How Much Does Nostalgia Influence What We Read?

Our new poll explores the comfort of returning to our favorite books

By Ashly Moore Sheldon • September 03, 2025

infographic which shows the percentages and facts presented in this article in a visual format with circle graphs Our bookshelves reflect who we are. The volumes we choose to keep are the ones that we enjoyed the most. They are reads we want to share with others and revisit ourselves—maybe again and again. These are the books that bring us comfort. They may remind us of a simpler time in our lives or take us away to a familiar world where we can get lost for a while. Whatever the reason, we can't bear to give them up.

Conducted by Talker Research and commissioned by Thriftbooks, our newest survey of 2,000 American readers, evenly split by generation, unpacked the science of book nostalgia and uncovered trends and habits relating to nostalgic reading and the sense of contentment and reassurance we get from returning to our favorite books.

Familiarity = Comfort!

The average reader has read their favorite book six times. And they anticipate reading it another seven times during their lifetime! According to the findings, the top reasons that people reread their favorite titles are to reimmerse themselves in the book’s unique setting (36%) and to visit with their favorite characters again (35%). More than a quarter (27%) also do so to evoke a particular sense of familiarity and nostalgia. The survey found that readers actually opt to read a title they’ve already read almost half the time (48%) when choosing their next book.

Nostalgia is a common condition.

Books from our past may help us recall simpler or happier times in our life. They may also be an escape for us during challenging times. Whatever the reason, these pages represent our past and give us deep feels. The vast majority of readers surveyed (82%) confessed to being prone to feelings of nostalgia. It may come as a surprise that Gen Z respondents led the pack in this self-assessment with 87 percent self-identifying as nostalgic.

More than seven in ten readers (71%) said that they turn to rereading their favorites as a way to tap into feelings of wistfulness, familiarity, and sentimentality. Again, Gen Z readers were the leaders in this regard with 84 percent reporting a tendency for nostalgic reading.

Zita Chriszto, a licensed clinical psychologist, weighed in on the research, shining a light on why people gravitate toward the nostalgic: "Reading nostalgically is an emotional coping strategy. It provides psychological safety by bringing readers back into a known emotional space with known characters, known outcomes and memories of earlier times in their lives."

Nostalgic reading offers respite in a fast-paced world.

The digital age has produced a rapidly changing world, especially when it comes to the flow of information coming at us. More than four in 10 respondents (45%) said they struggle to keep up with how quickly the world is evolving, with Gen Z being even more likely than older generations to feel this way (52%).

Chriszto offered explanation for these findings: "Nostalgia typically arises during times of stress, transition or instability and is more prevalent than ever. While Gen Z is young, they have been raised in a time characterized, at an astonishing pace, by change, digital clutter and global apprehension. Nostalgia for them is less about the past and more about regaining a sense of simplicity, safety and emotional connection in an increasingly fragmented world."

To alleviate overwhelming feelings, survey participants said they turn to the familiarity and stability of their favorite books (58%) and TV shows and movies (59%). Forty-five percent also like to cook to maintain a sense of peace and 39 percent rely on exercise.

Reading helps us unplug and unwind. Especially nostalgic reading!

Much has been written about the power of reading to alleviate stress and anxiety. And returning to our favorite books adds an additional layer of comfort to that equation. Eight out of ten respondents make it a habit to read at the end of a bad day to feel better and end the day on a good note.

"There’s nothing better than ending the day curled up with a good book, especially if it’s been a hard day," said Barbara Hagen, vice president of marketing at ThriftBooks. "In this study, we found that readers are gravitating toward old favorite titles, and we wanted to see what those were, as well as the books that instilled their original love for reading."

Here are some of the first books that respondents recall inspiring their love of reading:

Several by Seuss, including The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham
The Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park
The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by K. Rowling
Anne of Green Gables by M. Montgomery
Charlotte's Web by B. White
Winnie-the-Pooh by A. Milne
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
The Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum
The Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy mysteries
The Baby-Sitter's Club series by Ann M. Martin

We still prefer physical books

The popularity and convenience of digital reading options can't be denied, but our survey showed that 84 percent of readers still prefer printed books over digital (28%) or audiobooks (20%).

Reasons for our love affair with "real books" include:

We enjoy the feel of a book in our hands. (62%)
Biblosmia! Yes, there's a word for loving the smell of books! (36%).
It feels more cozy and familiar (36%) and induces a pleasant sense of nostalgia (36%).

Nostalgic reads differ by generation.

The common titles readers name as their favorites have evolved over time. Although there's quite a bit of crossover across age groups, distinct titles rose to the top for each generation.

Boomers:

Gen X:

Millennials:

Goosebumps by L. Stine
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Gen Z:

There were also titles that we found to be popular across multiple generations, including:

Are you a nostalgic reader? Let us know which titles find their way into your hands and hearts again and again.

You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter (X), or Instagram where we share daily book recommendations, literary tidbits, and more.

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 American readers evenly split by generation (500 Gen Z, 500 millennials, 500 Gen X and 500 baby boomers); the survey was commissioned by ThriftBooks and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between July 29 and Aug. 4, 2024.