You are an avid reader who breathes books and is passionate about exploring all the best sellers regardless of genres. Welcome to our blog about the top 10 most-read books in the world! This piece is specifically written for people like you who want to create their own bucket list of books to read.

Yes, a bucket list of books. We know that people who love reading often have a list of books in their minds that they intend to read one day, though it may sound weird to non-readers.

If that sounds familiar, we have made things easy for you. Also, if you dream of being an author, our book-writing services are what you need.

Let's carry on with our topic.

Top 10 Most-Read Books in the World

The Bible

Overview

Hands down, the Holy Bible is the most-read book in the world, with 5+ billion copies sold and distributed. It has two parts — the Old Testament (shared with Judaism) and the New Testament.

Main Themes

It is a holy scripture that Christians believe in, consisting of a collection of sacred texts. Its central themes include:

• Sin
• Covenant
• Redemption
• Salvation
• Divine judgement
• The nature of God
• Love
• Justice and humanity

The Alchemist

Overview

Celebrated author Paulo Coelho wrote The Alchemist, which is a modern classic novel with an innocent yet deep plot. It revolves around the life of a shepherd who left his home to fulfil his dream. It motivates readers to follow their hearts.

Philosophical Themes

The Alchemist is a fable that encourages a reader to discover his/her Legend. Its main themes are:

• Love life
• Dream chase
• Destiny
• Reading the omens
• Interdependence of everything (the "Soul of the World")
• The thought that the path is as important as the goal

It helps readers ignore their fear and accept their own way.

Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung

Overview

It's hard to say, “Which book is most read in the world?” However, some books combinedly make the list of the most-read books and Quotations from the Works of Mao Tse-Tung is one of them. The book has sold over a billion copies and contains excerpts from Chairman Mao’s writings and speeches, who was the former leader of the Communist Party of China.

Historical Context

During the Cultural Revolution (1966 to 1976) in China, this book had enormous influence. It was written following the disastrous events of the Great Leap Forward, and it was aimed at accompanying the rejuvenation of the ideological control of Mao.

It became a symbol of having loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party and was borne by millions, including the Red Guards who would use it to assail old customs, culture, habits of mind and ideas.

Though at first, it was regarded as sacred, with time, it has been coupled to the trauma and violence of the Cultural Revolution.

Themes

Central themes include:

• Class struggle
• Revolution
• Self-reliance
• The importance of the masses
• The role of the Communist Party
• The necessity of continuous revolution to achieve a communist society
• Harry Potter Series

Overview

Harry Potter has demonstrated that magical tales have not lost any credence, and the population still loves them. This is a series of seven parts written beautifully by J. K. Rowling with Harry Potter and his two close friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, as the main protagonists.

The story is set in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and tells the tale of Harry in his battle against Lord Voldemort, an evil power that murdered his parents and attempted to kill him when he was just a baby.

Impact

Harry Potter is not just a book for many, but rather it's a reason for getting lost in an enchanting and delightful world of magic when they feel down. The book is named as a children's book, but its readers include Bill Gates and little children aged 10.

It is translated into a great number of languages, and this fact has helped it transcend borders, making it a worldwide cultural phenomenon. The tales of strong friendship ties, love, bravery and the battle between good and bad have brought it close to every person, irrespective of nationality and the spoken language.

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The Lord of the Rings

Overview

Do you enjoy reading about fantasy worlds developed by authors? You might have already read The Lord of the Rings, written by J. R. R. Tolkien. The number of copies sold exceeds 150 million, and this reflects its popularity.

The book consists of three parts — The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King. It is positioned around the tale of one of the Hobbits, Frodo Baggins, whose Uncle Bilbo had left him a magic ring on his deathbed.

Then a twist develops to the story when the Hobbit gets to learn that he is supposed to embark on a risky adventure as he seeks to destroy the ring.

Themes and Impact

The author has created a delirious and complex tale of Middle-Earth and describes a triviality of friendship, bravery and the following conflict between good and evil. Middle-Earth is full of histories, mythologies, languages and various races (Hobbits, Dwarves, Men, Elves, Orcs and so on). This book has had a great effect on the fantasy genre.

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Overview

A Tale of Two Cities is a historical novel written by Charles Dickens that is set in London and Paris, during the French Revolution as well as before its onset. It touches upon the lives of a few characters trapped in this mess of events, but addresses Dr. Alexandre Manette, who was unlawfully detained in the Bastille prison, and his daughter Lucie.

Their lives are interwoven with the lives of Charles Darnay, who is a French aristocrat and has renounced his titles and Sydney Carton, a cynical English lawyer who resembles Darnay to an extent.

History and Themes

The French Revolution, written by Thomas Carlyle, is the source of this book. The atmosphere of fear and sacrifice is represented by the author. Revival of life, social injustice, mob culture of revolution, and the power of love and redemption are the main motives.

The Hobbit

Overview

Anyone who wants to read The Lord of the Rings should read The Hobbit first, as it is the prelude to the former. It is written by J. R. R. Tolkien and is basically a kids' fantasy novel that chronicles the tale of the comfortable hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. In the book, the wizard Gandalf hired him and some dwarves to get their treasure back from the dragon.

Adventure and Themes

This classic adventure novel revolves around some major themes of unanticipated heroism of an ordinary individual, coming-of-age, bravery, greed, exploration of one’s innate abilities and loyalty.

This book is the first introduction to the fascinating world of Middle-earth and its iconic creatures.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Overview

You should definitely read “And Then There Were None,” beautifully written by Agatha Christie, if you are into classic mystery books. It is a story of ten people who have secretly committed crimes in the past, and now someone has asked them to arrive at an exclusive island mansion.

The tale suddenly became mysterious when a recorded voice accused them of their past wrongdoings on that island, cut off from the world. Then they start to die one by one, as per the words of a children’s poem.

Plot and Themes

As the plot implies, suspense and misdirection are the linchpins of this mystery novel. As the people keep dying, it raises mutual suspicion and paranoia among them. Its major themes are justice or injustice, obsession, guilt and the mental impacts of terror and isolation.

The Da Vinci Code

Overview

Having sold more than 80 million copies, Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code has thrilled readers around the world with its suspenseful plot. The story starts as Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon and cryptologist Sophie Neveu investigate a murder at the Louvre.

The plot took its turn when they showed a massive religious conspiracy of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene.

Themes

It is set on underlying conspiracies, the need to get inner meanings and symbols in art and history, the strength to dominate historical interpretation, and the reinterpretation of the sacred feminine.

The Diary of a Young Girl

Overview

The plot of the book is so original and touching. A Jewish teenager in the Netherlands, Anne Frank, received a diary as a present when she was 13 years old in June 1942.

But life turned in a different direction for her as her family was forced to go in hiding to escape the wrath of the Nazi. She then documented all the events during the same period until they fell into the hands of the occupiers, who killed them.

Historical Significance and Impact

This diary is among the saddest and popular writings on the holocaust. It also gives a profound account of a very personal, intimate and curiously positive outlook that is provided by a young girl whose life is lived under incomprehensible conditions. It has become both a representation of the millions of innocent lives that were taken in the holocaust and a monument to the human spirit that never settles.

Themes

Some of the major themes are the personal effects of war and persecution, the need to find identity and discover self as an adolescent, the need to have hope in such times of need, beauty in the natural world, human freedom, and dignity. It also discusses family life and the problems of staying together.

Bottom Line

It's hard to say “what are the top 10 most-read books?” Because there isn't one list that everybody has agreed upon. But we have tried our best to provide you with a list of books that have broken sales records at different times.

There are many books with a huge reader base that condensing this list to just ten is super difficult. Our experts have curated the top books that most people around the world love to read.

And if you want to publish your own book, our book publishing services are just a click away. We can write, edit and publish your book in any genre.