Make no mistake: New Yorkers certainly kept themselves entertained during the snowstorm.
A viral moment unfolded during Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s press conference during the snowstorm on Jan. 25 when he called on New Yorkers to stay home and take advantage of the New York Public Library’s (NYPL) free audiobook and e-book for “Heated Rivalry” — the book that inspired a wildly popular HBO show of the same name.
“The snow is coming down heavily across our city,” Mamdani said, “and I can think of no better excuse for New Yorkers to stay home, take a long nap, or take advantage of our public library’s offer of free access to Heated Rivalry on e-book or audiobook for anyone with a library card.”
New Yorkers took the mayor’s suggestion seriously. The book was downloaded more than 6,000 times between the Jan. 25 snowstorm and Jan. 27, according to the NYPL. The book is the second novel in author Rachel Reid’s “Game Changers” series, which has been downloaded 17,000 times in two days.
“There’s no better time to sign up for an NYPL card. This weekend, thousands of New Yorkers downloaded books from the Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series — including the mega-hit Heated Rivalry — after we made the books immediately available to all of our cardholders,” said Brian Bannon and Merryl and James Tisch of The NYPL. “If you haven’t already, you can download and listen or read this tremendous romance series immediately, and for free, through Valentine’s Day.”
The book already enjoyed sky-high demand even before snow started falling in New York City. Prior to the storm, there were 3,000 people on the waitlist to check out the book. However, on Jan. 25 the city announced that the book would be available for immediate access, leading to a 1,057% increase in downloads between Jan. 25 and Jan. 27, according to the NYPL.
