How are you reading this blog post right now? Is it on your laptop, phone, or tablet? Most of us read a lot every day—from emails and reports to social media posts and more. But when was the last time you picked up a book? It turns out, there’s a good chance it was quite recently. We found in a new survey of 1,000 consumers that 81.2% of people read for pleasure every year and 39.8% read for pleasure every week, on average.
We wanted to better understand their reading habits and preferences, so we asked these leisure readers (defined as those who read for pleasure at least once a year)to share their experiences. Read on to see what they had to say.
Reading behavior
Where are they reading?
Those who read for pleasure read an average of 17.4 books per year. The vast majority of them prefer to read at home (96.4%), and that number has grown since 2018 (+3.9 points). Many also enjoy reading outside (20.9%) or in public spaces (13.4%). Some like to read at the office (5.4%) or in other spaces (4.9%), mostly while traveling or in transit (vacation, airplane, train, subway, car, public transit).
How are they reading?
Much of our reading is done on screens these days, especially with the rise of remote work, but print reading remains a timeless and cherished hobby. The vast majority of readers still favor printed books (71.9%), while a smaller proportion use audiobooks (11.5%; +1.7 points since 2018) and e-readers (14.5%; -1.4 points since 2018).
Next, we explored where readers obtain their books. Most buy their books from Amazon (56.5%), followed by bookstores (35.3%). Library renting is on the rise, however, with nearly half of readers borrowing books from the library (44.6%; +3.4 points from 2018). Readers commonly purchase audiobooks on Audible (11.8%; +3.9 points since 2018). Some readers find their books elsewhere (11.8%), such as thrift stores or second hand stores, and a few borrow or swap books with friends.
What are they reading?
We also looked at the types of books people enjoy. We asked readers to rate a variety of book genres from 1 to 5 stars. Mystery topped the list with an average rating of 3.78. Several genres followed closely behind: thriller (3.44), biography/autobiography (3.40), history (3.37), and true crime (3.34). Genres that rated lower included science fiction (3.08), fantasy (3.05), and self-help (3.03).
Interestingly, we found that 81.3% of readers enjoy movies or TV shows based on books, and half (50.2%) of these fans usually read the books beforehand.
Revisiting the classics
Back in 2018, we compiled a list of classic books heavily cited in online book recommendation lists, and we surveyed the general population to understand their feelings about them.
(123). Here are the ones that made the list:
- 1984
- Animal Farm
- A Raisin in the Sun
- The Bell Jar
- Brave New World
- Catch-22
- Catcher in the Rye
- The Color Purple
- The Diary of a Young Girl
- Fahrenheit 451
- Flowers for Algernon
- The Giver
- Grapes of Wrath
- The Great Gatsby
- Hamlet
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
- Lord of the Flies
- Night
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
- The Outsiders
- The Scarlet Letter
- Siddhartha
- Slaughterhouse-Five
- The Stranger
- Their Eyes Were Watching God
- Things Fall Apart
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- Wuthering Heights
Now, in 2024, we’ve asked readers the same questions to see whether the classics are still...well, classic.
Are they still influential?
Nearly half (47.7%) of readers said at least one of these books influenced their lives. The most influential and favored books from the list include:
- The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank: 17.7% found it influential, and 31.7% believe everyone should read it at least once in their lifetime.
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: 13.7% found it influential, and 26.0% believe everyone should read it at least once in their lifetime.
- 1984 by George Orwell: 11.9% found it influential, and 20.1% believe everyone should read it at least once in their lifetime.
These three books were the favorites in our 2018 survey, as well. They stand out to readers for being eye-opening and thought-provoking. These books explore injustices, challenge worldviews, and provide personal and historical perspectives. They inspire hope, reflection, and offer deep commentary on societal issues. Here’s what readers had to say about each of those three favorites:
- The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Franksome text
- “It is an important story to read even though it is heartbreaking, because it is a part of history and to see the horrific atrocities that the Jewish people endured and to honor them and their families.”
- “Such an inspirational story of a young girl wise beyond her years, facing the worst possible threat, still able to find optimism and hope in her circumstances. Sad but uplifting at the same time.”
- “Because it gave a completely different perspective on a true event in history. It made it very personal, and with a different view than is normally presented.”
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Leesome text
- “The story is universal and the characters are wonderfully written. I remember laughing aloud at the dialogue. This is a book that can make me laugh and cry and was ultimately redeeming. It led me to learn more about the Civil Rights era here in the South.”
- “This was such a fantastic story about childhood innocence, and had a powerful commentary on the harmful consequences of racism. Very moving book.”
- “It was eye opening to me because it was one of the first times that I was introduced to the injustices of the world.”
- 1984 by George Orwellsome text
- “It made me really think about the world and how it was run.”
- “I remember thinking that these things could actually happen in the future, but hopeful that the events wouldn't take place.”
- “This book only becomes more relevant as time goes on, I'm glad this book is taught in standard education.”
Which were the all-time favorites?
The data shows that readers didn't overwhelmingly favor a single book from this list—either this year or when we surveyed them in 2018. This year, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee received the highest percentage at 12.6%, followed closely by The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank at 11.2%. While these books stood out slightly more than others, readers spread their preferences pretty evenly.
To read or not to read?
On the other end of the spectrum, readers expressed a relatively strong dislike of Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Nearly one-quarter (23.5%) of readers said this is their least favorite book from the list. Readers found it difficult to read, understand, and relate to— and they felt the same way when we surveyed them back in 2018.
- “I don’t care for Shakespeare books. I think they are dated and somewhat difficult to understand or relate to.”
- “It was hard to understand as a teenager.”
- “This was very hard for me to follow, understand or keep my interest in.”
Our survey shows that despite the digital age, people still cherish reading printed books to find insight, inspiration, and a new perspective. Narratives with powerful themes and thought-provoking content leave a lasting impact on readers for years to come.
Note from the editor: This post was originally published in 2018, but the research has been rerun and republished in 2024 for relevancy.
