After seeing videos of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge go viral, creative residents of Facebook have started their own challenge: the Book Bucket Challenge. The idea of this challenge is to write the titles of ten books that have touched life in some way and left a mark on the reader’s life. At the end of the list, the person should tag a few friends, encouraging them to do the same.
There are some exciting updates on Facebook. While some talked about how they were touched or changed by the ten unforgettable books they read, others made a simple and understandable list and nothing more.
After this unique and fun challenge went viral on the internet for weeks, a survey was conducted to find out the most popular favorite English books among Facebook users.
If you’ve accepted this challenge, read the Facebook users’ top 10 English books countdown to see if your favorite books are on the list. And even if you prefer to avoid reading, look through the list and get inspired by this fascinating hobby.
10 favorite books in English by Facebook users:
10. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
This 1925 novel was “something new—something unusual and beautiful, simple and intricate,” as Fitzgerald promised. This is the story of Jay Gatsby, an American of the Jazz Age, with the American dream, big ambitions, obsession with money, and, at the same time, a romantic passion for Daisy Buchanan, the legendary young beauty. This love story is imbued with the American spirit of the author’s generation.
9. Catcher in the Rye “J.D. Salinger
The 1951 novel was originally published for adults. Still, over time, it has become a favorite among teenagers worldwide as it tackles topics such as teenage anger, rebellion, alienation, identity, and everything a teenager faces.
These themes have not changed over the years, and thus, the book continues to be much loved, with Holden Caulfield, the protagonist and caustic anti-hero, becoming an icon of teenage rebellion.
8. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Released in 2008, the sci-fi novel and the two subsequent books in the series are told from the perspective of 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in a dystopian nation called Panem, which hosts the Hunger Games television reality show every year, during which every one of the 12 districts, a boy and a girl aged 12-16 are selected to participate in a deadly game. The storyline and character development in the books have been praised.
7. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
The comedy sci-fi series was originally a radio show in 1948, which later evolved into novels, comics, and more! Each new adaptation by Adams is significantly rewritten, creating mutual contradictions in many places. However, the main plot remains the same – the adventures of the ill-fated Englishman Arthur Dent and other main characters, such as an alien and his half-cousin, a depressed robot, and a woman, the last survivor of the destruction of the Earth.
6. Holy Bible (The Holy Bible)
Tiny can and should be said about the Bible. Regardless of a person’s religion or faith, the Bible has proven valuable reading for anyone with a religious mindset and even appeals to atheists and agnostics.
Interestingly, it is a bestseller and one of the most stolen books. While many use her deliberately misinterpreted words to defend bigotry, lies, dishonesty, etc., in the name of religion, others find inner peace and guidance on the path of life in the wise and kind words of the Bible.
5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Published in 1813, a novel about manners centered on Elizabeth Bennet, an early 19th century Englishwoman struggling with upbringing, manners, marriage, and more. And yearning for the rational Mr. Darcy, the male protagonist, while she and her sisters are busy picking up the pieces after failed engagements. Despite the almost otherworldly time frame, the book captures the imagination of modern readers, making it a classic.
4. The Hobbit J.R.R. Tolkien (The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien)
The plot’s chronology suggests this is a prequel to the Lord of the Rings series. Published in 1937, this children’s classic follows the adventures of a Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins on a journey to find treasure guarded by the dragon Smaug.
The characters’ growth and display of heroism are central to this story as they move towards greater wickedness and encounter Tolkien’s Wildlands. Tolkien’s World War I experiences greatly influenced the story’s structure.
3. The Lord of the Rings J.R.R. Tolkien
The sequel to The Hobbit, the LOTR series, written between 1937 and 1949, parallels World War II. One of the world’s best-selling books, it follows the journey of Frodo Baggins, Sam Gamgee, Merry Brandybuck, Peregrin Took, and their companions and allies.
Mythology, religion, and philosophy form the story’s backdrop as Tolkien carefully analyzes them, and the characters grow and influence many readers, staying with them forever.
2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
This award-winning 1960 American novel has a plot centered on characters observed by the author herself when she was 10 years old. As a result, the story turned out to be very real, which touched readers’ hearts.
The novel has a great mix of humor and darkness, and issues such as rape, racial inequality, and the destruction of innocence are the backdrop against which the protagonist, Atticus Finch, matures and finds a place in readers’ hearts.
1. The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling
A collection of seven books traces the journey of a young wizard named Harry, who, along with his close friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, experiences the enchanting stages of life within a mystical school. They navigate the shadows and intricacies of life, mortality, strength, affection, and the hidden truths about those in their midst.
Research shows that children who grew up reading Harry Potter are more tolerant of stigmatized minority groups such as immigrants, the sick, LGBTQ people, etc. Bildungsromans ranked first on this list. Many accept this series as an important part of their lives.
The original list consists of the titles of the top 100 books, including classics and contemporary texts. However, to restore faith in humanity and its taste for literature, some of the best-selling popular books, such as the Twilight saga or the Fifty Shades of Gray trilogy, failed to make it into the top 100, as did the chick lit books. , such as “Mills and Boone.”
While this may disappoint many, Facebook users gratefully delivered the final verdict: Real readers today appreciate well-written books, whether they be innocent children’s literature, works from different eras, or the Bible.
