An Australian novel set in Thirroul has ended 2015 on the top shelf of adult fiction books borrowed from Wollongong libraries.
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And thrillers have maintained their position as the most popular titles overall, filling most of the top spots in the overall most popular borrowers list.
Set in Thirroul, Ashley Hay’s The Railwayman’s Wife was the third-most borrowed book in the Australian adult fiction category – coming in behind Richard Flanagan’s The Narrow Road to the Deep North and Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty.
These were followed by Graeme Simsion’s The Rosie Effect and The Rosie Project, with Noel Beddoe’s On Cringile Hill in tenth place.
Hay set the book in her hometown, telling the story of how protagonist Anikka deals with the death of her husband in a mining accident in 1948.
In audiobooks, Graeme Simsion’s romantic comedies were tops, followed by Matthew Reilly’s Great Zoo of China, The Narrow Road to the Deep North, and Rosalie Ham’s Dressmaker.
The Rosie Project was in such demand it also topped the most-reserved list.
Generally it was thrillers that gave the library cards a workout. The overall Top Ten for all borrowings, including audiobooks and DVS Overall Top 10 of ‘everything’ consists of nine thrillers, with the only matter up for debate being whether a couple of them are more accurately described as “crime”, or “crime thrillers”.
They are: Personal, Lee Child’s Personal, David Baldacci’s The Escape, Michael Connelly’s The Burning Room, James Patterson’s Hope to Die, then his Invisible, John Grisham’s Invisible, Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies (the only one not a thriller), James Patterson’s 14th Deadly Sin, Michael Robotham’s Life or Death, and Tami Hoag’s Cold Cold Heart.
For kids, Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series rules, with latest instalment The Last Straw taking out the top spot for junior fiction.
Kinney is so hot that six of the top eight junior fiction books were from this series, with the only interlopers being Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants and the terrifying return of the Tippy Tinkletrousers (at No.4) and Tom Gates is absolutely fantastic (at some things) by Liz Pichon (at No.7).
Paleo: as caveman never did scribe it
“Paleo Pete” Evans’ book Family food: 130 delicious paleo recipes for every day has finished 2015 as the most borrowed non-fiction title in Wollongong libraries.
Sarah Wilson had the No.2 book with I quit sugar for life: your fad-free wholefood wellness code and cookbook.
Helen Garner was next with the altogether more serious This house of grief: the story of a murder trial.
And local boy Anh Do showed the lasting appeal of The Happiest Refugee which was fourth.
The adult DVD category was led by the complete Taggart, followed by August: Osage County, Anna Karenina, Saving Mr Banks and The Book Thief. Fifty Shades of Grey was down in eighth.
Meanwhile old and new classics dominated the junior DVD rankings, with Alice in Wonderland followed by How To Train Your Dragon 2, Mary Poppins, Ice Age 4, and My Little Pony.
