Celebrating Books

Did you know that March 1 was World Book Day? That is if you live in the United Kingdom or Ireland it is.
The organizers polled around 2000 people for their list of top 10 books they can't live without. The results are listed below and more information is available on the web page. I find it somewhat disturbing that the Bible comes in 6th, behind Harry Potter and To Kill a Mockingbird.

If you missed the celebration on March 1, as I did, there is another (competing?) world book day celebrated on April 23. April 23 is World Book and Copyright Day. It was established by UNESCO in 1995.

According to the website, April 23 is a symbolic date in world literature, marking the birth or death of such writers as Miguel de Cervantes, William Shakespeare and the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega.


Here is an excerpt from the (March 1) world book day web page:

World Book Day 2007
In a survey to mark the tenth anniversary of World Book Day, a survey has been conducted to find the ten books the nation cannot live without. Over 2000 people voted online at www.worldbookday10.com

Results reveal that Pride and Prejudice tops the list, with Tolkein’s fantasy trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, in second place. Two of the Bronte sisters appear alongside Charles Dickens, showing that classics are still the most essential reads. The Bible is also still relevant to many, coming in sixth in the poll.
The top ten are as follows:
1) Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen 20%
2) Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkein 17%
3) Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte 14%
4) Harry Potter books – J K Rowling 12%
5) To Kill A Mockingbird – Harper Lee 9.5%
6) The Bible 9%
7) Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte 8.5%
8) 1984 – George Orwell 6%
9)His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman 6%
10) Great Expectations – Charles Dickens .55%