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Tracy Mumford

What books have you lied about reading?

'War and Peace' by Leo Tolstoy
If someone tells you they've read "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy, there's a hefty chance they actually haven't.
Courtesy of publisher

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Every week, The Thread tackles your book questions, big and small. Ask a question now.

This week's question: What books have the most people lied about reading?

Have you ever lied about reading a book? Whether you told that lie in the classroom or at a cocktail party, you're not alone.

According to the Telegraph, a recent study of 2,000 Britons revealed quite a few book bluffers.

Why lie?

For a quarter of respondents, the TV made them do it: 25 percent confessed to lying about reading a classic when the television adaptation came on.

For others, it might have been the chance at love. Sixty percent of those surveyed said "being well-read made a person appear more attractive."

The most lied-about books

The Telegraph's top five books that people have lied about reading has a surprise leader. It isn't a heavy tome or a popular high school assignment: It's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland."

It seems quite a few have fibbed about fantasy in general; "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy is also in the top five. Rounding out the list is a healthy dose of dystopia and Russian lit.

Tolstoy gets the dubious distinction of appearing twice in the top five. According to the Telegraph, more people lied about reading "War and Peace" than had actually finished it.

1) "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll
 2) "1984" by George Orwell
 3) "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
 4) "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy
5) "Anna Karenina" by Leo Tolstoy

Granted, these are British readers confessing their literary fibs. American readers have a slightly different cultural game to keep up with, though they share many of the classics.

What books have you lied about reading? And why? Take the poll below, and add any others in the comments below.