What Toronto Read 2025Like this list

10 items

1. 1. Onyx Storm

   Yarros, Rebecca,

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   After topping our 2024 list, the Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros continues to top the charts. Readers can’t get enough of Violet Sorrengail’s journey as she becomes a dragon rider and grapples with newly awakened powers. With the next installment…Read moreRead more of this annotation

2. 2. The Let Them Theory

   a Life-changing Tool That Millions of People Can't Stop Talking About

   Robbins, Mel, 1968-

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   Thousands of Torontonians want to borrow the most-talked-about self-help phenomenon? Let them! Mel Robbins’s guide to practicing radical acceptance—and letting go of what you can’t control—was impossible to keep on the shelf this year.

3. 3. The Women

   Hannah, Kristin,

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   Last year’s second most-borrowed book remains a favourite, falling only one spot. Kristin Hannah’s captivating story of a nurse serving in the Vietnam War, and the challenges she faces after returning home, continues to resonate with readers.

4. 4. The Wedding People

   Espach, Alison, 1984-

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   A novel about a failed suicide plan shouldn’t be funny, but Alison Espach pulls off a darkly comic miracle. When a woman’s attempt to end her life is interrupted by a wedding party, she’s swept into a chaotic, poignant and unexpectedly hilarious…Read moreRead more of this annotation

5. 5. The God of the Woods

   Moore, Liz, 1983-

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   When the daughter of a wealthy couple goes missing at a summer camp in the Adirondacks—years after her brother disappeared from the same place—a crime story with plenty of drama unfolds. Told in vivid fashion through multiple perspectives, Liz…Read moreRead more of this annotation

6. 6. Great Big Beautiful Life

   Henry, Emily,

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   Emily Henry continues to charm Toronto readers with relatable characters and witty writing. In her 2025 hit, two authors fight over who gets to write the biography of an heiress-turned-tabloid darling, only to discover her story is more complicated…Read moreRead more of this annotation

7. 7. Funny Story

   Henry, Emily,

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   Henry appears twice on this year’s list—proof of her devoted fan base and the appeal of contemporary romance. This opposites-attract romance about two people determined to get even with their newly engaged exes remains one of the city’s most reread…Read moreRead more of this annotation

8. 8. Atomic Habits

   Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results : An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

   Clear, James,

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   As habitual as ever. James Clear’s bestselling guide to building better habits and breaking bad ones remains a perennial fixture on our most-borrowed list—proving that Torontonians never tire of self-improvement.

9. 9. Intermezzo

   Rooney, Sally,

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   Sally Rooney’s latest novel came out too late to make last year’s list, but it found a huge audience in 2025. This intimate story of two brothers navigating grief after their father’s death showcases Rooney’s trademark emotional precision and quiet…Read moreRead more of this annotation

10. 10. The Anxious Generation

    How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing An Epidemic of Mental Illness

    Haidt, Jonathan,

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    In this notable work on nonfiction, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues that the shift from a play-based to phone-based childhood has contributed to rising anxiety among adolescents. Readers seeking insight and solutions kept this book in…Read moreRead more of this annotation