Top 25 nonfiction titles tell tale about Schaumburg

What do our favorite titles say about us as a community?

Using a database that can track the circulation of books specifically for the Schaumburg Township District Library, I pulled up the top 25. (I’ll target fiction in a future column.) I can tell you that we are drawn by issues that center on faith, health and education, but need a dose of humor in the mix. We like celebrities, whether they run the country or make duck calls, and have never lost our fascination with the Kennedy or Lincoln assassinations. Likewise, as a community and a nation, we are still infatuated with Dr. Phil.

Going back to education, four titles out of the top 10 centered on taking the ACT or SAT, demonstrating our township’s commitment to academics. (Coincidentally, the library is offering ACT and PSAT practice tests in August and September.) Since the list changes regularly (this one is June’s), you will probably find a concentration of holiday books on December’s list, or gardening in spring. Health, diet and religion, however, remain fairly constant, judging by a look at past lists.

Has your curiosity been piqued yet? See what your fellow township residents are reading. Who knows? One of the titles may just call out to you.

1.) “Proof of Heaven,” Eben Alexander

2.) “Cracking the ACT,” Geoff Martz

3.) “The Power of Habit,” Charles Duhigg

4.) ACT (test prep)

5.) “Dad is Fat,” Jim Gaffigan

6.) “Cracking the SAT,” Adam Robinson

7.) “The 100: Count Only Sugar Calories,” Jorge Cruise

8.) “Shred: The Revolutionary Diet,” Dr. Ian Smith

9.) “Life Code: The New Rules for Winning in the Real World,” Dr. Phil McGraw

10.) ACT (test prep)

11.) “Killing Kennedy,” Bill O’Reilly

12.) “The Center Holds,” Johathan Alter

13.) “The Tao of Martha,” Jen Lancaster

14.) “Lean In,” Shery Sandberg

15.) “My Beloved World,” Sonia Sotomayor

16.) “Outliers,” Malcolm Gladwell

17.) “Killing Lincoln,” Bill O’Reilly

18.) “P’ingk’u leidi,” Yonu

19.) “Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation,” Michael Pollan

20.) “Happy, Happy, Happy: My Life and Legacy as the Duck Commander,” Phil Robertson

21.) “My Way,” Paul Anka

22.) “Heaven is for Real,” Todd Burpo

23.) “Once Upon a Time,” Debbie Macomber

24.) “Salt, Sugar and Far,” Michael Moss

25.) “Keep it Pithy,” Bill O’Reilly

If this list doesn’t offer anything tempting to the nonfiction readers among you, stop by the Reference Desk on the library’s second floor. Our librarians will be happy to assist with finding titles that fit your interests.