Russians have become more likely to buy books for the sake of collections and appearance.

There is a growing interest in paper books in Russia as an element of lifestyle and collecting, not just as a source of reading. This is evidenced by the results of a study conducted by the Chitai Gorod book network and the Lamp communication agency, dedicated to Book Day. The survey data was reviewed by Izvestia on April 23.

"Today, a paper book is no longer just a text carrier. It is increasingly becoming a part of a person's lifestyle, visual identity, and way of self—expression," said Olga Olyushina, Director of External Communications at the Chitai Gorod network.

According to the research, fantasy remains the most popular genre among Russians — 55% of readers choose it. This is followed by modern prose (52%) and classical literature (48%). At the same time, the dark romance genre showed a noticeable growth, which turned out to be more popular than thrillers, horror and science fiction.

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The survey also showed a change in motivation for buying paper books. Almost 40% of respondents purchase them for collecting and creating a home library, while tactile sensations are important for only a third of readers. At the same time, 54% prefer hardcover publications, while only 6% choose the soft format.

The appearance of the publication plays a significant role in making a purchase decision. About 60% of the respondents admitted that they can buy a book because of the attractive cover or design. At the same time, the recommendations of consultants in stores have minimal impact.

Experts have also recorded an increase in the influence of bloggers on the choice of literature. Almost half of the readers are guided by the recommendations of influencers who are ahead of traditional sources — websites and reviews. According to representatives of the Lamp agency, the number of book blogs has increased significantly in recent years, and their influence on the market continues to grow.

At the same time, artificial intelligence (AI) has not yet become a massive tool for choosing books. Only a few people regularly use neural networks, but one in seven has already tried to use them. Despite this, most readers are not ready to get acquainted with the brief contents of books before buying, for fear of spoilers, although some still use such reviews to save time.

On April 15, the journal Science Daily reported that constant mental activity — reading, writing and learning foreign languages — is associated with a 38% reduction in the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. It was noted that the study included 1,939 adults with an average age of 80 years who had not been diagnosed with dementia at the time of the start of observations. The participants were followed for about eight years. During this time, 551 people developed Alzheimer's disease, and 719 had mild cognitive impairment.