Self-help, fantasy and a wildly popular wimpy kid: Vancouver's most-borrowed library books of 2025

The Vancouver Public Library's most borrowed books of 2025 are always a good inspiration for your reading list next year.

In 2024, the library system said it had nearly 6.5 million visits, and it remains the most-visited urban library system in Canada per capita.

Many of this year's most-borrowed books are familiar sights to those who keep up with the annual lists — but the adult section had far more fiction books than in recent years, including a fair share of romance.

Here's what made the top 10 list in the adult, young adult and children's categories this year. It features many returning favourites in the fantasy and kids' graphic novel genres.

Self-help book reigns supreme — again

The self-help book 101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think by Brianna Wiest will celebrate a hat-trick this year, after topping the list of most-borrowed adult books for the third year in a row.

Canadian mystery author Louise Penny made the podium in third place, with her 19th entry in the Inspector Armand Gamache series, The Grey Wolf.

The novel is set in Penny's home province of Quebec and was featured by the Royal Family in a social media post earlier this year.

A number of romance books and adult fiction rounded out the adult list, including books by Sally Rooney and Kristin Hannah.

Top 10 most-borrowed adult books:

1. 101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think by Brianna Wiest.

2. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

3. The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny.

4. The Women by Kristin Hannah.

5. All Fours by Miranda July.

6. Intermezzo by Sally Rooney.

7. The Wedding People by Alison Espach.

8. Funny Story by Emily Henry.

9. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.

10. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore.

Young adults love fantasy

It's a familiar tale for teens and young adults in the VPL system this year, with Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses taking the No. 1 spot on the teen list for the fourth year in a row.

Maas has four fantasy books in the top 10, and Suzanne Collins's dystopian Hunger Games series also has two entries.

Fantasy books made up eight of the entries on this year's teen list, a trend that has held strong for many years at the VPL.

Top 10 most-borrowed young adult/teen books:

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas.

2. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins.

3. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins.

4. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas.

5. Powerless by Lauren Roberts.

6. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross.

7. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas.

8. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson.

9. Reckless by Lauren Roberts.

10. Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas and Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter (tied for 10th).

A tale of 2 series

It was a near identical showing in the kids' category this year, with Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer by Jeff Kinney once again topping a list composed entirely of graphic novels.

Kinney's series makes up half the list this year in what has been a sustained showing of popularity for the American author.

The revived The Baby-Sitters Club series made up four of the other entries in the top 10, with Dav Pilkey grabbing the fifth spot with an entry in his Dog Man series.

Top 10 most-borrowed children's books:

1. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer by Jeff Kinney.

2. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diper Överlöde by Jeff Kinney.

3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hot Mess by Jeff Kinney.

4. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Big Shot by Jeff Kinney.

5. Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder by Dav Pilkey.

6. Baby-Sitters Little Sister: Karen's Haircut by Katy Farina.

7. The Baby-Sitters Club: Claudia and the Bad Joke by Arley Nopra.

8. Baby-Sitters Little Sister: Karen's Sleepover by Katy Farina.

9. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Deep End by Jeff Kinney.

10. Baby-Sitters Little Sister: Karen's Grandmothers by DK Yingst.