According to Booketic, 55% of Gen Z say they read for fun at least once a week. John King, owner of John K. King Used and Rare Books in Detroit, has more quantifying evidence. 

“Sales have increased for the first six months of this year by 6% so people are buying books. Records were coming back, cassettes I heard were coming back, but books were always there,” says King. He says they’re gaining popularity again because younger people are drawn to media they can hold in their hands, and not have to charge. 

King says he began collecting used books in 1965 out of the back of a 1954 Packard. Once he found a reliable building to settle into, his collection grew into what is now the biggest used bookstore in Michigan.

Throughout the years, he has found some unique objects.

Janelle Spann, an employee at John King’s made sure to emphasize that their rare book section was for serious collectors. But when she is in the main building, she sees all kinds of customers. 

“There’s a ton of young people that come every Saturday and on their days off. So really, I guess your social media is the one who spreads it,” Spann says.

Owning what you pay for

Oliver English was in the history section with a book on Mesoamerican mythology. They think it’s important to be able to keep the books they buy in an era of endless subscriptions. “As more things go online, it’s definitely more important to be able to hold something, and especially right now, ownership of things, especially online, is moving more towards a rental model. And the thing about physical books is, once you buy it once, you own it.”

The younger employees at John King share the same opinion. Julian Kane, who was on the floor helping customers, points to another looming threat to the way reading used to be. 

“I think there is a certain panic in the like in Generation Z or whatever they call it of the AI blowup or any kind of technology that threatens us. I know some people are really excited about it too and see it as a thing that helps them. “

Getting kids invested in reading

Kane’s coworker Shantenay Doss finds young adult novels interesting to read because they’re written for her age group. She says that even younger kids are coming back since their parents have tried to improve their education. 

“We have a a literary problem. I think that’s the word I’m using using correctly. But yeah, not a lot of kids are reading anymore, and I don’t even think they’re teaching it well in schools either anymore. So I think now people are coming back and realizing like we got to get to reading again. “

Both Doss and Kane have been surrounded by books their entire lives. Doss says she spent most of her childhood in the library, while Kane found a greater appreciation for physical books as he got older. They both sought out John King’s because of their love for books and found the perfect environment. 

“This is kind of a time capsule of a store, and the physical media here has so much charm,” says Kane. “There’s a smell that’s like old books, and it smells like your grandma’s basement or something. “

But people wouldn’t be talking about a decrease in reading if it wasn’t becoming a real issue. English says an open mind could be the key to taking a chance on a book. 

“Well, there’s so many of them. Statistically, there’s going to be one you like. You and also, you have to have an open mind. If you go in saying ‘I don’t like books,’ then you’re not going to find one. But if you go in saying I’ll look at the titles, even if the cover looks pretty, just pick it up, and maybe you’ll like it.”

Open minds, open books

King is prepared for open minds. He says he makes sure to keep the books he knows people want in stock, so they can find the next thing they might fall in love with.

“The rarity basically is not that important. We’re more interested in filling the needs of the people, and most of the people want Tolkien, they want Philip K. Dick, they want Jane Austen. So those are are golden books for us because… they’re 100% sellers. “

Even if customers don’t buy a book, Julian Kane says the experience of going to John King’s is a memorable one—even if it’s a bit overwhelming at first. “It’s it’s one of those stores you go into and you’re like ‘what is going on, like how do I find anything?’ But you get absorbed into the novelty of it. The first time you come in you’re like, ‘okay wow I could really spend hours here the next time I come back.'” 

In King’s words finding the right book is like a lottery—you don’t win every day, but now and then you’ll find something thrilling.

In America, the “amber waves of grain” have come to represent the strength of American agriculture. But not all Americans are included in this idyllic picture. Those same waves of grain contain wheat, a crop that can pose serious health risks for people with celiac disease.  

Raleigh Minning, a cancer survivor, is the owner of a gluten-free bakery: Made With Love Donuts. Through her work, she said she has come to understand some of the harmful symptoms her customers experience.  

“Some people have rashes, they’ll get indigestion issues, all of these things, and I think that the community that is not celiac, or maybe they just want a couple of dollars out of it, don’t understand how serious it is,” Minning said.  

Minning’s son was diagnosed with celiac seven years ago, and she wasn’t happy with how most restaurants handled his food.  

“They would just push things to the side, or we would notice that they weren’t changing gloves, they weren’t using different utensils, and that made a mama bear very nervous,” Minning said.  

Celiac causes servere reactions to gluten

Lana Scales is a clinical dietician who also has celiac disease. She explained that gluten is a protein that comes from wheat, a grain that can be found in bread, pasta and pastries. Even ordinary items like some brands of lip balm have trace amounts of gluten. 

“When you eat gluten and your body considers it an invader, an enemy, and when it attacks it, it elicits this huge immune response that can cause a myriad of conditions,” Scales said.  

Celiac disease is different than gluten intolerance, Scales said. The biggest difference between the two is that celiac is an autoimmune condition, while gluten intolerance creates a less impactful inflammatory response.  

Amy Rosenberg, an optician with celiac, understands this all too well. 

“My doctor told me I was going to get cancer, and at some point, die,” Rosenberg said. “So I think it flipped a switch in my head, and I was like, I should probably do something about this.” 

Eating with Celiac poses obstacles

Rosenberg has been on a gluten-free diet for 31 years. Along the way, she found friends who faced the same challenges as she did. I joined her, Kaylene Whitaker and Margaret Clegg at a restaurant in Novi that offered a variety of gluten-free options.  

Whitaker, who had intense symptoms for two years before her diagnosis, struggled with being understood.  

“It’s frustrating when people just assume it’s something I choose, and they think I’m being picky,” Whitaker said. “We get to have food preferences just like everybody else, on top of also having to accommodate for celiac.” 

Rosenberg agreed, adding that even family members have a hard time understanding her dietary needs.  

“A lot of people were like, ‘oh, I’m sorry,’ but I’ve been gluten-free for 31 years, so it’s what I know. But I do have some family members that are still confused by it, and it’s kind of offensive,” Rosenberg said.  

After the food arrived, Clegg brought out her phone to take photos for her blog, MI Gluten-Free Gal. She was working on a post about the restaurant’s gluten-free items. 

She talked about how her father’s celiac journey led her to helping people across Michigan find safe, reliable restaurants to enjoy.  

“I have a whole blog post on my website telling the story about me and my dad, and all of that, and how after I was diagnosed, that helped him to pay attention to the diet and do what he needed to do to make himself better,” Clegg said. 

Gluten-free restaurants can minimize risk, create comfort

One restaurant Clegg highlights on her blog is Tru Pizza Co. in Wyandotte. They have a completely gluten-free menu, and Anthony Cipolla is the owner. He said he was inspired to join the business because his wife has celiac. 

From there, he made it his mission to be a place that truly has food for everyone.   

However, Cipolla said he sees a stigma surrounding a completely gluten-free restaurant. He points towards celebrities glamorizing the diet and comedians making it the butt of their jokes.  

“When I was a kid, peanut allergies were so much more common,” Cipolla said. “That was the only allergy that anyone really cared about in the field. If everybody treated every allergy like that, it would make this a lot easier.”  

Scales, the dietician, spoke about the dangers of cross contamination that can result from restaurants not taking proper precautions.  

“The amount of gluten that can fit on the head of a writing pen; you might not be able to see that, but it’s enough to cause a reaction,” Scales said.  

But at places like Tru Pizza or Minning’s bakery, the fear of cross contamination is nearly eliminated. Minning said she finds fulfillment in being able to give back to her community and hopes to see more gluten-free establishments in the future.  

“I love the people who come in here, the stories that we’re able to share,” Minning said, “we’re able to hug, cry, laugh, smile, all of the things that I definitely don’t think that I would be getting out of it if I was doing regular food.”   

Minning said she understands why most restaurants don’t take the risk of trying to accommodate celiac, but she sees a huge reward in it for those who do.