Galway readers have shown that they prefer a more classical taste in literature by choosing To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and Book Thief by Markus Zusak as their favourite books, in a survey undertaken to mark the 125th birthday of bookseller Easons.
While nationally, Ross O’ Carroll-Kelly’s The Oh My God Delusion was chosen as Ireland’s Favourite Book, in Galway alone Ross O’Carroll Kelly is forced to share the crown with the two classic books.
As part of its 125th anniversary celebrations, Eason, Ireland’s leading retailer of book stationery, magazines and much more launched a search to find the nation’s favourite read as voted by the people of Ireland and in turn discovered each county’s best-loved book.
For weeks, thousands from all over Ireland cast their vote via Eason’s website, www.easons .com, from a list of 125 top titles, but it was Ross O’Carroll Kelly’s The Oh My God Delusion that came out on top as the overall winner, competing with classics as such James Joyce’s Ulysses, Oscar Wilde’s Picture of Dorian Gray and childhood favourites such as Roald Dahl’s BFG.
Speaking about Eason’s search to find Ireland’s favourite book, Maria Dickenson, Head of Book Purchasing at Eason said: “What a diverse bunch of readers we are in Ireland! Thanks to everyone who voted, it’s been incredibly interesting to watch the votes coming in and gaining an insight into what makes us tick when it comes to reading – we each take away something unique from each book we read. Ross O’Carroll Kelly was certainly a strong contender throughout and we’re delighted to have an Irish book come out on top. Congratulations to Paul for a great win and we trust Ross will be occupying our book shelves for years to come!”
Commenting on his prestigious win, Paul Howard, author of the Ross O’Carroll Kelly series said, “I am thrilled that The Oh My God Delusion has topped Eason’s poll to find the nation’s favourite book. I’ve been writing Ross O’Carroll-Kelly books for 13 years now and it’s very gratifying that readers still find the books relevant and funny. The Oh My God Delusion is the 10th novel in the series, which I began writing as a way of poking fun at middle class rugby culture but which became a means of satirising Celtic Tiger Ireland.
“This book was the first recession-era book, tracing the descent of Ross and his circle of friends from affluence to penury. It’s great that readers have stuck with the story and are still laughing. And God knows we need a laugh in these grim times! I’d like to say a very special thanks to Eason, who have been huge supporters of Ross since the very first book, and everyone who voted,” continued Paul.
The nation’s top 10 books included:
1. Ross O'Carroll-Kelly: THE OH MY GOD DELUSION, author Paul Howard
2. To Kill a Mocking Bird, author Harper Lee
3. Book Thief, author Markus Zusak
4. Lord of the Rings, author JRR. Tolkien
5. Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, author John Boyne
6. PS I Love You, author Cecelia Ahern
7. Kite Runner, author Khaled Hosseini
8. Room, author Emma Donoghue
9. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
10. Catch 22, author Joseph Heller
