Books make great speech topics. They give you endless material to work with—stories, themes, characters, and ideas that connect with any audience. A well-chosen book topic turns your speech into something people actually want to hear.
Think beyond plot summaries. Books spark debates about society, human nature, and the future. They teach history through personal stories. They show different cultures and perspectives. Your speech can use these angles to engage people who might not even consider themselves readers.
The best topic comes from a book that changed your thinking or stayed with you long after reading. When you speak about something that genuinely matters to you, your audience feels it. That authentic connection beats any perfectly crafted topic every time.
Speech Topics about Books
Here are twenty fresh angles that’ll help you create a talk people actually want to hear.
Some are funny, some are serious, and all of them will give your audience something to think about long after you’re done speaking.
1. Reading Romance Novels Actually Makes You Smarter
Forget what people say about “trashy” romance books. These stories teach emotional intelligence better than most psychology textbooks. When you read about healthy relationships and communication, your brain practices those skills even when you’re just enjoying a fun story.
Your speech could start with the most ridiculous romance novel title you can find, then surprise everyone with research about how romance readers have better relationship skills. End by challenging people to give the genre a real chance.
2. Why Kids Who Read Harry Potter Grew Up More Tolerant
Something interesting happened to the generation that grew up with Harry Potter—they became more accepting of people who are different. Scientists actually studied this and found that kids who identified with Harry were more likely to stand up for minorities and outsiders later in life.
Talk about how stories shape us without us even realizing it. Use Harry Potter because everyone knows it, but mention other books that had similar effects. Make your audience think about what stories influenced who they became.
3. The Weirdest Things People Use as Bookmarks
People have found everything from bacon strips to divorce papers tucked between book pages. Libraries have entire collections of weird bookmark discoveries. It sounds silly, but these random objects tell stories about readers’ lives in ways the actual books never could.
This is your chance to be playful. Ask your audience what they’ve used as bookmarks, then share the strangest findings from library workers. Connect it to how reading fits into our messy, everyday lives instead of happening in some perfect bubble.
4. How Amazon Accidentally Saved Independent Bookstores
Everyone thought Amazon would kill small bookstores. Instead, something unexpected happened—indie bookstore sales are growing faster than they have in decades. Turns out, people missed browsing and talking to humans who actually read books.
Start with the doom-and-gloom predictions everyone made, then reveal the plot twist. Explain why physical bookstores offer something the internet can’t. Give people hope about supporting local businesses while being honest about what makes a difference.
5. Your Favorite Childhood Book Probably Has a Dark Secret
Ever go back and read a kids’ book as an adult? Prepare to be disturbed. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is basically about child torture, and don’t get me started on the original fairy tales. We gave these stories to children without thinking twice about what they say.
Pick one beloved children’s book and break down its problematic messages in a way that’s more funny than horrifying. Help parents understand why paying attention to these stories matters without making them feel guilty about books they loved.
6. Book Hoarding is a Real Thing (And You Might Have It)
Some people collect books they’ll never read the same way others collect shoes they’ll never wear. Your towering TBR pile might be less about loving reading and more about wanting to be the kind of person who reads all those books.
Be gentle here because book hoarding is real and can cause shame. Share the psychology behind why we buy books we don’t read, then offer practical solutions that don’t involve throwing books away. Make it okay to be human about reading habits.
7. Libraries Are Doing Things That Would Blow Your Mind
Your local library probably offers way more than books these days. We’re talking job training, 3D printing, cooking classes, tax help, and even social workers. Some libraries loan out tools, musical instruments, and fishing poles. They’ve become community centers that happen to have books.
This works great as a “bet you didn’t know” speech. Contact your local library beforehand and get specific examples of their weirdest or coolest services. Challenge people to visit and discover what they’ve been missing.
8. Why Audiobooks Count as “Real” Reading (Fight Me)
The great audiobook debate brings out strong feelings in people. Some folks insist it’s cheating, while others point out that humans told stories out loud for thousands of years before anyone invented writing. Your brain doesn’t really care if the words come through your eyes or ears.
Address the snobbery head-on but keep it light. Share research about comprehension and retention, but also talk about how audiobooks make reading accessible for people with dyslexia, visual impairments, or busy lives. Make the case without being preachy.
9. Banned Books Are Usually the Ones Worth Reading
Look at any list of frequently banned books and you’ll find some of the most important literature ever written. To Kill a Mockingbird, The Handmaid’s Tale, Thirteen Reasons Why—controversial books often tackle the big questions that make people uncomfortable.
Present recent book banning statistics without getting too political. Focus on specific titles your audience knows and explain why someone wanted them removed. Help people understand that controversy often signals books worth discussing, not avoiding.
10. Bookstagram is Changing How We Choose What to Read
Those gorgeous book photos on Instagram aren’t just pretty—they’re influencing what millions of people read next. Beautiful covers and aesthetic feeds are becoming more important than reviews or recommendations from friends. It’s turning book selection into a visual experience.
Show examples of popular bookstagram accounts and discuss how this affects authors and publishers. Talk about the good (diverse recommendations, reading communities) and the not-so-good (judging books by covers, literally). Keep it balanced and fun.
11. Some Authors Are Making Bank, Others Are Eating Ramen
The publishing world has extreme income inequality that would shock most readers. While a few authors buy mansions, most published writers earn less than baristas. The rise of self-publishing has made it easier to get published but harder to make a living from writing.
Share specific numbers about author earnings that will surprise your audience. Explain how the industry actually works versus what people imagine. End with ways readers can better support the writers they love beyond just buying books.
12. Your Reading Speed Doesn’t Matter (But Everyone Thinks It Does)
Social media has turned reading into a competition. People brag about reading 100 books a year or shame themselves for being “slow” readers. Speed reading courses promise to turn you into a human scanner, but faster isn’t always better when it comes to actually understanding and enjoying what you read.
Challenge the idea that reading faster equals reading better. Share stories from slow readers who get more from books than speed demons. Help people permit themselves to read at their own pace without feeling guilty.
13. E-readers vs. Paper Books: The Environmental Truth
Everyone assumes e-readers are better for the environment, but the answer is more complicated than you’d think. Making a Kindle produces about the same carbon footprint as 40 books. So unless you read more than that, paper might actually be greener. But wait, there’s more to consider.
Break down the environmental math in simple terms without making people feel bad about their choices. Include factors like shipping, recycling, and how long devices last. Give practical advice for readers who want to be more eco-friendly.
14. Writers’ Rooms Reveal How Books Really Get Made
Stephen King writes in a basement with heavy metal blasting. Maya Angelou rented a hotel room with nothing but a Bible, thesaurus, and yellow legal pads. Some authors need complete silence while others write in coffee shops. These quirky habits reveal truths about the creative process.
Collect interesting stories about famous authors’ writing habits and spaces. Connect these details to larger points about creativity and productivity. Help aspiring writers understand that there’s no “right” way to write a book.
15. Book Clubs Are Therapy Sessions in Disguise
Sure, book clubs discuss plots and characters, but they really permit people to talk about their own lives through someone else’s story. Members often say their book club friends know them better than their regular friends because books create deeper conversations than small talk.
Share research about book clubs’ mental health benefits, but focus on personal stories and testimonials. Explain how discussing fictional problems helps people process real ones. Encourage people to start or join book clubs for reasons beyond just reading.
16. Rereading Books Reveals Who You’ve Become
The same book can feel completely different when you read it at different stages of life. What seemed romantic at 16 might feel creepy at 30. Books you once loved might bore you now, while others reveal depths you missed the first time. You’re basically time-traveling through your own growth.
Use personal examples or survey your audience about books they’ve reread. Explain the psychology behind why this happens. Encourage people to revisit old favorites and notice what’s changed—both in the book and in themselves.
17. Public Domain Books Are Free Gold Mine
Some of the best books ever written cost nothing because their copyrights expired. Pride and Prejudice, Dracula, The Great Gatsby—all free and legal to download. Publishers repackage these classics with fancy covers and charge full price for books you can get for nothing.
Show your audience how to find free classics and explain why copyright expires. Make it practical by recommending specific sites and apps. Help people build impressive personal libraries without spending money while discovering books they might have skipped in school.
18. Marginalia Turns Reading Into Conversation
Writing in books used to be normal—scholars expected their students to fill margins with thoughts and questions. Now people treat books like museum pieces that might lose value if you write in them. But those scribbled notes create a dialogue between you and the author that makes reading way more engaging.
Address the “don’t write in books” taboo directly. Share examples of famous marginalia and explain how note-taking improves comprehension. Give permission to treat books as tools for thinking, not just decoration.
19. Translation Changes Everything About a Book
Every translated book is basically a new creation. Translators make thousands of tiny decisions that affect how you experience the story. Some jokes don’t work across languages, some cultural references need explaining, and sometimes entire meanings shift. You’re not reading the original—you’re reading someone’s interpretation.
Pick a famous translated work and show how different translations vary. Explain why this matters without making people paranoid about every foreign book they’ve enjoyed. Help readers appreciate translators as creative partners, not just word-swappers.
20. Books Still Smell Better Than Screens
That new book smell comes from chemicals in paper and ink, while old book smell develops as materials break down over time. Scientists have identified the exact compounds, but knowing the chemistry doesn’t make the experience less magical. Physical books engage your senses in ways screens simply can’t match.
End with sensory details that will make people want to go home and smell their books. Connect the physical experience to emotional memories of reading. Make the case for keeping some books in physical form without dismissing digital reading entirely.
Wrapping Up
Pick whichever topic made you think “oh, I want to talk about that!” Your enthusiasm matters more than choosing the “best” topic from this list. When you care about what you’re saying, your audience will care too.
These topics work because they take familiar things—books, reading, stories—and look at them from angles people haven’t considered before. That’s your secret weapon for any speech: find the unexpected angle that makes people see something ordinary in a completely new way.