According to data released by the Public Lending Right (PLR), crime and thrillers are proving "hugely popular" with UK library borrowers, with nine of the 10 most borrowed titles belonging to this genre.
The two most borrowed books in the UK as a whole were Personal and Never Go Back by Lee Child. Abattoir Blues by Peter Robinson was in third and The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith came fourth.
Children's authors represented five of the 10 most borrowed authors from UK public libraries this year. Julia Donaldson, Francesca Simon, Jacqueline Wilson, Daisy Meadows and Adam Blade are the kids' quintet in the top 10.
PLR gives authors the legal right to receive payment from the government each time their books are loaned through the public library system and this year PLR will make payments totalling £6m.
Top 10 most borrowed authors 2014/15:
1 James Patterson
2 Julia Donaldson
3 Daisy Meadows
4 Francesca Simon
5 M C Beaton
6 Adam Blade
7 Nora Roberts
8 Jacqueline Wilson
9 Lee Child
10 Anna Jacobs
Source: The Bookseller 5.2.16