With the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) estimating that 2.2 million books are published each year, that’s a lot of new titles fighting to get into the hands of readers.
But locally, there were some clear winners in 2025, which can be seen in Fraser Valley Regional Library’s list of the most popular books of the year.
FVRL explained that this list is reflective of library circulation and checkout numbers rather than reviews, with the list covering not just books but also movies and music.
In the category of adult books, the big winner was The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins. This non-fiction title was named a New York Times bestseller and finished 2025 with an average rating of four stars on the FVRL site.
“This thoughtful and accessible self-help book sparked conversations and inspired many of us to take a fresh look at decision-making, resilience, and inner calm — making it a standout favourite on our shelves all year long,” said FVRL.
Other FVRL titles that made the list of the most popular adult books in 2025 include:
• Great Big Beautiful Life, Emily Henry
• The Crash, Freida McFadden
• Onyx Storm, Rebecca Yarros
• My Friends, Fredrik Backman
• Nobody’s Fool, Harlan Coben
• Broken Country, Clare Leslie Hall
• One Golden Summer, Carley Fortune
• Strangers in Time, David Baldacci
In the young adult category, it was a long-awaited sequel that reigned supreme, with Suzanne Collins’ Sunrise of the Reaping taking the crown.
The latest entry in the Hunger Games series was swallowed up by B.C.’s younger reading population and accumulated an average rating of 4.5 stars.
“With rich world-building and complex themes of control, courage, and hope, this prequel captivated teens and adults,” said FVRL.
Also making the list of most popular young adult books was:
• Fearless, Lauren Roberts
• Rebel Witch, Kristen Ciccarelli
• Glorious Rivals, Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• Fearful, Lauren Roberts
The award-winning author of the Captain Underpants series, Dav Pilkey, seems to still be dominating the children’s comic book market.
His more recent work, Dog Man: Big Jim Begins, was named the most popular children’s book of the year for FVRL, gaining an average rating of 4.5 stars.
“Dav Pilkey’s humour, heart, and bold cartoon style once again delivered a fun and energetic reading experience that kept kids coming back for more,” said FVRL.
This title is joined by these other popular books for children in 2025:
• Wings of Fire: Winter Turning, Tui Sutherland
• I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, 1919, Georgia Ball
• Baby-Sitters Little Sister: Karen’s Prize, Shauna J. Grant
• The Cartoonists Club, Raina Telgemeier
• Big Nate: Attack of the Cheez Funk Breath, Lincoln Peirce
• Agents of S.U.I.T. Wild Ghost Chase, John Patrick Green
• Garfield: Full Course Volume Five, Scott Nickel
• Warriors: The Prophecies Begin Volume 2, Natalie Riess
While FVRL offers a vast collection of books, it also provides people with the chance to rent movies, music, and many other entertainment items.
Among the people who rented movies from their local libraries in 2025, A Minecraft Movie was the most in-demand title.
“Based on the beloved video game, this motion picture adventure brought the pixelated world to life with humour, creativity, and blockbuster energy, and captured the imaginations of all ages,” said FVRL.
This movie saw similar success in other markets as well, earning more than $958 million and becoming the fourth-highest-grossing movie in the world in 2025, according to Box Office Mojo.
FVRL said that other extremely popular movie titles included:
• Thunderbolts: The New Avengers
• Jurassic World: Rebirth
• Sinners
For music, it was Blue Rodeo’s Greatest Hits Volume 2 that stood above the rest, becoming FVRL’s most popular album of 2025.
“Released in March 2025 as a celebration of the band’s 40-year career, this compilation brought together beloved tracks spanning decades, making it a top choice for FVRL’s music listeners,” said FVRL.
While these Canadian music icons came in at number one, they were followed closely by:
• Mayhem, Lady Gaga
• A Complete Unknown (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Timothee Chalamet
• I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy, Teddy Swims
Complete collections of books, movies, and music available at all FVRL locations can be found at fvrl.bibliocommons.com.
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