There’s nothing better than curling up with a nice, fluffy blanket and a good book. But in an age where digital media thrives above all else, are books a lost art?

Whether it be philosophical collections or books of religious backgrounds, literature is the foundation of our society, and its popularity is slowly declining. Research shows that U.S. adults are reading roughly two or three fewer books per year than they did between 2001 and 2016. If this progresses, next generations will never know the smell of new books and the comfort they bring.

There are more distractions in our lives than ever before and studies show that people just don’t have time to sit and read. A standard novel of 250 pages takes around 7 full hours to read, and with immediate digital media, books just aren’t that appealing. 

Yet, Generation Z is slowly reversing this statistic. After 2 years in deep quarantine, books by authors such as Camus, Dostoevsky, Kafka, and Tolstoy have made comebacks and have regained popularity through niche subcultures of people. This has led to a bigger number of readers and an expansion of modern book authors and genres. From science fiction to romance, books are slowly, but surely reclaiming their place as elite entertainment.

With the rise of movies based on books, more and more people are flocking to bookstores to experience the story in its original format. Books are also resurging through a subgenre of TikTok called “BookTok”, and targeting younger people to stop and appreciate a book. 

After doing some research, I’ve come to the conclusion that books are making serious comebacks throughout all ages all across the globe, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.