There is a survey going around on Facebook, purportedly from the BBC.
Have you read more than 6 of these books? The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books listed here.
As I scanned through the list, I thought, "Well, I probably brought the average down." It turns out I've read ten, maybe eleven, of them, more than I expected (some were such non-standouts, I can't even remember for sure whether I've read them). I had to read two of the books in high school for book reports, but the rest were all recreational (or "personal growth") reading.
Most of my Facebook friends have read LOTS more books from the list than I have. I find that when I start many of these books, my mind drifts and I'd rather be watching television. For others, I've seen the movies or made-for-tv movies and have no interest in reading the books. In fact, I've seen performance versions of fifteen of the books.
One anomaly: am I the only person among my Facebook friends to have read the Wind in the Willows? I read that just for the heck of it one summer when I was in grad school.