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British bookworms will immerse themselves in 696 books over a lifetime – with crime and thrillers the most popular, a study has found.

Each year, the average adult will get through 11 books, with almost one in five saying they read every day.

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

But the study, by eBay UK, found 42 per cent 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.

Rob Johnson, Co-Founder of Wordery, eBay UK’s online bookstore, said: ‘”There’s no doubt that we’re a nation of readers, 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.

“At Wordery we have an incredible selection of all the latest books, as well as recommendations for when our customers are wanting to try something new but not sure where to start.

“It’s great for us to see people fall in love with new genres and authors, and discover them for the first time.”

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.

It also emerged 51 per cent said reading helps them get lost in another world, and 44 per cent enjoy a good book as part of making time for themselves.

The top three spots to read on holiday include a comfy sofa, a cosy bed and beside a pool.

The study also named The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as the most read book, with 33 per cent of adults enjoying the tale, closely followed by The Da Vinci Code (30 per cent).

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone came in third (29 per cent), despite J.K. Rowling topping the list of preferred authors with 26 per cent of the vote.

King of horror, Stephen King is considered one of the top authors by 24 per cent while Charles Dickens was chosen by 18 per cent of respondents.

Interestingly, when it comes to the battle of the sexes there’s a clear divide, according to the research carried out via OnePoll.

Women’s favourite books are more ‘modern’ classics and include
Gone Girl (26 per cent), Girl on the Train (34 per cent), Fifty Shades of Grey (28 per cent), Bridget Jones’ Diary (30 per cent).

But men’s top reads are Nineteen Eighty-Four (28 per cent), Lord of the Flies (23 per cent), Treasure Island (28 per cent) and Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy (21 per cent).

Based on Wordery’s sales, the top best sellers for the summer are The Salt Path by Raynor Winn and Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott’s Can You See Me?

Also in the top 10 are Three Women by Lisa Taddeo and John Grisham’s The Reckoning.

Tilda Molho, trading director of media and entertainment at eBay, said: “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.”

Top 50 most read books by Brits:
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

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