Survey: Books, Reading Habits, and Modern Dating

For some daters, a shared favorite book is as good an icebreaker as any. For others, reading habits say something more fundamental about who a person is.

Hily surveyed 2,100 Gen Z and Millennial American daters to find out how much reading factors into modern romance. From dealbreakers to dream date locations, the results show that books are playing a quieter but meaningful role in how people size each other up.

Here are some key findings from our survey:

• 55% of Gen Z and 59% of Millennial daters consider themselves avid readers
• 1 in 4 daters think someone who has never finished a single book is undateable
• 64% of Gen Z and 62% of Millennial daters would love to go to a bookstore or library on a date
• Nearly 1 in 5 daters wouldn’t date someone who exclusively reads self-help books

Who’s Actually Reading

More than half of daters are calling themselves readers – 55% of Gen Z and 59% of Millennials. The books are doing the heavy lifting. Reading is clearly part of how a meaningful share of young Americans see themselves. 

That said, “avid reader” covers a wide range. Among Gen Z daters who consider themselves avid readers, 51% read up to six books per year. Enthusiasm for reading and volume of reading aren’t always the same thing.

When it comes to what people are actually reading, fantasy and sci-fi top the list for both Gen Z and Millennial daters. Whether it’s world-building, escapism, or just a good story, the genre has a broad and consistent following across age groups.

Reading Habits as a Dating Filter

Never finished a book? For 1 in 4 daters, that’s the end of the story. Across both Millennial and Gen Z daters, someone who has never finished a single book is undateable. It’s a firm and consistent position. Not finishing a book occasionally is one thing. Never finishing one at all reads differently.

The bar shifts when the question is about regularity. Only 1 in 10 daters say they wouldn’t date someone who doesn’t read books regularly. Never having finished one is a harder line than simply not being a frequent reader. Where exactly that line sits varies from person to person.

Genre matters too, at least for some. 1 in 5 daters say they wouldn’t date someone who exclusively reads self-help books. It’s a specific preference, and one that hints at how reading choices get interpreted as signals about personality.

Reading and Intelligence

For some daters, the bookshelf is as telling as the bio. 1 in 4 Gen Z and 1 in 3 Millennial daters think how much someone reads reflects how intelligent they are. Millennials hold this view slightly more strongly, though it’s a notable finding across both groups. Reading volume, for these daters, isn’t just a hobby preference – it’s a proxy for something else.

Bookstores as Date Spots

Drinks at the bar, or discussing new books? 64% of Gen Z and 62% of Millennial daters say they’d love to go to a bookstore or library on a date. It’s a low-pressure, conversation-friendly setting,and apparently, a widely appealing one. Browsing shelves together turns out to be a popular idea.

Matching on More Than Looks

BookTok has been saying this for years. Now the data agrees. 43% of Gen Z and 45% of Millennial daters think dating apps should offer more ways to connect people based on shared reading interests. Shared taste in books signals compatible worldviews, humor, and curiosity – things that matter in a partner but are hard to filter for with current app features.

Interest in the idea translates into actual usage intent, too. 39% of Gen Z and 40% of Millennial daters say they’d use a feature that matched them with people based on favorite books. It’s not a majority, but it’s a substantial share – and the numbers are nearly identical across generations.

The Final Chapter

Reading habits aren’t the first thing most people think of when it comes to dating compatibility. But the data suggests they’re not far off the radar either.

For a notable share of young American daters, what someone reads – or whether they read at all – carries meaning. It factors into attraction, filters out certain matches, and shapes what a good date even looks like.

A shared favorite book might not be a relationship foundation. But it’s not nothing, either.