More than 12 million print and digital materials were checked out from Montgomery County Public Libraries last year.
Across 21 branches, customers checked out nearly 5 million digital materials (4,677,742 to be exact) in 2025, according to the library system.
But when it came to reading materials that county library card holders checked out the most, the murder mystery novel “The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store” by James McBride topped the list. “The Demon of Unrest” by Erik Larson was a top non-fiction favorite, while the book adaptation of the popular children’s show “Bluey” snagged the No. 1 and No. 2 spots for most checked out children’s books.
Overall, the library system issued 62,000 new library cards in 2025. Customers logged 362,012 computer sessions throughout the library system.
Below is more on what Montgomery County Library card holders read most last year.
Top 5 Adult Books, Fiction
- The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
- The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
- The Women by Kristin Hannah
- Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby van Pelt
- To Die For by David Baldacci
Top 5 Adult Books, Nonfiction
- The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson
- The Wager by David Grann
- The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
- Outlive: the Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia
- The Odyssey by Homer
Top 5 Children’s Picture Books
- Bluey: Bob Bilby
- Bluey: the Beach
- Construction Site: Road Crew Coming Through, by Sherri Duskey Rinker
- The Pigeon Has to Go to School by Mo Willems
- Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late by Mo Willems
Top 5 Children’s Graphic Novels
- Dog Man: a Tale of Two Kitties by Dav Pilkey
- Plants vs. Zombies: Lawnmageddon by Paul Tobin
- Big Nate: Welcome to My World by Lincoln Peirce
- Big Nate: Great Minds Think Alike by Lincoln Peirce
- Babymouse 2: Our Hero by Jennifer L. Holm
Top 5 Teen Fiction
- The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
- Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
- We’ll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Here are some of the most popular books that were taken out digitally or at one of the county’s 21 branches.
Top 5 Adult Ebooks, Fiction
- The Women: a Novel by Kristin Hannah
- Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
- The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
- Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
- The Wedding People: a Novel by Alison Espach
Top 5 Adult Ebooks, Nonfiction
- The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
- Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
- Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams
- Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten
- Abundance: What Progress Takes by Derek Thompson and Ezra Klein
Top 5 Adult Audiobooks, Fiction
- Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
- Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
- The Women by Kristin Hannah
- Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Teen Fiction
- Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
- Reckless by Lauren Roberts
- The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
- Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Teen Audiobooks
- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
- Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
- The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
Children’s Ebooks
- Kristy and the Walking Disaster by Ellen Crenshaw
- Claudia and the Bad Joke by Ann M. Martin and Arley Nopra
- Dog Man: Big Jim Begins by Dav Pilkey
- Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder by Dav Pilkey
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hot Mess by Jeff Kinney
There are some of the most popular books taken out in print version.
Top 5 Adult Books, Fiction
- The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
- The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
- The Women by Kristin Hannah
- Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby van Pelt
- To Die For by David Baldacci
Top 5 Adult Books, Nonfiction
- The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson
- The Wager by David Grann
- The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
- Outlive: the Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia
- The Odyssey by Homer
Top 5 Children’s Picture Books
- Bluey: Bob Bilby
- Bluey: the Beach
- Construction Site: Road Crew Coming Through, by Sherri Duskey Rinker
- The Pigeon Has to Go to School by Mo Willems
- Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late by Mo Willems
Top 5 Children’s Graphic Novels
- Dog Man: a Tale of Two Kitties by Dav Pilkey
- Plants vs. Zombies: Lawnmageddon by Paul Tobin
- Big Nate: Welcome to My World by Lincoln Peirce
- Big Nate: Great Minds Think Alike by Lincoln Peirce
- Babymouse 2: Our Hero by Jennifer L. Holm
Top 5 Teen Fiction
- The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
- Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
- We’ll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
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