ESCAPISM, prison breaks and Pokolbin have ranked among NSW prisoners' top reads according to Corrective Services NSW.
The prison authority on Friday released a list of the most popular books behind bars in 2019 with the system's 8200 inmates with library cards.
A Game of Thrones topped the list, which was rounded out by Robert G Barrett's Crime Scene Cessnock in fifth place.
Semi-fictional prison escapee autobiography Shantaram came in second while fantasy read A Darkness at Sethanon was third and Stieg Larsson's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo fourth.
Non-fiction leaners include the Macquarie Dictionary, the RMS Road Users' Handbook, A Practial Encyclopaedia of Drawing and Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything.
"True crime tops the list of inmate books requested, and rejected, but it should go without saying that those books are banned," Corrective Services NSW library services manager Toni Kennedy said.
"While some of the state's roughest and toughest enjoy a good thriller, it isn't the only genre that is peaking the interest of those doing time. Another popular request is the vampire fantasy novels in the Twilight saga."
Assistant commissioner governance and continuous improvement Carlo Scassera said the library department, which Ms Kennedy established in 2003, was highly valued.
"It's a way for inmates to learn something new or disappear to another world for a while," he said.
"It's also a chance for some offenders to improve their literacy skills, which can assist them post-release, as well as a management tool for staff to keep inmates busy."
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