Three books that outsold The Bible and where to find them
From book sales to social media hits, here are the top loved reads that have taken the world by storm
Image: Chad Griffith
For centuries, The Bible has been untouchable in physical sales and influence. By 2021, the British and Foreign Bible Society suggests it has sold between 5-billion and 7-billion copies, helping the age-old script hold its Guinness World Record for the book with the most sales.
However, when looking at annual sales, spin-offs and making the headlines, The Bible has stiff competition from modern fictional stories. Here is a look at these hot reads and where you can buy them.
Known as the Queen of BookTok, Collen Hoover rose to fame as a beloved author of TikTok users for her emotionally-charged books such as Ugly Love and Verity.
In 2016, It Ends With Us was released and its 2022 sequel It Starts With Us has caused a revolution in the reading community, some of whom have gone viral when showing their teary reactions to the books.
American news site Today is among a number of news platforms that claim It Ends With Us has sold more copies than The Bible in 2022.
According to book sales data provider NPD BookScan, Hoover sold 7.3-million copies while The Bible trails behind at 2.3-million less. The book is set to have its cinematic debut with Gossip Girl and A Simple Favour's Blake Lively in the starring role.
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Manga has long been a popular fixture of the reading community for its ability to give people a gateway into Japanese culture or a deeper experience of anime, where it is adapted for the small or big screen. A big success story is One Piece, which is a critical and commercial success on screen and in print.
Recording more than 500 million copies this year earning the new Guinness World Record for manga, while The Bible's manga version has 30,000 copies in its take on the genre.
While 50 Shades of Grey has performed well with its physical book sales, it has not outperformed The Bible. However, at its height in 2012, Tech Monitor reported it had the most search traffic and news mentions in comparison to the holy scripture.