The Toronto Public Library (TPL) has shared its annual list of the most borrowed books of 2024, and said titles about "characters and community" were most popular this past year.
The TPL said readers were particularly interested in strong female characters, such as Fourth Wing, the first book in The Empryean series by Rebecca Yarros, and The Women by Kristin Hannah, a tale of Vietnam War nurse Frankie McGrath.
Other titles with strong female characters were Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, and Funny Story by Emily Henry.
"After a desire for escapist reads for many years, there was a shift in 2024 to books about the power of loved ones and community," the library said.
Titles like Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese, and The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride all reflect that theme.
Other top reads included Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, and the self-improvement book Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results by James Clear.
For more insights on what Torontonians are reading, the TPL has also compiled a list of the most read books by Canadian authors.
SPACES also has a Reading space -- click here to check it out.