Anish Bhattarai
“Fiction... Mystery... Philosophy... Russian.”
These are a few of the book genres one can see right after entering Words Worth Books in Waterloo. The store is silent. A bell jingles when the door is pushed open, and footsteps are the only sound in the store. There’s the wooden floor at the store. It creaks with every step. It feels like floor is signaling the books that someone is coming near to them.
Scent of books is in the air, and there’s a mix of ink, old paper and something that feels like nostalgia. There are rows of shelves where books are living, and authors’ name talk to each other. Fiction, mystery, philosophy, Russian literature — books of all genres sit on the shelves, waiting to be discovered, to be touched by human fingers, and to be read.
A man in his mid-50s, wearing glasses and with his grey hair, is layered with a grey jacket. “Good morning, welcome to Words Worth. Words are worth it,” he says, trying to make himself familiar to customers. He says this while pushing his book, "How Not to Age," onto the table as if trying to give all his attention to the customer. The man is the co-owner of the store, David Worsley. He moves effortlessly. His steps feel light, and floor doesn’t make the ‘creak’ sound when he walks onto it, as if the floor knows him for years.
The store, at first, feels like an escape from the horns, accelerating cars, the sound of trams, and the noise of people. It is as silent as it could be. If the store is so quiet and without a single customer on a Friday evening, the question arises: does the store do good business?
Worsley has the answer. “We are doing fine. Savings are in nickels, but we are satisfied.”
Ten years ago, Worsley feared the bookstore would become obsolete, a casualty of the digital evolution. He recalls the panic he had at that time. He remembers how the independent bookstores were shutting down. At that time e-books were introduced, and the industry was bracing for what people believed was the demise of physical books.
“The kids were only supposed to care about screens, video games. We thought we were doomed,” he remembers.
“The kids were only supposed to care about screens, video games. We thought we were doomed. But now? It’s the youth keeping us afloat.”
He sounded like a proud parent when he talked about young people keeping his bookstore running. He himself is a parent, and he trusts today’s youth are reading more than before.
Another proud parent is Tara Mondou, a Cambridge-based writer, and a mother of two. She says she has seen young people read more often than the time that she grew up.
Mondou gives anecdote of her daughter to share her experience with youth people reading more these days.
‘Youth either read or they don’t. My girls have always read — even when all they could do was look at picture books,’ Mondou said.
Worsley thinks young people are exceeding expectations and going after physical books. This might be both a surprise and an assurance for him to keep his business going. He says he is thankful.
“If not for them, I, for sure, wouldn’t have kept the store running.”
The readership and habit of reading are still alive, as Worsley explains. But there are few surveys about reading culture. The available reports are also based on only a few hundred responses, which clearly don’t show the full picture.
“I don’t know if (reading culture) is increasing or decreasing, but what I can say is we sold more books in 2024 than in 2023,” Worsley said. The average book sale at Wordsworth Books is 164 books a day.
A 2019 survey conducted with Ipsos found that most Canadian children are readers, with 27 per cent classified as enthusiastic readers — especially those introduced to books before age one. However, electronic distractions pose a challenge, with 40 per cent of parents citing them as a barrier. On average, Canadian children read 52 books per year, with younger children reading more.
Not only Words Worth Books but other bookstores, too, are now sharing the same opportunity: BookTok. The rise of BookTok, TikTok’s literary subculture, has fueled an appetite for reading, and it’s young people who are watching and following this trend. Names like Colleen Hoover and Emily Henry, and even classic writers like Sylvia Plath, Franz Kafka, and Albert Camus, are making their way into the hands of teens and young adults who curate their shelves with as much thought as their social media feeds.
Kristy Serpa, a salesperson at Second Look Books and More at Downtown Kitchener, says people are discovering both new and classic writers, which is giving bookstores a boost.
Kristy Serpa, salesperson at Second Look Books and More at Downtown Kitchener, says youth are now reading more philosophical books and romance fantasies are the most popular ones. Photo: Anish Bhattarai/Conestoga College.
“It’s good when they (customers) come looking for Fyodor Dostoevsky, Sartre, Aurelius or someone like that. It’s the business for those kinds of books that wouldn’t have sold otherwise,” she said.
Worsley believes that not everyone who buys reads. He thinks BookTok is a fashion trend and has become more of an aesthetic.
“I can’t say they will read it just because they bought it. Sometimes I wonder if they are really reading or if this is part of some new fashion world through books,” he questions.
The videos showing aesthetically arranged bookshelves, annotated pages and perfectly posed reading corners may suggest a performance of literary engagement. While Worsley is not convinced of these trends, Serpa says she has observed a different pattern.
“Young people come into the store already knowing what they want. They’ve got a book in mind because of the recommendations they’ve seen online.”
Worsley and Serpa agree on which genres are the most popular among young people in Waterloo. Fiction dominates their choices, with science fiction and romance fantasy leading the charge. They both agree on the rise in philosophical literature, particularly existentialist works from Dostoevsky, Camus, and Kafka.
“Young people are looking for books that resonate with them emotionally, that help them make sense of their feelings,” Serpa said.
Worsley also agrees that the rise in mental health issues has somehow increased sales of philosophical books. “I don’t remember when I last sold 10 books by (Jean-Paul) Sartre. Lately, he is selling, too,” he said.
One message is clear from the experience of these two: young people in Waterloo are reading more, both as a way to maintain their mental health and to explore and validate their emotional rollercoasters.
Statistics on mental health also suggest a deeper reason and back up the statements from Serpa and Worsley. The Mental Health and Access to Care Survey (2022) showed that 18.3 per cent of Canadians aged 15 and older met the criteria for a mood, anxiety or substance use disorder. In 2023, 26 per cent of youth aged 16 to 21 rated their mental health as “fair” or “poor.” In an era of uncertainty and social anxiety, books have become an escape and a sanctuary for young people.
A pricey passion
Purnima Poudel, an international student at Conestoga College, says her habit of being an avid physical book reader is now long gone. “I can’t afford books. It’s a shame. I don’t even have 10 books at home,” she said.
A book isle in Wordsworth Book, Uptown Waterloo with prices ranging from $20-$40. Photo: Anish Bhattarai/Conestoga College.
Poudel works at a restaurant in Uptown Waterloo and barely covers her expenses living
there, let alone the idea of buying books.
“I have started reading e-books. They are easily available online. Why waste money when you can read the same thing for free?” she asks.
Cost is a significant barrier for young people when buying books. “Kids can’t afford books,” Worsley says bluntly. “Forty dollars for a hardcover? Twenty-five for a paperback? Where are they supposed to get that money?”
Recession and rising production costs, compounded by supply chain disruptions, are increasing book prices, Worsley says.
“I could buy a hardcover for $20 a decade ago, but now it has gone up. And I, as a bookstore owner, can’t decide the book price. It is what it is,” Worsley says.
He adds that the tariff threat from U.S. President Donald Trump may lead to increased book prices. “The price of paper will certainly go up, and the faceless corporations may increase it again. Who knows?” he said.
With book prices rising, some alternatives exist for young people who want to read. Thrift stores also have book sections, though with a limited selection, offering books for as little as $2 to $5.
A report by Ethos, a research firm, showed for the first time Canadians acquired more books for free than they purchased in 2023. While 47 per cent of print readers still paid for books, 51 per cent relied on free sources, highlighting a shift toward budget-friendly access to literature.
Audiobooks on the rise
The financial strain has driven many young readers towards secondhand bookstores and libraries. It has also fueled the rise of audiobooks, an increasingly popular format among young Canadians.
According to BookNet’s 2022 survey, there was a 71 per cent increase in audiobook users from 2019. The flexibility of listening to books while commuting, working out or doing chores has made audiobooks a convenient alternative for budget-conscious readers.
BookNet’s survey shows adult fiction was popular among 61 per cent of audiobook listeners in 2021. Most Canadian audiobook listeners listened to between one and five audiobooks on their phones. Also, the average number of audiobooks purchased by Canadian book buyers in a single month was two.
“Audiobooks are here to stay,” says BookNet’s survey. The audiobook market in Canada is experiencing a notable surge, driven by increasing consumer preference for digital content.
BookNet's 2024 report said the dominance of print preference has been dropping since 2019. 65 per cent of readers preferred print books in 2019 and it went to drop to 59 per cent in 2023. Also, BookNet's data showed preference for audiobooks rose from 8 per cent in 2019 to 13 per cent in 2023. BookNet said the growing popularity of audiobooks is majorly driven by the convenience of listening on the go and the increasing availability of audiobook platforms.
According to Statista, revenue in Audiobooks market is projected to reach US$ 282.87 million in 2025. Statista says that audiobook market in Canada is experiencing a notable surge driven by increasing consumer preference for digital content.
Books as gifts
Another trend that bookshop owners have seen is increase in gifting books to friends and relatives. ‘Many of them want us to wrap books, to give them blank paper notes to write their message,’ Serpa said.
Mondou has also seen her daughters gifting their friends some books in holidays, and other occasions.
‘Many of their friends read and often meet up at bookstores to buy books together, give each other gift certificates for Indigo, trade books and recommend books, Mondou said.
According to Canadian Book Consumer Study 2020, 16 per cent of all books purchased by Canadians in the year were gifts. Out of them, 45 per cent were adult titles, 36 per cent juvenile titles, and 19 per cent were young adult titles.
Writer and Publishers face challenge
Stephen Kotowych, a Waterloo-based writer and winner of Writers of the Future Grand Prize, when asked about reading culture among youth. He stares and thinks for a while before he answers.
Stephen Kotowych, an award-winning Waterloo writer, shares his experiences saying his kid is ‘allergic to reading’. Photo: Anish Bhattarai/Conestoga College.
‘I don’t know. My son is allergic to the written word and rather plays video games all day long,’ Kotowych said. He questions to himself if he were a youth in today’s world whether he would read a book or play video games.
He thinks video games are slowly taking over the books and reading habit in Canada.
‘People are so much invested in immersive games and interactive screen, I don’t think they are really interested in reading as much as people used to do before,’ he said.
BookNet Canada’s 2023 survey showed people preferred to read or listen to books (49 per cent) over playing video games (40 per cent).
For authors, appealing to the youth audience now requires a shift in storytelling. Science-fiction writer Mark Leslie, a waterloo-based writer, understands the importance of adapting.
“Young readers are always exploring, always looking for something supernatural or extraordinary. If you can tap into that curiosity, you’ve got them hooked.”
He immerses himself in youth culture, frequenting coffee shops to eavesdrop on conversations and pick up on the dialogue that resonates with them.
Leslie also agrees that readers don’t wait for pages for the story to hook them. This urgency reflects the broader landscape of digital entertainment.
‘Competition for the attention is relentless. As a writer, I think we all need to adapt quickly to the youth mind to grab their attention, otherwise why would they read the book they think is old school stuff?’ Leslie asks himself.
Mondou says it’s hard for older authors to keep up with the constant evolution of words that youth use for certain things. She admits one of the hard things to keep young adults hooked up in the book is to learn their words.
‘You have to speak their language so that book seems authentic and cool to them. Author would have to be very careful with words they use, their slangs,’ Mondou further admits, ‘It’s hard for us (older authors) to keep up with that.’
Chris Kennedy, Superintendent of Schools in West Vancouver, believes efforts to promote literacy should not take away the joy of reading through excessive analysis. In his blog, he has written how the contents like Harry Potter, Twilight should be focused along with Canadian native stories to keep the young readers hooked.
It is now one of the challenges for writers.
‘I know Harry Potter, Hunger Games were a bang at a time, but we don’t have those sorts of new books, We, ourselves, have to write in such a way that it would be a banger of a literature for our kids,’ Kotowych said.
Challenge is not limited to writing style or the content that writers have. It is also about deciding on the retail price of the book for self-published writers. Mondou said a young-adult novel typically have to retail for $8-$10. She says it doesn’t leave any space for profit for the authors.
‘In order for the author to make $3-5 per book, they would have to sell it for more like $20-25. So, I think young adult authors have a hard time making money selling to their age specific readers,’ Mondou said.
Not just a trend
Gentle flipping of pages not just in libraries, also in buses, light trains and the occasional smiles reading the words refuses to die as the reading culture is still alive. While reading for pleasure among Canadian youth has declined with age — only 25 per cent of 15-17 year olds report reading frequently for fun, but they business that youths are giving to the bookstores tell a different story.
The trend of author meet- and-greet events, however, have not seen the same level of enthusiasm. ‘It’s embarrassing,’ Worsley says, ‘We bring in an author and if no one shows up.’
Leslie argues that reading habit is beyond the trend or fashion. ‘People are still running fingers along the books wherever they see. It’s not a fashion thing that it would die or fade away,’ he said.
While the future of the book industry remains uncertain, Worsley says the narrative of youth abandoning books and reading was premature.
‘They are here, they are reading, and they are shaping the narratives in ways that no one saw coming,’ he said.
Audio Files:
· Stephen Kotowych, a Waterloo-based writer, compares reading habit of today’s age to the time he grew up.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zhqp9ATjkaQQPrLxEG4D8HmAwlWSMAfr/view?usp=sharing
· People running bookstores agree that BookTok, a TikTok trend for books, has increased book sales over the years.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dasa_uLlMWs2h3fCrzFqhMhX083dNJyF/view?usp=sharing
· Words Worth Books at Waterloo’s Co-owner David Worsley says U.S. tariff threats and other external issues are the latest problems for bookshop owners.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/13bOJN1N6yS_K7mgatYS-SwWdk4SZtrhi/view?usp=sharing
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