They’re selling out on the shelves, but they’re neither novels nor video games. Holiday notebooks for adults, long anecdotal, are enjoying unexpected success. In 2025, 650,000 copies were sold in France. A figure that surprises as much as it intrigues.
Behind this phenomenon, an unnoticed detail changes everything: these booklets, thought of as simple entertainment, have become a refuge from the screens. And for many, a very concrete return to forgotten sensations.
The discreet return of a forgotten childhood pleasure
Flip through a notebook, hold a pen, fill in boxes. The gesture seems banal, but it really isn’t anymore. For many adults, writing by hand has become rare. Holiday notebooks reactivate this direct link with paper, often associated with summer memories.
This nostalgic dimension plays a key role. Users describe a familiar moment: a quiet time, without pressure, far from the usual rhythm. Dictations, quizzes or word games recall a time when learning was done in small doses, without challenge.
A short format that replaces screens effortlessly
Unlike a classic book, the notebook can be pecked. An exercise lasts a few minutes. One page may be enough. This fragmented format adapts perfectly to current habits, marked by short attention spans.
Result: it becomes a natural alternative to the smartphone. Opening a notebook easily replaces a few minutes of scrolling. Without notification, without permanent solicitation. Just a moment of light concentration, accessible everywhere.
Stimulate your memory without pressure or constraint
Another key to success: the total absence of obligation. No objective, no expected performance. The exercises invite you to dig into your memories, test your general knowledge or play with words, without ever imposing sanctions.
For some, it’s also a simple way to exercise your memory. Questionnaires encourage remembering, thinking, making connections. All in a fun setting, which you can practice alone, in pairs or as a family.