From the ridiculous (Alice in Wonderland was once banned because it features talking animals!) to the shocking (1 of 4 American haven’t read a book in the past year!), I love learning fun facts and trivia about books. Here, I have rounded up some of the most interesting:

1. The smell of books is so beloved among readers that there are companies selling “old book smell” and “new book smell” perfumes, candles and home fragrance. What exactly accounts for the smell of books? As it turns out, dozens of different chemicals are emitted by paper, binding, ink, and glue as they break down over time. One prominent compound results from the breakdown of lignin, a polymer found in plant cell walls, as well as paper. As it degrades, it's converted into vanillin, a chemical naturally present in vanilla beans. This is what account for that hint of vanilla!

2. When it comes to naming your babies after book characters, the unusual Game of Thrones names are the big hit this decade. In 2013, it inspired 1,135 Aryas, 241 Khaleesis, and 67 Daeneryses born in the United States. Even in 2018, Arya is the 69th most popular baby name in North America!

3. In a head-to-head competition, people prefer e-books to printed books when they want speedy access and portability, but print wins out when people are reading to children and sharing books with others. Only 4% of all Canadian readers are exclusively e-book readers.

4. Here is a lesson in language evolution from William Shakespeare, who invented the following words: hurry, amazement, bedroom, advertising, blanket, bump, gloomy, puking, gossip, drugged, champion, accused, addiction, boredom, disgraceful, hostile, money’s worth, obscene, perplex, on purpose, shooting star, and sneak. It is hard to believe that until his time, people managed to have conversations without these terms! It just goes to show you, while it may seem ridiculous to some that the words “hashtag” and “binge-watch” has been added to the dictionary, the people of the future may disagree.

5. Now for a disappointing fact: 1 of 4 Americans (according to an Associated Press poll) have not read a book in the past year. Chances are, if you are reading this column, you are not contributing to this kind of statistic – so good on you!

6. Many people perceive reading as an introverted hobby for the feeble and anti-social. However, you will be pleasantly surprised to find out that reading has numerous positive effects on your emotional, intellectual and psychological state of mind. A recent study found that people who read are two and a half times less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Syndrome later on in life. Although this does not mean that reading will prevent the disease, it proves a slight relationship between reading and prevention. Reading has also been found to increase vocabulary, analytical skills and even, for heavy fiction readers, develop one’s empathy. Not only that, a Northwestern University psychology study found that reading makes a person appear sexier, especially if you are male. Supposedly, the more a man reads, the more intelligent he will be perceived and thus, the more appealing he will become!

7. The Harry Potter books are the most banned books in America. Another surprising ban: Charlotte’s Web was banned in a United Kingdom school, along with Winnie the Pooh and The Three Little Pigs, because the books might offend Muslim students and their parents. The decision was based on the interpretation that the pig for Muslims is considered a “notorious character.” The Muslim Council of Britain formally requested an end to the “well-intentioned but misguided” policy, and for all titles to be returned to classroom shelves.  Also, Alice in Wonderland was once banned in China for featuring talking animals and, as a Canadian example, Toronto Public Library was asked to ban Hop On Pop by Dr. Seuss in 2013 because it "encourages children to use violence against their fathers." Obviously, this request was denied.

8. In 1903, Beatrix Potter designed and patented a Peter Rabbit doll – making Peter Rabbit the world’s oldest licensed character. This was followed by Jemima Puddle-Duck, which she patented in 1910. Today character merchandizing of popular books is simply a given and responsible for billions of dollars in revenue for publishers and their subsidiaries.

9. Here is what you don’t know about some of the world’s most well-known books: Of Mice and Men was originally titled Something That Happened – and Steinbeck’s puppy ate the original manuscript; The DaVinci Code (closely trailed by 50 Shades of Grey) is Britain’s bestselling book of all time; the royalties from Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf go directly to the Bavarian government; and a ghostwriter helped Alexandre Dumas write The Three Musketeers.

10. Abibliophobia is the fear of running out of reading materials. If you are abibliophobic, think of the library as your cure.

Originally published in The Napanee Beaver.