If you found yourself lost in a world of dragons, spice, and star-crossed lovers this year, you were definitively not alone. The 2025 Rakuten Kobo Book Report has officially landed, and it paints a vivid picture of a nation seeking sanctuary between the pages.
Our Julie is an avid reader and loves her Kobo Clara Colour, and her Kobo Remote.
How and What Aussies Read Overview
- Most popular genre: Fiction
- Most popular reading day: Sundays
- Most popular date: 15 September
- Most popular reading month: January
- Most read eBook: Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
- Most popular audiobook: Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
Insights from the 2025 Rakuten Kobo Book Report show readers gravitating toward expansive fantasy worlds, emotionally driven romance and deeply personal life stories, using books to both tune out the noise of the real world and make sense of it. From dragons and dystopias to wellbeing guides and biographies, Australians embraced reading as both entertainment and emotional support.
In a year marked by global “noise,” Aussies didn’t just read; we escaped. From the rise of the “Romantasy” sub-genre to a surprising “Taylor Swift effect” on our bookshelves, here is how we read, what we loved, and why 2025 was the year the book became our ultimate emotional support tool.
Reading peaked during moments of rest and reset, with January emerging as the most popular reading month, Sundays remaining the nation’s favourite day to read, and 15 September marking
the single biggest reading day of the year for Australians.
Denial and Dragons: Why Fantasy Grew 34% in Australia This Year
The data is clear: reality was optional in 2025.
Australian readers leaned heavily into escapism in 2025, with the science fiction and fantasy genres growing 34% year-on-year, marking the fastest-growing genre categories in the country.
Dragons, dystopias and fantastical realms dominated reading lists, as Australians sought immersive worlds far removed from everyday pressures. Rather than dipping in and out of titles,
readers increasingly committed to expansive story worlds and long-form narratives, spending extended time immersed in speculative fiction that offered sustained escape.
Within this broader fantasy boom, paranormal and gothic themes – including vampire fiction – also experienced renewed interest (19% increase YoY), signalling a return to darker, mythic
storytelling alongside epic fantasy worlds.
“In a world that often feels relentless, we’ve observed a consistent truth: reading remains a sanctuary,” said Michael Tamblyn, CEO, Rakuten Kobo. “Books offer us a unique opportunity to choose our own world, if only for a few stolen moments each day. In 2025, we saw readers globally turning to stories and knowledge as a much-needed escape – whether on a busy morning commute or during a quiet evening wind-down. It’s a testament to the enduring power of books to provide both comfort and new perspectives. While we have our predictions on where reading trends might take us in 2026, we know the human need for connection and understanding through stories never changes.”
Romantasy Reigns: Why Rebecca Yarros is Australia’s Top Selling Author
While fantasy worlds drew readers in, romance kept them turning pages in 2025.
Fantasy romance (romantasy) emerged as the second most-read romance subgenre in Australia. Blending high-stakes fantasy with emotionally driven storytelling, romantasy’s rise reflects Australians’ appetite for long-form escapism that offers both adventure and intimacy. Readers showed strong loyalty to expansive story worlds, favouring series-led narratives over standalone stories.
Leading the charge was the undisputed queen of the “Romantasy” movement, Rebecca Yarros. Her blockbuster title Onyx Storm didn’t just top the charts – it claimed the #1 spot for both eBooks and audiobooks, proving that the blend of high-stakes magic and intense romance is exactly what Aussie readers are craving. Her romantasy titles Onyx Storm, Fourth Wing and Iron Flame claimed the top three most-read eBooks of 2025.
More than half of the Top 25 titles belonged to an established series, reinforcing the growing popularity of immersive, long-form storytelling. Across romance more broadly, Australian readers gravitated toward stories grounded in modern relationships and heightened emotion, with the top romance categories ranked:
- Contemporary romance
- Fantasy romance
- Paranormal romance
- Romantic suspense
- Historical romance
The Taylor Swift Effect: How Pop Culture Shaped Our Reading Habits
It wasn’t just dragons driving our choices. The “Taylor Swift effect” made its mark on the literary world too. Following the cultural phenomenon of the Eras Tour and high-profile romances in the sporting world, Kobo reported a significant spike in “Sports Romance” and “Coming of Age” stories. It seems our digital libraries are increasingly reflecting the trends we see on our social feeds and cinema screens.
Books reflecting life had people turning pages: A serendipitous moment saw Robert Harris’ 2016 novel Conclave experience a massive uptick in readership due to the release of its movie adaptation and the passing of a Pope, which led to a real-life conclave.
Beyond Fiction: Why Aussies Are Flocking to Wellness and Biographies
While fantasy provided the escape, non-fiction provided the anchor. Wellness and self-help content saw a 19 percent surge, as readers looked for tangible ways to navigate an increasingly complex world. Interestingly, we also saw a deepening connection to “real-world” stories, with local biographies and memoirs – like those from Australian icons – ranking high in the Top 20. It suggests that while we love to fly with dragons, we still value the grounded wisdom of lived experience.
How We Read: The Sunday Ritual
The report also gave us a peek into how we consume our stories. Sunday remains Australia’s favourite day to curl up with a book, and January – the month of new beginnings and summer holidays – is officially our busiest reading month. The single biggest day for digital reading? 15 September, a date that saw record-breaking activity across the Kobo platform.
Australian readers also continued to champion local voices, with homegrown authors and women writers featuring prominently across bestseller lists – reflecting a desire for stories that feel both culturally relevant and deeply personal.
Classics and Cottagecore: Kobo’s Big Reading Predictions for 2026
As we look toward the next year, the “Cottagecore” aesthetic and a return to the “Dark Acadamia” classics are already showing early signs of a comeback. Whether you are team eBook or an audiobook aficionado, one thing is certain: the Australian love affair with the written word is stronger than ever.
In 2025, we didn’t just turn pages; we found comfort, curiosity, and a little bit of magic.
Top 20 eBooks
| 1. Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros | 11. Sunrise On The Reaping by Suzanne Collins |
| 2. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros | 12. Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry |
| 3. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros | 13. The Names by Florence Knapp |
| 4. The Wedding People by Alison Espach | 14. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas |
| 5. The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman | 15. Last One Out by Jane Harper |
| 6. The Unquiet Grave by Dervla McTiernan | 16. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas |
| 7. The Women by Kristin Hannah | 17. Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty |
| 8. The Hallmarked Man by Robert Galbraith | 18. A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas |
| 9. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid | 19. The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown |
| 10. Quicksilver by Callie Hart | 20. Fearless by Lauren Roberts |
Top 20 Audiobooks
| 1. Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros | 11. Mythos by Stephen Fry |
| 2. The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman | 12. Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson |
| 3. Fourth Wing (1 of 2) by Rebecca Yarros | 13. Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss |
| 4. Nobody’s Girl by Virginia Giuffre | 14. Iron Flame (1 of 2) [Dramatised Adaptation] by Rebecca Yarros |
| 5. Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett | 15. Iron Flame (2 of 2) [Dramatised Adaptation] by Rebecca Yarros |
| 6. Atomic Habits by James Clear | 16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling |
| 7. Fourth Wing (2 of 2) by Rebecca Yarros | 17. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden |
| 8. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman | 18. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling |
| 9. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros | 19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K Rowling |
| 10. The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk | 20. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling |
Most Popular Genres
| 1. Fiction | 6. Mystery |
| 2. Biography and Autobiography | 7. Action and Adventure |
| 3. Romance | 8. Mystery and Detective |
| 4. Contemporary Romance | 9. Fantasy |
| 5. Romantasy | 10. History |
