Today's Question: 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(s) in my library are the Harry Potter series - 27 to 32 thousand people own the books in this series. I have read them all. I actually resisted reading HP until the third or fourth book came out - I was just convinced that NOTHING that was as popular as this series could POSSIBLY be worth my time. (Bit of a book snob back then? Yep.) I was visiting a friend in LA and he was at work all day, so I was home alone. I was bored, and there was nothing on t.v. I wanted to watch. His son happened to have a copy of the first HP, so I picked it up, prepared to look down my nose. 30 minutes later I was hooked, and I read the first two books in the series that day waiting for my friend to come home. Also learned a valuable lesson about dismissing books simply because of the hype.
The most popular book I DON'T have is 1984, followed fairly closely by Catcher in the Rye. I have read 1984, but not Catcher. I'm not sure that popularity factors that much into what I read. I certainly read a substantial number of hot, new titles, and I don't (anymore) avoid reading something because it's the hot, new title, but I also like to read a lot of stuff that people haven't put on the bestsellers list. Basically, I just read what sounds good to me, whether or not other people like it.
I haven't read HP, but I guess I probably will someday.
ReplyDeleteI don't feel compelled to read it though.
i'm definitely a book snob! :-) reading arcs has gotten me over that a little bit by forcing me to be more open minded but i have a long way to go! ;-)
ReplyDeleteI am the same way. I read what sounds interesting to me whether it's popular or not.
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