By Jennifer McShane
04th Oct 2020
04th Oct 2020
The saying is don’t judge a book by its cover, but a new study by onbuy.com revealed that many of us do exactly that – pick a book solely based on what it looks like. The good thing here, however, is that the reads chosen also happen to be great stories and are worthy of a spot on your bedside. Here are the top contenders
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At the top of the list is 1960 classic To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, with over 175,564 posts on Instagram of the book cover. With over 40 million estimated copies sold, this impeccably written story explores the roots of human behaviour and race. It’s a classic that deserves a second and third read.
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Following in second is Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas with a whopping 148,134 posts of the cover on Instagram. This book was originally published in 2014 and the storyline follows Celaena who, after surviving heartbreak and deadly situations, must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth.
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If you are a fan of romance, Eleanor and Park, which came in third place, is one you’ll enjoy. The 2013 hit currently has 84,099 posts on Instagram and held the title of New York Times bestseller in 2013. Written by Rainbow Rowell, Eleanor and Park is a favourite amongst young adults across the globe.
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In fourth place is 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami with 68,068 posts. 1Q84 is a fascinating dystopian novel written by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, first published in three volumes in Japan in 2009–10. It covers a fictionalised year of 1984 in parallel with the “real” one and is a story of how a woman named Aomame begins to notice strange changes occurring in the world as a result.
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Next is The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger with 47,598 posts. Published in 1951, the novel details two days in the life of 16-year-old Holden Caulfield after he has been expelled from prep school. Confused and disillusioned, Holden searches for truth and rails against the “phoniness” of the adult world. Originally intended for adults, it is often read by adolescents for its themes of angst and alienation, and as a critique on superficiality in society. In 2020, it’s as relevant as ever.
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Then we have I Am Malala with 24, 823 posts of the cover on Instagram. This one tells the remarkable tale of a family that had their life uprooted by global terrorism and Malala’s fight for girl’s education around the world. It’s an essential read.
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Taking eight place is A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. This literary classic currently has 22,617 posts on Instagram and it is the French Revolution that Dickens vividly captures in this famous work. We meet Dr Manette, wrongly imprisoned in the Bastille for eighteen years, and finally released and reunited with his daughter Lucie. Lucie falls in love with Charles Darnay, who has abandoned both wealth and title in France because of his political ideals. It remains one of the author’s most exciting pieces of fiction.
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Finally, we have To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf with 17,730 Instagram posts. It is one of her most fascinating works. In To the Lighthouse, the reader is challenged even though its premise is a simple one: Set on a Hebridean island, we meet a holiday house occupied by a large family and their guests. Throughout the novel, the centre of consciousness shifts from one character to another, from their perceptions of the external world to their inner thoughts and memories. It’s a remarkable, complex read.
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