Do All Booktubers Read the Same Books? | A Discussion

[@lmac3869]

The Artisan Geek is amazing for talking about different books. She's opened my bookish world to all sorts of books I'd never have read otherwise.

[@angelalewis6146]

I really like her as well.

[@dejasaur]

I think when reading the same books is what helps build community for me. I’m able to see a variety of reviews for one book and if I’ve also read it, I can chime in with my own opinion on it. Essentially, I like the fun discussion it spawns. I also think it depends on what you’re seeking out from the booktube content you consume. I follow some channels that have opposite reading tastes from me, and they dabble in genres I almost never pick up. But I’m sure in their sphere of booktube, people are also reading the same stuff. After all, we can always just pick up a book on a whim at the library/bookstore that we’ve never heard of, but I think reading the same stuff is part of what makes the community what it is!

[@MsAwesomeSaucey]

Very true about reading the same book can build community.

[@ReadswithRachel]

I fully agree with your perspective on this. It's a mixture of YA popularization, the YT algorithm, and simply just who people are following. I think as a community directing viewers to content they may not otherwise see from smaller creators can be helpful, and definitely encouraging, but in the end the algorithm is gonna algorithm lol

[@KatherineAsuncion]

I found this video because I searched for "booktube reading the same books?" and I left this video feeling like intentionally searching for the books/ types of books you want is the answer. Aisha made great points in this video. The point that is probably true for me is the algorithm suggesting the same genre/booktubers.

[@ONYXPages]

8:33 A Booktuber who prioritizes channel growth will feel pressured to read popular and new titles. It’s quite tough. Glad you are taking up this topic critically.

[@ONYXPages]

11:18 Absolutely. Those videos are treated as encyclopedic resources, not “to-watch” videos.

[@ONYXPages]

13:18 - 💯

[@devonmunn5728]

That too. For me i don't care what broader popularity does I do what I want to do. I am a small content creator myself and someone commented on one of my videos "stop making these videos. No one watches them" and i responded "like I care?"

[@TheMaryweather]

"Booktube doesn't have deep discussions" is another good discussion to have.

[@InLoveAndWords]

Your eyeshadow and lipgloss combo is stunning! I really appreciate that you covered this topic from multiple perspectives. You're so right about the content that gets watched vs the content that gets requested. At the end of the day, I have to remind myself to just make the content and read the books that I enjoy. But, I also don't rely on Booktube as a big source of income.

[@cindywingetbooks]

I know this video is old, but i do appreciate the discussion 😉 My personal opinion on this subject is that if you are only interested in one or two genres and you exclusively follow booktubers that read these genres, then yes, there will definitely be some repeats. It is interesting though sometimes to see different opinions on a book from multiple people.

[@JoshsBookishVoyage]

People live in bubbles. They follow things that interest them and it feeds into itself. If people want something different they're gonna have to put in the effort to break out of the bubble which is easier said than done, and that's especially true on social media as you said.

[@SONDERknit]

I totally agree with you. I feel like you only feel as though book-tubers are all reading the same book if you don’t follow a diverse group of people on youtube. To them I say: find more people of color, find trans people, find people from different countries, find young people, find old people, find people who look like you AND find people who look very different from you.

[@YaniqueSGillana]

I don’t think the redundancy is YA specific. The YA community is bigger, but you find this regurgitation of the same books within every category. Following a few Lit fiction or Adult fantasy channels may make it seem that there’s great variety, if everything else you see is YA, but if you start looking at many channels within that category you will soon realize that they have their own 5 books that everyone talks about. Their own lack of variety.

[@crazybookcanary8941]

I have no problem wanting to see different views on the same books and their is variety of books out there but lately I've seen this problem as well. A very large majority of channels are only YA, but you have everyone doing the same books over and over again. I have also seen the lack of variety when it comes to the books they are showing and it's starting to get boring.

[@Elizabeth-uu5tv]

That's a very good point! I only follow a few people in each genre so I really haven't noticed redundancy. Although I will say there is a pretty good mix when it comes to nonfiction channels since those tend to be based on people's indicia preferences, ie. True crime, science, nature, memoirs etc.

[@crazybookcanary8941]

@@Elizabeth-uu5tv I do see a lot of variety, I follow all sorts of channels in different genres. Agree nonfiction has mostly avoided this issue, not sure how. But its gotten worse in YA/ adult YA, last month alone over fifty channels in that one month did the same ten or twelve books. I still saw other books mixed in but a majority were the same over and over again. It's starting to get noticed week after week by others.

[@Elizabeth-uu5tv]

@@crazybookcanary8941 what?! Ok that's crazy. I don't really read YA so I hadn't noticed. But that would get annoying real quick 🙄

[@crazybookcanary8941]

@@Elizabeth-uu5tv it has, and it’s not just that. Everyone has to do the Tbrs the same month, along with other different ideas. I believe some are copying the bigger channel but it’s getting annoying quickly.

[@BeautifullyBookishBethany]

People say they want content and then don't watch it....truer words!

[@heyimsasa]

i think both the reader and viewers have a responsibility to broaden their own horizons if that's what they want to do. like if i want something booktube isn't talking about, i'd take a minute to google whatever i'm feeling for in the moment. i agree with you that a lot of people who read a specific genre like YA, then you kinda start becoming familiar with titles because everybody recommends the same things and it's such a giant of a genre.

[@erikareading]

When I'm feeling stuck in a KZbin bubble I often just search a type of video I'd like to watch and then filter by upload date. It's easier to find a variety of KZbinrs this way and I end up subscribing to a lot. That being said, I think a lot of this issue is just perspective and what's going on around you. For example, if you were really loving SJM you would have loved that week of videos. If you love bestsellers and popular books right now you might love being in in a bubble, and if you are looking for something fresh or different you are probably going to loathe it. Lol.

[@breeunabashedly]

I love the rain ambiance with the discussion. I think it does a great deal of good to have a diverse subscription list. I love following booktubers who don’t read romance; I follow quite a bit from the classics community, heavy nonfiction readers and literary fiction readers. Very rarely do I feel that way anymore-when I used to feel like Damn! Everyone is reading the same thing! I do think back when we first came on the booktube scene it was a lot crazier than what it is now because the community has gotten bigger but it still lingers.

[@inkyisaac2460]

drop some names for me? I'm pretty diverse in location and size but not so much genre

[@breeunabashedly]

@@inkyisaac2460 Tori Morrow for fantasy and sci-fi, Stephanie from Time to Read for translated fiction, for classics I love channels like Kate Howe, Ang from the channel Beyond the Pages, he doesnt post hardly ever anymore but will pop in occasionally Adam from the channel Mementomori-reads a lot of modern classics, Claire Reads Books reads a little bit of everything, Uncarley is just AMAZING

[@danichiong6727]

Every time your feed is flooded with the same book, a marketing team gets their wings

[@FIT2BREAD]

I have so many thoughts. Apologies ahead of time if I ramble. Great video and great questions. As a creator and as a consumer of booktube content, I feel that new creators or small creators want to be big creators and immitation occurs. I feel like if I were reviewing contemporary literature instead of scifi, I'd feel as if I'd have to be reading Crawdads, Cerulian Sea, etc, because its expected. I produce almost exclusively scifi bookish content and I love seeing scifi content, but I think its much smaller niche than YA, Fantasy, Romance, etc. It does seem that its a cycle, you watch all the big booktubers you want to be and you follow who they follow and that builds your community, this you see everyone doing what you also want to be doing. I love scifi, but booktube also inspires me to expand my horizon. I propose search for vooktubers who are a different color or gender than I or in a different country. Doesn't make me better or worse, bit it does lead to less repetitive content options. Also, I never read comics, or romance, or Cozy mystery. I rarely read YA or fantasy, but some of my favorite channels are those genres, and you know what...I find myself wanting to read more of that. So I think its really on the viewers shoulders to find the content. If you like only one genre, that's great, then sticking to that genre is great. If one wants more diversity, I think its just a matter of going out and searching for it. As a creator, I try to cover classics but also I do attempt to bring new things to the table too. I've been working on a Top 150 Science Fiction Reads video, with that in mind. To do this properly though I've already been working on it for weeks and know it will still take more weeks still. I love it, but its hard work and not as easy as just doing a haul. So sometimes, introducing a lot of new ideas or diverse book lists can be grueling. Certainly more so than reviewing the new release that everyone else is reviewing (because we must :)

[@girlygirlbookworm]

I think a lot of where this came from was back in the day too when so many people were constantly getting the same books from publishers. The algorithm is crazy. Like unless you have a niche your videos don’t get seen. I’ve been filming since 2012 and I don’t grow at all because I read such a variety of stuff. The content thing is true too. There’s times where I’ll film something different from the typical TBR, wrap up etc. and they never get views. So then it makes it hard to want to make new/“interesting” content when no one is watching it. Such a great discussion!

[@ashleyxnicol]

when i first joined the community, i definitely felt that way. because youtube pushed the "big" booktubers that read predominately ya. but when i made my own channel, found out what books i wanted to read and talk about, i found other creators.

[@brooke5258]

I've been feeling that way lately. And you make a good point about the algorithm because if I watch even half of someone's video once, suddenly YT shifts them to the top of my searches. There is a lack of diversity on booktube, which is a conversation by itself. So when I do search, I get 25 white booktubers for every 1 Black or minority. And I do subscribe to several good (white) channels, but I do make an effort to find and boost those who look like me. Age is also a factor. Booktubers in my age group are more apt to read books in our (older) age range, as opposed to a YA heavy channel. Sponsorships are also a factor. When the book boxes go out, everyone is talking about the same books 😬 which obviously is a push by publishing. I try to seek out booktubers who talk about books "off the beaten path." Books I wouldn't necessarily come across anywhere else. (I also have a pet peeve about booktubers who talk really fast. Like speed racer lol. They're just not for me.) It's a journey, for sure, to find balance and good content. I personally check out book sites that list new releases, that way I catch books that aren't on booktube's radar.

[@RememberedReads]

Heh, I actually love the rain sounds in the background! My impression is that there are a fair number of people who don't dig around among the different sub-communities on booktube after they first discover the bigger community. And I think that's what's to blame for the people who come away with the impression that "everyone" is reading either all frontlist YA or all the current batch of Booker Prize listed titles. And because the two biggest communities are the frontlist YA and literary channels, it's easy for newer viewers/channels to think that's all there is. But even though the algorithm pushes those bigger communities, it's not that difficult to find other channels, especially just by searching specific titles. A couple of decent searches and it's not too difficult to find the eclectic channels, the nonfiction-focus crowd (and within that the pop nonfiction, history, memoir, nature, and self-help crowds), the translated-focus crowd, the mystery, horror and romance communities, and even the backlist YA/literary crowds. That said, last week I definitely felt a bit like "everyone" was talking about the Booker longlist, but that was only because all the channels who do talk about were releasing their videos within the same 48 hour period! 🤣🤣

[@RoseFire6]

Yes, please give shout outs for booktube. Your channel was the first channel I found on booktube via a shout out. The algorithm just has me watching the same thing. Please oh please tell me about the sci-fi / fantasy booktuber.

[@brewzandbooks-camillepayne4752]

I’m so glad you post content on comic books/graphics novels. It makes me feel better about when I post content about comics/graphic novels. Plus I love seeing what you’re reading so I can add to my never ending tbr!

[@beautynscience2010]

I love that you always give us something for us to think about. I occasionally purge my subscription list and as a result no longer follow people I use to say 8yrs ago. As I get older and my tastes change so will the channels I sub to. Even with the algorithm you can find channels that you want to follow if you really look for them.

[@cappuccinocrafts2412]

This is an excellent discussion. You made so many good points. BookTube is definitely both big and small at the same time. I love that there are different genre subcultures within the large community. Some of them do take some looking to find. I appreciate when someone I watch shouts out smaller or new channels that I haven't come across. It really helps find different kinds of readers.

[@ChelseaZhao]

I loved this so much! You are so right when you talk about the different elements that go into this. I watch quite a few people who has very diverse tastes… and I feel like that is also because I read so many different things (age groups, genres, manga/comics, etc). If you’re only watching people with the same tastes then you’ll see a lot of the same content over and over. And yes, I’ve notified that people who exclusively read YA seem to perform better. I’ve also seen some people who exclusively read adult fantasy find their niche and audience too. I feel like because I read so widely, that it’s harder to find my audience (for the algorithm to promote 🤷‍♀️). I’ve been here for 3 1/2 years with much slower growth, but I love the people I have connected with, and I’m not going to change what I enjoy reading for others. ♥️

[@Shaegeeksout]

Love this conversation! I go through my feed multiple times a year. I take out the people I'm not watching, and find new people to watch.

[@formerclarity8836]

Same - you have to curate your subscription feed. I also feel like I'm a power-user of the "channels' tab, where you can see channels that creators you like, also like. I find a ton of tiny new channels there.

[@t.a.summers]

I tend to follow a wide range of booktubers that read different things, but I do see this to a certain extent. I agree it depends on who you follow, and sometimes it can depend on what individual content creators read, whether in groups or individually. But I find even when booktubers end up reading similar things, their reactions can differ so much that it provides a variety that's ripe for discussion. I value hearing how people think and feel even when picking up the same books/type of book because you don't see certain things the same way, or even pick up on the same details.

[@SlantedSpines]

Great discussion and lots of valid points as usual. I do find that when I do something "original" with my content or read less "hyped" books, those videos receive less views. Which is why it can be frustrating to hear "Everyone reads the same thing" because we're out here! We may be difficult to find, but there are lots of unique channels. I find myself blaming the KZbin algorithm for most of my issues 😂 (Unrelated: I love your eye shadow!!)

[@christinacampbellbooks]

Really enjoyed this discussion. As an avid booktube watcher and a small creator, I definitely enjoy hearing about books that I didn't even know existed before. It's wonderful to discover a book that you never would have found otherwise. I also love hearing about the brand new popular releases too. So it's definitely a balancing act.

[@lmac3869]

We need to work harder to seek people out. I'm new to booktube, I started watching last year. It wasn't long before people started shouting out small/poc channels. It opened my eyes to what was out there and I've found some great booktubers that way including you x Jackie Aina did a video on making the algorithm work for you. I actively seek out the content that I want eg a specific book review or genre. Just as actively choose not interested when the same things that I don't want pop up (they rarely do now). It's working well for me.

[@SB-oy9if]

I hope this doesn't come off as strange, but you have such a soothing voice and I think you would be a great audio book narrator. Great video, as always. These sit down discussions are definitely some of my favorite videos from you.

[@BrittWriterly]

me, Bre, and KaShay were just talking about this in our live last night! BookTube loves a trend for sure.

[@butchpoetics5096]

i quite agree with this! it can feel quite hard to find people who read more backlist books, poetry, and literary fiction from smaller publishers and work in translation, but i have been able to quite a few and then when people do shoutouts you are able to find more people! there is a lot of content you just really have to look for it!

[@inkyisaac2460]

hey! im a viewer of yours and you're one of my "regularly introduces me to new favs" booktubers

[@butchpoetics5096]

@@inkyisaac2460 hi! thats so nice im very happy to hear that!

[@jenn.131]

Super late as usual... I'd be interested in what you search for... The only way I find new book tubers is when people do recommendation videos or if I read a book I love, I'll search for reviews of that book... My feed is just way too packed anymore... Obviously since I'm 3 months behind 😳 I've had to cut way down on certain types of videos I watch... I prefer full reviews but I don't get to these for a very long time... I do save them though... I have a huge folder of videos to watch after I've read the book... I like discussion videos like this too... And wrap ups... I rarely watch a haul, or a TBR, or a shelf tour... I just don't have time! Great video! 💙

[@formerclarity8836]

I think there are definitely cohorts of creators who all get the same books as ARCs - I have definitely found that I've had to whittle down my subscriptions to pick one individual from different groups, or I'm hearing about the same books over and over. I think there's also a tendency as creators get larger to review a higher and higher percentage of new releases, where in 'real life' I know the vast majority of what I'm reading are backlist titles. As creators get on those publisher lists, they shift to newer titles, even if they started reading more deeply into the stacks.

[@devonmunn5728]

Yeah it also shows how privileged they are because of the opportunities. They can go down to the store and get a new book easy peasy for me it takes waiting for months for special trips. It's the same with TV shows as well where reviewers tend to mostly talk about recent shows and not mention older shows where a good chunk of what i watch and read are older releases

[@crazybookcanary8941]

I agree with you both, Formerclarity and Devon Munn, people seem to think it's a diversity or not spreading out to many many channels that's causing the viewership to go down or people to narrow what their reading, but you guys nailed it to the head. most of the readers right now cannot afford a new and upcoming book, so we tend to look in the shadows, the not so well known books and even older books. The same applies to TV shows and even movies. I cannot tell you how many books I wish someone would do a review on that are really good. I mean large creators could still do up and coming books but they need to get back to their roots so to speak and do the books that are not so well known. As for hearing about the same book over and over again, it's starting to get annoying, I love hearing different views about a book but seriously about fifty channels so far have done almost the same books all within weeks or even days of each other.

[@pamelawagner8045]

Late to the party, but wanted to say that I would love to hear your recommendations on other booktubers. I’m fairly new to watching booktube content, and feel lucky that I found you. I like a lot of the books you recommend and that makes me think that I would also appreciate content creators that you would recommend. Like booktube networking.

[@whitedaylilies]

This is such a cool topic of discussion. I think that if you get tired of seeing the same book tube content then it’s up to the viewer to seek out something different. I don’t think that responsibility is always on the creator because ya’ll are going to make what most people want to watch and I totally get that can be draining and disheartening if you try something new and then no one watches it!! I find that I will seek out new people if I feel like it’s the same thing over and over again but sometimes I like the same thing over and over again. For example, as a watcher…I LOVE TBR games! I always look forward to a new month to watch everyone playing wacky games to create their TBR for that month, or season or whatever. LOVE it! But when you were mentioning when everyone was reading Crescent City…EVERYONE was reading the same book and as I had no interest to read that book so it was a boring couple of weeks for me, which is when I will typically try and find some new book tubers or take a break all together! So bottom line, I think that if you want to see ppl talking about different books you need to find ppl who are reading different books because they are definitely out there…one can’t rely on the tube’s algorithms though.

[@LittlePiscesReading]

There's definitely some truth to it. At some point, however, I feel like it's become pretty moot. The same can probably be said of most circles. That's kind of just what popular means. That said, I do like having a range of opinions available sometimes. It would be improved when you follow a wider range of people but like you said that can be tricksy. For me, personally, I have cfs, and so it can be months worth of build up before I get around to watching stuff so I do tend to keep to what I find comfortable because the amount of videos in my watch later are intimidating already. As always, I enjoy hearing your thoughts. ❤️❤️

[@sarai03]

I thought so for a while, and that was one of the things that kept me from starting my own channel. I think it may be the algorithm and how videos are recommended? Being recommended like channels based on content, or booktubers shouting out others who make similar content. Once I started searching by book, I got a little more of a variety. But there are still certain sub-communities (predominately YA, Fantasy, or Romance) within the larger community, and they seem to be a bit more visible. At least in my experience.

[@MovieTrollop]

I would LOVE to see more middle grade on book tube. I'm still trying to learn what types of books I actually enjoy so Ive been branching out in a lot of areas but I feel completely on my own with middle grade and graphic novels. But on the other hand I don't have friends who read books lol so I follow people who I just kinda want to hang out with while I clean and I have picked up a lot of books that way. Booktube is so big... I always think it's a me problem when I see the same books over and over. And historical/gothic fiction! Where are these people who love these slow creepy books that I 100% love?!? lol

[@MsAwesomeSaucey]

I definitely need to mix up my subscription feed in terms of booktube and great discussion as always!

[@Elizabeth-uu5tv]

I think it's all the things you mentioned. I will say that I make a point of not asking creators or voting on their polls about specific content unless I plan to support and watch said content. I think you're right that people say they want new stuff but when they get it they don't watch or engage. I find this to be the case on Bookstagram too. I have a very small page just 400 followers and it's just for fun, but indo notice that a book I post a photo of with a review will not get much engagement, but someone will post the same book with a random question or unrelated info in the caption and people will engage. Lots of people say they want more reviews and in depth analysis of books. But the analytics don't support that 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@Tutankhamun18Reads]

Your discussions are always so interesting and thought provoking. I think alot of people obviously get recs off each other, but there are so many amazing small channels that read their own thing 😊 I am a small channel myself and enjoy small channels most, I only watch a few big channels as I find that as a rude blanket statement big channels tend to read the same things as they all get recs off each other

[@Tutankhamun18Reads]

Also, sometimes it is fun to hear what other people think of a book you too have read. For example right now I am reading some of the Booker longlist and its really fun to hear what others thought of these 😊

[@ShayWithThaHobbies]

So many truths! Also you listed people I'd never heard of so off to go subscribe. I love your content and am trying to make sure I comment when I finish a video cuz I've been sucking at that. I do think it's the algorithm pushing the same things but am so grateful for the creators making their own path and reading different things. It's expanding my reading lists and I love it!

[@christindearie7656]

For me personally I like to check out different book-tubers that have content that may be out of my comfort zone. The book tube community has actually helped me step out of my comfort zones and to explore different genres that may not have interested me previously. I think that the book tube community needs to help expand content and not stick to the same thing other book-tubers may be reviewing, but for me personally I will still continue to put myself out there to explore other content and genres. I really enjoy your content and really appreciate these types of videos.

[@inkyisaac2460]

Excellent perspective on this topic, well balanced, you can tell the amount of effort you put into portraying all perspectives, your makeup looks amazing by the way

[@Readitandeat]

I love this! A lot of people I follow, I don't even read their kinds of books, so I think a big part of this is who you subscribe to! But subscribing to Olive has helped me find other non-fiction booktubers like me!

[@kacysspace]

This really helped me! I started participating in booktube last year but quickly burned out because all of the popular books weren’t books that interested me but I felt that’s what I had to talk about but also book Twitter was just… A LOT 🤣 I hope to start back up within the next month but I’ll focus on books I actually want to read :)

[@DaisyXMachina]

There's definitely some truth to it! I know I've read some books just because they were popular or other booktubers were talking about it a lot--and let's be real, some of it has to do with chasing views. Great discussion.

[@KaylasBestie]

Great video. We share a lot of the same views. I'm not a follower of YA, I Dibble and dabble. Actually, I go by either an author or the synopsis of a book. I have found that a lot of booktubers are reading/discussing the same book. So I find myself taking a step back off. I also tend 2 gravitate towards the smaller channels. Most come across more authentic with their material. I also think I go against the grain. Regarding the more popular (book unboxing, unfailing, book tag, etc) .... they're ok, but they're not must see videos. I also enjoy your comics/graphic novels/Manga videos. It's VERY hard to find a female who create these types of videos. You're one of my favorite booktubers out there and I look forward to your videos. Take care.

[@PeaceLoveBooksxo]

This is such a good discussion! I agree that there’s a balance between talking about books all of booktube reads to get views versus talking about something different. Videos are rewarded for reading what everyone else is, so it is frustrating when you do something different and no one watches that content. I also think it has a lot to do with who you follow. I know who I can turn to for a variety of recommendations versus who will be reading the popular books. But it takes awhile to find those people because the algorithm doesn’t help.

[@socialbianca]

I LOVE olive! I'd love more picture books and graphic novels. My husband watches your videos with me BECAUSE you bring the comics btw ;)

[@AlexisA93]

Ashley! I’m back! I had to take a mental health break, but I’ve been keeping up with you on Goodreads 💕 I don’t know how much I’ll be commenting, but I’ll try when I can. As for the topic. I never get why people say this. There are tons of booktubers who read different books, they just have lower subscriber numbers. I’m not afraid to admit that I like reading popular books because I love pop culture & getting to discuss books we’ve all read is entertaining for me.

[@StaceyReads]

I really like all the points that you brought up and agree. I think it definitely is a combination of factors that contribute! I think one other angle to consider is that, as a newer viewer it can be fun and helpful at times when there is a lot of overlap because if you've read the popular book already and you're willing to consume some repetitive content then you get a way better handle on how closely your tastes might align with several booktubers! It can be one (hopefully not the only!) factor for really helping you narrow down who's bookish opinions and recommendations you want to give more weight to which can definitely help you curate your feed a little bit better or find your people within the community! =)

[@gregorylaperche5574]

I agree of course. I read fantasy books and nonfiction books sometimes as well, and it's sometimes feels like I have two channels in my channel. I have some commenters who only comment on my nonfiction book related content, but most people will watch and comment on my fantasy book videos. When people say that they want different content, I tell them to try searching for it. The algorithm will give you things similar to what you've already seen.

[@anissaxbee07]

I agree with you Ashley, it depends on who you follow/watch. I expect the bigger booktubers to read the same books because they are probably being sent the same things from publishers. I enjoy searching for creators who have challenges that expand the books in my comfort zone.

[@carissa1446]

I agree you have to search for other perspectives. A lot of Booktubers do recommend their friends which are going to like similar things, but there are a lot of Booktubers that recommend and follow people with widely ranging perspective to try and broaden their own reading.

[@TheBookishMom]

As a primarily Sci-fi and Fantasy reader, I can totally see this. While I like both YA and Adult, I have been trying to find fantasy outside the norm more and it does get harder to find people reading different things. I also think the algorithm is a big play in that. Like I am trying to find more moms who read adult fantasy really, or books in fantasy. sci-fi that have awesome badass moms as main characters. It can be hard to venture out, especially as a smaller creator, because I think some creators think they NEED to read certain books in order to "succeed"

[@meghannpalmer7417]

I’m very fortunate because I enjoy almost all genres. Not into comics. Graphic novels I’d love to read but they’re so pricey here in Canada. I think I’d enjoy Manga too so I should try those. It doesn’t bother me if people promote the same book. I do sometimes skip summaries for a book I’ve seen around or if I plan on reading it very soon. I like to know very little about my books so my enjoyment isn’t biased from someone else’s opinion. Your content is always so good.

[@mastersal4644]

I usually just google BookTubers based on the genre I am in the mood for so I search out what I am looking for. I would prefer if creators read what they are excited about so I can find them and be inspired. Like when I am in the mood for comics and manga I search out your videos. Also “a book is a book is a book” ❤️❤️❤️ Side note: was on a shojo manga kick. Thanks 🙏😜

[@ABookFiendNamedMel]

I think what I personally find difficult is, like you said, when you do make content that’s out of the norm you don’t get the views. But it’s not just views for an individual video, when your video doesn’t do well the algorithm says, well, they’re not a popular content creator so we won’t push their video! Also, as an omnivorous reader I don’t really fit into any specific area, which means you don’t get any specific sub genre of BookTube excited by your content. That’s just been my experience anyway

[@mbranche4234]

Hey Ashley... I love your content and how you change it up. Have opened up to graphic novels (love Bitter Root) and have introduced my teenager to comics. Your book suggestions peak my curiosity and hit on my interests. Love the twists and make-up...just beautiful!!!

[@biankatoth1786]

I agree what you said so I just want to add that your makeup is beautiful.

[@TheReadingandWritingLife]

I would love to know channels who are doing different things. I only read a little YA. I mostly read fantasy, thriller, mystery, and romance. But I'll really read anything. I've found it hard to get followers without a specific niche. I definitely feel like I see the same books over and over, and I want to read something different, but then no one else is reading it and it doesn't get any views or doesn't seem to have as much discussion.

[@kelseyg8179]

So I'm gonna go ahead and say that I'm only a viewer. I've thought about becoming a creator, but I'm not settled on doing that yet. So that's where my perspective is coming from. I agree with almost all of your points. I've been watching Booktube for about 2.5 years now, and I got introduced to the community by one of the big name booktubers because I was googling the reading order for I think the Shadowhunter Chronicles. For the first year or so, I agree with the statement that started this discussion. I saw A LOT of the same books talked about my all of the channels month after month. As I found new channels and the different subgenres and the non white typical booktubers, the range of books that were popping up in my feed exploded. I still love and read YA Fantasy. Like you said, its my comfort genre. I can go to it when I'm just like I need something to escape and I know I'm gonna have an okay to good time. But I have found more and more that my FAVORITE books are no longer those YA books. I still love them, but I can't imagine not having gone through and culled my sub box and found all those new channels just how many titles I would have missed out on. I don't judge or want to begrudge people who stick to YA Fantasy; again, it's one of my comfort reads. I think the community as a whole is learning to grow past that. Or at least my sub box is. So I think it's a mix of on the creators needing to make sure they're reading a range of books because I feel like even if you love one genre, there are so many books that have similar vibes and do similar things in other genres that you would love, and I would hate for them and their viewers to miss out simply because of how the book's marketing team decide to label it. I also think it's on the viewer to expand their range because like in relationships, one person can't necessarily be EVERYTHING for you. I love my husband dearly and he has my whole heart, but he could never replace my best friends and what they bring to my life. I feel like viewers need to approach their sub box with that same mentality. We need to expand who we are watching to make sure we are seeing more than just one thing. I feel like this was long winded, but I hope that helped bring another perspective even if it did juat kind of echo what you said.

[@devonmunn5728]

Yeah I have been watching BookTube since August 2015 and I always liked to hear about books that aren't popular or get alot of traction. I also consider myself to be varied in my interests. I'm a small content creator myself and while I'm not doing too much I actually do want to do alot of different type of content with my channel because I felt like alot of KZbinrs I watched sticked to one thing and barely if ever varied out of their one thing they stick too

[@TheNovelSanctuary]

I fall somewhere in the middle with this. I've also been one to think super large booktubers (with exceptions obviously) just talk about the same few books and I wonder if they're actually reading any new books at all. I make an active effort to watch smaller booktubers and genre booktubers which means I'm always seeing books I'm not familiar with so I think while yes this could be true, the responsibility is on the watcher to look elsewhere and broaden their feed 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@TheNovelSanctuary]

Also self boost for myself I recently did a booktube shout out. You were in it cuz duh love you 😂😁

[@TheMaryweather]

I like the the way that bookishrealm comes at discussions- come through nuance-. I am enjoying that so many in the comments are bringing so much to the conversation too. I actually think the opinion of everyone reads the same books is a dated opinion.

[@rmbueno3]

Yeah I personally think it's the algorithm that makes it a bit more difficult. Thankfully, people still do the booktube newbie tag, so I search through it every now and then. Also please send your rain north, we've been under drought conditions for so long 😭😭

[@joshuafowler883]

For me, if there is a channel exclusively for picture books, sign me up. Love me a picture book. Some of the best ones I have read this year were recs from your channel. Fantasy books are what brought me to Booktube and that is mostly what I follow but I pick and choose what videos I watch sometimes. I read across the board, mostly because I work in a public library, I think. I am always on the lookout for a more range of Booktubers.

[@emroyka]

I have to say that fighting the algorithm of recommendations to a viewer / end-user is an uphill battle; when I first got interested in BookTube, it would only recommend white BookTubers to me by default; I had to literally go and search for "Black BookTubers" and other BIPOC creators explicitly (and then also rely on these creators' shoutouts) to find new subscriptions. Now, after 18 months and over 200 subscriptions (of which maybe 75% are BookTubers), I do get a more diverse recommendation feed (sometimes), but getting there took initiative as a consumer of content; no matter your interest, you (universally-speaking) can't just sit back and trust that the algorithm is going to give you a diverse cross section of creators for it, you have to seek them out and support them yourself.

[@rainydayz7866]

I have noticed that during TBR videos the books tend to be similar among certain booktubers. But then during the monthly wrap ups you see more of a variety. I think it's because they want to make the video of what's trending while it's trending. Or maybe certain publishers are pushing certain books so that content has to get out. But during the wrap up you see more of the booktubers individual style. They may or may not have gotten around to finishing the popular book but they will definitely finish a book that was exciting to them. In order for me to get more diversity I will watch booktubers from another country and I can get more of a variety in recommendations. Also the further I scroll the more I find the smaller booktubers and I will watch their videos. That also helps with getting more variety.

[@morningdewacademic]

I'm a teacher and I do personally read loads of children's books but I don't put it out on KZbin is due to their regulations on children's content due to COPA, but other books I'll be putting out there! Perhaps that's one reason we don't see a lot of children's books, which is a shame because there are so many great children's books out there!

[@katie.is.dreaming]

I've been watching BookTube for a couple of years now, and I think my feed is pretty varied in terms of the kinds of books the people I watch read, but it did take me some time to find the people I like. Some of the massive BookTubers I don't watch, because I feel like their content is primarily popular YA books, and that's just not what I'm interested in. I read a bit of everything, apart from horror, and it took some time to get my feed to reflect that. So, yes, I do think it's difficult to get beyond the veneer of it looking like everyone is reading the same books. That is how the algorithm presents it, but dig a little and you'll eventually find a much more varied reading community, thankfully!

[@RegardingReading]

Shout-outs definitely helps! I feel so nosy lol, if someone mentions a name and says that person also is a booktuber I'll go searching :P

[@FadingInMyDreams]

I also feel like in the line of the books that have more hype, the reason we see a lot of creators talking about them is because authors and publishing companies are sending them to booktubers/bloggers etc. So if they have been sent to 10 or 20 people we're bound to hear about them more often than an under the radar author and/or book.

[@CatApocalypse]

I enjoy reviews a lot, so I think I'd prefer to seek out folks who are already passionate about something outside the box (especially the generic Western/Global North, YA SFF/contemporary box lol). I follow folks who are passionate about classics and deep analysis of themes, Gavin who is of course super passionate about middle grade books, even folks who enjoy mystery and thrillers, which I don't tend to read. Their passion really makes for compelling content and can help if it's not something you're into yourself. I think it's good for creators to branch out, but if they're not passionate, it can show. And sometimes they may improperly represent something if they're not familiar with that type of book, or the culture, etc... It just takes some digging to find folks off the beaten path, since as you said, the algorithm often pushes specific types of channels. Part of the issue too is that not a lot of the promoted channels end up reading very many small indie/self-pub books (I get why some choose not to, where it risks being extra damaging if the review ends up negative). Or backlist books that aren't well-known classics! It's great to promote upcoming releases, but there are some gems in the past as well.

[@MeaILoveYou]

Definitely depends on who you follow!!! If you watch "typical/popular booktubers" which are booktubers that read mainly YA & tend to be young, white & female then that's DEFINITELY when you start getting repetition. I noticed that a while back & then I started to actively searching for more diverse channels & THOSE channels aren't reading these typical books & its soooo refreshing! Cause I don't want to hear 1 more word about A Court of Whateva😒

[@RoxanneCanRead]

You're right Booktube is a small yet huge community! I often stumble upon large channels I've never even heard of. I think another part of the redundancy is that usually people follow their favorite Booktuber's friends. If they decide to do a buddy read I'm going to hear about the same book twice. This is awesome if I also read and love the book, but if it's not than it's miserable.

[@jennderqueer]

I totally agree with this. I've tried to make a point of hunting out booktubers who do different genres so I can find out about books I might not otherwise hear about.

[@Lorie336]

I think I am 50/50 because sometimes a Booktuber will talk about a book and I will feel meh about it, but then someone else may talk about it and it might start piquing my interest, and then another one gets excited about the same book and then I'm all in about this book and must seek it out to devour. Prime example, please, don't come for me, is Amari and the Night Brothers. The first person who brought it up I wasn't really sure about it, but the person who turned it around and will forever be grateful for is Jess Owens, she hyped it up and I was like okay I will go and get it. Because of that Amari so far is my favorite book thus far this year. Sometimes I need that extra push and sometimes I like the different perspectives of the community to know how this book may rate with me. However, I love variety and so far I am getting a lot of it and, yes, some Booktubers have a niche in certain genres like Mara from bookslikewhoa, her niche areas in my opinion is romance, mysteries especially Agatha Christie, classics, and Nora Roberts, but she reads more than that and I love that about her. Ashley, you give me a whole host of everything and you have reintroduced me to a genre I haven't read from in ages, manga as well as graphic novels. I have found more fun and exciting things to read. I do watch the comics and manga videos because I never know what you will recommend and what I might decide to pick up on. Gavin definitely satisfies my middle grade reads and Jordanline satisfies my horror and thriller reads since I haven't been reading in the genre that made me excited to read as a kid and so many of those books I have never heard of and no one else that I am subbed to has touched upon. I do think it's who you're subbed to. Also, KZbin could do a better job of highlighting the small creators and those that have a certain niche. I have always loved a variety in my reading, so I do have many people I am subbed to read like me. I always love these discussion videos, thank you. 😊❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@stitchwitchreading9460]

Such a good discussion! Most of the bookish people I follow across social media are reading similar works, but I follow a bunch of people who follow/are friends with each other so they are often buddy reading. I like then picking up whatever they are reading because it makes me feel like part of the group? I feel like that makes me sound a little creepy lol. Basically yeah, most of the people I follow are reading the same books but I did that on purpose because I wanted queer and AOC fantasy recs and now I have them.

[@mycobacteriem2540]

one of my favorite series is originally a spanish series and I'm not even sure if they all got translated. the first one is the Invisible Guardian in english, and it's about a detective solving some murders with a strange occult undertone in her small home town in the basque country of Spain. I def want to get into more spanish lit while I'm living here, it'll be a great way to explore the culture and keep learning the language

[@HappyforNow]

The graphic novel/manga stuff is so weird. I find it interesting when I step outside the box it often does get watched and it’s disheartening sometimes 🤷🏻‍♀️ but also I do it cause I love it

[@vamps_rock]

Such a nuanced conversation like so many others. The short answer from my perspective as a viewer only is both YES and NO. And I say this as someone who does sometimes get frustrated with oversaturation I'll call it as to me it's not about if the book lived up to it, but the very fact of seeing the same thing all over the place. But I also understand why it happens and that is basic human nature and I'm also party to it with some of my own favourites. I say yes for obvious reasons. But I say NO because there are always people out there that do read books that no one else, or at least very few other people on this platform talk about and that goes for all the literary genres. It is also more prevalent with channels that are much smaller in sub count/viewership overall and those who are not overly focussed on growing their channels and/or interested in the financial aspect of it. And I don't say any of that as judgement particularly as I just don't have the bandwidth to do this myself despite my many strong opinions on various issues, just as an observation based on what I see. Many larger channels (in BT I mean around 10k +) also read what I consider a great mix of well known and less well-known authors and titles too so there are people out there for all kinds of tastes and that is how I choose who and what to watch. But it happens across all the niches of booktube, and across all the genres of KZbin in general. Topical things are always in the spotlight no matter if they are bookish spaces, TV shows or movies reviewer spaces, music reaction spaces (another favourite of mine!), arts and crafts spaces, social and political essay spaces, beauty spaces etc. It also happens generally in any social space I think, because of the very nature of human beings. It is very true that in order to get a wider perspective, we as viewers need to be more particular about who we watch and what we watch from those people too so in some ways, we are in control of what crosses our feed despite what the algorithm shows us. The search function is there and that is what we should all be using it for. And ooops, this turned into another essay! Like always, TFS :)

[@shibasandshelves]

I think I’m basically of the same mind as what you said. I actually also used to be prone to thinking “booktubers all read the same books” and it was one of the reasons I bounced off booktube a few times. I’ve gotten my subscriptions to a place now where I’m following lots of people who read different things and can introduce me to books I haven’t heard of (though I’m glad booktube isn’t my only source for hearing about books). I’m hesitant to say booktubers /should/ read more widely. I would definitely prefer it and I do tend to just quietly stop watching people who I feel are just talking about the same books over and over. I think it’s maybe healthy as readers and humans to not cling so closely to whatever books get the most marketing dollars - but at the same time if that’s what someone wants to read and talk about and their heart isn’t in it to step out of their lane I don’t think I’d want to watch that either. I do like the idea of creators introducing their viewers to other creators who read different things. I feel like that might be the best way to strike a balance. Also I think at least making viewers aware how wide a variety of booktube channels there are, because I know with how the algorithm is it definitely can feel at the beginning like booktube is a lot of hauls of the same books and that’s what you should be watching and liking. Now I’m at the point where I can’t even get to all the videos I do want to watch even though I skip things like hauls and thumbnails with books I’m tired of hearing about in them.

[@anne-marie339]

I think within every book genre, or book group (topic or people) there's replication/commonalities in what they're reading and promoting. That's when I'll start skipping certain videos or tuning out in certain sections if it's a book I've heard about a million times. And the more people you watch who are friends with each other, the more overlap and cross-over there will be too. What you're saying about who's in your sub box is absolutely true. But the great thing about booktube, is you can find people talking about everything! It just takes a bit of searching if you're bored/unsatisfied. Edit: As much as I would love to see all creators broadening their horizons because I've had such a great experience expanding my reading tastes and shelves, if a consumer is unhappy with what they're seeing, they should seek out new content. It's a bit of both because it's always nuanced :P

[@heabooktubes]

I think you covered all the points lol. ♥️♥️♥️

[@erinerinerinerinerinerinerin]

your makeup in this video is so soft and sweet! just wanted to tell you you look lovely :)

[@JBJari]

I read a lot of picture books, since I am a prek teacher. But that has me thinking about new content.

[@nicoswanmakes]

From an outsiders perspective, there's always been "the popular reader" persona long before booktube but has definitely followed folks into booktube. The call for readers to be intentional will likely be lifelong. I would love to find some zinesters and people who read independent publishing and radical publishing. Even a lot of the comic, scifi and fantasy booktubers tend to find the things I enjoy "boring" so I just keep looking. I think its the readers responsibility to look around. Booktubers are extensions of themselves and what they are reading.

[@HasabeMizurukara]

I love all your video topics. They make me think which many channels don't, including my own. Thank you for all the work you do on these. I too feel pretty 50/50. I'm very new to BookTube and I do read a lot of the books that people I watch read. I will usually work hard to hype any book about and by queer people, especially trans experiences. If books come out I don't want to read, even if people tell me I should, I probably won't. Especially if it's romance or true crime. I agree that international bookTube is really informative. I know as a BookTuber I feel a lot of pressure to be creative and unique, but that is really hard because I usually read the same things. It is challenging to take a risk, and read outside of our comfort zone, because what if it turns out poorly. I personally would love to hear about the channels you watch so I can become exposed.

[@HasabeMizurukara]

As a final note. To answer your question. I do want to create content around books outside of YA books, which I read. But, I read a lot of poetry and non-fiction (memoirs) and I would love to make videos about these but I worry that if I do that my channel won't grow. And it took my so long to get on BookTube because I worried so much that people would judge my looks and my gender expression. I've actually filmed many memoir books that haven't been edited cause I worry no one wants them.

[@ZoeMikelStites]

I think something that gives the impression of everyone reading the same thing too is all of the book of the month sponsorships. I'm so happy that people are getting the sponsorships, but early in the month, I can guarantee you that at least five people are going to tell me about the same five books. I intentionally follow people who read a variety of things, and I think Gabby Reads has made some good commentary on how she feels like she's moving out of reading YA and in to adult thriller and fiction in general. But one of the things that has kept me from branching out from some of my favorites is seeing a lot of the same white, American, YA authors and books being read.

[@jenniferdobbs7092]

I've been wanting to start a booktube channel, but I had a fear of not getting any followers because even though I do read a few YA Fantasy, that's about it in the YA books. However I do have a huge variety of books I do read. But I definitely wouldn't be only showing just the most anticipated books, it would be books I'd like to read. I mean if I requested a book, and received it of course it would be a priority to get it read soon.

[@LuxuriousBlu]

The creators viewers subscribe to definitely dictates what the algorithm pushes to them, but it’s even more the videos, subjects and creators that viewers spend their most time watching are who they’re going to see more of. So it’ll take a bit more effort for people to find other BookTubers that read different books than the ones they’re used to. Plus the more BookTubers target their content to the audience the viewers will likely find it.

[@johnnacee-reads4119]

I really appreciate this video, I have been wanting to start a KZbin channel and I honestly wondered if it would be worth my time, my goals as a reader are to read as diversely a possible,an while I do read popular book and I do read YA, I just don't want to talk about that, and I don't want to focus my reading on YA. So thanks again, I am going to think about this while I consider what kind of content I want to make.

[@morningdewacademic]

I'm a new booktuber and I definitely don't read what everyone else reads. I rarely read YA and if it is, it's older 80s/90s books. I read historical romance, mystery and thrillers, education and medical/science books and yeah, even textbooks I will review. So, I definitely am bringing something different to booktube! I watch a lot of booktubers and there is quite a variety out there. Yes, I have seen a lot of the YA stuff but you're right it's who you follow and I find others who like me are interested in different genres. So, yeah, it depends on who you follow :)

[@carterfrvr]

I appreciate your discussions and reviews on graphic novels, and on occasion, audio books. As a librarian, I do have to remind people (mostly parents) that audio books and graphic novels COUNT. I think reviewing more of those materials "legitimizes" them in the eyes of some viewers (although they don't really need "legitimizing" in my opinion). A trend I've seen and am excited about is YA graphic novel biographies that I think should get more attention on BookTube, because it's such a great way to tell stories of important figures.

[@atrixa1991]

It really depends on how I hone my subscriber list. I remember when I used to follow a lot of YA booktubers and every video in my inbox was about Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl. I do like to see multiple reviews about a book I'm interested in for me to make a decision about whether to read it, but I think Publishers/PR companies have big sway on what is being talked about in the moment as does the algorithm. I love finding backlist booktubers to mix things up.

[@BemuzedBookworm]

part of it is also natural human behavior. a lot of us watch booktube as well and might have a subbox full of people with simular tastes and seeing others get excited about certain new books, makes you excited and so I think it naturally develops that a lot of buzz develops around some books that way. But definitely if you put in some effort you find completely different creators and completely different books.