27 December 2022

Here are the top library books that kept Canberrans turning the page in 2022

| Evelyn Karatzas
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National Library of Australia Bookshop

The National Library of Australia Bookshop. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.

As 2022 comes to an end, it’s time to sit back, relax and reflect on all the good times and highlights of the year.

This time we’re calling out to all the bookworms in Canberra as the top-borrowed and most popular library books in the nation’s capital have been revealed.

Coming in at number one is Richard Osmand’s crime novel, The Man Who Died Twice – it was the most popular item borrowed in two categories – book and adult fiction.

ACT Minister for City Services Chris Steel said the most popular themes library members read throughout the year included crime/mystery, thriller, domestic fiction and biography/memoirs.

“Australian authors Jane Harper and Trent Dalton featured across different categories. Anh Do was again a popular author for younger readers with a clean sweep of the top five titles in the junior fiction category,” Mr Steel said.

“I would like to thank the team at Libraries ACT for helping the community to keep connected.

“It has been a tough few years but the work and resources you provide the community are of great value.”

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Mr Steel said libraries were more than just a place for borrowing books.

“They offer many programs to support and connect Canberrans,” the Minister said.

“These programs range from English conversation classes for people to practise their skills to the Donut Stress Homework Club that provides a fun and relaxed environment for students to get help – and donuts.

“During and after the festive break, if holidaying at home or away, children and adults can stay engaged and entertained with free activities and resources on the Libraries ACT website.”

Here are the most popular books of 2022.

The most popular books in physical form and adult fiction are:

  1. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
  2. The Way It Is Now by Garry Disher
  3. Devotion by Hannah Kent
  4. The Survivors by Jane Harper
  5. The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan.

The top five adult non-fiction books are:

  1. Well Hello: Meanderings From The World of Chat 10 Looks 3 by Annabel Crabb
  2. So You Think You Know What’s Good For You by Norman Swan
  3. Ten Steps To Nanette: A Memoir Situation by Hannah Gadsby
  4. Fully Human: A New Way Of Using Your Mind by Steve Biddulph
  5. Love Stories by Trent Dalton.

The top five junior fiction reads include:

  1. Ninja Toys! by Anh Do
  2. Spinning Weird! by Anh Do
  3. Ninja Clones! by Anh Do
  4. Camping Time! by Anh Do
  5. Hopping Weird! by Anh Do.

The top five junior non-fiction books include:

  1. All About Diversity by Felicity Brooks
  2. Coco Chanel by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara
  3. Animals by Barbara Toft
  4. Explore Your World: Weird, Wild, Amazing by Tim F Flannery
  5. Amelia Earhart by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara

The top five eBooks for 2022:

  1. Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
  2. The Mother by Jane Caro
  3. The Jane Austen Remedy: It Is A Truth Universally Acknowledged That A Book Can Change A Life by Ruth Wilson
  4. Black River by Matthew Spencer
  5. The Survivors by Jane Harper

The top five audiobooks for the year:

  1. Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton
  2. Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
  3. Agatha Raisin and The Witches’ Tree by M. C. Beaton
  4. The Dictionary Of Lost Words by Pip Williams
  5. Phosphorescence: On Awe, Wonder & Things That Sustain You When the World Goes Dark by Julia Baird.

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During the holiday season, many library branches will be closed, however, online services will remain open.

The National Library of Australia reading rooms will be closed over the Christmas break and reopen on Tuesday 3 January 2023 at 10 am.

The exhibition galleries remain open, and the National Library tours will continue to take place daily, from 9 am to 5 pm.

Bookplate Cafe will be open from Wednesday, 28 December to Friday, 30 December, from 8:30 am to 4 pm, Saturday, 31 December, from 9 am to 4 pm, Sunday, 1 January and Monday, 2 January from 9 am to 3 pm and Tuesday, 3 January from 8:30 am to 4 pm.

For more information on opening hours and services for libraries across the capital, visit Libraries ACT.

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