Reading Is Cool Again – But Why Now?

Book clubs are on the rise.“We nearly had a fist fight in here over Pedro Pascal the other day.”I was expecting many things from my conversation with Victoria Bonner, owner of Hold Fast, a quaint but cool canal barge turned independent bookshop in Leeds Dock, but this was not one of them. Pascal, who has his own chapter in Gillian Anderson’s tome of sexual fantasies Want, was the subject of fierce debate among the barge’s shoppers, who had strongly held views on Chilean-American hunk’s appeal. The group only managed to find common ground in their mutual shock that one woman didn’t know who Pascal was.“You don’t get that in Morrisons” Bonner chuckles. We may think of bookshops and the people who visit them as quiet and considered, but lively debates like this are more common than you’d expect. Bookshops and book clubs are becoming social hubs, especially for young people, as they look for more meaningful, affordable, and accessible alternatives to boozy nights out. Google searches for “book club” are at their highest in years, and Eventbrite say the number of book club events on the platform has increased by 350% since 2020. ‘Bookstagrammers’ and ‘booktokers’ are also flooding social media with recommendations, prompting discussions and rocketing unknown authors into the spotlight, sending their sales numbers skyward with them.Celebrities are even jumping on the trend, with A listers including Dua Lipa, Dakota Johnson and Reese Witherspoon launching their own online groups. Lipa’s Service 95 Book Club podcast has struck a particular chord, racking up over 1.2 million Spotify listeners since it launched in May; the popstar turned podcaster hosted her first live edition at New York Public Library in September. Reading, it seems, is cool again. But why now? “People want to connect over something other than beers” says Jak*, a regular book club goer. “Making friends as an adult, when your friendship group splinters as some have kids and others don’t, is really hard. Having a reason to meet strangers and a topic to discuss over an evening of socialising is a really easy way to build new relationships.” Victoria Bonner, who regularly hosts authors and book events on her barge-come-bookshop, agrees. “A lot of young people aren’t drinking and that noisy pub environment isn’t as attractive as it used to be, so they come to somewhere quiet like here instead, where they can chat and actually meet people.“With our work being quite so online, I think there’s still a really strong need to connect with other people. For the non-sporty among us a book is a great way have a bit of company and a chat…You could come in your pyjamas and no one would care.” Bonner also believes that book clubs offer a much needed platform for civil discussions about the world, away from the relentless frenzy of rolling news and online loudmouths. “What’s in the news doesn’t always reflect what people are talking about…People say a lot of younger people aren’t political, but I don’t think that’s true. They are political, they’re just not interested in old school politics and the way it’s presented. “There’s a new genre called cli-fi, which is basically fiction with a climate undertone, and it’s doing really well. People are really worried about things like that and want the opportunity to discuss it.”While book club attendance is on the rise as a whole, groups are proving particularly popular as the seasons turn cooler. Some have attributed this to trends like ‘cozycore’, which encourage people to hunker down and romanticise the dark winter months by taking up hobbies like knitting and reading, but there’s a more serious reason many are craving the calm and connection of book clubs too. In the UK, 2 million of us suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), an intense form of seasonal depression caused by how our brains and bodies respond to less daylight. The condition is medically recognised and is more than just a dislike of winter: it can cause serious symptoms including low mood, fatigue, difficulty concentrating and changes to sleep patterns. According to Sarah Hodges, Therapy Network Manager at mindfulness app Headspace, younger adults are more likely to experience SAD, with many turning to mindful activities like reading to help manage their symptoms. “Mindfulness practices can be very supportive for SAD. Whether it’s meditation, yoga, journaling, or something as simple as reading slowly and intentionally, these activities help calm the nervous system and bring us back to the present moment. They can also provide stability and ease during the darker months. “While they don’t necessarily replace medical or therapeutic treatment for more severe cases, they often enhance overall wellbeing and give people a sense of agency in how they respond to their mood.”She believes group-based activities like book clubs are proving particularly popular because of the community they offer, which can mitigate SAD symptoms. “Human connection is deeply protective when it comes to mental health and can inspire motivation to get out. Having others to share experiences with reduces isolation and helps us feel supported. For many, these connections are just as important as therapy or mindfulness practices in easing the weight of seasonal depression.”For Jak, it’s this which keeps him returning to book club again and again. “It’s easy to finish work, head to the supermarket to buy your dinner, head home and shut yourself away until work starts the next day. Other activities like the gym and exercise classes lack the social aspect which I think is special about book clubs.” It’s long been said that books are medicine for the soul. Whether we’re discussing climate catastrophe, Dua Lipa’s latest recommendation, or Pedro Pascal, it might just be true. Related...I Took A Mini 'Reading Retreat' Instead Of A Pricey Holiday – I've Already Planned My Next OneThis Much Reading May Reduce Dementia RiskI Kicked My Screen Addiction And Fell Back In Love With Reading – Here's How

Comments

Breaking news

Police van set on fire by protesters trying to enter Citywest migrant hotel

Metro

The ‘Client List’, Mar-A-Lago, and celebrity parties: All the biggest Trump-Epstein revelations from Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir

about 1 hour ago

The top photos of the day by AP's photojournalists

Independent

Katie Price is pictured for the first time since her ex-husband Kieran Hayler was charged with rape and sex assault of girl, 13, while they were married

about 3 hours ago

Woman burns down apartment trying to get rid of a cockroach - killing her neighbour

Dailymail

Comments

Similar News

I read Virginia Giuffre’s book – it takes us into the darkest corners of humanity

The problem with England’s compulsory reading test for 13-year-olds

What is Prima? The device helping those with vision loss to read again

Woman who lost vision can read again after ‘life-changing’ clinical trial

Blind patients able to read again thanks to tiny chip inserted in eye

The chip that could cure blindness: 'Pioneering' device the size of a grain of SAND restores reading vision to people with sight-loss

'It's out of this world': Life-changing eye implant helps blind patients read again

'Jimmy Kimmel Live' Hosts 'Drag Queen Storytime;' Trixie Mattel Reads Eric Trump's Memoir to Children, Throws Book in Wood Chipper

Millennial Mom Pays 11-Year-Old To Read Books—but There’s One Condition

BRIAN READE: Ignored and failed, no wonder ordinary young Brits are depressed

Grasping. Entitled. Sleazy. Ignorant. But Andrew's biggest problem was his inability to read the room and see how things looked to ordinary people, writes RICHARD KAY

Man reads 3,599 books in 60 years and names worst novel he's ever read

Israel-Hamas: Read Donald Trump&#039;s Peace Declaration for the War in Gaza

The lifetime cost of a Nespresso machine: Read this before you buy a Nespresso pod coffee machine - we break down how much your daily coffee habit really costs

Man with 'world's longest name' can't pronounce it and takes 20 minutes just to read it out loud

The Best Jane Austen Books To Read After Pride And Prejudice (According To Her Fans)

BRIAN READE: 'For their arrogance and shameless lying, Tories deserve to be in history's dustbin'

Read our unmissable exclusive extract of author Peter James's new novel The Hawk is Dead: A Killer In The Palace, featuring trysts inside Buckingham Palace and royal aides dispatched in creative ways...

Scholar Warns A.I. Cratering People's Interest in Reading, 'Treasures of Western Civilation'

Man who raped 11 year-old boy named as victim reads out brave statement in court

Breaking news

Police van set on fire by protesters trying to enter Citywest migrant hotel

Senior judge reveals AI could make court decisions ‘in minutes’

San Francisco leaders push back against Trump's National Guard threat

Judge says DHS social media posts in Rep. McIver prosecution are 'prejudicial' and should be removed

Netflix blames tax dispute in Brazil for earnings miss

Which is the safest city in America? NYC suburb ranks in the top 5

M. Night Shyamalan's latest plot twist? Teaming with Nicholas Sparks on a novel and upcoming film

Israeli settlers beat Palestinian farmers on video as attacks mount during West Bank olive harvest

The ‘Client List’, Mar-A-Lago, and celebrity parties: All the biggest Trump-Epstein revelations from Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir

The top photos of the day by AP's photojournalists

The must-see moments from Shohei Ohtani's historic career so far

Cost of Halloween costumes and candy spooking shoppers this year as Trump’s tariffs could spike prices

US ranchers oppose Trump's plan to import more Argentine beef and experts doubt it will lower prices

‘Why are you gay?’: Musk appears to cross a line in SpaceX tantrum at Trump Transportation secretary

Historical photos of the White House's East Wing

Mass to honor salsa singer Celia Cruz draws hundreds in Cuba after authorities shut down performance

‘We have Darth Vader’: Trump introduces Star Wars villain as Republican hero in rambling ‘Rose Garden Club’ lunch

MusiCares names Mariah Carey its 2026 Person of the Year

Fox host wildly claims NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani wants to ‘eliminate’ city’s entire Jewish population

The Louvre's crown jewel heist is now a race against time for authorities — and the brazen thieves

Ex-Amazon driver sues civil rights agency for dropping her case following Trump's executive order

Too soon? Birmingham locals slay council for putting up Christmas tree two months early

Brits have fond memories of Pizza Hut restaurants – so where did it go wrong in the UK?

Autistic volunteer left with no work after Waitrose refuses to give him paid role

Angels have decided to hire former catcher Kurt Suzuki as their next manager, AP source says

Detroit pastor under fire after publicly demanding $2,000 from parishioner who only offered a $1,200 donation

Florida man deliberately accelerated his BMW towards children playing in street after arguing with them: police

Taxi driver jailed after scalding police officer with boiling hot cooking oil

Trump told LSU team they were ‘ripping’ up his hand from strong shakes as uses makeup to hide bruises

Trump’s first-ever Antifa indictment signals DOJ is opening a much bigger case against left-wing groups

Feeling ill? Doctors say you should avoid this common activity

Pressure mounts on Prince Andrew over Windsor Royal Lodge

British troops sent to Israel to monitor Gaza ceasefire

Ex-CIA chief John Brennan referred for criminal prosecution over ‘Russiagate,’ is latest Trump foe in DOJ crosshairs

Trump demands DOJ pay him $230m for cases against him. His ex-lawyers Blanche and Bondi will likely decide claim

A look at the US military's unusually large force in the Caribbean Sea

Man charged with stalking, accused of sending Wisconsin's chief justice intimidating emails

Cancelling the Putin-Trump Budapest summit ends the fantasy the US president can deliver peace in Ukraine

States across the US warn millions will lose food stamp benefits in a week due to government shutdown

Four key questions about Jeffrey Epstein that Virginia Giuffre’s tell-all memoir fails to answer

NHS Lanarkshire opens hospital garden to support children and young people’s mental health

Security guard who plotted kidnap, rape and murder of Holly Willoughby loses appeal

50p coin sells for 226 times face value on eBay - check your spare change

Patients face two year waits in NHS Lanarkshire than all of England combined

Strictly's Stefan Dennis banned from returning home to Australia in fresh injury blow

South Lanarkshire to feature in major drive to inspire autumn and winter travel

Death row gran Lindsay Sandiford dodges execution 'after Keir Starmer plea'

Police should focus on 'tackling real crime', No 10 says, after Met halts non-crime hate probes

Kosovo PM: We feel 'obligation' to host UK migrant return hub

'Weaponised' Maccabi-Villa game is already a fraught fixture - and there are still two weeks to go

Keir Starmer: 'Britain's not broken - just look at our fantastic Pride of Britain winners'

Stolen Louvre 'crown jewels' were worth £76MILLION as Paris police issue major security update

Woman suddenly dies after botched Turkey liposuction leaves her in coma

Prince Andrew handed fresh blow as public makes feelings clear over Duke of York title

'New mum' Kira Cousins admits faking scans and birth story after family discover baby is a doll

Amazon workers claim 'kill switch' triggered massive outage that took down 'half the internet'

Katie Price is pictured for the first time since her ex-husband Kieran Hayler was charged with rape and sex assault of girl, 13, while they were married

Israel-Hamas: Read Donald Trump's Peace Declaration for the War in Gaza