Battle of the book genres: Who dominated the literary bracket in 2025?

It’s March, which means the brackets are set and the MADNESS has begun! If you’re like me, your bracket usually breaks in the first few days—but don’t worry, there’s another showdown happening off the court. This time, the book genres are battling it out for the most popular in the Libby app.

To see which genre claimed the top spot, we based this year’s winners on book genres borrowed in Libby from public libraries in the U.S. and Canada from 2025.

Check out the leaderboard to dive into 2025’s genre stats, and read our expert commentary on how this year’s lineup compared to recent trends.

Top 16 Genre Ranking (2025)

1. Fiction
2. Literature
3. Romance
4. Thriller
5. Nonfiction
6. Juvenile Fiction
7. Fantasy
8. Suspense
9. Mystery
10. Humor (Fiction)
11. Historical Fiction
12. Juvenile Literature
13. Comics & Graphic Books
14. Young Adult Fiction
15. Biography & Autobiography
16. News & Politics

The Perennial Powerhouses

For 2025, it’s no surprise that Fiction (#1) takes the championship slot, with readers choosing to escape into faraway worlds, realms, and time periods as a break from crowded inboxes or the endless news cycle.

Literature (#2), Romance (#3), and Thriller (#4) trail closely behind thanks in part to big‑name authors, BookTok hype, next-in-series installments, and book club picks. (Turns out, we collectively enjoy being both wooed and terrified.)

In what feels like a surprising upset, Nonfiction (#5) nudges into the top five, balancing fiction’s escapism with memoirs, self-help for positive mental health, true crime, and "cozy" nonfiction like crafting and cooking.

The Solid Contenders

These genres always make it to the “playoffs,” but they don’t quite challenge the top dogs. While these fan favorites flip-flop in their rankings, they always remain steady in the middle of the pack.

Landing at the top of this pack is Juvenile Fiction (#6). With a dedicated fanbase (young readers and families), storytelling magic is alive and well as they checked out everything from bedtime picture books to first big-kid chapter books.

Fantasy (#7) continues to cast its spell, driven by blockbuster authors (looking at you, Rebecca Yarros) and multibook series that keeps loyal fans hungry for more.

The dynamic duo of Suspense (#8) and Mystery (#9) are always keeping us on our toes. This year, they slip just outside the top tier, but maintain their status as longtime crowd‑pleasers.

And closing out the top 10 is Humor (Fiction), because we could all use a little laughter in our reading lives.

The Niche Fan Favorites

While these genres may not always top the charts, they have dedicated followings that make them irreplaceable for readers. 

Historical Fiction (#11) reclaims a strong position at #11, fueled by the continued popularity of books like Kristin Hannah’s The Women, Libby’s most borrowed book of 2025. 

Juvenile Literature at #12 mirrors the strong performance across all youth categories, proving that kids and caregivers continue to be an essential part of library readership.

Continuing its incredible rise is Comics & Graphic Books (#13). Once completely outside the top 25 in 2017, the genre started gaining traction in 2018, cracking the top 10 for the first time in 2024 and gaining speed ever since. 

Young Adult Fiction (#14) has been trending slightly downward since its mid‑2020s peak, but lands at #14 this year, remaining an essential genre with a passionate following.

Rounding out the list, Biography & Autobiography (#15) and News & Politics (#16) stay steady compared to last year, suggesting that our curiosity about the extraordinary lives of others continues—from celebrities to public figures. 

Which genre do you think deserves the top title? Could a new literary trend shake things up?

Get in the game and “vote” by using your library card to check out ebooks and audiobooks in your favorite genre on the Libby app.