Written by Chelsea Lena Girard
Reading comes naturally to many of us, but picking a book to read is the hardest part. Why do we pick the books we read and what is so special about them? Let’s dive into the question I’ve found myself wondering, why do we read popular books?
Taking to my Instagram page, @bibliobeautybooks, I hosted an unscientific poll to see if my followers were reading books based on how much hype a book has and why. With over 350 votes, the majority answered yes, but I received lots of reasoning as to why.
Now, what influences us to read these popular books? Is it the famous authors we’ve grown to love? Is it the plot that we are dying to read about? Or perhaps is it simply because everyone is reading it too?
According to the Most Popular Books Published in 2018 on Goodreads, The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn is voted to be the most popular with over 78 thousand ratings. Also, according to this list, the most favoured genres are mystery/thriller, fantasy and science fiction with The Cruel Prince by Holly Black and The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks in the top 10.
Emily, who goes by @emilysbookstagram on Instagram, dives into her books using the Booktube community for her next reads.
“Booktube is such a great community to get honest opinions,” says Emily. “It’s where I find some of my favourite series and stand alone without a doubt.”
Not only do popular books derive from genres like fantasy, fiction, and contemporary, many authors believe that it is not only the description but the cover designs play a big role in why someone would want to read a popular book.
For Christine Rees, author of The Hidden Legacy and Instagrammer under @christineeerees, she says both the cover and description play a huge role in what she chooses to read next.
“It truly depends on the cover and the storyline and how interesting both are,” says Rees. “The hype just spreads awareness of the book but if the book is turning into a movie, I’ll usually give it a shot to see why it’s being adapted for the screen.”
Since the beginning of January, many powerful and intriguing books have come into the reading realm such as The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, The Cruel Prince by Holly Black and The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert. All these books have something in common—a fanbase. Most authors have a huge fan base that they carry over a cross of their author careers. For example, if you are a huge fan of J.K. Rowling, you’ll often try reading most books by her. If a book is related to another book, either based on writing style of story concept, a reader is also more likely to read that book. Alongside story concepts, I have found that it is more likely to read a series rather than a stand alone if the characters and storyline can build up over time.
Whether it be a great design on a cover or a well-rounded author, popular books will always win!
