“Animal Farm”, “Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work” and “MI6 Spy Skills for Civilians” rank among the most eccentric books to give as a gift, according to a recent survey.
In time for the holiday season, the survey of 2,000 American readers looked at book gifting trends, including some of the strangest books people have ever received. Along with that, it also uncovered the highlights of readers’ year in review.
According to results, a third (33%) have received a book from someone that was an unexpected choice. One respondent even received the autobiography of their friend.
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Other remarkably surprising gift choices shared by respondents include titles about financial self-help and “The Art of War.”
And while many respondents were totally confused and confounded by such quirky selections, some were happily appreciative, saying an unexpected book they’ve received was an “utter delight” and “taught me to live in the moment,” highlighting the fine line between a good, unexpected book and a bizarre one.
With that in mind, almost half (49%) shared that they try to pick out books on topics they know the recipient is interested in, when giving a book as a gift, and most (80%) feel confident in their book gifting abilities.
Conducted by Talker Research and commissioned by ThriftBooks, the survey found that of those planning to exchange gifts for the holidays, most (54%) plan to gift someone a book.
So, when settling on which book to give a loved one, gift givers can keep in mind the most popular genres of the year.
Results revealed that mystery (45%) was the top genre in 2024. However things get interesting when looking at differences between generations.
Fantasy (52%) was the most popular genre among Gen Z readers while millennials picked up action and adventure novels most frequently this year (41%).
Thriller and suspense (42%) was Gen X’s top genre and baby boomers trended towards mystery the most (29%).
But regardless of the content, readers still vastly prefer hard copy books to digital (72% vs. 28%).
Readers read 21 books, on average, this year, and according to the results, women read more books this year compared to men (22 books vs. 19 books).
Over a third of readers (34%) discovered a new favorite book this year and when searching for new books to read, Gen Z (52%) and millennial readers (47%) typically browse social media while Gen X (50%) and baby boomers (51%) rely on recommendations from friends and family.
“When picking out a book for someone else, it’s important to not just consider if it’s a book you enjoy, but whether or not it will catch the recipient’s interest,” Barbara Hagen, vice president of marketing at ThriftBooks. “Social media, book forums and book websites are all great places to look for book gifting ideas.”
Looking at readership during the holiday season, nearly a third of readers (30%) have a tradition where they re-read a book or series each holiday season.
Interestingly Gen Z readers (61%) and millennials (47%) are the most likely to re-read a book or series each holiday season.
And although some readers opt for horror (12%) or fantasy (12%) re-reads each year, Christmas books are most popular (45%).
Top Christmas reads this year include “A Christmas Carol” (20%), “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (14%), “The Polar Express” (11%) and “A Christmas Story” (8%).
“The survey demonstrates that books make priceless gifts,” said Hagen. “Some respondents shared why they chose to gift books this year and their answers, such as ‘to give the gift of reading’ and ‘every time that person picks up that book they think of you’ really speak for why books make for great gifts.”
TOP TEN BOOK GENRES IN 2024
Mystery – 45%Thriller and suspense – 39%Action and adventure – 36%Biography – 33%History – 28%Romance – 28%Contemporary fiction – 28%Historical fiction – 28%True crime – 26%Classics – 24%
Survey methodology:
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 Americans who read at least 5-6 books per year; the survey was commissioned by ThriftBooks and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Oct. 4 and Oct. 9, 2024.
We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:
Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentiveProgrammatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in
Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.
Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.
Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.
Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:
Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speedersOpen ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant textBots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify botsDuplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once
It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.
