Library News

Want to know what your neighbors borrowed most this year? Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources checked the numbers, and these titles rose to the top in 2025 — from page-turning fiction to popular nonfiction, plus movies and music on hoopla.

You can find many of these titles in our catalog, and you can stream or download digital favorites anytime with your library card.

Availability can change, and wait times may vary. If a title is checked out, place a hold or try a digital format.

Top Fiction of 2025

• “The Waiting” by Michael Connelly
• “To Die For” by David Baldacci
• “Nightshade” by Michael Connelly
• “The Women” by Kristin Hannah
• "Strangers in Time" by David Baldacci
• “25 Alive” by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
• “James” by Percival Everett
• “The Writer” by James Patterson and J. D. Barker
• “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt
• “Identity Unknown” by Patricia Cornwell

Top Nonfiction of 2025

• “The Let Them Theory” by Mel Robbins
• “Revenge of the Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell
• “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt
• “Original Sin” by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson
• “Abundance” by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson
• “All the Beauty in the World” by Patrick Bringley
• “Framed” by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey
• “Simply Jamie” by Jamie Oliver
• “The Art Thief” by Michael Finkel
• “Atomic Habits” by James Clear

Top Biographies and Memoirs of 2025

• “Be Ready When the Luck Happens” by Ina Garten
• “Careless People” by Sarah Wynn-Williams
• “The Tell” by Amy Griffin
• “Memorial Days” by Geraldine Brooks
• “Nobody’s Girl” by Virginia Roberts Giuffre
• “A Marriage at Sea” by Sophie Elmhirst
• “Melania” by Melania Trump
• “An Unfinished Love Story” by Doris Kearns Goodwin
• “Cher: The Memoir, Part One” by Cher
• “When the Going Was Good” by Graydon Carter

Top Juvenile Picture Books in 2025

• “The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster!” by Mo Willems
• “Skye’s Time to Fly” by Elle Stephens
• “Pete the Cat Storybook Favorites: Groovy Adventures” by Kim Dean
• “Furry Friends Forever 5-Minute Stories” adapted by Mei Nakamura
• “5-Minute Kindness Stories”
• “If You Give a Mouse a Brownie” by Laura Numeroff
• “The Quacken” by Justin Colon
• “We Are Definitely Human” by X Fang
• “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss
• “Leading Ladies”

Top Juvenile Beginning Readers in 2025

• “Should I Share My Ice Cream?” by Mo Willems
• “I Am Invited to a Party!” by Mo Willems
• “I’m a Frog!” by Mo Willems
• “Elephants Cannot Dance!” by Mo Willems
• “I Love My New Toy!” by Mo Willems
• “I Will Take a Nap!” by Mo Willems
• “I Broke My Trunk!” by Mo Willems
• “A Big Guy Took My Ball” by Mo Willems
• “I Really Like Slop!” by Mo Willems
• “My Friend Is Sad” by Mo Willems

Top Juvenile Fiction in 2025

• “Cabin Fever” by Jeff Kinney
• “The Meltdown” by Jeff Kinney
• “Big Shot” by Jeff Kinney
• “The Long Haul” by Jeff Kinney
• “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” by Jeff Kinney
• “Old School” by Jeff Kinney
• “The Third Wheel” by Jeff Kinney
• “Double Down” by Jeff Kinney
• “Dog Days” by Jeff Kinney
• “Rodrick Rules” by Jeff Kinney

Top Movies on hoopla in 2025

• "Wicked: The Real Story"
• "The Last Rifleman"
• "Someone Like You"
• "Lost on a Mountain in Maine"
• "Four Letters of Love"
• "The Count of Monte Cristo"
• "Blind Date Book Club"
• "Where the Wind Blows"
• "The Slipper and the Rose: The Story of Cinderella"
• "The Old Oak"

Top Music on hoopla in 2025

• "The Life of a Showgirl" by Taylor Swift
• "Hamilton" (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
• "80s Mixtape"
• "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology" by Taylor Swift
• "Lullabies: Calm and Soft Music Baby Sleep and Relax"
• "Traveller" by Chris Stapleton
• "Wicked: The Soundtrack"
• "K-Pop Demon Hunters" (Soundtrack From the Netflix Film)
• "1989 (Taylor’s Version) (Deluxe)" by Taylor Swift
• "Austin" by Post Malone

BingePass

A hoopla BingePass gives you days of unlimited access to great online content with a single borrow! Some BingePasses allow you to explore directly through a partner’s platform, while others give you access to entire collections of content on hoopla. It’s a great way to discover new entertainment, try your hand at a new skill, or learn about a new topic.

Once you borrow a BingePass, you can access it immediately. To access the content again, you can find your BingePass through the Borrowed section of My hoopla. When your borrow period is up, you’re welcome to borrow the same BingePass again.

• Hoopla Magazines (read on device)
• Hallmark+ (video)
• The Great Courses (video)
• Curiosity Stream (video)
• Puzzle Palace (interactive puzzle)
• Puzzmo (interactive puzzle)
• Dove Channel (video)
• The Ken Burns Collection (video)
• Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators. SeasonPass: Season 1 (video)
• DCI Banks SeasonPass: Season 1 (video)