Stark County’s most popular books of 2025, according to the libraries

December 31, 2025

14 4 minutes read

Stark County’s most popular books of 2025, according to the libraries — 87887765007 stark county top library books main.jpg

What are people reading in Stark County?

We asked three of the county’s largest library systems to find out.

Here are 2025’s top titles at Stark Library, Rodman Public Library and Massillon Public Library.

Here’s what Stark County library visitors were reading this year.

Stark Library patrons favored popular fiction titles

Stark County readers circulated more than 1.5 million physical and digital items in 2025, according to the Stark Library.

The library system has 10 locations around Stark County and a main branch in Canton. There were over 548,000 visits to the library locations this year.

Here are the top 5 most-circulated physical adult book titles across the Stark Library system in 2025.

No. 1: “The Women” by Kristin Hannah
- Circulated over 228 times this year, “The Women” was also one of the most popular titles of 2024, the year it was released. The historical fiction book follows 20-year-old Frances “Frankie” McGrath, a nursing student who joins the Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War. The story follows Frankie’s life, struggles and relationships during the war and after coming home.
No. 2: “The Let Them Theory” by Mel Robbins
- “The Let Them Theory” by Mel Robbins is the only nonfiction book to crack the top 5 for adult titles. The self-help book was checked out over 210 times within the Stark Library system. In the book, Robbins explains her theory to living a less anxious life: when other people are doing things that bother you, let them. Instead of worrying, control what you can control, yourself and your own actions.
No. 3: “The Crash” by Freida McFadden
- Coming in third place is “The Crash” by Freida McFadden, which was circulated over 200 times. This fast-paced psychological thriller was published in 2025 and follows 23-year-old Tegan Werner who’s eight months pregnant and looking for an escape. She’s in her car on the way to her brother’s house when she gets into a crash in the middle of a blizzard.
No. 4: “The Frozen River” by Ariel Lawhon
- This historical fiction novel circulated more than 160 times. Set in Maine in 1789, the story follows real-life historical figure Martha Ballard, a midwife and healer, who is tasked with investigating the death of a man found frozen in the Kennebec River.
No. 5: “The Tenant” by Freida McFadden
- Also checked out over 160 times is another book by Freida McFadden. “The Tenant” is a mystery thriller following Blake Porter who is abruptly fired from his job. He’s struggling to make his mortgage payment, so he agrees to rent a room to a woman named Whitney. But strange things start to happen once she moves in. Something isn’t quite right.

Titles from Dav Pilkey’s “Dog Man” series dominated top children’s books of 2025
- Nearly all of the top 10 circulating children’s titles went to Dav Pilkey’s “Dog Man” series. One other children’s title managed to make its way into the top 10: “Hot Mess,” the 19th book in the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series by Jeff Kinney. “Dog Man” is a spinoff of Pilkey’s “Captain Underpants” series following a half-man, half-dog police officer. The “Dog Man” movie based on the comic book series came out in January 2025.

Cookbooks among top titles at Rodman Public Library

Something good was cooking at Rodman Public Library. While adult library patrons also enjoyed popular fiction titles like McFadden’s “The Crash,” two cookbooks snuck their way onto the most popular list.

Rodman Public Library has two locations in Alliance.

Here are the library’s top adult titles of 2025.

No. 1: “Found Recipes: Beloved Vintage Recipes Worth Sharing” from Betty Crocker
- This cookbook of over 100 vintage, fan favorite and rare Betty Crocker recipes was checked out 71 times this year. The collection, published in 2024, features recipes for hush puppy fried chicken and chocolate buttermallow cake.

No 2: “No Two Persons” by Erica Bauermeister
- Checked out 62 times in 2025, “No Two Persons” is a book about a book. It centers around Alice Wein, a writer who publishes her own book, called “Theo,” after living through a devastating life event. Her book has profound impacts on others.
No. 3: “The Crash” by Freida McFadden
- McFadden’s 2025 thriller “The Crash” was also popular among Rodman Public Library patrons. It was checked out 34 times over the year.
No 4: “Tasty Every Day: All of the Flavor, None of the Fuss” from Tasty
- This cookbook from Tasty is all about quick and easy meals. It was checked out 33 times. The book, published in 2019, has 75 simple and delicious recipes.
No 5: The Amish Wife: Unraveling the Lies, Secrets, and Conspiracy that Let a Killer Go Free” by Gregg Olsen
- This true crime book is an investigation of the 1977 death of young Amish mother Ida Stutzman. It was checked out 28 times in 2025. Stutzman died in a barn fire in Dalton, according to official reports. But years later, when Ida’s husband Eli Stutzman Jr. was connected to other deaths, people began to question if that was the whole story.

New release tops charts at Massillon Public Library

Atop the most popular list for the Massillon Public Library is a new romance novel and books full of mystery and suspense.

The Massillon Public Library has three locations in Massillon, Navarre and Brewster.

These four books were the library’s most popular.

No 1: “Never Say Never” by Danielle Steel
- Published in January 2025, “Never Say Never” is a romance book about Oona Kelly Webster who’s preparing to travel to France with her husband for their 25th wedding anniversary. But she’s about to find out that her husband Charles has been hiding an affair for a year, and he’s leaving Oona. She’s devastated, but decides to travel to France alone to try to heal her heart.
No. 2: “Open Season” by Jonathan Kellerman
- The 40th book in the “Alex Delaware” series, “Open Season” is a crime thriller set in Los Angeles. In the story, psychologist Alex Delaware and detective Milo Sturgis are racing to uncover the killer behind multiple seemingly unrelated murders.
No. 3: “The Fourth Girl” by Wendy Corsi Staub
- Years ago, Caroline Winterfield walked into the woods, never to be seen again. On the 25th anniversary of her disappearance, three friends reunite. But they aren’t alone. “The Fourth Girl” by Wendy Corsi Staub is a 2025 mystery thriller.
No. 4: “Overkill” by J.A. Jance
- J.A. Vance’s “Overkill” is the 18th book in the “Ali Reynolds” series. When Chuck Brewster is found murdered, the number one suspect is nearby covered in blood. But she swears she’s innocent and begs for help from Ali Reynolds.