Gen Z, the generation known for killing skinny jeans and side partings, is now championing a surprising trend: reading physical books. According to recent data, UK sales of physical books hit a record 669 million last year, with 80% of purchases from November 2021 to 2022 made by Gen Z readers. Library visits have also surged by 71% as young people seek quiet spaces away from the digital noise.
Model Kaia Gerber launched her book club, Library Science, describing reading as 'so sexy'. She aims to build a community of literature lovers. Her first guest was Iranian-American writer Kaveh Akbar, and her curated list includes Joan Didion and Jia Tolentino. Gerber joins a wave of celebrities, including Kendall Jenner, Timothée Chalamet, and Jacob Elordi, who have been photographed with books, often triggering sales spikes.
While BookTok is dominated by fantasy and romance titles from authors like Colleen Hoover, Gen Z's reading habits are broader. Hali Brown, co-founder of Books on the Bedside, notes a subculture of 'hot girl books' or 'sad girl books' that skew towards literary fiction and memoir, dealing with girlhood or womanhood. Literary agent Abigail Bergstrom observes a move towards escapism through speculative fiction but stresses that Gen Z also demands higher standards from authors.
The trend has sparked debate online about 'performative reading', with critics questioning the authenticity of celebrity book displays. However, Brown dismisses this, arguing that any interest in reading should be encouraged. The phenomenon underscores a broader shift as young people seek refuge from the oversaturation of the digital landscape.
