“What is the best-selling book of all time? ” The Bible holds the record as the best-selling book of all time. Book trivia questions tap into the vast ocean of literature, challenging your knowledge on everything from classic novels to contemporary bestsellers.
Designed to test even the most avid readers, book trivia encompasses a variety of genres, authors, and literary periods. Whether you’re a fan of mystery, romance, science fiction, or historical fiction, these questions cover the breadth of the literary world. Engage your brain and expand your literary horizons as you recall famous openings, identify Pulitzer Prize winners, or guess book titles from character names.
For book clubs, library events, or even a night in with friends, book trivia is an excellent way to spark discussion and debate among book lovers, while also encouraging you to reflect on your reading experiences and maybe even find your next great read.
101 Book Trivia Questions and Answers
Here are 101 book trivia questions and answers, categorized for your convenience:
Classic Literature
Question: Who wrote “Pride and Prejudice”?
Answer: Jane Austen
Question: In which city is Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities” primarily set?
Answer: London and Paris
Question: What is the name of the island in William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies”?
Answer: Piggy
Question: Who is the author of “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
Answer: Harper Lee
Question: Which Shakespeare play features the characters Romeo and Juliet?
Answer: “Romeo and Juliet”
Modern Fiction
Question: In J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, what is the name of Harry’s owl?
Answer: Hedwig
Question: Who wrote “The Girl on the Train”?
Answer: Paula Hawkins
Question: What is the central theme of George Orwell’s “1984”?
Answer: Totalitarianism and surveillance
Question: Which author wrote “The Fault in Our Stars”?
Answer: John Green
Question: What is the title of Dan Brown’s famous novel about a Harvard symbologist?
Answer: “The Da Vinci Code”
Mystery and Thriller
Question: Who is the detective in Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories?
Answer: Sherlock Holmes
Question: What is the profession of the main character in Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express”?
Answer: Detective Hercule Poirot
Question: Which psychological thriller novel by Gillian Flynn was adapted into a film starring Rosamund Pike?
Answer: “Gone Girl”
Question: Who wrote the best-selling crime novel “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”?
Answer: Stieg Larsson
Question: In which book does Tom Clancy introduce the character Jack Ryan?
Answer: “The Hunt for Red October”
Science Fiction and Fantasy
Question: Who is the author of “The Hobbit”?
Answer: J.R.R. Tolkien
Question: In Isaac Asimov’s “Foundation” series, what is the fictional science of predicting the future called?
Answer: Psychohistory
Question: What is the title of the first book in George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” series?
Answer: “A Game of Thrones”
Question: Who wrote “Dune,” a science fiction novel that became a major motion picture?
Answer: Frank Herbert
Question: In Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451,” what does the title refer to?
Answer: The temperature at which book paper catches fire and burns
Young Adult
Question: What is the first book in Suzanne Collins’ “The Hunger Games” trilogy?
Answer: “The Hunger Games”
Question: Who wrote the “Divergent” series?
Answer: Veronica Roth
Question: In “The Maze Runner” series, what is the name of the protagonist?
Answer: Thomas
Question: Which young adult novel features a group of boys trapped in a glade surrounded by a mysterious maze?
Answer: “The Maze Runner” by James Dashner
Question: What is the name of the magical school in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series?
Answer: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Non-Fiction
Question: Who wrote the autobiographical novel “The Diary of a Young Girl,” chronicling her experiences during World War II?
Answer: Anne Frank
Question: What is the title of Malcolm Gladwell’s best-selling non-fiction book that explores the tipping point phenomenon?
Answer: “The Tipping Point”
Question: Who is the author of “Into the Wild,” a non-fiction book about Christopher McCandless’s journey into the Alaskan wilderness?
Answer: Jon Krakauer
Question: Which non-fiction book by Michelle Obama chronicles her life and experiences before, during, and after her time as the First Lady of the United States?
Answer: “Becoming”
Question: What is the name of the scientist who wrote “A Brief History of Time”?
Answer: Stephen Hawking
Biography and Memoir
Question: Who wrote “The Diary of Malcolm X”?
Answer: Malcolm X
Question: What is the title of Nelson Mandela’s autobiography?
Answer: “Long Walk to Freedom”
Question: Which comedian penned the memoir “Bossypants”?
Answer: Tina Fey
Question: In his memoir “On Writing,” which bestselling author shares insights into his craft and personal life?
Answer: Stephen King
Question: Who wrote “The Glass Castle,” a memoir about her unconventional and poverty-stricken upbringing?
Answer: Jeannette Walls
Historical Fiction
Question: Hilary Mantel’s historical fiction novels, “Wolf Hall” and “Bring Up the Bodies,” focus on the life of which historical figure?
Answer: Thomas Cromwell
Question: Who wrote “The Book Thief,” a novel narrated by Death and set in Nazi Germany?
Answer: Markus Zusak
Question: In Ken Follett’s “The Pillars of the Earth,” what is the primary setting for the story?
Answer: Kingsbridge, England
Question: Which best-selling novel by Khaled Hosseini is set against the backdrop of Afghanistan’s tumultuous history?
Answer: “The Kite Runner”
Question: Who authored “All the Light We Cannot See,” a novel set during World War II?
Answer: Anthony Doerr
Romance
Question: Nicholas Sparks wrote the novel “The Notebook.” What is the name of the film adaptation?
Answer: “The Notebook”
Question: Who is the author of the popular romance novel “Pride and Prejudice”?
Answer: Jane Austen
Question: In E.L. James’ “Fifty Shades of Grey,” what is the name of the male protagonist?
Answer: Christian Grey
Question: Which Nicholas Sparks novel features a young couple, Jamie and Landon, and was adapted into a film?
Answer: “A Walk to Remember”
Question: What is the title of the novel by Jojo Moyes, which was later adapted into a film starring Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin?
Answer: “Me Before You”
Fantasy
Question: Who is the author of the “Harry Potter” series?
Answer: J.K. Rowling
Question: What is the name of the magical land in C.S. Lewis’s “The Chronicles of Narnia” series?
Answer: Narnia
Question: In J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings,” what is the name of Frodo’s uncle who leaves him the Ring?
Answer: Bilbo Baggins
Question: Who wrote the “His Dark Materials” trilogy, which includes “The Golden Compass”?
Answer: Philip Pullman
Question: In “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” who is the author of the book that Alice tries to read but finds boring?
Answer: Lewis Carroll
Science and Nature
Question: Richard Dawkins is well-known for his book “The Selfish Gene.” What is the field of study he is associated with?
Answer: Evolutionary Biology
Question: Who is the author of “Silent Spring,” a groundbreaking book that played a key role in the environmental movement?
Answer: Rachel Carson
Question: In “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind,” which historian explores the history and impact of Homo sapiens?
Answer: Yuval Noah Harari
Question: What is the title of Stephen Hawking’s popular science book that explores the nature of time and the universe?
Answer: “A Brief History of Time”
Question: Who wrote “Cosmos,” a book that explores the universe and the history of scientific discovery?
Answer: Carl Sagan
Dystopian Fiction
Question: In Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451,” what is the role of the protagonist, Guy Montag?
Answer: Fireman (burning books)
Question: What is the central theme of Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World”?
Answer: Dystopian society and the dehumanizing effects of technology
Question: Who is the author of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a dystopian novel set in a theocratic society?
Answer: Margaret Atwood
Question: What is the name of the oppressive government in George Orwell’s “1984”?
Answer: The Party
Question: Who wrote “The Hunger Games,” a dystopian novel set in a post-apocalyptic society?
Answer: Suzanne Collins
Children’s Literature
Question: Who is the author of “Charlotte’s Web”?
Answer: E.B. White
Question: What is the name of the young boy who befriends a group of animals in A.A. Milne’s “Winnie-the-Pooh”?
Answer: Christopher Robin
Question: Dr. Seuss wrote a book about a mischievous cat. What is the title?
Answer: “The Cat in the Hat”
Question: Which children’s book features a young orphan named Annie who is taken in by the wealthy Daddy Warbucks?
Answer: “Annie”
Question: Who wrote “Where the Wild Things Are”?
Answer: Maurice Sendak
Historical Non-Fiction
Question: Erik Larson’s “The Devil in the White City” tells the story of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Who is the architect featured in the book?
Answer: Daniel Burnham
Question: “Unbroken” is a biography about the life of Louis Zamperini. Who is the author?
Answer: Laura Hillenbrand
Question: Who wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning book “The Guns of August,” which explores the events leading up to World War I?
Answer: Barbara W. Tuchman
Question: In “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” who is the author and what is the book about?
Answer: Rebecca Skloot; the book explores the life and impact of Henrietta Lacks, whose cells were used for medical research without her knowledge.
Question: Which non-fiction book by Doris Kearns Goodwin examines the leadership qualities of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson?
Answer: “Leadership in Turbulent Times”
Horror
Question: Who wrote the horror classic “Dracula”?
Answer: Bram Stoker
Question: In Stephen King’s “It,” what is the name of the town where the story is set?
Answer: Derry
Question: What is the title of the novel in which a young girl, possessed by a demonic entity, terrorizes her mother and the staff of Georgetown University Hospital?
Answer: “The Exorcist” by William Peter Blatty
Question: Who is the author of the horror novel “Psycho”?
Answer: Robert Bloch
Question: In Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” what is the name of the scientist who creates the monster?
Answer: Victor Frankenstein
Pulitzer Prize Winners
Question: Who won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2020 for the novel “The Nickel Boys”?
Answer: Colson Whitehead
Question: In 2019, which novel by Richard Powers won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction?
Answer: “The Overstory”
Question: Who received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2018 for “Less”?
Answer: Andrew Sean Greer
Question: Which author won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2017 for the novel “The Underground Railroad”?
Answer: Colson Whitehead
Question: In 2016, which novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction?
Answer: “The Sympathizer”
Book-to-Film Adaptations
Question: Who wrote “The Silence of the Lambs,” which was later adapted into an Academy Award-winning film?
Answer: Thomas Harris
Question: Which dystopian novel, written by Suzanne Collins, was adapted into a successful film series?
Answer: “The Hunger Games”
Question: In the film adaptation of “Jurassic Park,” based on the novel by Michael Crichton, what is the name of the island where the Jurassic Park theme park is located?
Answer: Isla Nublar
Question: Who wrote the novel “Forrest Gump,” which inspired the Academy Award-winning film of the same name?
Answer: Winston Groom
Question: Which best-selling novel by Gillian Flynn was adapted into a psychological thriller film starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike?
Answer: “Gone Girl”
Poetry
Question: Who wrote the epic poem “Paradise Lost”?
Answer: John Milton
Question: Which American poet wrote “The Waste Land,” a landmark modernist poem?
Answer: T.S. Eliot
Question: What is the title of the poetry collection by Rupi Kaur that became a bestseller?
Answer: “Milk and Honey”
Creating Engaging Book Trivia Questions
Delve into the realm of bibliophiles with captivating book trivia questions that challenge and entertain. Crafted to spark curiosity, these quizzes not only engage readers but also enrich their literary journey with fascinating insights.
Types Of Book Trivia Questions
Book trivia questions dive into the vast world of literature, exploring categories like classic literature trivia, contemporary novel quizzes, and author-based inquiries. Ranging from character-focused puzzles to plot-specific challenges, they test your knowledge of the written word.
Book Trivia Questions For Specific Genres
Dive into the world of literature with bespoke book trivia questions tailored to various literary genres. Unleash your inner bookworm as you challenge your knowledge from mystery to science fiction through engaging and thought-provoking quizzes.
Hosting Book Trivia Events
Host a thrilling book trivia night, inviting literary enthusiasts to put their knowledge to the test. Craft a collection of intriguing book trivia questions designed to challenge and entertain readers of all genres.
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Utilizing Book Trivia Questions In Educational Settings
Book trivia questions ignite students’ curiosity and enhance their memory retention of literary works. By entwining fun quizzes with education, teachers can foster a dynamic learning environment that promotes engagement with the material.
FAQs For Book Trivia Questions
What Are Some Cool Trivia Questions?
Here are some engaging trivia questions: 1. What’s the smallest country in the world? 2. Who wrote “Hamlet”? 3. Which planet is closest to the sun? 4. How many hearts does an octopus have? 5. What year did the Titanic sink?
What Are Good Literature Questions?
Good literature questions often explore themes, character development, author’s intent, cultural context, and literary techniques used in a text. They spark critical thinking and deeper analysis of the work’s content and style.
What Are 3 Trivia Questions?
What is the capital of France? Which planet is known as the “Red Planet”? Who wrote “Romeo and Juliet”?
What Is Book Trivia?
Book trivia consists of interesting facts, challenges, or questions related to books, authors, and literature, often used for entertainment or educational purposes.
Conclusion
Exploring the realm of literature through trivia has been enlightening. We’ve journeyed across genres and eras, uncovering fascinating facts about beloved books. Dare to test your knowledge further or share these tidbits at your next book club. May your curiosity about literary wonders never wane! Happy reading and quizzing!