THE HEADLINE

Digital lending’s effect on book sales

A new report commissioned by the Association of American Publishers and the Authors Guild, “An Empirical Study of the Impact of E-Lending on the Book Economy,” is a treasure trove of data around digital lending, book sales, and library circulation.

The study is clearly intended to influence legislation: making it cheaper and easier for people to borrow ebooks has material outcomes for the larger publishing industry, though my reading of the study, amateur may it be, is not so sure things are all that dire.

Here are a few highlights I pulled in the course of reading the full report:

Increase in digital lending leads to a decrease in book sales. According to the report, “consumer print sales decline by approximately 0.85 to 1.0 percent for every one-percentage-point increase in the share of e-books in public libraries, with adult fiction being at the upper end of this range.” Print books are now less than 25% of library collections. In the 13 years between 2010 and 2013, print went from 86% of materials to 21. In 2023, audiobooks and ebooks made up 31% and 48% of collections. Collection development is a surprisingly small portion of library spending. In 2026, less than 10.7% of library budgets went toward collections. This is down from 2013….when it was a hair over 11%. —JO

OUR READING LIVES

There’s a term for that

a person reading on a couch with stacks of books on a table

image via Cottonbro Studio on Pexels

In my experience, there are two kinds of book people: those who reread, and those who don’t. You might read those last words on that final page and never touch a book again unless compelled to for work, school, etc. Us rereaders have a set of favorites, a list of greatest hits that we turn to when we just need to feel a little something.

It turns out there’s a name for that deliberate dip into familiar territory: volitional reconsumption.

Coined in 2012 by researchers Cristel Russell and Sidney Levy, the term refers to the practice of intentionally reliving an experience you’ve already had. It doesn’t just apply to books: you might revisit a city you’ve been to before, watch a beloved show or movie for the umpteenth time, or order the same dish every time you eat at a restaurant.

Why exactly do we dabble in the déjà fait? Here’s what the research says:

For emotional efficiency: we know exactly what emotion we’re craving and the experience that will deliver it. For certainty: it’s not just the story we glean comfort from, but the safety of knowing exactly what happens For companionship: what scientists call the social surrogacy hypothesis suggests that in some cases, a beloved piece of media can serve as a partial proxy for human company. That explains why Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia are my best friends in my head.

Those findings all likely ring true for rereaders, but for me, the practice goes beyond finding safety in the familiar. Yes, we reach for stories we know the ending to when we need a balm for anxiety, or know what to pick up when we need a cathartic cry. And sometimes, we want to learn more.

A classic might hit different now than it did in high school. Our lived experience might reshape our understanding. Reading with fresh eyes might add new richness and meaning to an otherwise familiar tale. Rereads can be about comfort, or they can be a tool for deeper leaning. If asked to choose between the two, I ask: porque no los dos? —VD

LIBRARY LOVE & NOSTALGIA

Own Your Own READ Poster

It’s been 46 years since the American Library Association (ALA) introduced their beloved READ Posters in 1980. That first poster, featuring Mickey Mouse, ignited what has now become synonymous with American libraries.

ALA auctioned off over 200 of their most iconic posters in honor of the organization’s 150th anniversary this summer.

READ posters featuring Taylor Swift, Spike Lee, the cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and more–many signed by the poster stars–brought in four or five-digit bids.

But never fear!

If you’ve ever wanted to own a READ poster for your home, office, classroom, or library, you can order from an array of options in the ALA Catalog. The organization even brought back the beloved David Bowie poster from 1987, featuring the musician reading Dostoevsky’s The Idiot.

Among the READ poster choices available in the Fall 2026 catalog:

Several Snoopy options, showcasing the famous beagle’s love of reading An exclusive design by Cátia Chien, illustrator of the 2026 Caldecott Award-winning picture book Fireworks Jason Reynolds, showing off his love for Salvage The Bones Laufey, the singer-songwriter serving as chair of National Library Card Sign-up Month Mychal Threets, librarian, literary advocate, and host of Reading Rainbow, holding The Monster at the End of This Book

You don’t need to be an ALA member to buy a poster. You can snap up a selection of fun READ posters (22×34 inches) for $18; ALA members get a small discount, bringing the posters to $16.20 each.

Find the READ posters, as well as a selection of other pro-library, pro-literacy goodies, at the ALA Store.

Blast from the past: here’s a piece from 13 years ago looking back at some of the most recognizable celebrity READ posters. —KJ

IN MEMORY

Poet and naturalist Wendell Berry dies at 92

Berry received the National Humanities Medal in 2010.

In every reading life, there are a few indelible moments that, upon reflection, turn out to have changed everything. In my life, one of those moments happened in a yoga class in late 2016 when the teacher read Wendell Berry’s “The Peace of Wild Things.”

“When despair for the world grows in me,” she began, and I could already feel the tears rising. I don’t know what Berry was thinking about when he wrote the poem in 1968, but I knew immediately that he understood what I was feeling as I listened to it nearly 50 years later.

If you’ve ever woken up in the middle of the night gripped with fear for the future, you understand it too.

What to do with this feeling? Berry had an answer: Go outside. Lie down by the water. Be among the birds and the “day-blind stars waiting with their light.”

And then what? “I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief.”

That line struck a deep chord and has seen me through myriad challenges in the last 10 years. I memorized the whole (short) poem and have recited it to myself in beautiful moments and painful ones. “Are you taxing your life with forethought of grief?” has become a touchstone in my family.

Wendell Berry lived a remarkable life. I’m grateful for his work and his wisdom and for the gateway he gave me into poetry and peace. — RJS

COMICS

Celebrating 10 years of Heartstopper

Yesterday marks 10 years since Alice Oseman posted the first Heartstopper webcomic. (Check out the adorable illustration Alice posted of Nick and Charlie’s ten-year anniversary!)

Since then, it’s grown into a six-volume graphic novel series and a three-season TV show, plus a movie.

Both the show and the graphic novels ended this summer. If you’re missing Nick and Charlie, here are some of my favourite Heartstopper readalikes:

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier, Val Wise, Oscar O. Jupiter, for a cute queer romance and a balance of queer joy and more serious topics Encore! by Miles Toriko Burks, for a supportive queer friend group plus a cute M/M romance—but with a bit more drama than Nick and Charlie Bunt!: Striking Out on Financial Aid by Ngozi Ukazu and Mad Rupert, for the queer friend group element—with more of a sports focus Honorable mentions: Bloom by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau and Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu

For even more, check out Rachel Brittain’s list of queer YA books like Heartstopper. —DE

GET WITCHY WITH IT

Witchful thinking

It’s not technically fall yet, but the tone has already shifted! The vibes are officially autumnal and witch-adjacent, and the book lists are on code.

In the spirit of things, Goodreads has blessed us with a round-up of witchy books that really span the gamut. There are Persian witches, Mexican witches, ancient witches, and modern ones. Their stories are in various genres, and there’s even some nonfiction. Get into the season and add some to your TBR.

Here are the Best Witchy Books of 2026, according to Goodreads:

The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman: Ms. Practical Magic herself is blessing us with 1950s Cambridge, MA-set witchery. Witch Queen Rising by Savannah Stephens: New Orleans-based witchy romantasy with vampires and werewolves. Exactly my kind of carrying on. Blacktail by Scott Hawkins: Fans of The Library at Mount Char (me, I’m fans) have been waiting for years for a follow-up, and we finally have one. What’s more, it has an “ancient and terrible feline witch.” 10/10, no notes. The Witch by Freida McFadden: Yes, that Freida McFadden has a witchy book. Who would have thunk it. Muñeca by Cynthia Gómez: A queer, Latine working-class witch tries to save an heiress. This gets bonus points for being surreal and gothic.

There are so many more in the rest of the list! The question now is: Which witch book is for you?—EE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Keanu Reeves, born September 2, 1964

Did you know? Reeves’s films are banned from streaming services in China as a result of his performance of Allen Ginsberg’s “Pull My Daisy” for a benefit supporting Tibet House US.

CRITICAL LINKING

You are now free to roam about the internet

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Get ready for cozy season with a limited-edition Book Riot hoodie.

These are the September new releases Goodreads editors are most excited about.

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Preorder the most-anticipated new trans books out in autumn, including a horror novel from the creator of I Saw the TV Glow and Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma.