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?
Popular! You’re gonna be popular!
I’ll teach you the proper poise
When you talk to boys
Little ways to flirt and flounce
Ooh! I’ll show you what shoes to wear
How to fix your hair
Everything that really counts
To be popular
I’ll help you be popular!
You’ll hang with the right cohorts
You’ll be good at sports
Know the slang you’ve got to know
So let’s start ’cause you’ve got an awfully long way to go
Don’t be offended by my frank analysis
Think of it as personality dialysis
Now that I’ve chosen to be come a pal
A sister and adviser, there’s nobody wiser
Not when it comes to popular -
I know about popular
And with an assist from me
To be who you’ll be
Instead of dreary who you were, well, are
There’s nothing that can stop you
From becoming popu-ler. LAR!
La la la la … We’re gonna make you popular
When I see depressing creatures
With unprepossessing features
I remind them on their own behalf
To think of celebrated heads of state
Or specially great communicators
Did they have brains or knowledge?
Don’t make me laugh!
They were popular! Please -
It’s all about popular!
It’s not about aptitude
It’s the way you’re viewed
So it’s very shrewd to be
Very very popular like me!
(lyrics from the Broadway show Wicked)
Now, back to our regularly scheduled program, and the answer to the question posed by the BostonBibliophile … The most popular book in my library is J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone(with 32,518 cataloguers, and growing!). I did like the book, but read it a while ago and haven’t rated or reviewed it. I got the first Harry Potter book to try as a read-aloud with my kids, then they picked it up on their own, and we’ve bought the rest of the series as they were published. I have read the seven books in the series, and my older kids have read them several times; I’m not a fan of fantasty or science fiction, but this did appeal to me.
My favorite Harry Potter purchase was July 16, 2005 when Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was issued. I was in Manhattan for the weekend with my friend Michele; we were walking back from a nice night out and saw the huge crowds outside Borders and Tower Records. We got caught up in the excitement and purchased a few copies (great people watching with all the costumes and the fans who sat down on the sidewalks to start reading!).
The most popular LT book that I don’t have is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Timeby Mark Haddon. This book has almost 14,000 catalogued entries.
I do read the New York Times Book Review, and check out the “top” lists of various categories. I don’t read books simply because they’re popular, though; I rely more on recommendations, reviews, and sometimes just leafing through the book at a store. A book’s popularity might make me curious about it, but it’s not the only factor I consider when deciding to read (or not to read) a book.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is wonderful! I really enjoyed it and Mark Haddon’s follow up, A Spot of Bother.
The Harry Potter series are the most popular books I own, but I just can’t bring myself to read them. I was hoping that when my daughters are old enough we’d read them together, but that didn’t work out in your situation. Maybe I’ll break down and read them on my own someday.
I don’t own the Harry Potter books so that is my number one not read book. I enjoyed your song lyrics immensely:)
I loved The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. In fact, it was one of the first just-for-pleasure books I read after finishing school and it reignited my love for reading. I haven’t read the Harry Potter books so can’t comment on them. All of my children read them.
LibrarysCat
LOVE the Wicked reference!
You had me singing in my head
I remember turning my nose up at the harry potter books back in high school. To me, they were children’s books. But my mom had me watch the first two movies with my younger sister and I was hooked! It’s really surprising how many the books appeal to.
Literate Housewife and CML – OK, I’ve added _Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time_ to my wish list … thanks for the strong recommendation!
Bookroomreviews – the soundtrack is wonderful! Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel have voices that pull you in. (and the lyrics are clever and scathing!)
Tasses – I loved the musical (liked the book, but a bit too political for me at the time). I hope the tune isn’t still running around your head!
Kegsoccer – when I heard Gregory Maguire read from _What the Dickens_ he was asked by an audience member about the suggested age range for that book. He indicated that he was hoping it had cross-over appeal (children and adults), much like J. K. Rowlings books.
I love Wicked. As soon as I saw the lyrics I was singing along! I still haven’t read the book, but the show is one of my favorites.
Haha! Now I have that song running through my head. The last time it was stuck there, it wouldn’t go away for days. Like for you, I may take a closer look at a book that I have heard so much about, but ultimately, the reason I decide to read a book is because it interests me somehow.
[...] (part 2)”? Back in June, Marie asked us about the most popular book in our LT libraries. Here’s my answer to that question. And, five months later, my answer remains the same, I still haven’t read [...]