This Summer’s Buzziest Books

Reading makes you more attractive, but Americans are reading less

Well, I don’t think “Bookmax” is anything more than an attractive headline, but you could argue that reading is sexy. Book mentions on Tinder profiles increased by 29% overall and by 41% among women. At least, take this with a grain of salt, as 75% of people find partners more attractive if they show they read or are well-read, according to a study by a book summary app. Book clubs and literary holidays are also becoming more popular.

Despite this, a CBS poll found that 36% of Americans report reading less than they did 10 years ago (40% say they’re reading about the same amount, and 23% say they’re reading more). The most popular activities people do instead of reading are watching movies and TV, using social media, and playing games. They report being too busy, too distracted, and with attention spans too short to read more. These answers are not surprising. But they’re definitely not sexy.

Want to incorporate AI chatbots into your books? Google is betting on “yes”

Google Play Books has launched Book Insights, “a helpful reading companion built with Gemini.” It is currently available in “selected English titles” which, based on the examples given, appears to be a public domain book. Features include a “Catch Me Up” feature that provides a summary of what you’ve read so far, and the ability to ask questions as you read, such as “Was this character introduced earlier in the book?”

Meet the 2025 Lambda Literary Award winners

I’ve always been interested in the Lambda Literary Awards, which recognize LGBTQ+ literature in a variety of categories. This year I was the judge, so I put a lot of effort into it! I helped select the winners in the LGBTQ+ nonfiction category. (After much consideration, I chose Guest Benefit: Queer Life and Finding a Place in the Middle East Written by Gaar Adams. I highly recommend this. ) I have only read 5 of the 26 award-winning works, so I need to revise them.

of heartstopper forever trailer

heart stopper ‘ has been a huge hit on Netflix, and when there was a new announcement that the finale would be a movie rather than another season, intrigue went through the roof. movie trailer heartstopper forever It was a hit today, great. Great queer adaptations are so refreshing, and this looks like a solid addition to that canon (not to mention previous adaptations!).