Men in Russia's Far East prefer self-help and manga over classic prose in 2025

A new study by the Chitai-Gorod bookstore chain reveals the reading habits of men in Russia's Far East for 2025. Self-help, psychology, and business books lead the list, making up a quarter of their choices. Meanwhile, classic Russian and foreign prose still holds a strong position, though it sits behind manga in popularity.

The survey shows that practical literature dominates the market. Self-help, psychology, and business books take the top spot with 25% of preferences. History, philosophy, and sociology follow further behind, accounting for just 10% of reading choices.

Fiction preferences vary widely. George Orwell's *1984* ranks as the most purchased novel among men in the region. Genki Kawamura's *If Cats Disappeared from the World* comes in second, while Andrzej Sapkowski's *The Tower of the Swallow* takes third place. When it comes to authors, Fyodor Dostoevsky leads as the most popular writer. Andrzej Sapkowski follows as the second favourite. Russian and foreign classic prose remains a steady choice, holding third place overall with 15% of preferences. Foreign science fiction trails slightly behind, making up 12% of the reading list. Manga secures its position as the second most popular genre, though no public data tracks its growth over the past five years. The study does not provide comparisons with earlier trends, leaving shifts in popularity unclear.

The findings highlight a mix of practical and literary interests among male readers in the Far East. Self-help and business books dominate, but classic literature and contemporary fiction still attract significant attention. The absence of long-term data on manga, however, means its rising or declining trend remains unknown.