Celebrated on August 9th every year, National Book Lovers Day is a holiday that every bibliophile can get behind. It is a holiday that was developed not only to celebrate reading but also to encourage people to do more personal reading.

On this day, people are expected to put away all their electronic devices, avoid watching TV, and instead, enjoy a good book.

The History of National Book Day & Books

National Book Day is another holiday whose origins are obscured by time. However, the subject of this holiday, the common book, has a quite clear history that goes back thousands of years. Books were invented by the Egyptians, who used plants to make papyrus to inscribe information on scrolls.

The Romans would go on to create the codex—which is the first written material that opens up and is read like a modern book. These books were made with wooden covers and had pages made from parchment crafted from animal skins. This format would later be used by Christians to help spread the gospels.

To find the first truly printed book, however, one would have to turn their attention to ancient China. They invented the first movable type out of clay. The process was further refined by the Koreans, who used a bronze movable type that was long-lasting.

In 1450, books would take a quantum leap forward when Johannes Gutenberg invented the Gutenberg printing press. The Gutenberg Bible was the first book that was mass-produced on this press, and from there, the rest is history.

How to Celebrate National Book Day

The best way to celebrate National Book Day is for a person to take some time and curl up with their favorite book. Maybe head out to your local bookstore and buy a new book, or buy a new book for a friend or family member.

Another way to celebrate the holiday is to throw a book party. Everyone can be gathered together and offered a selection of books, or people can all read a book together and then discuss it.

It’s also a good day for people who don’t have a library card to go out and get one. That way, they can have thousands of books available to them not only for National Book Day but for every day of the year.

Some of the Best Book Classics

Overwhelmed by the sheer number of books available? If so, then you may want to read our recommendations for reading. Below are some of the best books in the world and are worthy of not only being read on National Book Day but all year round. Let’s take a quick look at them.

• Ulysses by James Joyce
• War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
• The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• Dracula by Bram Stoker
• Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller
• Beloved by Toni Morrison
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy