Why do we love “Bestseller Lists” so much?

It seems like there are enough best-selling book lists to fill a dozen best-selling book lists, but have you ever wondered why we care so much about what books are selling like hot cakes?   First, let’s clarify something, I’m not talking about the quality or longevity of books, just their current sales popularity and the desire we might feel to see what all the fuss is about.   

Now there might be some mystery as to what makes a book “best-selling.”  The details of the tracking mechanisms are often proprietary, in fact how the New York Times Best Seller list is compiled is a very well-kept secret.  But even if we could track with 100% accuracy which books were best sellers, why would we, or should we even care? 

I think it comes down to the Monday morning water cooler talk and the desire for shared experiences.  Books can provide a starting point or a foundation for a conversation with our fellow humans that is unlike sports, current events, or work.  Books are more personal, filled with emotions and moral choices.  Literature, even bad writing, is overflowing with scenarios and characters that can lead to conversations on topics that are more vulnerable, or distinctly part of the human experience.  Books give us a chance to bond over similar or even differing tastes and the Best Seller lists are just a heads-up as to where that connection might start.  Even if you don’t read any of the books on the Best Seller lists, there is still value in knowing those books.  Yes, even just having an opinion on what’s popular is an insight into who you are and what is important to you.

We want you to be as connected as possible so we have lists and links to a plethora of Best Seller & Recommended reading lists.   Follow the link below to see what everyone is talking about. https://hcpl.net/newsletters/