LIVEWIRE have revealed the top 10 adult and children’s book borrowed from their libraries in Warrington this year.

From thrillers to healthy eating, Minecraft to Marvel, 2021 saw readers enjoy a range of fiction and non-fiction works, in book, e-book and audiobook form.

And from in person borrowing, Order and Collect and the Home Library services, LiveWire staff went the extra mile to ensure Covid-19 restrictions and concerns didn’t stop the town’s readers from being able to access books.

Topping the fiction list for adults is the latest blockbuster from John Grisham, Sooley, while the most popular adult non-fiction borrowed book was a Cold War true story, The Spy and the Traitor by Ben MacIntyre.

Junior fiction is topped by the latest instalment in Julia Donaldson’s What The Ladybird Heard series, with non-fiction dominated by the game and technology genres with The Minecraft Guide topping the list.

The e-book top ten was topped by the huge bestseller The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman and in top spot on the e-audio books chart was the latest Rebus thriller A Song for Dark Times by Ian Rankin.

Rachel Ralston, LiveWire’s strategic library manager, said: “The year’s top borrowed books, e-books and e-audio provide a fascinating glimpse into the reading habits of our customers over what has been another challenging year.

“The fiction lists are dominated by many familiar big names proving they are as popular as ever.

“The non-fiction lists perhaps give a snapshot of the ongoing pandemic, with people seeking out baking and healthy-eating books to help them through lockdown.

“The children’s non-fiction list also perhaps reflects the increased time using tech spent by young people during lockdown, with video game guides featuring prominently.

“From our digital collections to our Order and Collect and Home Library services, LiveWire’s Library team was dedicated to helping keep people reading during 2021 and we look forward to continuing our work in the year ahead.”

Here is the list in full:

Top 10 Adult Fiction

  1. Sooley by John Grisham
  2. The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick
  3. Blue Moon by Lee Child
  4. Many Rivers To Cross by Peter Robinson
  5. The Long Call by Ann Cleeves
  6. The Family by Louise Jensen
  7. The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths
  8. Blindside by James Patterson
  9. Golden in Death by J.D. Robb
  10. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

Top 10 Adult Non-Fiction

  1. The Spy and the Traitor by Ben MacIntyre
  2. Adventures of the Yorkshire Shepherdess by Amanda Owen
  3. Pinch of Nom by Kay Featherstone
  4. Mary Berry's Quick Cooking by Mary Berry
  5. The Salt Path by Raynor Winn
  6. A Year in the Life of the Yorkshire Shepherdess by Amanda Owen
  7. The Rough Guide to Wales
  8. Veggie Lean in 15 by Joe Wicks
  9. Between the Stops by Sandi Toksvig
  10. The Body by Bill Bryson

Top 10 Children’s Fiction

  1. What the Ladybird Heard at the Seaside by Julia Donaldson
  2. Peppa Loves Doctors and Nurses
  3. There's an Elf in Your Book by Tom Fletcher
  4. I Love You, Daddy Pig!
  5. Slime by David Walliams
  6. Supertato Carnival Catastro-pea! by Sue Hendra
  7. Dog Man by Dav Pilkey
  8. Spot Goes to the Fire Station by Eric Hill
  9. The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney
  10. Oi Puppies! By Kes Gray

Top 10 Children’s Non-Fiction

  1. Minecraft Guide to Survival by Stephanie Milton
  2. How to Tell the Time by Sean McArdle
  3. 100% Unofficial Fortnite Essential Guide by Daniel Lipscombe
  4. Guide to Minecraft Dungeons
  5. Dinosaurs by John Wood
  6. Toy Story 4 by Ruth Amos
  7. Minecraft Master Builder Toolkit by Jonathan Green
  8. Marvel Ultimate Fact Book Melanie Scott
  9. The Amazing Book of Dinosaurs by Clare Hibbert
  10. Children's Encyclopedia of Ocean Life by Claudia Martin

Top 10 Ebooks

  1. The Thursday Murder Club – Richard Osman
  2. The Darkest Evening – Ann Cleeves
  3. Grown Ups – Marian Keyes
  4. Then She Was Gone – Lisa Jewell
  5. Invisible Girl – Lisa Jewell
  6. Daylight – David Baldacci
  7. Blue Moon – Lee Child
  8. Left You Dead – Peter James
  9. The Sentinel – Lee Child
  10. Hidden in Plain Sight – Jeffrey Archer

Top 10 Audiobooks

  1. A Song for Dark Times – Ian Rankin
  2. Still Life – Val McDermid
  3. The Castaways – Lucy Clarke
  4. Lockdown – Peter May
  5. Ocean Prey – John Sandford
  6. The Road to Little Dribbling – Bill Bryson
  7. A Daughter’s Return – Josephine Cox
  8. Dead Man’s Time – Peter James
  9. A Good Liar – Amanda Brooke
  10. 1979 – Val McDermid