God beats Scarlett O'Hara
A nationwide Harris poll of 2,500-plus people reports that most Americans' favorite book is...wait for it...The Bible. With Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind a close second. Frankly, my dear, this whole list makes me wonder.
Here are the standings:
1. The Bible. Begat this!
2. GWTW, MM.
3. The Lord of the Rings series. Nerds unite!
4. The Harry Potter books by JK Rowling. How'd Jesus beat Harry?
5. The Stand, Stephen King. So surprising it's not The Tommyknockers.
6. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown. Seriously?
7. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee. YES!
8. Angels and Demons, Dan Brown. WHAAAAAAAAAA? OK. I can buy seeing the Da Vinci Code on this list, if only because everybody in the world read it, but this one isn't even any good!
9. Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand. Starting to worry about the American people right about now.
10. Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger. Whew. Perfectly good choice.
I guess my question is this: do any of these books make YOUR top 10 list?
Posted by Connie Ogle at 12:07 PM on April 8, 2008 in Book news | Permalink
Where's Bridges of Madison County?
Posted by: Third Term for Bush Committee | April 08, 2008 at 03:24 PM
Bridges of Madison County! "I am the peregrine, I am the highway." It was poetry!
Posted by: Connie | April 08, 2008 at 04:12 PM
Yes, for the Bible.
Posted by: bibliophile | April 08, 2008 at 09:23 PM
And To Kill A Mockingbird.
Back to my Bible comment: Seems a good time to quote G.K. Chesterton -- Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.
Posted by: bibliophile | April 08, 2008 at 09:25 PM
You know, I have no disrespect for the Bible. I took a class in college on reading it as literature, which was interesting (from a totally secular POV). But do you put it on your top 10 reading list? Or am I just having one of these frequent Catholic flashbacks? Because you know, we only read the New Testament and all the good stuff (except Revelations) is in the first part.
On the other hand, if you said: Connie, read Leviticus or Angels and Demons, I'd be all over Leviticus, even though apparently THAT is where all the non-shellfish rules come from.
Posted by: Connie | April 08, 2008 at 10:24 PM
The Bible is definitely in my Top 10, but only for comedy purposes. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go sell my sister into slavery to pay off a debt.
Posted by: Brett Bayne | April 09, 2008 at 02:07 AM
Good one, Brett!!!
Posted by: HoCo | April 11, 2008 at 04:21 PM
I wonder how many people would say that the bible isn't just their favorite book, it's their only book?
I read To Kill a Mockingbird when I was a kid and it affected me deeply, so I'd buy that. but I'm not sure how to choose my favorite books. The ones I admire the most? Enjoyed the most? Would take with me to a desert island? Lots of ways to look at it.
Posted by: SilviaC | April 14, 2008 at 06:08 PM
i'm dismayed. except for nell harper of course. obviously none of those people ever read little big man.
Posted by: e.p.l. | April 15, 2008 at 10:31 PM