The 2017 Libraries Index has unveiled Australia’s book borrowing habits, with stories about heritage, identity, love and relationships being the most popular fiction books borrowed between May 2016 and April 2017.
The information, provided by Civica and the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), has been released to coincide with National Library and Information Week, May 22 to 28.
Topping the list of most borrowed Australian books was Rain Music by Di Morrissey, which is inspired by her adventures in far north Queensland and tells the story of two siblings who are struggling with a family tragedy that has set them on opposite paths.
Spirits of the Ghan by Judy Nunn, a period story set during the construction of the Ghan railway, explores family dynamics and cultural collision and Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty – which examines marriage, sex, parenthood and friendship – peaked at number two and three respectively on the most borrowed Australian fiction books list.
Other high profile Australian authors on the list include popular children’s author, Andy Griffiths, who had three books featured on this year’s most borrowed Australian books index.
Liane Moriarty, whose recent book Big Little Lies has been adapted into a television series, also features three times on the list.
Hollywood actresses, Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman have already optioned for the film rights of Liane’s latest novel, Truly Madly Guilty, published in 2016.
“We’ve always loved stories about ourselves,” ALIA chief Sue McKerracher said.
“Tales that explore our heritage and identity – addressing what it means to be an Australian – continue to resonate with readers.
“We’re also known for producing unique stories that examine topics such as complex family relationships and it’s great to see that Australian writing is also having greater appeal globally as well, with quite a few novels on the list, such as The Light Between The Oceans and The Dressmaker enjoying extended success via international film and TV adaptations.”
According to Simon Jones, Libraries and Education Solutions Managing Director at Civica, in addition to TV and film, the rising use of digital technology is influencing reading habits.
“Many of our library customers tell us that readers are increasingly using technology to find, read and share information, whether it’s to research a topic or discover a new book - it’s now just a click away,” he said.
“This provides library members with far greater opportunities to discover new interests and media, whether it be via books, music, TV or films.”
2017 Libraries Index highlights
Most Borrowed
According to the 2017 Civica Libraries Index, novels within the crime, thriller and mystery genres dominated the list of most borrowed library books in Australia, continuing on from last year’s trend. This genre made up three quarters of the list.
Lee Child’s Make Me, published in 2015 and part of the Jack Reacher series of novels, topped the ranking of most borrowed books in Australia.
This was followed by Paula Hawkins’ Girl On The Train, which was last year’s number one and has no doubt remained a popular reading choice due to its film adaptation being released at the end of 2016.
Other major crime and thriller author to hit the top 20 list of most borrowed included James Patterson, David Baldacci and Michael Connelly.
Non fiction
Lifestyle books and special interest topics were a favourite among non-fiction borrowers this year. Japanese de-cluttering guru Marie Kondo proved highly popular this year, with two of her books on household organisation featuring second and tenth on the list.
Biography
Popular Australian comedienne Magda Szubanski’s autobiography Reckoning topped the list of most borrowed biography books.
Szubanski’s memoir, which explores her family history, in particular the life of her father who was an assassin in the Polish resistance during World War II, also topped the most borrowed non-fiction list and reached 17th on the list of most borrowed books. It was the only book written by an Australian to reach the top 20.
Young adults (13-18)
Teen fiction author favourite John Green topped the most borrowed books amongst young adults list, with his novels The Fault In Our Stars and Paper Towns taking out first and second place respectively, while his debut novel, Looking For Alaska reached ninth place.
Children (0-12)
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series by Jeff Kinney and popular Aussie children’s book author, Andy Griffiths’ Storey book series battled it out on the list of most borrowed junior fiction, with The 65 Storey Treehouse coming first on the list, just ahead of The Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever.
