Prince Harry autobiography, Jim Carrey’s ‘Christmas Carol’ top Hamilton library top 10

Hamilton Libraries have released its list of the most borrowed books and movies with Prince Harry’s autobiography Spare and Jim Carrey’s 2009 version of A Christmas Carol topping the lists.

The list of most borrowed books begins with Prince Harry’s Spare, which also dominates the library’s e-book and audiobook lists. The Prince released his book in January 2023 with great success. While the book received mixed reviews thanks to Harry’s intimate stories, it was a massive seller. Guinness World Records ranks the book as the best selling non-fiction work ever.

In second place is Toronto-born author Louise Penny’s A World of Curiosities. The novel is her 18th to star her detective Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surete du Quebec. This tale follows Gamache’s investigation into a series of murders and references the 1989 Polytechnique mass shooting.

Three books by romance novelist Colleen Hoover were also in the top ten, It Starts with Us (3), Verity (4), and her latest It Ends with Us (6). The first and third books follow a daughter dealing with her father abuse of her mother and her moving on into her own relationship.

Nita Prose’s murder mystery The Maid rounds out the top five. The book was released to acclaim 2022 and spawned a sequel and an in-the works-film adaptation starring Academy Award nominee Florence Pugh.

On the film side the list was dominated by some more surprising picks as several of the films recieved quite mixed reception. The most borrowed movie is directior Robert Zemeckis’ animated take on Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol.

This 2009 Jim Carrey vehicle was filmed with a motion capture animation style Zemeckis frequently employed in the era, previously in The Polar Express (2004) and Beowulf (2007). Carrey stares not only as Scrooge, but the three visiting Ghosts as well. The film also features Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins, and Robin Wright. The film recieved a mixed response when it debuted 14 years ago with critics praising the performances and, but noting an uncanny valley effect of the animation.

In second place is another surprise, the 2022 flop Amsterdam, directed by the controvrsial David O. Russel and starring Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and John David Washington. Despite Russell’s pedigree as an Oscar darling and the stacked cast, the conspiracy film cratered at the box office. It made only $31 million on an $80 million budget. After promotional expenses it’s estimated to have lost the studios $100 million.

Third comes Tom Hanks’ well recieved A Man Called Otto about the “grumpiest man in America” followed by another surprise. Another flop broke Hamilton library’s top five, Dwayne Johnson’s DC superhero debut Black Adam. While the film ultimately made it’s money back, it did not rake in the cash Warner Bros. expected leading some to label it a bomb.

Rounding out the top five was the Geroge Clooney and Julia Roberts double header rom com Ticket to Paradise, which ironically debuted the same weekend as Black Adam to much better success.