has reading become competitive???

reading goals, page counts, trying to stay relevant .. have we accidentally made reading a competition??
Not a "Proper" Reader video: • Not A "Proper" Reader?
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[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

yes yes yes yes yes yes. I feel like everyone is trying so hard to beat the next person... JUST READ FOR THE LOVE OF READING DANG IT

[@donnakirby6998]

Jay G. that's my feeling exactly. I don't have a youtube channel and I never will but I follow so many excellent booktubers. I get so many excellent book suggestions. I love to read and I'm not in competition with anyone, including myself. I just love reading, for my own enjoyment and my own escape to another time and place.

[@haleciar]

Going off on what you said about other forms of entertainment like movies and music...imagine if we treated movies and music the same in regards to rereads. People don't want to reread books because they feel they should use that time more wisely reading the newest book to reach their goal/keep up with the treads. HOWEVER one would never say "Oh I'm not going to listen to that song again because I need to listen to the newest hits." OR "I've seen that movie once I don't have time to watch it again because I need to go make time to see this new film." We treat it completely different it's so interesting! We all have that one song we played on repeat for weeks so how come we don't do that with books???? Because of the high expectations we place on ourselves and the added pressure of competitive reading. Idk what anyone say rereads are fantastic!

[@tashsouthwell762]

That is such a good point!

[@shannonquinn]

I love this video! I can only speak for myself, but I watch your channel specifically BECAUSE you read things that are not always mainstream/hyped books. I can watch any of 100 other booktube channels if I want to know a synopsis or general thoughts on the latest new YA release. I watch your channel for something different. You choose books I have likely not heard of elsewhere, you have amazing insights and thoughts about what you read, and incredibly interesting, articulate, and insightful thoughts on other topics as well. No disrespect to other channels, they are completely free to do as they wish and as long as they're happy, it's awesome, but I watch your videos because you're NOT every other channel, if that makes sense. I don't care how many books you read or if you reread books too, as long as you're excited about what you choose each time you pick up a book, that's all that matters. Sorry I rambled. 😞. Take care!! Xoxo

[@ArielBissett]

Shannon Quinn 🙈🙈🙈 you are too lovely to me!!! I’m so glad that you’re finding something valuable on my channel 💕💕

[@sonjawilhelm4318]

Shannon Quinn I 100% agree with this!!! Ariel’s channel is so interesting and unique and different and that’s exactly what I love about it!

[@CristinaHernandez-gs4rx]

I'm here because of this too!! I find her thoughts and book picking fascinating, as I don't really care for YA (not saying it's bad, I just don't really care)

[@AnneleenRoesems]

+

[@saintdonoghue]

SO much great stuff here to think about! Honestly, I don't know what BookTube would do without you.

[@saintdonoghue]

OOOOOH yes, there'll be a response! But there's so much bookish wisdom in this video, I'll hardly know where to start!

[@FrancinaSimone]

You two really are my go to’s for booktuber 😂

[@thuntz29]

Steve Donoghue I love you Steve. But I wonder if you have the same perspective than the average booktuber? You are what we aspire to become. A fast reader that gets to read all the new books, reread all the wonderful classics aaaand read pop books like romance and horror... ☹️ can you understand our pain of wanting to read faster, better and more books? Ahh I think you need to make a course on Steve-speed reading.

[@BiblioAtlas]

* waves hand with auction sign * 2nd the Steve-speed reading!

[@dumitruvasilica8647]

It would be better

[@lukem118]

Yes! There are some hardcore readers on here. I only read 17 this year & for that I'm proud 😀

[@priyankandatta5644]

which is 17 more than what i had read from 2011-2020. i started reading this may. so far i have read 5

[@eleya11]

I'm so here for booktubers reading random, unpopular books! Short stories, Vietnamese myths, 17th century philosophy, crime novels from Kenya, Frida Kahlo biographies! Could this please be a new series? I just bought an autobiography about an American dude who accidentally had to join the Korean army so I could totally join the movement 😂😂

[@Behorn14]

From an outsider casual viewer perspective booktube kinda seems like a big book club where people talk about pretty much the same books which is ok, but not a lot of diversity. Who cares if a book is trendy or not read and talk about books that you want.

[@kw4898]

I agree, I had to do a lot of digging to find booktubers who read things I was interested in. While looking for those channels I found plenty of videos of people bashing those who read classics or non-fiction, as if that's some huge number of people on booktube. I guess the fact that most booktubers read things I'm not interested in keeps me from feeling competitive with them. When I find things I'm interested in, I just add them to my list and move on.

[@aless.andra9620]

Do you mean diversity of representation, or diversity of literature genres/styles? The last one is really an issue for me. I love 20-century literary fiction (not historical fiction about 20th century), but because many booktubers want to stay relevant, they often read only newly published books (and sometimes THE classics, but mostly because it's something trendy to do).

[@tintin5013]

I am all for weekly rants. I feel like there's an irrational prejudice against older people reading books geared towards younger audiences. Personally I adore middle grade and children's books because the worlds are fantastically simple. I really enjoy your family videos, keep making more please!

[@gabbychiera8816]

TresfanC yesss! Middle grade is the best!

[@iorekbyrnison1]

I sometimes get this attitude from patrons at my library when I tell them I love reading children's books. Children's books and Middle Grade novels can be gorgeous and imaginative. Their length or age level doesn't diminish them.

[@naughtscrossstitches]

I read the treehouse books when my kids got into them and handed them to my father to read. Yeah it takes me only half an hour to read a book but I enjoy it and sit there laughing at the stuff in the book. Why not?

[@gerandpa6417]

Oh my god I can't stand when people say that they "can't" reread books. People should just read what they want! Rereads have gotten me out of reading slumps, which means that rereading has probably allowed me to read more than I would have without rereading! Funny enough, I think people would actually read more books if they just felt like they were allowed to read what they want. P.S. I reread a book 3 times in November and it felt great!

[@racheldemain1940]

I have one or two I re-read because I love the book or it's a comfort read when I am feeling down or poorly and turn to an old favourite or because I struggled with it the first time and want to try again.

[@shannont3115]

Not really relevant to the entire video, but I'd like to thank you for that little "this is the kind of video you put on in the background whilst you're cleaning your room" because that was actually enough motivation for me to get out of bed and start tidying..

[@Kirgaby]

I was doing my homework and I thought "Great!"

[@alinareadsanddrinks9235]

I agree with you when you said you feel the pressure to read certain books because of hype. I am African American and I feel the added pressure to read The Hate You Give even though I don't particularly care to read it myself. I do think the topic is important and I'm happy to hear people reading and loving it but I just don't want to read certain books even when they are so hyped! Lol Some genres and topics I'm just not interested in reading at the moment but I constantly feel like I should be reading the hype books instead of the books that genuinely interest me. But then there is a limited amount of people who have read the book I am interested in reading so it limits my option to discuss other books with people unless it's the hyped books 😩

[@ArielBissett]

AlinaReadsThat Thanks for commenting, I find this so fascinating! I also find myself feeling that pressure to read certain books even though I realize if nobody knew what I was reading, I probably wouldn’t bother!

[@alinareadsanddrinks9235]

Ariel Bissett yes! It's like your brain starts debating whether to read a book to join in on the conversations everyone is having or read a book that potentially no one is talking about BUT could be your next favorite book. The struggle is real lol most times I just read what ever I feel and try not to fight myself on it because then I go into a book slump

[@phyllis1744]

I feel that same pressure too, people were talking about how much they loved sing, unburied, sing and how it made them cry but I didn't like it. I almost didn't want to post my review on goodreads because I felt like I had to support it. While I do want to read more books about marginalized people, I don't want to feel like I have to read it and give it a good review.

[@alinareadsanddrinks9235]

Phyllis Turner I hate that feeling! But I think if we post our honest reviews there would most likely be one other person out there who agrees! If no one agrees then it's okay because everyone has different reading taste right

[@lucylume]

I'm the same with The Hate You Give x everyone calls it the 'important' read, you have to read it because of it's themes but I just honestly am not interested in it and it makes me feel bad x it's so silly really x

[@rewildwithus]

YESSSS! This is great. I read so many books during my undergrad (most of which I had to read) and during those 4 years I fell out of love with reading and I was so disappointing by the time I graduated. I started questioning everything. Reading was such a huge part of my life and then I almost resented it. I didn't start reading again until a few months ago because I was so caught up in reading what would be impressive or what other people liked. Once I gave that up and started reading what I found interesting...everything changed! I found my passion again and I'm very excited about it.

[@breannenance3776]

One thing about challenges that stress me out are the ones with specific things like “read a book that is more than 500 pages” or “read a book that will make you cry” like I don’t want to read a book that’ll make me cry. But then I feel that I’m not doing the challenges properly and a failure. This video totally resonated with me.

[@thesecretreader]

L O V I N G these new videos Ariel! I'm not even officially a part of booktube, but I still find my self relating a lot to what you´re talking about. I find that I get annoyed at myself when I haven't read in a certain amount of days/weeks, like I'm failing at reading, which is just stupid. I read because I love it, and just like you I love re-reading my favourites, but I still get wrapped up in this "need to read 50 books/year" or "you should read these books because they should be read" etc etc... This video has really inspired me to stop shaming myself for not reading "as much as I should", and to just set my yearly goal as "read what I want, when I want", because reading is something I love so much, and I really don't want it to feel like a "task" rather than an enjoyment, so thank you! x

[@harithaolaganathan8895]

This is an incredible video yet I have to be shallow person that comments on your beautiful hair!

[@ArielBissett]

That still makes me happy, haha!

[@bettyreads222]

That relevancy issue is so real. I used to buy a bunch of books, many of which I haven't even gotten to, because of the hype and the last 2-3 years I've gotten better at getting away from that. It's wild when you realize that you're comparing/competing without even meaning to so when I realized that years ago, I'm going to read what's calling me, not just what is being talked about. Great video, Ariel.

[@ArielBissett]

bettyreads Thanks, Betty! I love that you’re still in my comment section after all this time! 💕

[@anijathomas138]

I’m guilty for doing this!!!! My books has TRIPLED in size because of booktube. I need to pick up a book because I want to and not because someone says so.

[@emmyrose77]

A side topic that I think coincides with feeling like reading is a race; is people being afraid of DNF-ing books. So often I see people, whether on booktube or in reviews on goodreads, saying 'I really had to push myself to finish the last X amount of pgs' etc. Then they give the book 2 stars. I just hate that there's this imaginary rule that says 'You must read every book you start'. Reading is supposed to be fun not a chore. If the book sucks put it down or grab a new one, you're not a bad person for doing so. You know what you like. Would love to hear your thoughts on this as well in another chatty vlog/vid thing :).

[@osotegreat]

Super old comment, but I wanted to reply. I personally try not to DNF books because to me, the whole point of reading is gaining perspectives, and finishing is a part of that. For example, I spent six months reading a biography of Alan Turing, and I was really glad I pushed through it, because I learned a lot. I totally respect people who do DNF books, but for me, I am missing out of someone's perspective.

[@emmyrose77]

@@osotegreat ...ok.

[@leannmiller7974]

I enjoy the channels that read whatever they like to read. I understand that friends seem to read the same books so they can share and chat with one another about it, but you need to be you. I enjoy these type of videos you film. Very thought provoking.

[@athenarose5103]

I LOVE this discussion because I feel the same way. I feel like reading should be a way to connect and enjoy and love and mull over. And there is always this pressure that all these good books are being published every day and that you have to read them. I know I feel this pressure often and I want to stop listening to it, but I feel bad when I want to read this one book slowly and leave the rest of my books on my shelf to collect dust. And I wish I spent more time reading for the sake of reading and gaining insight and just to love the time I spend doing it, but like you school gets stressful and its difficult to spend the time i want to on reading. This entire video was just me nodding along and agreeing and I cant wait for more of these in depth book discussions.

[@ArielBissett]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it and found something valuable in it!! And that after all of this chatter you still want more, hahaha!

[@bethanyfletcher5129]

It is always a mini competition between me and my sister throughout the year. We set the same goal (80 books) and see who can get closest. It isn’t serious, just fun. But I work a lot and she is at school in her exam year so we don’t have all the time in the world. It isn’t the goal to reach 80 it is just to encourage each other along and read as much as we can. We enjoy much the same stuff as well so she always uses my books so we can always talk about them together. It’s fun and engaging and just adds another level to my favourite hobby.

[@sshep0904]

Re-reading is important in itself... there is only so much your short memory can retain and by re-reading you're helping give it an opportunity to transfer to the long term memory that's according to Information Processing Theory. So quality as you say is important over quantity. The importance is the content and analysis you get from a book not just to say "oh I've read it" with no critical analysis. That's my opinion anyway. Keep doing you!! You're doing great! :)

[@racheldemain1940]

I reread old favourites, books I struggled with on the first attempt when I am in a better place.

[@captaininki]

I feel this so much. I love using good reads to keep track of my own reading but I'm scared of looking at my friends' reading challenges because it makes me feel bad that to see I've read less books in a year then them. It always makes me feel like I'm a bad reader because maybe I don't put as much time into reading or I don't read as fast as others. But really I just wanna enjoy the books I read and read them at my own pace. I also love rereading books, I reread my favourite children's books series this summer for the first time in ten years and it made me so happy to revisit those old favourites! ♡ Love these chatty videos and look forward to see more like them :)

[@chloepenguins]

"every year is different!" in 2014 i read 54 books, 2015 i probably read 15 meanwhile this year i've read around 25? so it really depends!!!!! this is such a great conversation i often feel so pressured to read so many books BUT THERE'S WAYYY TOO MANY HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THE GOOD BOOKS???? i barely have enough time for school work :/?? i loved this!!!!

[@NerdWatchJinxy]

I needed this video right now! I have read more pages this year than I ever have, and yet according to Goodreads, I am behind on my "goals." You /understand/. Thank you for posting this!!!

[@alternativetime2778]

In August, I've read 11 books. At first, I was so proud of myself but as time went by, I felt like I had wasted those books. I felt like I wasted the experience of reading such amazing books for the first time. Sure I can re read them, but you know its never really the same. It was really because of book tube, etc. I felt pressure. I felt like I have to be faster. It was horrible. Thanks for the amazing video❤❤!

[@Pepperroni08]

That's so relatable! Like, I'm proud of myself when I read one book per month because I'm such a slow reader so... these reading-goals of like "100 books a year" are beyond impossible for me. But so what? Everyone has their own pace, reading should'nt be a challenge.

[@desdemona42]

Ariel, you have hit the nail on the head! I find it so sad that there are so many booktubers that the number has become more important than the books themselves. Why is the goal really that important? My sister is a booktuber and she did a challenge where she read a book a week for a year and she found that she spent very little time doing the other things she loves because she had made the commitment. This year, she is reading books that she picks out of a jar and is taking her time time with reading them and is much happier that way. It's a lot of pressure. I myself have found that pressure to read as being a product of watching booktubers and I actively have to turn that off in my brain when I read. Its such a nicer experience that way. Great video! Thank you!!

[@Mother_of_Pigeons]

I really appreciated this video. I think the context can even extend to a lot of readers opinions on audio books. I love to listen to audiobooks as much as I love to physically read a book. It's the only way I can "read" as much as I want to with my job, (I am a janitor) and it works better with my busy schedule. I just pop in an earbud and listen to a book all day while I work. I think sometimes I feel afraid to be active in the book community because I am not "consuming" the story the right way. This video was just what I needed today. Keep up the great content! :)

[@blevisky]

i love getting home from school to 25-min videos from my favorites yeaaahhh

[@blevisky]

btw hell yes to weekly rants

[@ArielBissett]

It’s a thing now hahaha

[@susanoxburgh8835]

I totally understand it's disheartening knowing you're getting fewer views and likes, but honestly, I only subscribed to you after you moved away from mostly YA - it's so great to watch someone with such varied interests and tastes because I feel I actually have a chance of finding something new I want to read. This year I've picked up two Orwell novels because of you alone, and they were awesome! I've also been feeling the pressure regarding reading what's 'current', so in 2018 as a way to counteract that I'm running #readingfromhome through Tumblr and possibly KZbin, where I'm aiming to only read books I already own, whether that be my physical TBR or re-reads of favourites. Thank you for making this video, hope the masters is going well!

[@modestysnooze6154]

This is so interesting! I was a keen reader until my early twenties, when I accidentally got a job in a bookshop. Fifteen years, five shops and two school libraries later, books are such a massive part of my identity that reading isn't something I can choose anymore. And I'm so grateful to have a career I love and spend so much of my time talking about books, but between various work projects, reviews for a professional publication, and the 'oh you must read...' recommendations from well meaning people, I rarely get to decide what I read next. Your video has inspired me to next year 'reclaim my reading' and try to make sure I get a bit more in for me. Thanks Ariel!

[@maelle.c.]

Ahhhh I loved this video so much ! I agree with everything ! I think about this a lot, because at the same time I'm saying to myself : it's okay to read only 1 or 2 books each month. But at the same time I try to set goals for myself to read a certain amount of books each month and I feel bad when I don't. And even if I'm not a booktuber, I still feel a pressure to read popular books because everybody else is reading them. I asked myself the other day : When was the last time I picked up a book at the bookstore just because it seemed cool ? And it's been such a long time. We put so much pressure on ourself to do something that we love doing and it's weird when you put it like that because why ?? Again, great video !

[@snailfren]

I honestly feel like booktube has a huge impact on the competitive nature of reading now. It’s kind of stressful but I try not to compare myself to booktubers.

[@mikechuma1]

Nina Vo I agree. You see these videos where folks read 17 books a month and a part of me is jealous that I can’t read that much too. How do they do that? So in a way that is creating the challenge within ourselves to meet those numbers too.

[@racheldemain1940]

I don't read as quickly as I did when I was younger but it doesn't matter,I am reading that's the important thing to me.

[@chekbooklat4015]

I am a new parent I gave birth in september and I wasnt able to read anything for two months but that's okay because my priority, of course, is my son. I agree with everything you said. Thank you for bringing this up!

[@wanderflock]

I still feel like I've discovered booktube only recently even though it's about 2 years now and I'm so grateful this community exists! I feel like it has helped my reading a lot. Not only did I get a ton of wonderful recommendations for books I wouldn't have otherwise known about, but this competitiveness helped me push myself and realize I can read 50 and even 100 books a year. Granted, I have the time to do that. And granted I've only did it for a bit. But I totally agree with you on the downside of this competitiveness. I don't feel like a bad person, but I definitely feel not relevant for not having read "the hate they give". At the same time the more people talk about it the more wary of it I become. Then again you have to factor in the popularity or outreach and thus power the booktube has gathered. There are plenty of channels or videos promoting certain books. I have to say I became addicted to reviews and ratings and I don't remember the last time I bought a fiction book without checking it's standing. Which of course is ridiculous, and the goodreads statistics is incredibly skewed. Yet, here I am checking every time. Or getting a book because of a favourite booktuber review (thanks again for "so you've been publicly shamed :) ) One thing I most definitely don't like, and I feel like it falls within the book competition, is book hauls. The popularity of this genre on booktube feels incredibly ugly to me. I don't think there's anything but ego-stroking and performance there. It makes me feel jealous, even though I know I wouldn't been doing it even if I had the option. And it makes feel sad more. I wish we talked more about what we read and how it made us feel, and less about how many book we bought, and how we then arranged them on our bookshelves. Thanks for doing these talkative videos, Ariel!

[@kvinettaf09]

I love your discussion Ariel, and I think it's so important to talk about things that are there that are impacting the booktube community and readers, not always in the best way! And i totally agree with what you're saying about the competitiveness, and I think it can be not necessarily a positive pressure on people. But I must say that for me, I do agree with that aspect but i feel that I'm not actually too effected by it. I think I've always decided since I started watching booktube that I don't buy into comparing myself to these more well equipped readers, more experienced, capable or faster, because I did recognise it as unhealthy. But I did feel a healthy pressure, a motivation inspired by booktubers for me, that you are able to make reading such a part of your life. To be honest, I didn't grow up as a reader, I would have trouble finishing books and almost didn't understand the point of it until a couple of yrs ago (I'm 21 now) when I was going through a rough time mentally and emotionally and felt quite isolated - I feel like I have always been a lover of knowledge and information and LOVE stories, and moved by them, but only then did I realise the incredible connection one can have to them by reading. I'm the sort of person that reads to experience, know and feel as much as I can. I seriously just want to read all the books that I can, and I actually dislike the feeling of seeing a book sit there that I haven't read knowing that I haven't delved into what that person has to share. Wow this is long, but pretty much Booktube for me has inspired me as a reader, and I feel like I am able to gain healthy pressure and motivation from it - I love so much that I can find out about other books, that use to be one of my struggles as a reader - I wanted to know what was out there, what it brought to the table etc. And like you i am always scouting for gems, and books that will bring something good into my life, a perspective, adventure, a learning, a lesson that I haven't experienced before and I think would be worth experiencing. Apologies for the lengthiness of this rant, but listening to you has inspired me to share my opinion and experience! As always, thank you Ariel for creating this kind of thought and discussion xx

[@kittyyourock]

I think there’s a reason behind competition. For example, good reads insists you to choose a number of books per year for your challenge. It helps publishers and authors alike to make MONEY 💵 By making people think they need a high number of books to be successful, they are pressured to actually go and buy these books.

[@Misaitou]

I have seen only 3 of your videos, and I love that you talk of diferent things than the others booktubers (the same YA recomendations, the same book hauls, i can even recognise the books on the shelves). Regardeless of liking the same things you recommend, I like the diversity of contents. So, I'm in! Keep it up with the original content! (Sorry for my english!)

[@Spiritbro77]

I think it has in some ways, also I think a lot of booktubers, in trying to keep up with the newest releases, are missing out on books that were released in the past. Unless a book is considered a "classic" older books aren't really thought to be relevant or worthy of consideration for reading. It's always about the latest release. I understand why, but it is sad that some awesome books are overlooked because they were released in the past. :)

[@musicandloveismylive]

I am just reading Harry Potter for the first time and also because I really wanted to read them but also when I told a person that I have not read them yet, they would look at me with such a judgmental look. And don't get me wrong, I am really enjoying them, especially the last few books, but I think it could have been way more enjoyable for me if I would have gone into these books without a huge stigma (can I say that?) and praise around them. So ye, I can really see where you are coming from Ariel!!

[@lanebot]

3 years later and this is even more relevant now than it was when this was uploaded. thank you for this conversation! I feel validated by this rant :,) love your vids! and hope your move is safe and easy! sending love from detroit!

[@malloryanderson9098]

this is kinda why I don't make goals for myself ... I have childhood issues revolving around lists. but I will make large piles of books like I would did as a child and then I just pick out whatever I want. sure I'll record them or take a picture of a stack at the end of the month. but I avoid putting expectations on myself. especially unattainable expectations. thanks for the videos 😊

[@mimik9948]

I love the way you speak :)

[@ArielBissett]

Thank you 🙈

[@racheldemain1940]

So do I, you are so funny 😅

[@BespectacledBookGirl]

Hi book people! I have also thought about the relevance, as you say here, of what's on the tbr pile. I also love seeing buzz around books and really enjoy seeing people's thoughts on books in general, but especially on ones I might not want to read myself. It's a win win, because I am curious but only semi committal to certain genres. I don't think in any way that my book interests are any better than what's buzzy on booktube, but I usually enjoy the buzz and the commentary more than the books themselves, which has at times made me question what type of booktube/bookstagram content I should be producing, if at all (returning to the question of if we are or aren't proper readers). I'm trying to get back into my bookstagram and just enjoy using it as a log of what I'm reading, much like I enjoy other people's accounts, and take the pressure off myself to read books I don't want to read just so I can be in on the trends. Thanks, Ariel, for the encouragement to remain fluid and flexible with the reading goals we set for ourselves! Happy reading everyone!

[@hermionebenson8366]

Yes I think reading has become too competitive. I’ve honestly felt that way before I ever discovered booktube, or book bloggers or anything like that. I’ve always felt self conscious about my reading speed, and I remember back in middle school trying to read faster and faster to read as quick or (hopefully) quicker than my friends (I’m glad KZbin didn’t exist back then because the pressure would have prob been greater!!). Now that I review books on my blog from time to time, I feel pressure to try and read quickly so that I can review books in a timely fashion. I absolutely think it takes away from my enjoyment and recently, I’ve tried to stop this behavior. I’m a grad student so pleasure reading has definitely waned, and now I’m trying to stop myself from putting all this pressure on myself to read FASTER. Instead of trying to read x number of books on my breaks, I’m trying really hard to just enjoy my reading. I have a lot of different hobbies and I’m trying to stop stressing over my efficiency in terms of giving all my hobbies time. I’m just trying to enjoy my time, and to do what I feel like doing. It’s funny that you’ve posted this ramble because I was actually thinking of discussing this in a blog post! You took the words out of my brain! I’m so with you on this!!

[@rafaelecristyne9025]

I LOVED YOUR video so much! Because that's just something that has bothered me SO MUCH since I discovered booktube and since I joined a online BookClub. I thought it would make me feel part of something and feel embraced by this people who has the same love I have, but now I just feel, like, less, you know? It's just crazy! I feels awesome to know that I'm not the only one with issues about that, so thanks for that!

[@karisthelibrarian1442]

Your comments about relevance made me think about the way classics used to have a certain status among readers, but now new books have usurped that role. Back in the Dark Ages (when I was in school), books didn't have the expiration dates that many of them have now, and an impressive reading list would span centuries. Today, it's almost a race to see who can get an ARC sooner than everyone else, but the hot new book will likely not be remembered the following year. I love reading new releases and keeping up with trends, but I also appreciate the vastness of literary history. We need to find a balance between the two before our throwaway culture expands into the world of books. Thank you for your thought-provoking video!

[@AngelikaRenee]

I have been feeling to same way lately!!I actually deleted my bookstagram account because I was started comparing what I was reading and how fast I was reading with everyone else. It was taking my joy out of reading. I would find myself buying certain books only because it was hyped and not because I actually wanted to read it.

[@lemonlemonster]

For me the challenge has been helpful for getting back into reading BUT I have no desire to do the 50 book challenge. A few years back I set my goal at 12 books, then the next year 15, then 20, and this year 30. I feel like 30 is the upper limit of reading for pleasure and if I were to go higher it would be all competition. I'm able to get to all those lovely books that have been sitting on my Goodreads TBR for years but I'm also not having to speed through books to get to an arbitrary number (at least, an arbitrary number not set by me :)). Who came up with 50 anyway? Why is THAT the number everyone sets as their challenge? Thank you so much for this video, its something I've had in the back of my mind ever since discovering BookTube.

[@pandypuddingpie]

I feel a lot of pressure also and what I end up doing is either stopping reading altogether OR picking up a reread to cleanse the palate and remind me of WHY I started my book blog in the first place. Also, I totally see that my biggest posts are about newly published books but those are generally just promo posts and books that I am NOT interested in reading but I don't let that stop me from picking up obscure nonfiction books about children's literature or robotics. :-)

[@TheLibraryOfSarah]

"It makes it a performance" yes yes yes to this entire video! I find myself reading or not reading certain books- with the thought of "well it'll be on goodreads/booktube for all to see, should I really read this?" =( and then recently, I'm trying so hard to reach my goal for the year- like you said, reading short books and graphic novels, and I found myself continually wanting to re-read an old favorite- a nearly-600-page novel, but I put it aside because there's no way I'll finish it before the end of the year. What the hell!! It has become for me, very much about the number of books rather than enjoying the book. I need to change my mindset somehow. You're so right about all of this, Ariel- great video.

[@ringlófa]

I so agree with everything you said! I especially feel a pressure on booktubers concerning the certain genre of books they read: as you mentionned, YA is the genre that interests most people (currently). And I feel like - at least among some booktubers - that the value of non-fiction books (especially classics) has diminished immensely, because of this pressure of always being relevant enough. Often when booktubers talk about classics for example, I feel like they don't find the genre itself interesting anymore, they rather concentrate on the newest releases. But fortunately, it's the opposite with you, that's one of the reasons I love your channel so much! (Sorry for any grammatical mistakes, I'm not a native speaker.)

[@ricardarighetti]

Exactly, exactly, exactly! Thank you so much for this video! I totally agree and now I will reread one of my favorite books of November. Because it is that good and I want to go back again and again! Love your chatty videos by the way! :)

[@nnbk_fornow]

Girl, you do you. And it's the reason that you do you that I subscribed to you. I have actually not been as interested in YA books as I use to be, and was struggling to branch out to regular fiction books. You are literally the reason why I have started to read outside the scope of YA now. There are certainly books and topics that I agree or disagree with you about, but because you introduce such different books compared to other booktubers is what makes your channel unique and supremely interesting to watch. And I think that's what booktube should fundamentally be about, right? We as the audience, watch you as the content, inform us on new and interesting books. If all the content is the same, then the audience is not getting the full scale of what booktube COULD be. So you do you, girl. Though I don't necessarily agree with everything that has been said in this video, I love hearing your opinions about what you think reading is about to you personally.

[@pompomegranates]

I feel like this all the time. I had to unfollow many book tubers because I felt so pressured that it made me fall out of love with reading. Recently I have been upset with myself for not reading because of exams but the reason I'm upset is not because I'm not going to reach a goal it's because I stare longingly at my bookshelf during my revision time and that should be how I feel about reading, not freaking out about falling behind. Also about rereading, I always felt bad because I spent all of August rereading the throne of glass series by Sarah j Maas in preparation for the newest book in the series but why should I be upset with myself for reading my favourite series again? No one should feel ashamed for reading things that make you feel immensely happy! Reading is a hobby, something that should make you feel happy.

[@iamgeorgekk]

I LOVE your videos like this SO SO SO MUCH! I Love booktube, But I have a really hard time staying relevant enough to relate to so much of it. I honestly just want to talk about books or ideas about literature and such and you have SUCH AMAZING conversations about things I have never thought about! Seriously, I think I talk to my husband about your videos as much as I do about TED talks.... and thats kind of a big deal! Also, I LOVE when you read and talk about non hyped books..... Granted, I am trying to branch out of YA, and finding myself looking for a deeper dialogue and a wider range of genres.... but I LOVE seeing what you are reading and when you talk about other things because it so much inspires me to try and really continue to search out those hidden gems that I love!

[@simplyromii191]

Oh my God! I'm so happy i watched this video! i recently started booktube and I've been having a lot of questions and worries about my reading experience. So i'm truly thankful for your discussion

[@Jen-fantasyandfiction]

I like watching your channel because you're different Ariel. Keep doing you. We're similar in age, and like you I am beginning to branch out from YA (though I still read lots of it). I like watching various booktubers because they all give me a view into different genres. I like some channels for adult reads, some for fantasy, some for contemporary, and some for nonfiction and even middle grade and picture books. I just started casual work at a public library, so I want to familiarize myself with lots of different genres to help patrons find what they need. Don't feel pressured to read books you don't want to, because we're all different and like different things. I was always confused when people get mad because you don't like a certain book. Sure you can be disappointed and can try to convince them otherwise, but you can't/shouldn't be mad or bully someone into liking a book because you like it. I've made the decision this year to not force myself to read a book if I don't like it. DNF for the win. Keep coming with the rants. You're keeping me thinking.

[@maryvandehei]

This is very interesting. That’s what I’ve been thinking about actually.

[@almalovebooks7338]

I think once you add a large forum in which to discuss something it becomes competitive inadvertently. One person has an opinion on a book so the next person reads it to form a rebutal. Then the next person one ups by mentioning another book thus leaving the previous arguments moot. Idk just a humble bookworm myself so I don't play into the competition.

[@lyndeegardner6178]

I love that you don’t just read YA. That’s what drew me to your channel. I miss welldonebooks for that very reason. Keep it up!

[@pitulinlinlin]

Totally agree. I think the books that I like the most are the ones that I have read during two weeks or more. I feel that you interact with the book deeply and it the reading becomes quite meaningful. PD. love these videos, I would really like to be your friend and have these type of conversations during university breaks hahaha

[@MaddieKuruda]

you're absolutely brilliant and i love listening to your thoughts

[@annalisamorelli266]

You managed to phrase my exact thoughts so perfectly. Booktube has helped me get back into reading after a MASSIVE slump, and I am so grateful to the community. But my lifestyle doesn't allow me to "keep up" (I would be superhappy to manage even just one book a month, but most of the time it just doesn't happen). So slowly slowly it has started making me feel miserable, I ended up thinking I didn't even deserve to be called a "reader". I have finally managed to get away from these thoughts and just be content with whatever I can adn want to read, but it makes me feel soooo much more relaxed to hear the same things from you! Thank you!

[@helenasnopek5431]

Thank you for this!! I'm not a "public reader" but even just as someone who's gotten really into BookTube and Bookstagram of late I sometimes get these borderline existential doubts about myself when I'm not reading as much as others I see. Like, I always thought of myself as "a reader," an essential part of my identity, but am I REALLY? Can I really call myself a reader if I like, stay up late talking to my boyfriend instead of reading, or spend time knitting and pursuing other hobbies instead of reading? ...silliness!

[@poseidons9986]

the obvious thing would be the book count or per avarage page count, the better competitivenes could be critically and with yourself and I very much enjoy it. Most of what I'm reading is the so called backlist and very few new releases. Wasn't a big re-reader if at all even before I started a blog ~2,5 years ago, but what has changed is how much I read and since the start of this school year I've almost completely stopped watching movies and TV series to make time for reading

[@mtl199813]

Yes!!! I totally agree. When I first discovered booktube, I bought so many books and ended up with a TBR of 70 books. I ended up putting so much pressure on myself, for no good reason. I've now got 10 books on my TBR, and I'm so chill about rereading and reading new books. I just don't care about quantity anymore, all I care about is loving the books I read.

[@readingatmidnight3040]

I thoroughly enjoyed this video and everything you said in it! There were so many gems of truth in here where I just wanted to scream YES! (but its also 11 pm so I just screamed it in my head) ;) This year I set a goal of 17 books for 2017. It still felt a little stressful at the very beginning but I felt like I was in the same boat. I love Goodreads. Goodreads makes me a more organized person. Also, I actually am so much better at remembering plots and characters and what ive read in general because of it! At the same time I only set my goal now so that im actually reading. You definitely brought up some really great topics. All the love and support!

[@lanibarr7577]

Also please do more videos like this, it’s super interesting and opens up new conversations about things I’ve never considered before. It’s really refreshing to watch and reflect with

[@carolinemeyersohn5223]

I honestly try my best to compare myself to myself only. So I'm always improving if i so desire. That goes for everything, not just reading. I read about 2-3 books a month, and I personally don't feel the pressure to read so much. I have other things besides reading to do in my life, and I'm okay with that. Last year I never heard of booktube and I read 3 book the entire year, mostly because I didn't know what to read, and booktube had helped me solve that problem. I know tons of people reads way more than I do and good for them I like to watch their channels and hear them talk about the books, but I don't feel pressure to read everything, and I don't feel bad if I haven't read something popular yet because I know it's not realistic for where I am in life. If I want to challenge myself, I will, but I'll only compare my reading to what I have done previously. ❤️

[@sophienocturne]

I feel the same way! I feel like most booktubers seem to love YA, specifically YA Fantasy, and even though I'm not particularly interested in that genre, I should still have read all of these books just because of the hype, and then I don't end up buying/reading the books that I genuinely am interested in (which is mostly non-fiction). I feel like there's some weird prejudice against reading older books too - booktubers talk mainly about new books, so I'll feel bad for reading one that came out several years ago, like I'm not relevant enough - it's bizarre.

[@AudreyDeary]

I love your thought process & this video. I finally reached my goal of 25 books in a year for this year--- the last time that happened was my senior year of high school 6 years ago. That made me super proud of myself this year, but also yes... crazy how I race each year to reach that goal... interesting to think about for sure. Thanks for your thoughts :)

[@bilbobaggins5752]

Why isn't re-reading a book included in a book reading count?

[@brigutierrez5249]

Bilbo Baggins Goodreads needs to have that button. I think thay would be so helpful and a much more honest way to rate books. The last 2 years I've 'allowed' myself to re-read my favorite books and I've had to remove it from my shelf and then added it onto it again in order to count it but if be really curious to see how many times I've reread my faves.

[@bethanyfletcher5129]

Goodreads allows it now. I have read A Court if Wings and Ruin 3 times this year and they all counted.

[@brigutierrez5249]

Bethany Fletcher hm. I'll definitely have to pay attention to that on my next re-read

[@lilyturner5840]

Bri Gutierrez They do have rereads counts. It's been active months ago. I've read the Harry Potter series a couple times and it's been added.

[@bilbobaggins5752]

Thank you for your replies. I've not used Goodreads and didn't know the video was about the features specifically offered there.

[@beepboop9976]

I just want to say, I love every single one of your videos. You’re definitely one of my favourite youtubers in general, not just book tubers

[@TotallyWicked10]

It's interesting to think about the effect Booktube has on one's reading.... When i discovered booktube it was 2014, I had just graduated college and I was getting back into reading for fun, and I worked at Barnes and Noble, so ALL I did was gravitate towards the new release YA books that everyone talked about on Booktube (and got upset with myself if I didn't like one of them, like Throne of Glass) and that was super fun and it still is, though nowadays my tastes have really gravitated away from the super popular YA novels (though I do still like some of them!). What's interesting though us that I wonder how Booktube would have affected me when I was younger. I feel like it can be limiting, in a way, even though I love the community. My favorite book of all time is Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, and NO ONE talks about it on Booktube. If Booktube had existed when I was a tween/teen, I don't know that I ever would have picked it up, bc it was never going to be one of those super popular YA novels. Idk I think I've veered off from what your video is actually about but I guess my point is there is something to be said for reading to be a solitary activity, because not having the community aspect forces you to form your own opinions without any influence from what others think. This is coming off super anti-Booktube which isn't the case at all, I love Booktube, but it's like I said....it can be limiting.

[@funfuz]

Eryn C Inkheart! God, it's been a while since I've thought about that book!

[@amitymiller9340]

I am absolutely LOVING these chatty videos Ariel! Also, I've been watching your videos since October last year and I've only just realised while watching this video, that I'd never actually clicked 'subscribe'. Blew my mind haha. Fixed it ;)

[@Daniela-lf1ou]

I am a viewer who gets excited about non-YA books. I’ve never been a YA reader not as a teenager and not now in my early 20s. Don’t me discouraged that there’s a smaller audience for content about non-YA!!!

[@Crystyl45]

I had a professor for an English literature class who said that the reason we read is to re-read. That's the point of reading the classics. And the only way that one can truly understand a book, especially one that is considered a classic is by re-reading it.

[@PhysiqueQuantique]

I feel you! I have this kind of strange self-imposed challenge of reading a new book every week, and it started because I developed a ritual of going to a coffee shop every Sunday morning and reading, as a kind of escape while I was doing my Masters. And I took pictures of what I was reading every time and posted them online. At first it didn't matter to me if I was still reading the same book from one week to the next, but over time as more people started engaging with these pictures I started to feel inadequate and uncomfortable if I didn't post a picture of a different book every week. Even though I'm sure it would make no difference to anyone else, I still feel like part of the fun/escape/etc. is gone and has been replaced by the pressure to produce something novel.

[@reembn868]

i enjoyed listening to your thoughts about it and i agree , but i guess because im not a competitive person by nature it doesn't happen to me that often . if i feel like reading that or this or nothing at all i just do it ...but having a youtube channel or sharing what youre doing probably makes it more complicated also i dont usually reread because i like to get to know new stories and writings ..because when i start rereading something i just instantly remember the whole plot and like ..i feel like it takes the fun out of reading for me "talking about novels here" because theres no element of surprise ..i already know what will happen ..so if i want to reread i do it after a veryyyy long time of reading it for the first time ...

[@annacharlotte584]

Rarely do I stay to watch to 25 minute video, but this one had me hooked. I really enjoyed hearing you talk about the pressure to read more and mainly YA - I definitely know those feelings myself, having learnt about the book tube community about 3 and a bit years ago. Before, as you did, I mainly reread my favorite books. I can't even tell you how many times I have read Looking for Alaska (which I loved when I was like 16/17) or, something completely different, "A Trillion Dollar" by this German author. Would anyone in the book tube world care about it? No, not very likely. But it's one of my favorites and I haven't touched it in about 4 years now. When I moved, I only got to bring a small selection of my books with me, and so I decided on my favorites, those, I wanted to reread. I haven't reread once since and it's been 4 months. I accumulated other books, definitely, but at least they're all about things I'm genuinely interested in and I have to say, there isn't one YA book in there and I'm starting to feel okay with that. Venturing off to new lands has always been challenging, but in the end very rewarding and most definitely a lot of fun. So yeah, my reading goal for 2018 will be to reread as much or as little as I want.

[@afternoonliterature9098]

I like the way I compete against myself. Not because I see it as a bigger achievement, but because I made time to further and develop a hobby that I love. I don’t really compete against others though, I am not a fast reader, I’m just willing to read for a lot longer than others. The one thing I don’t understand though is how people in readathons manage to listen to audiobooks on 1.5 or double speed... I would never be able to pay proper attention to the book, and I’d miss really valuable things doing that, so I end up taking a hell of a lot longer to listen to an audiobook than just reading normally. I also totally get what you mean about hyped books. Sometimes I only read them to try and see what the hype is about. I purchased Twilight for That reason... never read it...

[@BecksVegs]

I totally agree, and I try (though not always succeed) to stay out of the competition. But I also think the rush to read a book right after it's published also has to do with wanting to be part of the conversation. At least for me, it seems like if I don't read it when everybody is talking about it I won't have a chance to discuss it. Unless I find someone who has read it in real life of course... but that's a completely different universe 😂

[@madelynhanes5759]

There’s so many great points in this! Specifically the whole rereading part. Now, I know some people who don’t reread books just because they don’t enjoy it, but most of the time, I hear people say they don’t like it because they feel like it doesn’t count? This is so weird to me, because I love the second read (almost more than the first?) so so much. You can piece together things you didn’t before, you can read bits you accidentally skipped over, and you can pick out the foreshadowing! Now, while there have been some times where i shouldn’t have reread a book (cause it ruined it for me), I almost always benefit from it. Take Magnus Chase for instance; I hated it the first time I read it but loved it the second! Just some things to think about 😊

[@madelynhanes5759]

ALSO. Something that irritates me to no end is when someone won’t read a book because it’s not popular. I’ve had SO many friends turn down recommendations because they “need to get to the popular series”. It’s so stupid!? Also, I hate it when people try to make others feel insignificant because they haven’t read a popular series. Take Harry Potter. I’ve read them all now, but when i hadn’t, people literally yelled at me because I wasn’t done. People tried to belittle me just because I hadn’t read a series? Why?

[@juliasutter6996]

I love love love this type of video :D

[@danielaaviles6074]

Out of all booktubers, you’re my fav bc as an English major student, I read my assigned readings rather than what I have freely chosen what to read. And it really sucks bc I got excited reading books like “The Communist Manifesto” by Karl Marx but I felt ashamed that I wasn’t reading books like “To all the boys I’ve loved before” like many other booktubers were doing. But you spoke nothing but facts and truth bc I feel the same way.

[@marylclayton92]

I genuinely love this kind of video! 💛

[@annielarson9730]

I'm a librarian, so I definitively feel the pressure of the "relevance of reading," like somehow you're out of the loop or have missed out on some sort of culturally critical work. And I think it's the culturally critical piece that leads to the guilt, like it reflects badly back on me for not having participated. And I'll say that that aspect DOES happen for music and film. A really interesting thing that happens in our department is that we sort of end up specializing, (and this all happens casually right, nothing official) one gets contemporary YA, one reads non-fiction, one does middle grade fantasy, one does graphic novels, etc. But this can be very limiting as well. Feeling like if you aren't 'caught up' you shouldn't veer off from your area. Thanks for your thoughts!

[@doublehelixalchemist8678]

God, I love your videos so much!

[@torimccoy2804]

I think this topic is so relevant and your thoughts are so important. However, I really believe this depends on the individual. After finding booktube I have read so much more because I have fallen back in love with the experience of reading and all that that gives. If you buy a book based off of a persons recomendation you should have some want to read the book or just don't get it in the first place. This pressure is so self-induced which is sad because it ruins the point of the community. We all fluctuate in our reading habits and booktubers are no exception. Just bringing this topic to the surface can hopefully help people stop putting this pressure on themselves and enjoy reading whether how little or how much the actual book count is. But it is also important that it should not be shamed for those individuals who enjoy reading challenges or setting yearly goals for themselves or reading 20 books a month.

[@hadesamsa]

LOVING THE LONGER VIDEOS

[@wisedragonreads2592]

Sports are played for a reason, some people find the competitive nature of things fun! Though, I don't think people should be pressured into "joining the game." I personally love challenges because they let me expand my boundaries farther than I thought I could. But I get it isn't for everyone. My personality is competitive by nature, so when it combines it with books (my favorite thing ever) it gives me a rush.

[@adriannajoyner8891]

Amazing as always ❤️❤️

[@vanesssxoxo]

I loved your video!! I don't make videos but I'm a (really) slow reader and even I have the pressure to read more books when I see how many books people read! Parentheses : (I LOVE that you read and talk about other books than YA.) ;)

[@arjumandbano121]

Yesss I love this exactly my thoughts

[@mody2085]

I did not finish watching the video I need to do that in another more appropriate time , It is really inspiring I totally agree with you, I for the past three years maybe tried so hard to hit my 50 reading challenge however I could not do that and I kept reading the smallest books that I had and I avoided the ones I really wants just so I can catch up . So, I was considering not doing it this year even before watching your video and now I am more than happy to quit it this year

[@katelynfields2345]

I saw this video and really thought about liking it before I even started watching because I love these videos! I'm not even a booktuber but I catch myself reading the most popular books not because I particularly want to, but because I want to feel included in the conversation. It goes back to reading on its own being a solitary experience and how we want to change that so much that we forget about our own interests.

[@CassandraJaye]

The gamification of reading is real! But tbh I don't see it changing much. It's in publishers' and Amazon's best interests for readers to always be reading more, reading the latest thing, etc. I don't think it's inherently bad-there are new books coming out every month that might be a new favorite!-but I always have to balance that with other ways I want to spend my time (writing, watching TV, with family & friends, etc.).

[@anajuliafonseca2627]

we already have so much in life that makes us doubt ourselves. let's not make it one of those things. just read what you want and if you want and relax. If it is to speak of reading goals, mine is this. although I enjoy participating in some challenges sometimes, to interact more with people and feed my competitive spirit even hahah I think I missed the point of the question (hope i had correctly express myself)

[@gabbymullins2654]

I feel like it’s fate the way you describe reading like digging for gems to come back to later … almost like a squirrel hiding nuts in the wall 🤣