If you’ve been wondering what fellow Torontonians have been reading on their TTC commutes (or maybe you’re seeking recommendations for your next late-night “one-more-chapter” binge-read), the Toronto Public Library (TPL) has your answer. Earlier this month, TPL unveiled its list of the most borrowed books of 2025, and the big takeaway is that Torontonians are serious genre-hoppers.
Collectively, the top 10 titles (and one blockbuster series) were borrowed more than 195,000 times across the system, jumping from romantasy and contemporary romance to thrillers, literary fiction and self-improvement reads.
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For the second year in a row, Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean series kept readers hooked, with Torontonians following dragon-rider heroine Violet Sorrengail as she navigates love, danger and self-discovery. Meanwhile, Emily Henry landed two spots in the top 10 with Funny Story and Great Big Beautiful Life, underscoring the city’s appetite for witty, heart-fluttering modern love stories (with perfectly happy endings, of course).
But romance wasn’t the only thing flying off the shelves. Torontonians were also checking out darkly comic novels, like The Wedding People, summer-camp mysteries like The God of the Woods, historical fiction novels like The Women, and literary fiction like Intermezzo.
“What stands out in this year’s list is just how eclectic Toronto readers are,” Matt Abbott, Senior Manager, Collection Development, TPL, said in a statement. “One week they’re devouring fantasy, the next a thriller or a historical novel. It’s clear that our community is following stories that captivate them—regardless of category.”
On the nonfiction side, the list was all about practical guidance, insight and tools for navigating modern life (think habit-building, letting-go strategies, and books that try to make sense of modern stress).
“Nonfiction continues to resonate strongly with our readers,” Abbott said, noting that it reflects “a city that is curious, thoughtful and eager to grow.”
According to TPL, these were the top borrows of the year!
- The Empyrean series (Onyx Storm, Fourth Wing, and Iron Flame) by Rebecca Yarros
- The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
- The Women by Kristin Hannah
- The Wedding People by Alison Espach
- The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
- Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
- Funny Story by Emily Henry
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
- The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
