Wollongong’s Most Borrowed - The Reads That Ruled in 2025

Wollongong City Council media release: 22 December 2025

With so many fantastic titles hitting the shelves this year, which books captured the hearts and minds of Wollongong readers?

Liane Moriarty claimed the top spot with Here One Moment. Often hailed as a modern-day Jane Austen for her sharp observations of social mores, Moriarty’s latest novel has earned both critical and popular acclaim for its exploration of family dynamics, free will, and the fragility of certainty.

Crime fiction dominated local borrowing habits, with mystery, thriller, and detective stories taking up half of the top 10 spots. Richard Osman’s We Solve Murders landed at number two, praised for its fresh, cosy approach to crime, balancing humour and charm with genuine emotional depth. Osman shared the spotlight with genre heavyweights Chris Hammer, Christian White, Dervla McTiernan, and acclaimed local author Hayley Scrivenor.

Historical fiction also made its mark. Kristin Hannah’s The Women secured third place, celebrated for its immersive storytelling and poignant tribute to courage, sacrifice, and the enduring spirit of women during the Vietnam War.

Non-fiction was no slouch either, with The Let Them Theory (Mel Robbins), We Are the Stars (Gina Chick), and The Season (Helen Garner) topping the charts for readers seeking insight and inspiration.

BookTok favourites crept into the top 15, including Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, and Bonnie Garmus’s Lessons in Chemistry proving that social media trends continue to influence reading choices.

In the Music CD category, Lady Gaga outshone Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish in the battle of big-name touring artists. Meanwhile, everybody’s favourite canine Bluey scored a trifecta in Junior Picture Books taking first, second, and third place, while also dominating DVD and CD categories.

Physical item borrows topped the million mark for the second-year running. Reservations also continue to grow as the community embraces online services, with over 210,000 items reserved via the Wollongong City Libraries app and online catalogue - a figure that has more than doubled since 2017.

Wollongong City Libraries Manager Jessica Bruce said that these figures reveal a community passionate about stories that entertain, challenge, and inspire.

“It’s heartening to see such a diverse mix of titles, including local authors, resonating with our community,” said Ms. Bruce.

“The growth in reservations shows how much our community value free and easy access to stories that spark curiosity, connection, and joy.”

“Whether you’re after a bestseller, a hidden gem, or something for the kids, there’s a world of stories waiting for everyone, and I encourage you to pop into one of our seven locations and explore what’s on offer.”

Adult Fiction 

1. Here One Moment / Liane Moriarty
2. We Solve Murders / Richard Osman
3. The Women / Kristin Hannah
4. Intermezzo / Sally Rooney
5. Homecoming / Kate Morton
6. Girl Falling / Hayley Scrivenor
7. The Valley / Chris Hammer
8. The Ledge / Christian White
9. The Bookbinder of Jericho / Pip Williams
10. The Unquiet Grave / Dervla McTiernan
11. Onyx Storm / Rebecca Yarros
12. The Thursday Murder Club / Richard Osman
13. Lessons in Chemistry / Bonnie Garmus
14. A Court of Thorns and Roses / Sarah J. Maas
15. In Too Deep / Lee Child

Physical loans

1. We solve murders / Richard Osman
2. Here one moment / Liane Moriarty
3. The Valley / Chris Hammer
4. Intermezzo / Sally Rooney
5. All Fours / Miranda July
6. The Wedding People / Alison Espach
7. Great Big Beautiful Life / Emily Henry
8. The Let Them Theory / Mel Robbins
9. Girl Falling / Hayley Scrivenor
10. Storm Child / Michael Robotham
11. The Ledge / Christian White
12. The Unquiet Grave / Dervla McTiernan
13. Juice / Tim Winton
14. Funny Story / Emily Henry
15. In Too Deep / Lee Child

E-loans

1. Here one moment / Liane Moriarty
2. The women / Kristin Hannah
3. Homecoming / Kate Morton
4. We solve murders / Richard Osman
5. The Bookbinder of Jericho / Pip Williams
6. A Court of Thorns and Roses / Sarah J. Maas
7. Girl falling / Hayley Scrivenor
8. Lyrebird / Jane Caro
9. The Thursday Murder Club / Richard Osman
10. Intermezzo / Sally Rooney

Australian Fiction

1. Here one moment / Liane Moriarty
2. Homecoming / Kate Morton
3. Girl falling / Hayley Scrivenor
4. The Valley / Chris Hammer
5. The Ledge / Christian White
6. The Bookbinder of Jericho / Pip Williams
7. The Unquiet Grave / Dervla McTiernan
8. Lyrebird / Jane Caro
9. Juice / Tim Winton
10. Sanctuary / Garry Disher

Non-fiction

1. The Let Them Theory / Mel Robbins
2. We Are the Stars / Gina Chick
3. The Season / Helen Garner
4. Wifedom: Mrs Orwell’s invisible life / Anna Funder
5. Recipetin Eats Tonight / Nagi Maehashi
6. Atomic Habits: tiny changes, remarkable results / James Clear
7. Australian Gospel: A family saga / Lech Blaine
8. The Vagus Nerve Reset: train your body to heal / Anna Ferguson
9. Always Home, Always Homesick / Hannah Kent
10. Did I Ever Tell You This? / Sam Neill

Graphic Novels (YA and Adult)

1. Heartstopper Vol. 1 / Alice Oseman
2, Heartstopper Vol. 2 / Alice Oseman
3, Heartstopper Vol. 5 / Alice Oseman
4. Percy Jackson and the lightning thief / Robert Venditti
5. George Orwell’s 1984 / Matyáš Namai
6. Star Wars: The Mandalorian 2 / Yusuke Osawa
7. Spy x family 1 / Tatsuya Endō
8. Assassination classroom 1: Time for assassination / Yūsei Matsui
9. Berserk 1 / Kentarō Miura
10. Heartstopper Vol. 4 / Alice Oseman

DVDs

1. Bluey Vol. 15: Pizza girls and other stories
2. Dune Part 2 
3. Lee 
4. Twisters 
5. Oppenheimer 
6. Bluey Vol. 16: Granny mobile and other stories 
7. Luca
8. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
9. The Super Mario Bros. movie
10. Minions: The Rise of Gru

Music CDs

1. All things must pass / George Harrison
2. Rug island / Bluey
3. Harlequin / Lady Gaga
4. The tortured poets department: The anthology / Taylor Swift
5. The best of 1980-1990 / U2
6. 50 years: The best of / Cold Chisel
7. Best of / Bruce Springsteen
8. Hit me hard and soft / Billie Eilish
9. Lover / Taylor Swift
10. So fresh: The best of 2024 / Various Artists

Junior Graphic Novels

1. The Bad Guys 20: One last thing / Aaron Blabey
2. Dog Man 12: Scarlet shedder / Dav Pilkey
3. The Bad Guys 19: The serpent and the beast / Aaron Blabey
4. The Bad Guys 15: Open wide and say arrrgh / Aaron Blabey
5. Claudia and the Bad Joke / Ann Martin
6. The Bad Guys 16: The others? / Aaron Blabey
7. Dog Man 10: Mothering heights / Dav Pilkey
8. Wings of Fire 7: Winter turning / Tui Sutherland
9. Dog Man 7: For whom the ball rolls / Dav Pilkey
10. Cat Kid Comic Club 4: Collaborations / Dav Pilkey

Junior Picture Books

1. Bluey: What Would Bluey’s Mum Do?
2. Bluey: Bedroom
3. Bluey: Cricket
4. Gymnastica Fantastica / Briony Stewart
5. Pig the Rebel / Aaron Blabey
6. Give me some space / Philip Bunting
7. Walk of the whales / Nick Bland
8. It’s bedtime, Spot / Eric Hill
9. Where is Hairy Maclary? / Lynley Dodd
10. Llamas in pyjamas / Matt Cosgrove

Junior Fiction

1. Harry Potter and the philosopher’s stone / J.K. Rowling
2. Harry Potter and the goblet of fire / J.K. Rowling 
3. Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets / J.K. Rowling
4. The 143-storey treehouse / Andy Griffiths
5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix / J.K. Rowling  
6. Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban / J.K. Rowling 
7. The 169-storey treehouse / Andy Griffiths  
8. Harry Potter and the deathly hallows / J.K. Rowling   
9. The 156-storey treehouse / Andy Griffiths   
10. Harry Potter and the half-blood prince / J.K. Rowling

For more free books and resources, visit the Wollongong City Libraries website.