|---|---|
| The house on Hope Street | Danielle Steel | 2781 |
| Safe harbour | Danielle Steel | 2501 |
| The woman who left | Josephine Cox | 2471 |
| Nights of rain and stars | Maeve Binchy | 2427 |
| The sky is falling | Sidney Sheldon | 2416 |
| The cottage | Danielle Steel | 2397 |
| Leap of faith | Danielle Steel | 2181 |
| Answered prayers | Danielle Steel | 2010 |
| The kiss | Danielle Steel | 1987 |
| Angels | Marian Keyes | 1980 |
Adult Non Fiction
| Titles | Authors | Issues |
|---|---|---|
| Once I was a princess | Jacqueline Gillespie | 7294 |
| A history of Canterbury | James Hight | 1426 |
| The return of the naked chef | Jamie Oliver | 1401 |
| Banks Peninsula : cradle of Canterbury | Gordon Ogilvie | 1369 |
| Contemporary New Zealand art | Elizabeth Caughey and John Gow | 1298 |
| Rich dad, poor dad: what the rich teach their kids about money | Robert T. Kiyosaki | 1186 |
| Sumner to Ferrymead : a Christchurch history | Walter De Their | 1140 |
| A new history of Canterbury | Stevan Eldred-Grigg | 1114 |
| Waimakariri :Canterbury's river of cold rushing water | Robert Logan | 1065 |
| New Zealand yesterdays : a look at our recent past | Hamish Keith | 1028 |
Children’s fiction
| Titles | Authors | Issues |
|---|---|---|
| Harry Potter and the half-blood prince | J.K. Rowling | 1094 |
| Unseen | Paul Jennings | 817 |
| Sink the gizmo | Paul Jennings | 806 |
| Artemis Fowl | Eoin Colfer | 758 |
| Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix | J.K. Rowling | 667 |
| The Wednesday wizard | Sherryl Jordan | 645 |
| Saffy's angel | Hilary McKay | 601 |
| The vicar of Nibbleswicke | Roald Dahl | 600 |
| The carnivorous carnival | Lemony Snicket | 600 |
| Sandry's book | Tamora Pierce | 594 |
Children’s non fiction
| Titles | Authors | Issues |
|---|---|---|
| Exploring time: a history of New Zealand for children | Jacquelyn Arbury | 1231 |
| Whale | Vassili Papastavrou | 1140 |
| Puzzle planet | Susannah Leigh; illustrated by Brenda Haw | 1114 |
| The X-ray picture book of fantastic transport machines | Chris Oxlade | 1094 |
| I spy extreme challenger!: a book of picture riddles | Walter Wick | 1045 |
| Puzzle holiday | Susannah Leigh; illustrated by Brenda Haw | 1037 |
| Paper flyers and other super flyers | Neil Francis | 942 |
| Discovering New Zealand birds | Sandra Morris | 879 |
| Castle | Christopher Gravett | 877 |
| Christchurch: a pictorial history | David Johnson | 843 |
Adult Fiction (published in 2006)
| Titles | Authors |
|---|---|
| Anybody out there? | Marian Keyes |
| The 5th horseman | James Patterson & Maxine Paetro |
| S is for silence | Sue Grafton |
| The take | Martina Cole |
| Second honeymoon | Joanna Trollope |
| The constant princess | Philippa Gregory |
| The house | Danielle Steel |
| Journey's end | Josephine Cox |
| Cell a novel | Stephen King |
| Dead sky | Tami Hoag |
Adult Non Fiction (published in 2006)
| Titles | Authors |
|---|---|
| Once I was a princess | Jacqueline Gillespie |
| Stamps of the world | Stanley Gibbons |
| Twenty good summers : work less, live more and make the most of your money | Martin Hawes |
| Computers simplified | Paul McFedries |
| Bloodstain: the vanishing of Peter Falconio | Richard Shears |
| Off duty: the world's greatest chefs cook at home | David Nicholls |
| Dress your best : the complete guide to finding the style that's right for your body | Clinton Kelly and Stacy London |
| The family GI diet: healthy green-light way to manage weight for your entire family | Rick Gallop and Ruth Gallop |
| Food to go: packed lunches, light meals, after sport snacks, weekend treats & much more | Simon and Alison Holst |
| Silk riders: Jo and Gareth Morgan's incredible journey on the trail of Marco Polo | Gareth Morgan |
Children’s fiction (published in 2006)
| Titles | Authors |
|---|---|
| Small Steps | Louis Sachar |
| Paul Jennings' funniest stories | Paul Jennings |
| Castles | Colin Thompson |
| Freaks and shrieks | R.L. Stine |
| Fire star | Chris d'Lacey |
| The snow spider trilogy | Jenny Nimmo |
| Don't close your eyes! | R.L. Stine |
| Amelia's most unforgettable embarrassing moments | Marissa Moss |
| Shake, rattle, & hurl! | R.L. Stine |
| Candyfloss | Jacqueline Wilson |
Children’s non fiction (published in 2006)
| Titles | Authors |
|---|---|
| How to draw princesses and ballerinas | Fiona Watt |
| Pets | Sarah Khan |
| The baking book | Jane Bull |
| SpongeBob Squarepants: the essential guide | David Lewman |
| Mermaid things to make and do | Leonie Pratt |
| The whipple-scrumptious joke book | Kay Woodward |
| Pirate things to make and do | Rebecca Gilpin |
| The new Edmonds junior cookbook | Sue Lyons |
| Edmonds for young cooks: beyond the basics | Sue Lyons |
| Rolf Heimann's what's up at Crowfoot Castle: spooky puzzles and mazes | Rolf Heimann |
