Table of Contents

Books and Reading

New York Times Bestseller list

Authors need to sell between 5000 and 10,000 copies of their book to make it to the New York Times Bestseller list. The amount sold depends on the author's recognition. A debuting writer must sell closer to 10,000 copies. 1).

Abibliphobia

Abibliophobia is the name of a phobia connected to books. It means that one is afraid of running out of books to read. 2)

Tsundoku

Tsundoku is a Japanese word that took the world of readers by storm. It means buying many books and then not reading them. 3)

Bibliosmia

Bibliosmia is the smell and aroma of a good book. 4)

In Search of Lost Time

The longest novel in the world is In Search of Lost Time, also translated as Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust (1871–1922). Despite being published in seven tomes, it is just one, over 4000-page long novel.5)

The Epic of Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest known piece of literature, an epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia. It was written in 2100 BCE. 6)

Learning to read

Research shows that the age range of 4 to 6 years is the ideal time to learn to read. Learning to read between the ages of 6 and 7 becomes much more challenging. 7)

Importance of reading

According to Yale University researchers, three-quarters of students who perform poorly in reading by the third grade of elementary school will do poorly later in their school and career. 8)

End of third grade

Among U.S. children who learn to read by the end of third grade - they are indeed less likely to end up in prison, drop out of school, or use drugs. 9)

Regular reading

Adults who read books regularly are nearly three times more likely to participate in cultural events; nearly four times more likely to visit museums or art exhibitions; more than two and a half times more likely to do volunteer or charitable work; and more than one and a half times more likely to participate in sports. 10)

Time spent reading

The weekly average time, worldwide, spent reading is 6.5 hours. 11)

Astronauts favorite books

A NASA library analysis shows that the astronauts' favorite books include: “A Tale of Two Cities” by K. Dickens, “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea” by J. Verne, and “London Bridges” by J. Patterson. 12)

Karl May

The famous German novelist Karl May, creator of the characters of the noble Apache chief Winnetou and his white friend Old Shatterhand, discovered his writing talent in prison. 13)

Books written in prison

Books that were written or started behind bars include “Don Quixote” by M. Cervantes, “The Prince” by N. Machiavelli, “The Pilgrim's Wanderings” by J. Bunyan, and “De Profundis” by O. Wilde. 14)

Gutenberg Bible

The Bible is widely regarded as the bestseller of all time. The first Bible was printed in an edition of about 200 copies between 1452 and 1455 in Mainz by John Gutenberg, who was also its publisher:165 copies on paper and 35 copies on parchment. 15)

Best-selling single-volume books

The best-selling single-volume books are “A Tale of Two Cities” by K. Dickens with a total circulation of 200 million copies. “The Lord of the Rings” by J. R. R. Tolkien with a total circulation of 150 million copies. “The Hobbit or There and Back Again” by J. R. R. Tolkien with a total circulation of 140 million copies. 16)

Harry Potter series

J.K. Rowling's “Harry Potter” became the best-selling publishing series with 500 million sets. 17)