Crime tales topped the most-read list from Medway’s libraries last year.

Nine out of the top 10 adult books checked out of the Towns’ libraries came under the crime and thriller category.

The most popular prose was Lee Child’s Worth Dying, which tells the story of an unsolved case of a missing eight-year-old girl.

It was followed by James Patterson’s Don’t Blink and Maeve Binchy’s Minding Frankie.

The dust was blown off some of Dickens’ books during the 200th year of his birth as demand rose by almost a fifth.

In 2012, his novels were borrowed 959 times compared to 781 in the previous year. Among the most popular was Great Expectations loaned out 143 times.

The erotic Fifty Shades trilogy, which was printed at Mackays Printers in Lordswood, was loaned out to a total of 253 library card holders.

Topping the league table for youngsters was Julia Donaldson’s The Gruffalo, Dog Days by Jeff Kinney (which is part of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series) and the children’s classic Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl.

Top five books:

1 - Worth Dying For - Lee Child

2 - Don't Blink - James Patterson

3 - Minding Frankie - Maeve Binchy

4 - The Fifth Witness - Michael Connelly

5 - The Sixth Man - David Baldacci

Childrens:

1 - The Gruffalo - Julia Donaldson

2 - Dog Days - Jeff Kinney

3 - Fantastic Mr Fox - Roald Dahl

4 - Aliens Love Underpants - Claire Freedman

5 - Greg Heffley's Journal - Jeff Kinney

This year best-selling authors are coming to the Towns to hold talks this year.

Among them is Joanna Trollope, author of 17 highly-acclaimed bestselling novels, including The Choir and A Village Affair.

She will be at Rochester Community Hub on Thursday, February 7, at 7.30pm, to discuss her career and her latest book, The Soldier’s Wife. Copies will be available to buy and have signed on the night.

Scarlett Thomas, author of The End Of Mr Y, will be at the same venue from 7.30pm on Friday, March 8.

This month, to mark the 200th birthday of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Clare Graham, trustee of the Jane Austen Society will be giving a lecture at Chatham Library, in Dock Road, on Tuesday, January 29, at 7.30pm.

Booking is essential for all events. To find out more visit medway.gov.uk/libraries