What Readers Do

This insightful study examines how 21st-century readers engage with fiction across digital platforms, physical spaces, and social networks, moving beyond traditional solitary reading to explore the complex ecosystem of contemporary book culture. Drawing on nearly two decades of qualitative research, the work analyzes reading through aesthetic, affective, and social dimensions, revealing how modern readers navigate between book clubs, bibliomemoirs, Bookstagram, and BookTok while maintaining personal connections to literature. The analysis illuminates the evolving relationship between readers and the publishing industry in an age where social media recommendations hold as much weight as critical reviews.

What sets this exploration apart is its nuanced understanding of reading as both private experience and public performance, capturing how digital environments have transformed literary consumption without diminishing the personal significance of reading. Readers deeply invested in book communities—whether through online platforms or local book clubs—will find their experiences validated and contextualized within broader cultural shifts, while anyone curious about the sociology of reading will appreciate the thorough examination of how our engagement with stories continues to evolve in the digital era.