The most popular library loans in NZ in 2024? Probably books by Lee Child

2023 Jack Reacher book The Secret by Lee and Andrew Child was one of the most popular library loans in New Zealand in 2024.

Surprise, surprise, the books Kiwis loaned the most this year were penned by best-selling UK author Lee Child, writes the Herald’s Emma Gleason, who looks at our borrowing behaviour in 2024 and why we still love libraries.

With more time on our hands (hopefully) and aspirations to unplug and slow down, for many Kiwis, summer is a time to catch up on a new book or finally finish that old one.

December’s the month in which we often re-establish good habits and appraise the best of the year. It’s also a time when we’re often hyper-aware of what we’re spending.

You know what won’t cost you a dime? Borrowing a library book.

Some of the most popular titles can draw a considerable waitlist, and the country’s most-borrowed books are in hot demand. So what were they this year?

The most checked-out book from Auckland Council Libraries was The Girl From London by Kiwi Olivia Spooner – a New Zealand best-seller about a schoolteacher helping to evacuate children to New Zealand and Australia during World War II – followed by Lee Child’s The Secret.

Lee Child dominated the library loans in Christchurch for the seventh year in a row, with The Secret in the top spot, followed by his 2022 novel No Plan B.

Written by Child and brother Andrew, The Secret – the 28th book in the hugely popular Jack Reacher series - was published in 2023

Set in 1992, it’s a flashback to Reacher’s past, and sees its famous protagonist investigating a series of mysterious deaths as military police (his old career before he became the itinerant, morally driven vigilante made famous by the other books and the Prime Video TV series).

Billed as a classic Reacher story by reviewers – “Jack Reacher doing what he does best, busting heads and breaking rules to get to the bottom of a conspiracy”, wrote the UK’s Daily Express – it became a New York Times number-one best-seller.

It currently holds a respectable 4.2 score on Amazon and 4.08 on recommendations site Goodreads, where one reviewer declared Child’s books “a vacation tradition”.

They’ll likely be in beach bags and on bach tables around New Zealand this summer.

Up in the Bay of Plenty, The Secret was the most borrowed book for the year for Tauranga City Libraries. It topped both the Thames-Coromandel and Waikato District Council fiction lists, and was in the number-one spot at Dunedin Public Libraries.

Over in Hastings it was a similar story, with Lee Child proving popular; his novel In too Deep was the most-borrowed fiction book.

Child’s nationwide grip was less rigid in the capital – The Secret came in at number eight – with Wellingtonians borrowing Emily Perkins’ Lioness more than any other fiction book.

They were also interested in personal improvement, with James Clear’s Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones the top non-fiction book.

As far as real-life reads go, Sam Neill’s memoir Did I Ever Tell You This proved popular, topping non-fiction lists in the Thames-Coromandel district and at Dunedin Public Libraries. It was the 10th most popular physical loan in Auckland.

Not every region responded to the Herald’s queries before the holiday period started.

The start of summer was a busy one for Auckland Council Libraries, and its online hold services proved particularly popular; library members placed 299,249 holds over the six weeks to December 17, with 67% done via its website and 25% on the library’s app.

It had seen an increase in both book borrowing and foot traffic in 2024, compared with 2023. There were 11.4 million physical loans and five million digital loans tallied in its end-of-year review.

Auckland Council Libraries has seen an uptick in foot traffic and loans this year. Photo / Jay Farnworth

New Zealanders are still turning to libraries for their reading needs, and the myriad other services on offer – from free Wi-Fi to community assistance.

As Kiwis continue to watch their wallets, the nation’s libraries' provision of books, music, information, community and support is an appealing proposition.

“The range of free resources and events available through local libraries are especially valuable for Aucklanders facing a cost of living crisis.”

Membership is free for residents and ratepayers of Tāmaki Makaurau, and around the country, similar rules apply to other districts.

Libraries offer a service that seems unbelievable if you stop to think about it for too long.

A building full of books that are, provided they’re on the shelf – although that may be unlikely if it’s Child’s The Secret you’re after – free to borrow; otherwise, put in a hold request and patiently wait your turn.

With 406,000 active members, Auckland Council Libraries said it was expecting a high-demand start to the new year.

“January is typically our busiest month for checkouts, and we predict January 2025 will be the same,” a spokesperson told the Herald.

“E-checkouts are especially popular in January, as Aucklanders can check out e-books, e-audiobooks and e-magazines from wherever they are – park, bach, boat, beach.”

Emma Gleason is the Herald’s lifestyle and entertainment deputy editor. Based in Auckland, she covers entertainment and culture.

This story has been updated to correct a figure on physical loans at Auckland Council Libraries.