50 Times Readers Forgot To Take Their Bookmarks Before Giving Away Their Books

If you thought that the end for print books was nigh and nobody reads them anymore, think again! 2024 saw an increase in sales: 782.7 million books were sold in 2024, compared to 778.3 million in 2023. While the peak of print book sales was in 2021 with 839.7 million units sold, recent sale numbers are still better than those before the pandemic.

The demand for print books is growing so much that Barnes & Noble even opened 60 stores all across the U.S. in 2024. That's their biggest number of new bookstores since 2007. And don't worry, corporation haters, independent bookstores are actually thriving as well. According to the American Booksellers Association, there were 2,433 indie bookstores in 2024, with 190 projected to open in the next two years.

The president of the ABA says that there are many different reasons people are opening up new bookstores. Some are opposing bans, others are championing diversity, while others are just looking for a career change after the pandemic. "Some are opening to give back to their community. And some still just love books," she told Associated Press.

What do you use to mark your place in a book, Pandas? A receipt, a metro card, a sticky note, a leaf, a nacho chip? Or, perhaps, an actual bookmark designed for that very purpose? Whatever it is, at least it's a sign that people are still reading print books! Share the strangest things you've found in vintage books, and while you're here, check out the books that are so strange you have to read them to believe they're real!