If your shelves are crammed with books you ’ ve been meaning to get around to reading but haven ’ t , you ’ re not alone . Research found families across Britain are hoarding a staggering eight billion books – but one in five is unread . More than half of the 2,000 people surveyed said they hoard books because they feel emotionally attached to them , with a third keeping books merely because they hate throwing anything away . Damaging : Fifty Shades of Grey was not a book people thought would impress guests , according to the survey . But 16 per cent admitted they keep certain titles on their shelves to make them look more intelligent . Those deemed most likely to impress guests included To Kill a Mockingbird , Moby-Dick and the Bible . However , Katie Price ’ s autobiography , Fifty Shades of Grey and anything by James Patterson topped the list of books readers thought would damage their reputation . Popular : Classics including To Kill a Mockingbird and Moby Dick were popular books used to impress guests . The survey , commissioned by storage firm Shurgard in advance of World Book Day tomorrow , found the average home contains 158 hardbacks and paperbacks . In total , it said Britain ’ s book collection could fill Wembley Stadium 16,000 times . The survey found that while sales of e-books are rising , traditional books still remain firm favourites . A third of those asked said they hoard books because they hate throwing anything away and 20 per cent keep their collection to pass on to children . Duncan Bell , Shurgard ’ s operations director , said : ‘ We were surprised to hear the innovative ways people store their books , but holding onto your books doesn ’ t mean they need to take over your house . ‘ A self-storage unit could be a convenient solution for storing those classics for future generations whilst also keeping your hallways clear . ’
Families across Britain have 8 billion books but one in 16,000 is unread . Half those asked said they become 'emotionally attached ' to books . Many said they kept titles on shelves to look more intelligent . Favourites to impress include To Kill a Mockingbird and Moby Dick . Britain 's book collection enough to fill Wembley Stadium five times .