Adults are looking to novels as a means of escape and children are also being entertained by a range of stories while they stay home.
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Collins Booksellers Orange owner Phillip Schwebel said although the number of people visiting the Summer Street shop was less than usual everyone who came in knew what they wanted and people were coming in to buy books rather than browse.
"They are thinking about what they need," he said.
"They go in and buy what they are after and they they leave.
"Everyone who comes in the shop buys a book.
"People are definitely still reading."
Mr Schwebel said people were also ordering books online and collecting them from the shop or the shop is delivering their books.
"We are delivering a lot of books, we do free deliveries around town, we haven't done much until now," he said.
He said among adult purchases was Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon, a novel based on Australian woman Nancy Wake who helped unite the French resistance during World War II.
Readers are seeking Hilary Mantel's The Mirror and the Light about the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell during the reign of King Henry VIII.
"The first two won the Brooker Prize," Mr Schwebel said.
He said a popular crime thriller is The Good Turn by Dervla McTiernan, and a feel-good read is Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. He said some people were also purchasing book series.
Non-fiction readers have been buying Phosphorescence On awe, wonder and things that sustain you when the world goes dark by Julia Baird.
When it comes to children's books Mr Schwebel said a colouring book, Bluey: Big Backyard based on an ABC show for preschool-aged children was popular as were board books.
"People are looking for something to read especially now in the school holidays," Mr Schwebel said.
For primary-aged children he said Daniel Walliams has a new book out called Slime.
"They are funny, crazy, his new one is outstanding," Mr Schwebel said.
Everyone who comes in the shop buys a book.
- Phillip Schwebel
A self-published novel Following the Leader by Orange Public School teacher Drew Bale has been doing well.
"He's doing very well with that book," Mr Schwebel said.
"It's a good little read, he's done a good job.
"Another one that has been popular in that age group is Weirdo by Ahn Do.
What people are reading in isolation:
- The Good Turn by Dervla McTiernan
- Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon
- Phosphorescence by Julia Baird
- The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel
- Slime by Daniel Walliams
- Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
- Weirdo by Ahn Do
- Following the Leader by Drew Bale
"There's a series Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy, he's come out with a new one in that series which is proving very popular with the teenage market."
Mr Schwebel said due to home schooling, sales of educational books and study guides have increased.
Orange City Library reading and writing coordinator Jasmine Vidler said the library's resources can be accessed online.
Ms Vidler said story teller Fiona Hawke has recorded Story Time for young children to watch on the Central West Libraries YouTube page.
She said people have been downloading a range of ebooks and audio books as well as online magazines.
"Mystery and crime, that's our most popular genre and the second to that is romance," Ms Vidler said.
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Tanya Marschke
I am based at Orange and cover a wide range of subjects as well as the weekly business column. I've worked consistently in the the media industry since 2006 including the past seven years at the Central Western Daily. Before moving to Orange, I worked as a journalist at weekly newspapers the Beaudesert Times and the Gold Coast Sun in Queensland, as well as the Scone Advocate in the Hunter Valley. I started my career at the Ridge News in Lightning Ridge while I completed my journalism studies remotely at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.
I am based at Orange and cover a wide range of subjects as well as the weekly business column. I've worked consistently in the the media industry since 2006 including the past seven years at the Central Western Daily. Before moving to Orange, I worked as a journalist at weekly newspapers the Beaudesert Times and the Gold Coast Sun in Queensland, as well as the Scone Advocate in the Hunter Valley. I started my career at the Ridge News in Lightning Ridge while I completed my journalism studies remotely at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.
