Get Your Pages In: Introducing the 500 Billion Page Challenge

Working at ThriftBooks, I think about books every day.

We discuss books in meetings. I analyze book trends and performance. I notice what people around me are reading when I’m traveling. I swap recommendations with friends. And many nights, I end the day by reading a few chapters before bed.

When books show up in your work and your life like this, it’s easy to assume they show up that way for others too.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

Every so often, new research reminds us that as a country, we aren’t reading as much as we used to. And while that can feel discouraging, it’s not surprising—given the omnipresence of reels and streams, and how easily reading can slip down the priority list, even for people who genuinely love books.

A recent survey from Atomik Research helped put this into perspective for me. More than half of adults say the hardest part of reading is simply getting started, and that distractions—not a lack of interest—tend to get in the way. And yet, once people do begin, something encouraging happens: nearly three-quarters say that after starting a book, they feel compelled to keep going.

What stood out to me most was this: the issue isn’t that people don’t want to read. It’s that reading has become harder to fit into everyday life in a way that lasts.

So I started thinking differently. What if rebuilding—or even beginning—a reading habit didn’t require more willpower, more time, or bigger goals? What if it simply meant choosing one page over one more scroll?

That question connects directly to something we believe deeply at ThriftBooks: that reading is still one of the simplest, most powerful ways to slow down, escape the noise, and reconnect—with ourselves, with each other, and with ideas that change us.

It’s that belief that inspired us to launch the 500 Billion Page Challenge—a nationwide movement designed to help make reading a part of everyday life, one page at a time, and collectively move back toward the reading levels we once shared.

Why 500 Billion Pages?

A decade ago, Americans collectively read nearly 500 billion pages each year. Since then, that number has dropped dramatically—leaving billions of pages, stories, and moments of connection behind.

We don’t view this as a failure. We see it as a shared opportunity. If each of us reads just a little more—at our own pace, in our own way—we can bring those pages back together.

Reading Is Built One Small Habit at a Time

This challenge isn’t about how many books you finish or how impressive your reading list looks. It’s about consistency—and giving reading a place in everyday life.

Read what you love. Count all reading as reading. Manga, cookbooks, thrillers, graphic novels—it all counts. Three pages a day is enough. Ten quiet minutes before bed is enough. Small, repeatable moments are how habits actually stick.

Better Together, at Every Age

Reading doesn’t have to be solitary to be meaningful.

Read a few pages with your kids before bed. Create ten minutes of house reading time where everyone reads their own thing. Host a hush reading party with friends—books, snacks, and quiet company. Start a low-pressure book club with no deadlines and no guilt

These moments matter. And over time, they add up.

How ThriftBooks Is Here to Help

At ThriftBooks, we believe books should be accessible, affordable, and joyful—and that building a reading habit should feel supported, not overwhelming.

Throughout the year, we’ll be showing up with monthly themes, habit-building tips, personalized book recommendations, fun challenges, giveaways, and new on-site features designed to make reading easier to start—and easier to keep going.

Join the ThriftBooks Reading Challenge

When you sign up for the ThriftBooks Reading Challenge, you’re joining a community of readers all working toward the same goal: making reading part of everyday life.

By joining, you will earn ReadingReward points, track your reading activity, access monthly tips and mini-challenges, enjoy giveaways, and receive exclusive 500 Billion Page Challenge swag.

We’ll be celebrating our collective progress throughout the months ahead—because this challenge is about what we can build together.

A Personal Commitment

I’ll be participating in the 500 Billion Page Challenge too.

On busy days, my goal is the same as everyone else’s: three pages. Sometimes that turns into a chapter. Sometimes it doesn’t. But most nights, it starts the same way—choosing one page over one more scroll.

Because one page leads to another. And together, those pages become something powerful.

So wherever you’re starting from, however much time you have—pick up a book and get your pages in.

Learn more and join us at ThriftBooks.com/challenge.

Read more by Barbara Hagen