Local library users are increasingly turning to fiction, according to data collected by the Ottawa Public Library. Allison Hall-Murphy, a collection development coordinator with the library, partially attributes the rise to a need for escapism in today’s world.
“I think that maybe that’s always, what fiction is,” Hall-Murphy said. “People want to get away when they read.”
Hall-Murphy said that she’s also noticed a new interest in so-called “cozy reads.” Writer’s Digest defines this as “a subgenre that readers can expect a certain tone and tropes from the story.” These reads offer comfort and a safe escape from daily life.
“Maybe because of all the stress in the world right now, people are looking for a more low-conflict read,” Hall-Murphy said.
Escapism through fiction
There has been a 166 per cent increase in requests for adult fiction between 2022 and 2024 according to recent data. Over that time, requests for non-fiction increased by 76 per cent.
The library tracks “requests” which refer to when a user formally asks for a title to be delivered to their branch. The library also tracks circulations which refers to the total number of loans.
Hall-Murphy said that because of the nature of fiction, cardholders are more likely to request specific titles, while those looking for non-fiction are more likely to take whatever title is available at the time.
“A popular fiction book may get 1,000 [requests] on one title, which you very rarely see for non-fiction – only for things like [Prince Harry’s memoir] Spare or a Michelle Obama memoir.”
Additionally, request data skews more towards adults. Adults are generally more likely to be willing to wait for a fiction title to come in, said Hall-Murphy. On the other hand, teens and children want their books immediately and are less likely to place a request.
Hall-Murphy said that Ottawa libraries have also seen rising interest in graphic novels for children and teens. She also said she’s noticed a rise in titles such as Dogman and the Babysitter’s Club.
Japanese manga such as One Piece and Naruto have seen a spike as well, data shows.
A report from Beat based on 2023 BookScan data found that of the 44.7 million graphic novels sold in 2023 in the U.S, almost 21.8 million were manga, or almost 49 per cent.
“Manga has been growing in popularity over a long period of time, but definitely in the last five years or so, there’s been just a lot more series coming to North America,” said Hall-Murphy. “So there’s a demand, and the publishers are meeting that demand.”
In 2024, there were 241,348 more requests for fiction than nonfictional. The top five adult fiction titles last year requested were The Women by Kristen Hannah, The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny, Funny Story by Emily Henry, This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune and The Brair Club by Kate Quinn.
Of the top 100 adult fiction titles requested at the Ottawa Public Library, nearly half were in the “mystery” sub-genre while 34 per cent were “historical.”
Hall-Murphy said historical fiction requests have moved to stories set in the 1950s and 1960s.
“The trends in the eras change,” Hall-Murphy said. “For years, it was just World War Two. Now we saw for the first in a while … there were no World War Two historical romance [titles].”
The number one title is a historical fiction book, which Hall-Murphy said is a genre that’s always been popular. The Women, a novel by Kristen Hannah revolves around a young nurse during the Vietnam War.
She also explained that there’s been a huge influence from book-lover communities on social media platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram.
Hall-Murphy said that Romantasy, a genre of fantasy books where the plot is dependent upon romance, has been popular among Ottawa readers.
She also said her team has seen a rise in romance books, in general, with publishers meeting the demand of a new generation of readers for “spicy” novel preferences.
“We’ll see all of a sudden, a huge number of requests for a book that’s not really new, that may be a few years old. And then we’ll say, ‘Hey, what’s going on here? Is this a BookTok thing?’”
