New stats have shown that crime novels are capturing the interest of most Canberra readers. Photo: Libraries ACT.
ACT libraries continue to attract thousands of readers each year, and with that come some interesting trends in what people are actually reading.
According to data from the ACT Government, readers in 2026 are showing strong interest in Australian fiction, particularly crime and thriller fiction.
Australian writer Sally Hepworth has proven to be the most popular author for Canberra’s adult readers this year, with her novel Mad Mabel the most popular fiction title so far.
Meanwhile, crime writer Jane Harper, perhaps best known for The Dry, sits in second with Last One Out and American author Virginia Evans in third with her epistolary novel, The Correspondent.
Rounding out the top ten are Flesh by David Szalay, Legacy by Chris Hammer, What We Can Do by Ian McEwan, Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy, The Names by Florence Knapp, The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage and Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden.
Non-fiction is also proving to be extremely popular, with true crime and politics leading the way.
“Readers are gravitating towards suspense, literary fiction and Australian stories, while non-fiction demand reflects a keen interest in politics, true crime, personal memoirs, and local history, led by Niki Savva’s Earthquake and Helen Garner’s The Mushroom Tapes,” an ACT Government spokesperson said.
“Digital formats remain popular, with several titles appearing in both physical and eBook collections, highlighting readers’ preference for accessing bestselling content in multiple ways.
“Audiobook listeners are enjoying a mix of science fiction, contemporary fiction and nostalgic classics, with popular Project Hail Mary leading the category (amaze amaze amaze).”
The books with the longest wait times. Images: Supplied.
Meanwhile, readers who are looking to borrow these titles are a bit out of luck, as these are the books with the longest wait times:
- Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (5-month wait)
- Whistler by Ann Patchett (5-month wait)
- Land by Maggie O’Farrell (5-month wait)
- The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout (4-month wait)
- The Bookshop of Buried Pasts by Sarah Clutton (4-month wait)
- London Falling: A Mysterious Death In A Gilded City And A Family’s Search For Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe 3-month wait)
- Mother Mary Comes To Me by Arundhati Roy (3-month wait)
- Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden (3-month wait)
- Three Reasons For Revenge by Dervla McTiernan (3-month wait)
- The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (2-month wait).
Ebooks are also proving to be popular with Canberrans, with crime dominating the charts. Sitting on top is the romance-filled Heart the Lover by Lily King. Jane Harper again sits second with Last One Out and The Bookshop of Buried Pasts by Sarah Clutton sitting in third.
Meanwhile, Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill, The Long Night by Christian White, Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty, Old Games by Fiona Hardy, The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth and Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy make up the rest of the top ten
As for Audiobooks, the release of the fantastic film Project Hail Mary has translated into renewed interest in the book, with Andy Weir’s sci-fi epic at number one. Sally Hepworth’s Mad Mabel is proving to be just as popular in audio form, sitting in second while The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman completes the podium.
Heart the Lover by Lily King, The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton, The Housemaid by Freida McFadden, Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke, The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton, Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid and 488 Rules for Life by Kitty Flanagan complete the list.
To check out a book from an ACT Library or learn more, visit ACT Libraries.
