"I miss reading for myself."

Reading potentially holds the magic of personal discovery—a moment in time when you pick up a book and can enter a world of adventure, insight, knowledge, and relaxation. For many of us, however, that magic has dimmed somewhat. In our school years, reading was and is often tightly intertwined with homework and assignments, gradually shifting our experience or reading from a personal reward to an external obligation.

As bookstore owners and a member of the American Booksellers Association (ABA), we’ve seen firsthand how these early associations can turn reading into a chore rather than a joyful pursuit. Just the other day, a customer came in looking for recommendations for her partner—a man who rarely reads, but wanted to have her help finding a book he might enjoy. She admitted that, with his current schedule, he struggled to carve out time for leisure reading. His experience echoes a broader trend: while our reading habits are evolving, many adults face a challenge in rediscovering reading for pure enjoyment.

It’s important to note that books and reading itself is not in decline—far from it. The ABA has reported steady growth in independent bookstores year after year, and the number of published titles is higher than ever. There is also an explosion of self-published and indie publishing. People are actively seeking books, whether through bookstores, libraries, or digital platforms. The issue isn’t what books might be of interest or where to find books—it’s when to read. The modern challenge is not about access to books, but about making time in our daily lives for reading.

The Evolving Landscape of Leisure Reading

Instead of a decline in adult reading, we’re seeing a shift in how and when people engage with books, adapting their reading habits to modern lifestyles. Many adults find that the structured, obligation-driven reading of their youth doesn’t easily translate into the immersive, leisurely reading they now realize they want to discover again.

In the independent bookstore community, this evolution is evident. The ABA notes that independent bookstores are thriving, and the sheer volume and diversity of books being published ensure that readers can find something that resonates with them. After all, that's the core of what our job is at our bookstores. What’s missing for many customers is a dedicated time to engage with books.

At our store, we often hear customers express regrets or frustrations about time constraints that seems to be linked to nostalgia for the days when reading was about something more introspective and rewarding, in sharp contrast to the pressure of school or work deadlines. They share a desire to recapture that sense of wonder, escape, or just the joy of knowing. The challenge for many, however, is to carve out a space—both in time and habit—that allows them to reintegrate reading into their daily lives.

The good news? There are many ways to reclaim reading as a personal and meaningful habit. The key is to focus on when and how to fit reading into an already busy life. Small, intentional shifts—reading for 10 minutes in the morning, swapping out social media scrolling for a book before bed, listening to an audiobook during a commute—can make all the difference.

While digital and audio formats have diversified the ways we consume books, the underlying love for storytelling and learning is as strong as ever. The growth of independent bookstores and the surge in new publications serve as powerful testaments to this enduring passion. It’s not so much that adults are reading less; rather, we’re redefining where, when, and how we read, ensuring that the joy of books remains a vibrant part of our lives.

Strategies to Reclaim Reading as a Leisure Activity

Here are some practical tips to reintroduce reading into your everyday life:

1. Designate Specific Times for Reading

Morning or Bedtime Rituals:
Try setting aside 15–30 minutes before bed or first thing in the morning. A quiet moment with a book can set a positive tone for your day or help you wind down in the evening.

Lunch Breaks or Coffee Breaks:
Instead of scrolling through your phone, consider reading during your lunch break. Even a few pages can break up your day and refresh your mind.

2. Embrace Audiobooks

Commute and Multitask:
Audiobooks are a fantastic way to “read” while commuting, exercising, or even doing household chores. Platforms like Audible or Libro.fm or your local library’s digital lending service (like Libby or OverDrive) offer a wide range of titles. This flexibility helps integrate reading into your routine even when your hands are busy.

3. Build a Personal Reading List

Curate Your Favorites:
Creating a reading list tailored to your interests can be incredibly motivating. Whether it’s fiction, non-fiction, mystery, or self-help, having a ready list of books means you’re always prepared to dive in.

Set Achievable Goals:
Instead of overwhelming yourself with an enormous to-read list, start small. For instance, set a goal of reading one book a month, or even a certain number of pages per day. Apps like Goodreads can help you track your progress and share recommendations.

4. Use Technology to Your Advantage

Reading Apps:
Leverage apps like Goodreads, Bookly, or digital libraries to keep track of your reading habits and discover new titles. These tools can remind you to read, suggest books based on your interests, and even let you join online communities of fellow readers.

E-Readers and Tablets:
Consider investing in an e-reader if you find that phones are too small. These devices offer a portable, convenient way to access a vast library of titles wherever you are, removing the friction of having to visit a bookstore or library every time you want to read.

Entry-Level Book Recommendations

To help readers re-enter the world of books, here are some recommended starting points across various topics and genres:

Historical Fiction

The Nightingale – Kristin Hannah (WWII France, two sisters resisting the Nazis)

The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane – Lisa See (China’s tea trade and mother-daughter relationships)

Modern Fiction

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine – Gail Honeyman (Character-driven novel about loneliness and change)

Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens (Mystery, nature writing, and coming-of-age story)

Classic Fiction

To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee (Timeless story of race, justice, and childhood in the South)

The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald (A story of love, wealth, and disillusionment in the Roaring Twenties)

Science Fiction (Classic & Contemporary)

The Martian – Andy Weir (A survival story on Mars with humor and science)

Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury (Classic dystopian novel about censorship)

Fantasy (Classic & Contemporary)

The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien (Classic, lighthearted adventure into the vast world of Middle-earth)

Legends & Lattes – Travis Baldree (A cozy, low-stakes fantasy about an orc opening a coffee shop)

Detective Mysteries

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency – Alexander McCall Smith (Cozy mystery set in Botswana)

Still Life – Louise Penny (First in a beloved series featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache)

Espionage Thrillers

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold – John le Carré (Classic Cold War espionage thriller)

Red Sparrow – Jason Matthews (Modern spy thriller with deep tradecraft details)

Medical Thrillers

Coma – Robin Cook (Classic medical suspense about mysterious patient deaths)

The Andromeda Strain – Michael Crichton (Classic science-medical thriller)

Legal Thrillers

The Lincoln Lawyer – Michael Connelly (Defense attorney who works out of his car taking on high-stakes cases)

Presumed Innocent – Scott Turow (Courtroom drama with moral and legal complexity)

Military Thrillers

The Hunt for Red October – Tom Clancy (Cold War submarine thriller)

One Rough Man – Brad Taylor (Action-packed thriller from a former Special Forces officer)

Forensic & Procedural Mysteries

Postmortem – Patricia Cornwell (First Kay Scarpetta novel, a forensic pathologist solving crimes)

The Bone Collector – Jeffery Deaver (Quadriplegic forensic expert solving a twisted case)

Horror

The Shining – Stephen King (horror masterpiece about a family’s descent into madness)

Mexican Gothic – Silvia Moreno-Garcia (A chilling, gothic horror tale set in 1950s Mexico).

Classic Romance

Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen (Sharp wit, social satire, and enduring romance)

The Age of Innocence – Edith Wharton (Love, duty, and societal expectations in Gilded Age New York.)

Contemporary Romance

Beach Read – Emily Henry (Two writers find love while overcoming personal struggles)

It Ends with Us – Colleen Hoover (Emotional, thought-provoking love story)

Military Experiences & Memoirs

American Sniper – Chris Kyle (Memoir of a Navy SEAL’s experiences in combat)

The Things They Carried – Tim O’Brien (A literary take on Vietnam War experiences)

History

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind – Yuval Noah Harari (A broad and fascinating take on human history)

1776 – David McCullough (The American Revolution told in a gripping narrative)

Travel Adventures & Memoirs

A Walk in the Woods – Bill Bryson (Hiking the Appalachian Trail with humor and insight)

Wild – Cheryl Strayed (A personal journey of healing through hiking)

Biographies

Educated – Tara Westover (A memoir of overcoming an extreme upbringing)

The Glass Castle – Jeannette Walls (A fascinating memoir of an unconventional childhood)

Sports

Friday Night Lights – H.G. Bissinger (High school football and its cultural significance)

The Boys in the Boat – Daniel James Brown (An underdog rowing team at the 1936 Olympics)

Essays

Men Explain Things to Me – Rebecca Solnit (A modern feminist classic full of sharp wit and intelligence)

We Were Eight Years in Power – Ta-Nehisi Coates (Essays written during the Obama presidency.)

Humor Essays

Me Talk Pretty One Day – David Sedaris (Wry observations on life and language)

Born a Crime – Trevor Noah (Hilarious and insightful reflections on apartheid South Africa)

Short Story Collections

Interpreter of Maladies – Jhumpa Lahiri (Poignant, beautifully written stories of cultural displacement)

Dubliners – James Joyce (Classic collection exploring human nature and Irish society)

Food and Cooking

Kitchen Confidential – Anthony Bourdain (A hilarious and brutally honest memoir in the restaurant industry.)

The Botany of Desire – Michael Pollan (An exploration of how four plants have shaped human history.)

True Crime

Killers of the Flower Moon – David Grann (True story of the murders of Osage Nation members in the 1920s.)

The Devil in the White City – Erik Larson (1893 Chicago World’s Fair and the serial killer H.H. Holmes.)

Beyond the lists

And let's not forget about crossover options, such as John Campbell's Lost Fleet series for Military Sci-Fi, or Michael Lewis' Moneyball for followers of Sports and Business. Or Hit Men: Power Brokers and Fast Money Inside the Music Business by Fredric Dannen for someone interested in the history of the music industry? Or humorous horror like Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix, which is definitely not set in IKEA. If your thing is Time-Traveling, Ex-Navy Seal, Cowboy, Romance, we probably can suggest something. 

Obviously, this is in no way a comprehensive list. More to the point, this is a list to inspire you to re-engage in reading! We firmly believe that there are books for everyone out there. 

Final Thoughts

By focusing on when people can find time to read, we shift the conversation from a scarcity of books to the real challenge—integrating reading into an existing schedule. Whether it’s embracing audiobooks, carving out intentional moments for reading, or using technology to stay engaged, the joy of reading is always within reach. The key is creating the space to let it back in.