How BookTok and Korean snack wrappers have made reading radical

September 30, 2026 — 3:00pm

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Well, I never. Reading books is sexy. Apparently fed up with social media, young women (and some young men) are turning back to this ancient form of communication where you actually have to think.

“She’s back – and hotter than ever,” writes Issy McElroy for Nasty magazine, a compendium of what’s called “the dusky side” of fashion and art. Accompanied by photos of a blonde model in her undies getting stuck into Lolita, the article introduces us to the hot reader: “The ones with good eyeliner, sharp minds and zero patience for bullshit. They’re not just reading – they’re reprogramming. Tired of AI regurgitations and influencer-fed ignorance, they’re reaching for pages like it’s survival. This isn’t nostalgia. It’s resistance.”

Nasty points to online book clubs such as Dua Lipa’s Service95, Kaia Gerber’s Library Science and author and influencer Sophia Tuxford, all helping........

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