Fiction most-loaned in Victorian public libraries

A survey of more than 40 public library branches in Victoria has found that fiction was the most popular category among borrowers in 2015, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

The 10 most borrowed books in 2015 were:

• The Rosie Effect, (Graeme Simsion, Text)
• The Rosie Project (Graeme Simsion, Text)
• The Girl on the Train (Paula Hawkins, Doubleday)
• The Narrow Road to the Deep North (Richard Flanagan, Vintage)
• Personal (Lee Child, Bantam)
• Burial Rites (Hannah Kent, Picador)
• Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn, Orion)
• The Burning Room (Michael Connelly, A&U)
• This House of Grief (Helen Garner, Text)
• The Gods of Guilt (Michael Connelly, A&U).

Helen Garner’s This House of Grief was the only nonfiction title in the top 10. Other popular nonfiction titles were books by Jamie Oliver and Sarah Wilson, Malala Yousafzai’s I am Malala (Phoenix), Julia Gillard’s My Story (Vintage), Lena Dunham’s Not That Kind of Girl (Fourth Estate) and Sara James’ An American in Oz (A&U).

The most borrowed young-adult titles were Sonya Hartnett’s Golden Boys (Penguin) and books by John Green, J K Rowling, Suzanne Collins and Veronica Roth. In the children’s category they were One Piece by manga artist Eiichiro Oda (Viz Media), books by Simpsons creator Matt Groening and Jeff Kinney, Nick Bland’s The Very Hungry Bear (Scholastic), Lynley Dodd’s Slinky Malinki (Puffin) and Dr Seuss’ The Lorax (HarperCollins).

Among book clubs the most borrowed titles were Chris Womersley’s Cairo (Scribe), Geoffrey McGeachin’s St Kilda Blues (Penguin) and Hartnett’s Golden Boys.

The survey was conducted by library software supplier Civica, which found that more than 1.1 million people—approximately 19% of Victoria’s population—borrowed a ‘physical library item’ in the financial year 2014-05.

Category: Local news