Eleanor LawsonWest Midlands

Staffordshire County Council Two women stand next to each other and smile at the camera while holding a book in each hand. Three of the four books are written by Richard Osman and the fourth is by Ann Cleeves.Staffordshire County Council

Staffordshire County Council has revealed its most borrowed books for 2025, with Richard Osman topping the adult fiction chart

For the fourth year running, author Richard Osman has topped the list of most borrowed library books of the year in Staffordshire.

Crime and thriller genres show no sign of going out of style as they continue to dominate Staffordshire Libraries’ most borrowed, with Osman’s 2024 murder mystery We Solve Murders top of the list.

His fourth instalment of his Thursday Murder Club book series, The Last Devil to Die, also took the second spot.

Meanwhile, best-selling children’s author Julia Donaldson claims half the list of the top ten most borrowed children’s books this year.

For the second year in a row, Donaldson’s 2020 book What the Ladybird Heard at the Seaside claims the top spot.

In the adult fiction list, crime novelist Ann Cleeves returns to the top ten list in third place with her crime novel The Dark Wives, the latest instalment in the author’s Vera Stanhope series.

Lee Child also made a return to the list with his Jack Reacher novel In Too Deep.

New additions to the list include The Waiting by Michael Connelly, Robert Harris’ Precipice and You Are Here by David Nicholls.

Netflix Richard Osman on the set of The Thursday Murder Club with cast Sir Ben Kingsley, Pierce Brosnan, Dame Helen Mirren and Celia Imrie in costumeNetflix

Richard Osman’s debut novel The Thursday Murder Club, which was adapted into a Netflix film this year, made it into the top 10

The top ten adult fiction borrowed books are:

Richard Osman – We Solve MurdersRichard Osman – The Last Devil to DieAnn Cleeves – The Dark WivesLee Child – In Too DeepMichael Connelly – The WaitingRichard Osman – The Thursday Murder ClubRichard Osman – The Bullet That MissedRichard Osman – The Man Who Died TwiceRobert Harris – PrecipiceDavid Nicholls – You Are Here

The top ten borrowed children’s books include:

Julia Donaldson – What the Ladybird Heard at the SeasideJulia Donaldson – The Hospital DogJulia Donaldson – The Singing MermaidJamie Smart – Bunny Vs Monkey and the Human Invasion!Julia Donaldson – The BaddiesJulia Donaldson – TiddlerRoald Dahl – Fantastic Mr FoxJeff Kinney – The Last StrawJamie Smart – Bunny Vs MonkeyJ.K. Rowling – Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s StonePA Julia Donaldson, a woman with shoulder-length dark hair, smiles while standing next to someone dressed in a Gruffalo suit.PA

Julia Donaldson dominated the list of most read children’s books in Staffordshire

Hayley Coles, from Staffordshire County Council, said: “It’s great to see our libraries inspiring so many readers and once again it’s crime and thriller novels that are capturing people’s imaginations.

“Libraries are at the heart of our communities, offering both books and a welcoming space for everyone.

“We’d encourage people to visit their local library, check out the amazing things going on there and have a read of some of the books that so many of our visitors have been borrowing.”