Pearl Lorentzen
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeside Leader

Two of the top 10 most circulated fiction books from the Slave Lake Library were written by Kristin Hannah, #1 was ‘The Great Alone’ and #6 was ‘The Nightingale.’ ‘The Nightingale is also the #8 most circulated book from the Smith Library and was #2 on the Slave Lake list in 2023. Another book, ‘The Four Winds’ by Hannah was #8 at the Slave Lake Library in 2024.

According to her website, “Kristin Hannah is the award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 novels including the international blockbuster, ‘The Nightingale,’ which was named Goodreads Best Historical fiction novel for 2015 and won the coveted People’s Choice award for best fiction in the same year.”

Kyla Stone also made the list twice, with ‘Edge of Anarchy’ #2 and ‘Edge of Defiance’ # 9.

The final book on the list ‘It Ends With Us’ by Colleen Hoover, was #1 in 2024 at the Slave Lake Library.

The Slave Lake Library’s 2025 top 10 fiction list was: #1 ‘The Great Alone,’ #2 ‘Edge of Anarchy,’ #3 ‘Every Dead Thing’ by John Connolly, #4 ‘With All My Heart Romance Collection: five novellas of living love to the fullest,’ #5 ‘A Curious Beginning’ by Deanna Raybourn, #6 ‘The Nightingale,’ #7 ‘Sea Fever’ by Ann Cleeves, #8 ‘Aspire to Die’ by M. S. Morris, #9 ‘Edge of Defiance,’ and #10 ‘It Ends With Us’ by Colleen Hoover (#1 in 2024).

These are the most borrowed fiction books in the Slave Lake collection. They may have been borrowed by people throughout Alberta, through the interlibrary loan system, which connects many libraries in Alberta.

Slave Lake non-fiction

The top 10 non-fiction books from the Slave Lake library varied from animal massage to studying for a GED to self-help.

The most circulated non-fiction book was also #2 in 2024 and #7 in 2023. It was ‘The Healing Touch: The Proven Massage Program for Cats and Dogs’ by Michael W. Fox.

The second book also had some staying power. ‘The new Mediterranean Diet Cookbook: A Delicious Alternative for Lifelong Health’ by Nancy Harmon Jenkins was #2 in 2025 and #5 in 2024.

‘Complete Canadian GED Preparation’ went down to #3 in 2025 from #1 in 2024.

In 2025, Jonathan Haidt had the #4 most circulated book at the Slave Lake Library and #10 at Smith Library (see article on below). His book that made #4 on the Slave Lake list was ‘The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom.’

The seventh book on the list was also #7 in 2020. It was ‘Fingerprints of the Gods’ by Graham Hancock.

The rest of the list was: #5 ‘The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma’ by Bessel A. Van de Kolk, #6 ‘Daily Readings: From the Power of I Am’ by Joel Osteen, #7 Hancock, #8 ‘The Highly Sensitive Person’s Workbook: The Practical Guide for Highly Sensitive People and HSP Support Groups,’ #9 ‘The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself from Destructive Thoughts and Emotions’ by Elaine Aron, and #10 ‘Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart: Thirty Things You Need to Know Now’ by Gordon Livingston.

Slave Lake DVDs

A 2024 horror movie, ‘Speak No Evil’ was the most circulated DVD from the Slave Lake Library.

It was written and directed by James Watkins and stars James McAvoy, MacKenzie Davis, and Scoot McNairy.
The top 10 most circulated DVDs from the Slave Lake Library in 2025 were: #1 ‘Speak No Evil,’ #2 ‘Blue’ (#6 in 2024), #3 ‘The Ring’ (#9 in 2024), #4 ‘The Ring 2’ (#10 in 2024), #5 ‘A Sunday in Kigali,’ #6 ‘The Grudge’ (#2 in 2024), #7 ‘Twilight Forever: The Complete Saga’ (#8 in 2023), #8 ‘Abbott & Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection’ (#2 in 2024, #4 in 2022 and 2021), #9 ‘Hawaii Five-O. The First Season’ (Season 10 #8 in 2022), and #10 ‘Into the West.’

‘Into the West’ is a Steven Spielberg TV mini series from 2005. Over six movies, it follows two fictional families from the 1830s into the 1890s. The one family is Virginian and the other Lakota. In the first movie, Jacob Wheeler, one of the Virginians, is one of the first Americans to reach California by land. On his way back, he meets a Lakota woman, Thunder Heart Woman and they marry. The story also follows their siblings and children.