Broken Promise by Linwood Barclay and Michelle Obama's Becoming are among some of the most popular books requested and borrowed at the Waterloo Public Library (WPL) in 2018.

Every year, WPL releases its list of the 25 most borrowed fiction and non-fiction books.

"It is always interesting to see what your neighbours are reading, and there may be something there that you would overlook when you're browsing," Sandi Hall with WPL said.

The top five most borrowed fiction novels were:

Broken Promise by Linwood Barclay

Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny

Past Tense by Lee Child

The Reckoning by John Grisham

Women Talking: a novel by Miriam Toews

Hall said she's noticed books that make it into the top list, such as Broken Promise, are also often the top pick for the region's One Book, One Community (OBOC) group. That group encourages people in Waterloo Region to read the same book and discuss it.

"Number two is Louise Penny ... and she's a former OBOC author as well," Hall said.

Each new years we are asked what the most popular book of the year was. Everyone wants to know what their neighbours are reading. So, without further ado, here are the 25 most borrowed books (fiction and non-fiction) at WPL in 2018. <a href="https://t.co/23tXdOdrvw">https://t.co/23tXdOdrvw</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WR_Record?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WR_Record</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KWAwesome?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KWAwesome</a> <a href="https://t.co/TDKQtuKjf0">pic.twitter.com/TDKQtuKjf0</a> —@WaterlooLibrary

Politics was a popular subject for non-fiction books borrowed at WPL last year.

"When I look at the list, the top five, four of them are centred around American Politics," Hall said.

The top five most borrowed non-fiction books were:

Fear: Trump in the White House by Bob Woodward

Becoming by Michelle Obama

Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House by Michael Wolff

12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson

Trumpocracy: The Corruption of the American Republic by David Frum

Hall said she was surprised to learn Bob Woodward's book beat Michelle Obama's, which was recently released, even though her book has "massive holds" on it.

"We have 20 copies and have almost 140 people on the waiting list just for the regular print," she said, adding that WPL's audio, large print and e-book version of Obama's book also have long waiting lists.