What the most popular books of 2024 say about our year of reading

As 2025 approaches, it's time to reflect on the literary landscape of the past year.

To gain insight into the thoughts and emotions of readers this year, we've looked back at our website's search traffic. By analysing the most-visited book pages on penguin.com.au from 1 January 2024 until now, we've been able to draw some fascinating conclusions.

Keep reading to find out which books captured readers' attention across Australia and explore the trends that dominated the reading culture in 2024. From heartwarming cookbooks and insightful non-fiction to gripping novels and compelling mysteries, these titles provide a window into the collective psyche of Australian readers this year.

Some of the most popular non-fiction books

Non-fiction trends 2024

Cooking up a storm

Bake with Brooki, $10 Meals With Chelsea, Tigga Mac’s Cake Hacks, Ottolenghi COMFORT and Chloe’s Vegan Kitchen were among the most-viewed non-fiction books on our website this year.

Given the increasing cost of living in Australia, it’s no surprise that readers were seeking inspiration for creating impressive dishes at home. Whether cooking up bakery-level cookies and cakes or restaurant-quality comfort food, these cookbooks were essential resources in every home cook’s kitchen this year.

Children’s mental health

Also popular in non-fiction this year were books centred around the mental health of children.

Ten Things I Wish You Knew About Your Child’s Mental Health helped parents set the foundations of good mental health for their kids. Meanwhile, The Anxious Generation explored ways that social media is impacting teens’ development and relationships.

While self-development books are often popular, this trend suggests that readers in 2024 were more concerned with finding advice to help young people rather than themselves.

Personal stories

You Don’t Have to Have a Dream, Unlovable and The Whole Truth were frequently visited books on our site this year, suggesting that readers were interested in personal stories in 2024.

Readers were drawn to authentic and vulnerable narratives from well-known figures. Whether they were looking for insight into these celebrities’ lives or searching for philosophical wisdom, the candid and inspirational nature of these books gave readers a sense of relatability.

Some of the most popular fiction books

Fiction trends of 2024

The full spectrum of emotions

In 2024, it seems that readers were seeking books that inspired strong feelings. With some of our most visited fiction books being My Favourite Mistake, A Thousand Broken Pieces, The Other Bridget and The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife, it’s clear that readers wanted to go on an emotional journey.

This trend suggests that readers were drawn to books that mirrored their own experiences, as they sought out stories that explored themes of love, loss, connection, family and community.

Thrills and chills

Mysteries and thrillers have been very popular over the past few years and 2024 was no exception. Books like We Solve Murders, Think Twice and Eruption were frequently visited, suggesting readers were seeking an adrenaline rush.     

The popularity of these books indicates that readers in 2024 loved solving puzzles and being taken on an exciting journey to figure out whodunit.

Redemption amidst societal collapse

Though they’re two very different stories, two of the year’s most popular fiction books, The Bee Sting and Juice, explore how individuals cope when everything around them is falling apart. Whether it’s a climate-ravaged landscape or a fraying family unit, the worlds around these book’s protagonists fall apart, leaving them to work through the rubble.

The popularity of these stories suggests that readers in 2024 were interested in narratives that reflected the uncertainties of our times. Despite having individual struggles, readers in 2024 were interested in learning about humans' collective struggles, and how they might navigate morality in the most extreme circumstances.