The numbers are in for Wollongong City Libraries most borrowed items of 2020, with Wollongong-based author Helena Fox making the list with her debut Young Adult novel How It Feels to Float.
This year's Library list has a distinctly Australian feel, with the Adult Fiction, Adult Non-Fiction and Junior Fiction Top Ten Lists of 2020 jam-packed with Aussie authors.
In the Top 10 Adult Fiction titles of 2020, big-name Australian authors Michael Robotham, Liane Moriarty, Christian White, Jane Harper, Charlotte Wood & Trent Dalton were among the most popular.
"Not only was our community supporting local businesses during what was a tough year, they also enjoyed more content that was created closer to home," said Wollongong City Council Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM.
"What's most exciting is that in 2020 our readers voted with their library cards for a true local author. Helena Fox is a Wollongong-based author whose debut novel How It Feels to Float captured the minds and hearts of readers of all ages."
Helena Fox's How It Feels to Float was the winner of the Prime Minister's Literary Award 2020 for Young Adult Literature.
For our junior readers, northern Illawarra resident Anh Do once again wiped out the competition, claiming the top ten spots on the Junior Fiction Top Ten List of 2020.
Anh Do's WeirDo 13: Weirdomania! was the most borrowed junior fiction title of the year, borrowed a total of 130 times. The other Do favourites that rounded out the top five were WeirDo 9: Spooky Weird!, Game Time!, Ninja Clones! and Show Time!.
"Anh Do is easily one of our young readers all-time favourite authors. This is the second year in a row that Do has made a clean sweep of the junior fiction Top 10 Books of the year," said Cr Bradbery.
"Adding up the numbers shows that in total his books were borrowed a staggering 1,393 times this year. On average, that's three copies of Anh Do's books borrowed every day by keen readers."
