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Thriller writer James Patterson was the UK’s most borrowed author for the third year running in 2008–09, according to figures released today by the Public Lending Right (PLR).
Patterson’s books were taken out by library users more than 1.8 million times between July 2008 and June 2009, an increase on his total (more than 1.4 million) for 2007–08.
Daisy Meadows (the team behind Rainbow Magic) was the second most borrowed author brand, with over 1.3 million loans in 2008–09, with third-in-line Jacqueline Wilson also topping 1.3 million loans last year. Francesca Simon and Nora Roberts both had their books borrowed over 1 million times last year.
In a top 10 titles list dominated by crime and thrillers, Patterson’s novel Sail (Century) was the most borrowed book, taken out nearly 84,000 times. The most borrowed children’s fiction title, Francesca Simon’s Horrid Henry and the Football Fiend (Orion Children’s), was borrowed nearly 65,000 times. Delia Smith’s Delia’s How to Cheat at Cooking (Ebury) was the most borrowed non-fiction title, clocking up 29,700 library loans.
Audiobooks and some e-books may join the PLR scheme this year.