1. Hunger Games
The first book released in the Hunger Games series, Hunger Games, was published in 2008 by Suzanne Collins and has sold over one hundred million copies globally. Collins has written a total of five books within the Hunger Games world and has continued to co-write the current five movies. The Hunger Games world is so popular and loved because it shows how one action can spark a major change such as a rebellion. This series is not only a remarkable story but also has multiple layers of symbolism, metaphors, and allegories. People enjoy Collins books not only because they are thought-provoking but also because the reader learns something new every time they read it.
2. Harry Potter
Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone was published in 1997 by J.K Rowling as part of a 7-part series, she has sold 120 million copies worldwide and has had multiple games, shows, and movies made for it. Additionally, as of 2025 HBO has a Harry Potter Reboot in the works and is expected to premier in 2027. Even 28 years later this book series is still one of the most loved and discussed books for all ages.
Harry Potter is a classic Hero’s Journey about a teenage boy, his two friends, and their adventures with magic. The series is appealing to everyone because it is an easy-to-understand story with relatable characters, that most people grew up with, that gives people a way to escape from reality.
- Pride & Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice is, by far, the oldest book on this list as it was published in 1813 by Jane Austen. Amazingly out of the thirty million copies of Jane Austen books sold, twenty million of them were Pride and Prejudice. Austen’s book is more than two hundred years old but continues to be printed and sold around the world. As of today, her books are so valuable that most first addition copies are sold anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000.
Jane Austen’s book withstood the test of time and now are celebrated as literary masterpieces that people across the world still discuss. For example, Pride and Prejudice explores the idea that you aren’t owed anything just because of your standing in society, this principle still holds true and can be applied to our lives even centuries later.
- A Series of Unfortunate Events
This series, consisting of thirteen books, was released in 1999 by Daniel Handler, Lemony Snicket, and Brett Helquist and has sold sixty million copies worldwide. These books have since been turned into an original tv show and movie. Over the years additional companion stories have been published and well-loved by fans.
The first book of the series, Bad Beginnings, starts with the death of the Baudelaire parents leaving their children orphaned and placed in the care of Count Olaf, who only wants their fortune. These books stand out from the others on this list because of their melancholy nature, for example within the first chapter the author warns you that the book doesn’t end well and urges the reader to proceed with caution. The unique storyline draws people’s attention because of its tragic but comedic nature.
- Animal Farm
Animal Farm, a novella written by George Orwell, was published in 1945 at the end of WW2 and has since sold eleven million copies. However, this book wasn’t as popular when it was first published. He only sold 250,000 copies and was often critiqued because of his progressive views. Animal farm is an allegory about farm animals rising up against their human farmer to criticize the Russian revolution and the expansion of Stalinism. The author describe it as a fable to warn against totalitarianism; this political story brings attention to a timeless problem that people have tried to solve for years.
- 1984
Another famous George Orwell book is 1984, as you can see he was known for his books that went against social norms and challenged the overreach of governments. Like Animal Farm, 1984 is also an allegory, however this book is about government surveillance rather than revolution. It takes place in a dystopian world where people are constantly spied on by “Big Brother,” their government. Similarly to Animal Farm, this book is timeless because of the problem it talks about. George Orwell wanted to warn people about government overreach and disregard for human rights.
- To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird was published by Harper Lee in 1960, it was her one and only novel for 50 years. She has sold over forty million copies worldwide and won a Pulitzer Prize for it. Her book has since been turned into an award-winning movie that her fans adore.
To Kill a Mockingbird is from the perspective of a little girl named Scout who lives in the south, her father volunteers to defend a Black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. This book is about racial injustice and the loss of innocence shown through Scout and her brother having to witness the worst of society. Much like the past two books, this story is timeless because of its problem, in this sense being racial injustice. The Slave Trade is something no one wants to repeat because of how awful and dehumanizing it was as shown in To Kill a Mockingbird.
- Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Green Gables is an iconic book that has had more than fifty million copies sold in thirty-six different languages since its release in 1908. The author, L. M. Montgomery, originally wrote it for younger ages however it is still enjoyed by all, over one hundred years later. Ever since her publishing of Anne of Green Gables she has written many more books for that world and has had her stories adapted into an award-winning PBS mini-series.
The book follows Anne Shirley, a 12-year-old orphan girl, who is adopted by two siblings. The siblings are disappointed at first because they requested a boy but decided to keep her anyway. People enjoy the stories because of how relatable and heartwarming they are, they allow people to stop and slow down when life gets too stressful. These fictional books are so beautifully written that it makes it possible for people to relate to the exact emotions of a character no matter their age.
- Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia is a seven-part series written by C.S Lewis and published in 1950. Since the release of the first book, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, over 120 million copies have been sold which accounts for 60% of the author’s total sales. Lewis took 8 years to write the series however he only took 3 months to write the first book. After Lewis’s death, his stepson helped turn his father’s books into movies allowing millions of fans to see their favorite world come to life.
The story is about four siblings that discover the magical land of Narnia, which has lots of spiritual symbolism. While there, they meet a talking lion called Aslan who represents God and the goodness of Him, the story itself represents the ongoing battle of good and evil. This series is celebrated all around the world because of its simplicity yet deepness to it, the plot is enjoyable for a child while the meaning of it is compelling for adults.
- The Lord of the Rings
The first book of the Lord of the Rings series, The Fellowship of the Ring, was released in 1954 as a sequel to The Hobbit. The author, J.R.R Tolken, sold over 150 million copies of the whole series and was voted book of the 20th century by Waterstones customers in the UK. Tolken planned to publish the series as one book but had to split it due to paper shortages during WW1.
The trilogy follows Frodo Baggins and his friends on their journey to destroy The Ring of Power. This book is a famous retelling of the Hero’s Journey in a magical world full of elves, dwarfs, wizards, trolls, hobbits, etc. While traveling they are often attacked by both enemies and friends. When reading this book, you can easily see how much work was put into it which makes it all the better to read with all ages.
Sources
https://wordsrated.com/harper-lee-statistics/
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2208361/books
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/oct/03/lemony-snicket-a-series-of-unfortunate-events-at-20
https://wordsrated.com/jane-austen-books-statistics/
https://wordsrated.com/the-hunger-games-statistics/
https://wordsrated.com/harry-potter-stats/
https://www.readingsheffield.co.uk/the-commercialisation-of-anne-of-green-gables/
https://wordsrated.com/the-chronicles-of-narnia-book-series-statistics/
https://wordsrated.com/lord-of-the-rings-stats/
