These were the most borrowed books at the Toronto Public Library this year
The Toronto Public Library revealed what piqued readers’ interest this year, revealing that Torontonians were not siloed to one genre and bounced around from dark humour, fantasy, historical fiction and romance, among others.
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These novels were in Toronto’s good books this year TPL’s most borrowed book list this year reveals Toronto’s reading list 'was as varied as the city itself,' the library said.
No one genre captivated Torontonian readers this year, TPL noted, preferring to jump around from fantasy to romance to thriller to historical fiction. The library broke down what the top 10 most borrowed books in 2025 were, saying all together these titles flew off their shelves more than 195,000 times.
So, what caught bibliophiles eye this year? Here’s the full list, in descending order:
10. "The Anxious Generation" by Jonathan Haidt, 13,207 borrows This book makes the argument that social media, smart phones and overprotective parenting has caused a ‘great rewiring of childhood,’ causing a rise in anxiety among today’s youth.
9. “Intermezzo” by Sally Rooney, 13,814 borrows The latest book by fictional novelist Sally Rooney focuses on the story of two brothers navigating the death of their father.
8. “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, 13,826 borrows This bestselling self-help book provides a guide to readers to develop better habits and break bad ones. The library says this novel is a ‘perennial fixture’ to its most borrowed list, indicating Torontonians ‘never tire of self-improvement.’
7. “Funny Story” by Emily Henry, 14,318 borrows This New York Times bestseller follows the story of a children’s librarian, Daphne, who finds herself living with Miles—whose ex becomes her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée.
“This opposites-attract romance about two people determined to get even with their newly engaged exes remains one of the city’s most reread novels,” the library said.
6. “Great Big Beautiful Life” by Emily Henry, 14,922 borrows The latest novel by Henry also cracked the most read books list of 2025. In this novel, two authors are at odds with who gets to write the biography of a former tabloid princess and daughter of one of the most infamous families of the 20th century.
5. “The God of the Woods” by Liz Moore, 15,195 borrows This book delves into the mystery of the disappearance of a 13-year-old girl, the daughter whose family owned the summer camp she vanished from.
“Told in vivid fashion through multiple perspectives, Liz Moore’s atmospheric thriller kept Torontonians turning pages late into the night,” TPL said.
4. “The Wedding People” by Alison Espach, 15,200 borrows This darkly humorous novel follows an unexpected guest at an extravagant wedding, who attended the luxurious Cornwall Inn to end her life but instead gets caught up in a chaotic chain of events.
3. “The Women” by Kristin Hannah, 15,584 borrows This historical fiction of a woman’s time serving in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War was the second-most borrowed book at TPL’s libraries in 2024.
2. “The Let Them Theory” by Mel Robbins, 17,649 borrows This guide encourages radical acceptance and the practice of letting go of what cannot be controlled, teaching readers to free themselves from ‘the opinions, drama and judgments of others.’
1. “Onyx Storm” by Rebecca Yarow There are three books so far in Yarrow’s Empyrean series: “Fourth Wing,” “Iron Flame,” and “Onyx Storm,” all following the tale of Violet Sorrengail. Combined, TPL says there have been 61,365 borrows this year.
“With the next installment still unannounced, Torontonians are revisiting—and reborrowing—this romantasy blockbuster series,” TPL said.
