30% of People Think Reading Regularly Makes Them Better Than Others
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Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more.
2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction Shortlist
Women’s Award for Fiction One of the largest literary awards, it awards a prize of £30,000 to “the author of the year’s best full-length novel written in English and published in the UK”. Here is this year’s shortlist:
torch By Susan Choi (Jonathan Cape, Vintage, Penguin Random House UK)
Dominion By Eddie E. Seechens (Europa Editions UK)
reporter By Virginia Evans (Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House UK)
mercy step By Marcia Hutchinson (Cassava Republic Press)
kingfisher by Rosie Kelly (Saraband)
heart lover By Lily King (Canongate)
reporter has been a big bestseller in recent months, and I’ve been hearing a lot about it torch And heart loverBut I’m not familiar with the other three books on the shortlist. Tell us in the comments: Have you read any of these? Who do you think will win?
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30% people think that reading regularly makes them better than others
Take this statistic with a healthy helping of salt, because the thorough methodology was “To create this study, Headway Apps researchers surveyed 2,000 professionals of all genders, ages 18 and older.” (How did they source these respondents? Who counts as “professionals”? Are they all users of their app?)
Despite this, I could not resist the fact “30% of people believe in reading regularly makes them better than others” Let’s be honest, this aligns with a good part of the online and offline reading culture.
Other fun “facts” from this survey include:
- 24% of respondents wouldn’t date someone who doesn’t read at all
- 66% of people buy at least one book a year that they don’t read
- 55% said yes, “Have you ever read a self-help book instead of seeking professional help (like therapy)?”
- 82% of respondents believe that people who do not read regularly are “intellectually disadvantaged”
The new BookTok tie-in is… Crystal Light?
We’ve seen some unexpected book product collaborations in recent years, like Walmart’s Romance-Themed Hot Sauce. The latest edition has been released by Crystal Light in collaboration with BookTalk influencer and debut author Brooke Everick Three new drink flavors match popular styles on BookTok. There’s Hibiscus Lemonade for romance, Prickly Pear Lemonade for mystery, and Passion Fruit for fantasy. Please place your bets now on which brand will collaborate with BookTok next. Romantic Eggo Waffles? A Frieda McFadden-themed kitchen knife set? Hunger Games Pool Inflatables?
Scariest Books of 2026
There are scary books, and then there’s also horror Books—the kind of novels that need to be stored in the freezer when you’re not reading. Personally, I prefer my horror reads to be on the “scary” and “existential dread” side of the spectrum, but if you want to send your nervous system into fight or flight mode, check out these selections The scariest horror books of 2026.
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