Escapism? Yes, please.

In a year fraught with events often better suited to the plot of a thriller novel than real life,  Sarasota residents basked in escapist fiction when borrowing books from their local library branches in 2020.

Romance novelist Danielle Steel occupied two of the 10 most checked-out titles for 2020, according to a list from the Sarasota County Library System. “The Wedding Dress” and “The Numbers Game” were the only books on the list by the same author.

Not a single non-fiction title showed up in 2020’s top 10, either, though James Grippando’s “The Big Lie,” Stuart Woods’ “Treason” and James Patterson’s “Revenge” were among the county’s favorites as well.