A survey was published last week, asking which books people owned but lied about having read. The top ten includes Orwell’s 1984, War and Peace, Proust, James Joyce and that old favourite, A Brief History of Time.

When Hawking's book was first published, it became a point of honour to say you were unable to get past page 14. I’d already read it before anyone told me this. As a result I spent 1993 being ostracised at dinner parties.

There are several books on the list I haven’t read and at least one I have no intention of reading (clue: it has multiple authors and is set 2000 years ago) but I wouldn't dream of lying about it. The creased spines and occasional bizarre, forgotten bookmark bear witness to books having been read several times. My copy of Proust looks suspiciously pristine but I will get round to reading it one day, honest.

Whether you’ve read them or not, the books you own can say a lot about you. Here’s a fun game you can try next time you visit a friend’s house for the first time. Prowl their bookcase and see how far you get before they start hopping about saying things like, “Ooh, that’s not mine. Someone left that here. That was a present from my mum!”

It used to be possible to play a similar game with their LP collection but somehow online downloads have taken the fun out of it.

If this seems cruel, here is a more sympathetic book game. The next time a friend offers to buy you a birthday present and asks what you’d like, try answering: “Your favourite book.”

This sets a challenge for the buyer - what is their favourite book? Is it one the recipient would like? Should I give my overall best book of all time or the one I’ve enjoyed most recently?

It’s also interesting for the recipient; the book will tell you something about your friend. Of course, if it’s an illustrated biography of Jack the Ripper it might be more than you wish to know. That’s one of the dangers. On the other hand, if they give you something which is already one of your own favourites, then you’ve both got something to talk about.

If you play this game, you are not allowed to cheat. Once you’ve received the book, you’ve got to read it. Even if it’s the one by Stephen Hawking.

And if the book is one of mine … you have a friend for life.