What doThe Great Gatsby , Nineteen Eighty - Four , Of Mice and Men , andThe Lord of the Ringsall have in common ? Sure , they ’re among America ’s most popular fabrication books , but they also happen to be write by military personnel . Over 80 percent of the 100 most popular novels were compose by male author , harmonize to an interactional infographic produce byWordery .

Using datum from Ranker on the best leger ( as voted on by users ) , Wordery broke the picks down by male and female generator , as well as the record preferred by male and female readers . The Lord of the RingsbyJ.R.R. Tolkienwas the second most - pop book overall , keep abreast byGeorge Orwell’sNineteen Eighty - Four , then Tolkien’sThe Hobbit .

If there ’s any silvern lining , it ’s the fact that Harper Lee’sTo Kill a Mockingbirdis the most popular book overall . Among women voters , it was the top choice . Among serviceman , it came in second afterNineteen Eighty - Four . Lee ’s classic taradiddle was also namedAmerica ’s Favorite Novelfollowing a nationwide sketch last October .

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Other female person - authored books to make Wordery ’s lean include Mary Shelley’sFrankenstein , Jane Austen’sPride and Prejudice , and several of J.K. Rowling’sHarry Potternovels . However , this contingent is still in the minority . Astudyfrom 2018 found that three of the leading literary publishing give less than 40 per centum of their reportage to woman authors the late year . Anotheranalysisfrom last year find that distaff writer and female characters in lit both steady declined from the prudish era to the mid-20th 100 .

On the burnished side , advancement has been made in late years , and female authorsdominatedthe bestseller lists in 2017 — at least in the UK . If you ’re wait to make your reading inclination a small more gender - equilibrate , check out our inclination of25 amazing booksby women author .