books

Top 10 best selling novels of all time

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Books have always had the ability to makes us escape everyday life and relax while briefly traveling to other worlds and meeting our favorite characters while reading them. However, there are books that you need to read during your lifetime and most of them are in fact, best-selling books. Here are the top 10 best selling novels that you need to read:

10. “The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe” (1950) – C.S. Lewis, 85 million copies sold

This is the best-known book in the series of seven in the Chronicles of Narnia. This book follows four siblings that are on a journey of exploring a new and magical world which was exposed to them through an old wardrobe.

9. “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” (1865) – Lewis Carroll, 100 million copies

Img source: hammacher.com

This novel is regarded as the best novel for children in the whole history of literature. It has also spawned numerous TV series and movies, and still remains a classic on children’s books shelves.

8. “Dream of the Red Chamber” (1754) – Cao Xueqin, 100 million copies sold

Also called The Story of the Stone, this novel is one of China’s Four Great Classical Novels. The story is about two wealthy families and their ultimate fall from glory, which was intended to depict the downfall of the Qing dynasty.

7. “The Hobbit” (1937) – J.R.R. Tolkien, 100 million copies sold

Img source: artsy.net

This short novel has set the stage ready for Tolkien’s later novels, The Lord of The Rings Series. In The Hobbit, or as it is also referred to There and Back Again, we follow the book’s good guy, Bilbo Baggins and we are able to accompany him on various adventures that he has.

6. “And Then There Were None” (1939) – Agatha Christie, 100 million copies sold

According to Utoptens, Agatha basically reinvented the whole mystery genre with her 66 novels and 14 short story collections that also include this book that is number 6 on our list. Over thirty movies and TV series have been created based on her books.

5. “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” (1997) – J.K. Rowling, 120 million copies sold

Img source: kobo.com

Rowling is one of the most prolific writers of our time, creating stories about magic and bravery with her amazing series of the famous school of magic Hogwarts. In the first book about the boy who lived, Harry Potter realized that he is not as ordinary as all the people around him.

4. “The Little Prince” (1943) – Antonie de Saint-Exupery, 140 million copies sold

This wonderful and mysterious book is all about the perils of slowly growing old, written by the famed Antoine de Saint-Exupery. It has been translated to more than 300 dialects and languages. It is a classic piece of literature that you need to read. After all, it is quite short and you will need an hour to read it.

3. “The Lord of The Rings” (1954) – J.R.R. Tolkien, 150 million copies sold

Img source: lotr.fandom.com

One of the best selling series and fantasy novels, this trilogy has mostly grown in popularity since it was released. It also has a boost in popularity with the release of numerous movies, artwork, theater plays, video games, and even fun board games.

2. “A tale of two cities” (1859) – Charles Dickens, 200 million copies sold

There are big chances that you have already read this book, or that you have pretended to read it during your high school classes. Hence, it is not a big surprise that this book has sold so much all over the world since it is practically on the curriculum in most high schools.

1. “Don Quixote” (1612) – Miguel de Cervantes, 500 million copies sold

Img source: penguinrandomhouse.com

The most creative and popular novel of all time is evidence of how amazing storytelling has no expiration date. The story is about Hidalgo, who in fact proves that the medieval knight system will never die.

Conclusion

If you did not read some of these books, it is time to go shopping and boost your book collection.

7 Coffee Table Books That Are Also Great Conversation Starters

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Nothing is more unpleasant than sitting in your living room with your partner’s guests who you have never met, and you’re not quite sure why they’re in your home. After exhausting conversational topics of the weather and plans for Christmas, the awkward silence starts to kick in and the desperate reach for anything to talk about begins. After finding myself in this position fairly often, I’ve found ways to unleash endless conversation without much effort. My solution? Get yourself a coffee table that makes a statement and any of these seven coffee table books to get the chat flowing. Check out the range of Coffee tables available from Domayne Australia.

  1. ‘The Sound of Mountains’ by Guerel Sahin

This book provides you with ‘once in a lifetime’ images of the open wilderness of the Alps taken in extreme conditions so that we can enjoy the immense beauty we may have never seen otherwise.

  1. ‘Peanut Butter Dogs’ by Greg Murray

A picture book sure to amuse people of all ages, Murray compiles images and small bios of over 140 dogs that have all been fed a bit of peanut butter. Needless to say, an amalgamation of expressions and happiness can be seen in these pup’s eyes and will quickly put you in a very cheerful mood. The Duke Coffee table is a lower set table with a rustic-chic charm that is perfect for little ones to be able to read their books from too!

  1. ‘Woodstock’ by Ernesto Assante

Possibly the most revolutionary music festival, the book ‘Woodstock’ gives you an inside view of the 1969 extravaganza with exclusive interviews and photos.

  1. ‘Wine Trails : Australia & New Zealand’ by The Lonely Planet
Source: near.st

Not only does this book feature stunning locations and tours for recommended wineries, but all of the locations are either in Australia or New Zealand! Having it as a coffee table book means it’s always a conversation starter when my partner and I come to think of holiday destinations. Keep it local with the Laren Coffee Table which is made from Australian timber and also features storage space making it a perfect multifunctional statement piece for your living room.

  1. ‘From Crook to Cook’ by Snoop Dogg

Yes, you read that correctly. Laced with incredible stories and images, this cookbook gives you all you need for a night of entertaining your guests and ensuring they are all well fed. With recipes ranging from Fried Bologna Sandwiches with Chips to Filet Mignon, there is a meal for everyone.

  1. ‘Frida Kahlo’ by Circe Henestrosa and Claire Wilcox

This book takes you deep into the life and paintings of a revolutionary artist. Introducing letters and diary entries, you are shown Kahlo’s deepest beliefs and reflections on her life and art. Match this with the Sentra Round Coffee Table with its elegance and sophistication making it a great addition to any lounge room. Featuring a round structure and strong monochrome lines this table will match a variety of home styles.

  1. ‘Ricochet’ by Denis O’Regan

Compiled by David Bowie’s official photographer, ‘Ricochet’ delves into the intimate stories and images of David Bowie in the height of his career. With pictures ranging from his most vulnerable points to his most extravagant performances, this book was approved by Bowie himself and will provide you with a fascinating read.

Not only do coffee table books make great conversation starters but they draw your guest’s eye to the table itself. Wow, your friends and family with impeccable style through your choice of the perfect coffee table for your home.

Raising Your Child as an Avid Reader – Here’s A Comprehensive Know-How for the Early Ages

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If you’re currently expecting, you perfectly understand how everyone is telling you about the importance of reading to your child (among other 99 million things that you really must know!). Try to see that it’s coming from a place of love and, truth be told, the benefits of reading at every stage of a child’s development is very well known and proven. Luckily for you, raising a reader isn’t difficult, and it’s quite easy to do it.

What are the things to keep in mind?

You would think that raising your child as a reader is easy peasy, but you may want to give it a second thought. Following some tips is going to help you get results later in life:

Start early

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The very first thing to do is to start as early as you can. Make time, space and will for reading books not only for your child, but also for yourself. You cannot raise a reader unless you are a reader.

On the side note, it’s never too early to start to read to your baby. At the same time, you’re not going to stop the second he’s vertical. Even your newborn may benefit from hearing nice stories (he won’t complain about your choices either).

Read out loud, every single day

In the case of a newborn, you may practically read anything: a dystopian novel, your favorite cookbook or a parenting manual. It’s not about the content at this age, but about the sound of your voice and the rhythm of the words. Research has revealed that the number of words a newborn is exposed to has a big influence on his language development and literacy later on. The main thing to keep in mind is that the voice must be live, in person and addressing directly to the child. It’s useless to turn on the television or to play an audiobook- it’s not the same as a live human voice.

Obviously enough, it makes sense that you would read to your newborn the books that are going to be part of his library. Get creative and try to make it fun for you too.

Pay attention to his reactions

Source:mothermag.com

It’s important to check your baby’s reactions from time to time. You should make eye contact, without expecting any amazing reaction. Even if your baby looks like he’s not listening, he’s actually taking in the whole reading experience. Good routines, patterns and attentive skills are going to develop at this age, lasting for the entire life.

Use your senses as well

A baby that is read to is going to learn from an early age that reading is fun and it may include all the senses: the smell of the glue (only some of it, though), the feel of the pages, the sound of your voice, the visuals of the illustrations. Look for the texturized books as they’re amazing for your baby’s tactile experience.

Encourage your baby to talk

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It’s really possible for a baby to try making sounds as a response to your reading. That’s the main reason for which the books for this age may include a lot of animal sounds and nonsense words- trust us when we say that they’re pretty easy to mimic.

When your baby is making a noise, make sure you react to it. It doesn’t have to be meaningful; it’s still some sort of communication.

So your baby is a toddler now! What’s next?

It’s beyond the doubt that reading to your toddler is going to have a positive effect on his intellectual, social and emotional development. When you’re reading to your toddler, he’s going to take the best out of it: the number and math concepts, colors, shapes, vocabulary, opposites, manners, animals and any other type of information that is teaching him about the world. When you’re reading out loud to your toddler, he is going to link the books with the beloved and familiar sound of your voice, but also with the physical closeness that reading is involving. You’re going to create a positive association with a book that isn’t going to vanish any time soon.

Let’s see what you need to remember when reading to your toddler:

Read any time of the day

Source:thepurposefulmom.com

We all know about the bedtime reading routine, and we don’t want to undermine it in any way. You need to create a soothing and calming feel, selecting the books that are going to end with a going-to-bed scene (or you can try to bring a little fun and read a book about the sleep-avoiding children).

Having said that, we cannot stress enough about the importance of reading to your toddler any time of the day. Reading may be the only solution at times to calm him down and help focus. Sit next to him and enjoy the whole experience.

Acknowledge his preferences

You may be surprised that your toddler already has some opinions and preferences when it comes to books. It’s not only broccoli that he may not like, but also a black-and-white book too. Even if you don’t necessarily fancy the books about the talking trucks, your toddler may absolutely love them. A great way to make them fall in love with reading for eternity is to order and purchase a personalized book. Chances are your toddler is going to enjoy a book about himself being the dragon-slayer or anything else. The options are plenty, and you should also look for the coupon discounts to get the better deals.

Such example is Mumablue.com, which is one of the best companies when it comes to storybooks for kids. They have books for kids at every reading level, and all the books are personalized and printed exclusively for you.

Let him know about what you like too

Now that you’ve been reading for quite some time, you may have your very own preferences in terms of grown-up books. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t rediscover the joy of reading a children’s book. Go through your classical favorites and look for the new books that draw your attention. This may come as a shocker, but best authors and illustrators of children’s books are actually interested in creating books that grown-ups are going to enjoy as well.

It’s a continuous play

The more you’re both enjoying the reading, the more your toddler is going to associate reading with nice feelings and reward. Stop using your dragon voice if your toddler doesn’t go for it. After all, it’s about him feeling better through the whole experience. Give your kid some control and let him turn the pages, to set up a rhythm that he likes.

Expand your toddler’s world

Source:dissolve.com

Even if you don’t like some words in a book, don’t give up on the book, especially if it’s one of your kid’s favorites. Don’t be afraid to try books that some may think they’re not ready for just yet. History of art, life in various cultures and even geology may be explained and made interesting by a very good book.

In addition, if your child is a member of a racial/ethnic minority, you should look for the books that present children similarly looking to him. All children need to learn about diversity and tolerance from an early age.

One last thing to keep in mind before you go

The rule of thumb is that both your child and you should have a lovely time while reading. It’s ok for your child to interrupt any now and then or to make any comments and ask questions. As a matter of fact, that is only showing that your child is really listening to you. Try not to say “Let me finish this page”; it’s better that you take a time out and have a talk with your toddler. If your child doesn’t necessarily pay attention to the words, use the pictures for a better understanding. Invite him in the story and always encourage him to narrate the action, the way he sees it.