Crime writer Ann Cleeves’ Blue Lightning most borrowed book in 2011

For the fourth year in a row, author Ann Cleeves took top spot for the most-borrowed book from the Shetland Library.

Statistics for 2011 show that Blue Lightning, the fourth book in Cleeves’ Shetland quartet of crime novels, was the most-borrowed book – as it was the previous year. Other top fiction authors were Lyn Andrews, Tess Gerritsen, Clive Cussler and Stephen Leather. The final book in Stieg Larsson’s extremely popular crime trilogy also made the top 10.

The top 10 general non-fiction books are dominated by celebrity biographies including those by Jo Brand, Pauline Prescott and Fern Britton.

Local publications still lend very well, with Robert Johnson’s Da Wye I Saa It coming in as the top Shetland book, almost out-lending Cleeves. Also very popular is the audiobook of James W Irvine’s Lay Hold on Life, which was published by the Soond o’ Shetland charity project. Simon King’s Shetland Diaries continues to lend well, as does Lerwick’s Waterfront History by Douglas Sinclair.

Heavily featured in the junior statistics are perennial favourites Star Wars and Harry Potter. Local author Janice Armstrong’s The Grumpy Old Sailor still makes the top 10 though, and a Scots language book, James Robertson’s Katies Year, is still lending very well to younger children.