Top 50 most read books by Brits revealed– and some might surprise you

The top 50 most read books by Brits have been revealed, after new research found that a person will read on average 696 books over a lifetime.

The study, which was commissioned by eBay UK, also found that the average person will get through 11 books a year, with almost one in five saying they read every day.

However, researchers also found that 42 per cent of Brits are too busy to read as much as they would like with the average adult owning at least 10 books they are yet to get to the end of.

And as for what we read?

Crime is the most popular genre (42 per cent) along with thrillers (38 per cent) and drama (35 per cent).

‘There’s no doubt that we’re a nation of readers,’ said Rob Johnson, Co-Founder of Wordery, eBay UK’s online bookstore, ‘but it’s really heartwarming to see that reading books and getting lost in fiction is still a hobby Brits love to take part in, especially in the days of box sets and instant viewing.

More: These are the books you should read to make you fall asleep

The study of 2,000 adults found summer holidays are the optimum time to get your nose into a good book, with 65 per cent saying that reading on holiday as a good way to relax.In fact, the average adult will get through two books during a week-long break, getting lost inside an exciting tale for one hour and 20 minutes a day while on a break - twice as long as they do when they are at home.

And 36 per cent happily re-read a story on holiday that they’ve already enjoyed before.

Tilda Molho, director of media and entertainment at eBay, added: ‘Our online book stores are always incredibly popular, but the roaring trade definitely comes during the run up to the summer months, when we as Brits generally make more time for reading and spending time offline.’

So what are the most popular books read by Brits that you can take off on your travels with you?

Well the top 50 are:

1. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
2. The Da Vinci Code
3. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
4. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
7. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
8. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
9. Nineteen-Eighty Four
10. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
11. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
12. Treasure Island
13. The Wind in the Willows
14. The Hobbit
15. The Girl on the Train
16. Jane Eyre
17. The Lord of the Rings
18. Lord of the Flies
19. Wuthering Heights
20. Bridget Jones’ Diary
21. The Catcher in the Rye
22. A Tale of Two Cities
23. Gone Girl
24. Fifty Shades of Grey
25. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
26. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
27. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
28. The Lovely Bones
29. Tales of Huckleberry Finn
30. Murder on the Orient Express
31. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
32. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
33. The Hunger Games
34. Anne of Green Gables
35. The Time Traveller’s Wife
36. The Wizard of Oz
37. Jamaica Inn
38. PS. I Love You
39. Twilight
40. Brighton Rock
41. Life of Pi
42. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest
43. The Kite Runner
44. Memoirs of a Geisha
45. American Psycho
46. The Handmaid’s Tale
47. My Sister’s Keeper
48. Me Before You
49. One Day
50. Jack Reacher: Killing Floor