As 2024 draws to a close, we look back at the books that captured the hearts and minds of Libraries ACT readers, which have been abuzz with the rustle of pages and the hum of e-readers.
Thousands of people visit Libraries ACT’s 10 library branches every week. Our members borrow more than 2.5 million items a year, from a collection of nearly 690,000 physical and digital items.
Without further ado, here are the most borrowed books in various categories which you might want to add to your TBR (To Be Read) list for 2025.
You can explore the full catalogue or use the ‘Spydus Mobile’ app to reserve any titles you might have missed.
Becoming a library member is free and easy – come into your local library or sign up online. Members can borrow up to 100 physical items at a time, and remember, we do not charge late fees!
Still not sure what to read? Take a look at our recommendation database NoveList Plus or chat with your friendly local library staff today.
Here are the top loans for 2024.
Overall collection | ||
Title | Author | |
1 | Lola in the Mirror | Trent Dalton |
2 | Past Lying | Val McDermid |
3 | Sanctuary | Garry Disher |
4 | The Raging Storm | Ann Cleeves |
5 | What happened to Nina? | Dervla McTiernan |
6 | Everyone on this Train is a Suspect | Benjamin Stevenson |
7 | The Seven | Chris Hammer |
8 | Darling Girls | Sally Hepworth |
9 | The Bee Sting | Paul Murray |
10 | The Women | Kristin Hannah |
Adult fiction | ||
Title | Author | |
1 | Lola in the Mirror | Trent Dalton |
2 | Past Lying | Val McDermid |
3 | Sanctuary | Garry Disher |
4 | What Happened to Nina? | Dervla McTiernan |
5 | Everyone on this Train is a Suspect | Benjamin Stevenson |
6 | The Bee Sting | Paul Murray |
7 | The Raging Storm | Ann Cleeves |
8 | Darling Girls | Sally Hepworth |
9 | The Seven | Chris Hammer |
10 | The Women | Kristin Hannah |
Adult non-fiction | ||
Title | Author | |
1 | Wifedom: Mrs. Orwell’s Invisible Life | Anna Funder |
2 | RecipeTin Eats Dinner : 150+ recipes from Australia's favourite cook | Nagi Maehashi |
3 | 4 Weeks to Better Sleep : A life-changing plan for deep sleep, improved brain function and feeling great | Michael Mosley |
4 | The Anxious Generation : How the great rewiring of childhood is causing an epidemic of mental illness | Jonathan Haidt |
5 | Question 7 | Richard Flanagan |
6 | Bright Shining : How grace changes everything | Julia Baird |
7 | Killing for Country : A family story | David Marr |
8 | The Woman in Me | Britney Spears |
9 | The ChatGPT Revolution | Donna McGeorge |
10 | Did I Ever Tell You This? : A memoir | Sam Neill |
Junior fiction and graphic novels | ||
Title | Author | |
1 | Dog Man: Twenty thousand fleas under the sea | Dav Pilkey |
2 | Hypno-ninja! | Anh Do |
3 | Ninja Games! | Anh Do |
4 | The Scarlet Shedder | Dav Pilkey |
5 | The Race Is On | Anh Do |
6 | The 169-storey Treehouse | Andy Griffiths |
7 | Ninja Artists! | Anh Do |
8 | Who's Who and What's Where in the Treehouse | Andy Griffiths |
9 | Ninja Fish! | Anh Do |
10 | Sink or Swim | Anh Do |
Young adult and graphic novels | ||
Title | Author | |
1 | A Court of Thorns and Roses | Sarah J. Maas |
2 | Powerless | Lauren Roberts |
3 | Heartstopper Volume 5 | Alice Oseman |
4 | The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes | Suzanne Collins |
5 | A Court of Mist and Fury | Sarah J. Maas |
6 | Heartstopper Volume 1 | Alice Oseman |
7 | Throne of Glass | Sarah J. Maas |
8 | Shadow and Bone | Leigh Bardugo |
9 | Divergent | Veronica Roth |
10 | Divine Rivals | Rebecca Ross |
DVDs | ||
Title | Category | |
1 | Oppenheimer | Feature film |
2 | Barbie | Feature film |
3 | Mission Impossible: Dead reckoning Part 1 | Feature film |
4 | Dune | Feature film |
5 | The Hunger Games: The ballad of songbirds and snakes | Feature film |
6 | Babylon | Feature film |
7 | Avatar: The way of water | Feature film |
8 | The Super Mario Bros. Movie | Children’s DVD |
9 | The Beekeeper | Feature film |
10 | Anyone But You | Feature film |
Romance | ||
Title | Author | |
1 | Funny Story | Emily Henry |
2 | Happy Place | Emily Henry |
3 | Good Material | Dolly Alderton |
4 | Lies and Weddings | Kevin Kwan |
5 | Book Lovers | Emily Henry |
6 | The Rachel Incident | Caroline O’Donoghue |
7 | You are Here | David Nicholls |
8 | Romantic Comedy | Curtis Sittenfeld |
9 | The Wake-up Call | Beth O’Leary |
10 | It Starts With Us | Colleen Hoover |
Thriller and suspense | ||
Title | Author | |
1 | The Secret | Lee Child |
2 | The Fury | Alex Michaelides |
3 | The Collector | Daniel Silva |
4 | Yellowface | R. F. Kuang |
5 | Butter | Asako Yuzuki |
6 | The Exchange | John Grisham |
7 | The Search Party | Hannah Richell |
8 | None of This is True | Lisa Jewell |
9 | The Edge | David Baldacci |
10 | I Will Find You | Harlan Coben |
Fantasy and horror | ||
Title | Author | |
1 | Fourth Wing | Rebecca Yarros |
2 | Iron Flame | Rebecca Yarros |
3 | The Book of Elsewhere | Keanu Reeves |
4 | The Full Moon Coffee Shop | Mai Mochizuki |
5 | A Court of Thorns and Roses | Sarah J. Maas |
6 | The House in the Cerulean Sea | TJ Klune |
7 | The Midnight Library | Matt Haig |
8 | The Night House | Jo Nesbo |
9 | Before the Coffee Gets Cold | Toshikazu Kawaguchi |
10 | Emily Wildes Encyclopaedia of Faeries | Heather Fawcett |
