What’s the most popular book in your library? Have you read it? What did you think? How many users have it? What’s the most popular book you don’t have? How does a book’s popularity figure into your decisions about what to read?
The most popular book in my library is, not surprisingly, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, which I share with 32,518 other LTers, followed by all the rest of the Harry Potters. I certainly enjoyed it and I’ve actually been wanting to reread Harry Potter for its sheer comfort level and predictability. Can’t entirely justify it though with my TBR pile.
The most popular book I don’t have is The DaVinci Code. I have read this book and did not like it. Then gave it away. I think it’s only so popular because it was controversial, but I do remember a time in high school when it seemed like everyone was reading it, thus I read it too. I don’t really consider a book’s popularity now when I go to read it. I read books because I’m interested in them, not because the masses tell me I should. That said, if a book is really ridiculously popular and it sounds fairly interesting, I’ll probably read it to see what all the fuss is about. I wouldn’t read a book like Eat, Pray, Love or The Last Lecture just because everyone is talking about it, though, because neither of those topics interest me, much as other people might love them. I like to see what’s going on in the book world, but I always exercise my judgment, because the fact that a book is a bestseller does not mean it is a good book.
“That said, if a book is really ridiculously popular and it sounds fairly interesting, I’ll probably read it to see what all the fuss is about.”
I’m with you on that, sometimes regretable so! There are too many good books waiting
to be read to waste time on a book that we hate just to keep up with the conversation.
I’ve not ready Eat, Pray, Love, either, for the same reason: It doesn’t interest me.
I agree. Life is too short to not read what we like.
I’m glad I’m not the only one not interested in Eat, Pray, Love. Folks keep talking about it but it doesn’t say ‘read me’ to me.
I’m glad you all feel the same! Sometimes I do wonder, but no, it doesn’t call out to me at all, and I try to stay away from books that don’t no matter what everyone says.
“the fact that a book is a bestseller does not mean it is a good book.”
Amen to that!!
I am like you too in that I do not read a book just because it is popular. I have to want to read the book on its own merit.