is tiktok ruining reading? & the desire to be 'a reader'

[@TheBookLeo]

Welcome back to another episode of 'Leonie over-analyses the internet' Edit: Yes, the audio in this video is a little fuzzy, sorry! I didn't sound all too bad to me, so I went with it anyway, but it should be fixed in my next videos :)

[@yesyes9698]

This specific video was why I unsubscribed from Daniel Greene’s channel when he desleales it a week ago. He took such a defensive position and didn’t even pay attention to the bad part of booktok, which is really bad. Like hating trends or “if you have this opinion then you should be cancel” type of mentality. That is what is ruining the community. So much toxicity and “my opinion is more important than yours” Which is so infuriating seeing he has such a big following and taking such a position. It’s disgusting. I’m watching your video so I’ll get to know what you think about all of that. I’m already triggered. Maybe my thoughts is he’s getting deals ok TikTok as well so he needs to keep the cash flowing. Disgusting to be selling himself if that’s the case.

[@N0noy1989]

@@yesyes9698 Daniel Greene of today is very different from a couple of years ago. He's now a content creator, in the worst sense of the term.

[@jamesduggan7200]

@@yesyes9698 I've seen some of his videos but I don't feel compelled to get involved. However, I do object to the idea that something is ruining the community. Being a reader almost 60 years I can say with confidence that there never has been a better time to be one. Anyway, I respect your opinion but if you really are triggered the real underlying cause may be something else in your life. Again, that's about as far as I'm willing to go. Thx for the input.

[@yesyes9698]

@@jamesduggan7200 I’m not against people being readers or it being a lifestyle or whatever. I think that’s awesome and that being “a trend to read” is actually pushing people into reading. Which is amazing already. The problem is the toxicity in the community and the “my opinions are more important than yours” problem, which is clear and palpable both on KZbin and TikTok.

[@jamesduggan7200]

@@yesyes9698 Where we differ is that I don't see it as much of a problem - a lack of clean drinking water is a problem. People with surprising opinions is life, and they most certainly do add spice to it. In my case, I'm quite sick and have been several years. During that time I've mellowed considerably since I'm viewing life through a new lens. Basically, that lens is every day is a gift. 😁😁

[@a.d.8827]

The only real damage booktok has done is promoting Colleen Hoover books

[@nerdieeditz8044]

Right

[@DuskyEillott]

Based

[@asudebirtane8243]

​preach

[@safari_without_the_ri]

Exactly

[@ooriginalkawaipotato3840]

Real

[@justwonder1404]

As a millenial who doesn't use TikTok I find the booktok criticism so annoying. First we complain that kids don't read, than we complain that kids read the wrong way. Than, complaining that reading is aesthetisized? Of course it is, reading has always had to do something with aesthetics. Have you seen old libraries, they're gorgeous for a reason.

[@hotpeopleread3203]

I completely agree

[@notavailable3571]

Agreed completely i don’t use tik tok because of all i heard about it, but this seems by far the most all right trend i heard. Some people criticise for the sake of criticism

[@kerstinm.9902]

Totally agree! I'm not on TikTok but I love seeing my local bookstore crowded with Teens picking up new books and getting all excited about a new Colleen Hoover or romantasy.

[@kellyl6144]

Absolutely

[@bellamia8867]

Absolutely this, let people enjoy what they want the way they want.

[@bubblybridget56]

my one problem with booktok as a librarian is that they really emphasize owning books. I don’t care if you make reading an aesthetic, but I do wish more people just went to the library LOL

[@SerenityAutumn]

Not a booktokker, but we love the library! ❤

[@ooriginalkawaipotato3840]

I used to go to the library a lot when i was younger However when covid started i was already going there less and less but covid made me stop going there I now just buy books i want to (Because the library that i used to go too didn’t have anything i was interested in anymore) Now i know fanfictions arent really…considered books but i enjoy some so yeah

[@wondawomenluvsupaman]

Us bookies will get it wherever we can take it lol, I still very much go to the library, and I have my library card hooked up to Libby so I can rent ebooks, it is a bummer that there are long waits for more popular books, but I honestly just love being around books. I also take my 4 year old to the library because there are so may activities and resources for Kids. Libraries will reign forever. If I ever get rich and famous I am going to donate lots of money to libraries lol

[@suzubee9602]

I love the library, wish i could get to my local one

[@beyond.thepages_]

For me because library don't have the books I want to read. And I actually re-read a book for 7-8 times so buying it would be easier than borrowing it from the library but that's just for me :)

[@ktglick]

As an old person who doesn’t use TikTok all that much, I will say that making your hobby your identity has been happening LONG before TikTok. I was a teen even before the internet and there were still aesthetics, even if we didn’t call them that. There were surfers, skaters, goths, D&D guys, athletes, dancers, and yes, bookworms. It’s just that we didn’t have the means to broadcast that beyond our own social groups. But it still very much existed, I think it’s just a part of figuring out who you are and growing up.

[@sydneyahrens686]

underrated comment. this is so true

[@vitoriabottaro]

yes, thank you for saying this! these articles are just the same old adults criticizing everything teenagers do for fun as if it's causing the downfall of our civilization

[@iseespiritshelp688]

Goth isn’t an aesthetic it’s a subculture

[@ktglick]

​@@iseespiritshelp688 Okay. It doesn't change the point that people building their identity around something they love or a group they identify with is as old as time. Whether it is becoming part of a subculture,. adopting an aesthetic, or just focusing your identity around your hobby. The act of doing so isn't new, whether it's an aesthetic or something else.

[@emmabartnick6191]

What an interesting perspective, I think people tend to always think that the new generation is ruining society so it’s cool to see that stuff like this has been happening way before tik tok

[@Ifmdvjgoo]

The only problem I have with booktok is how it highly romanticizes abuse and toxic relationships. Young teens reading books glorifying horrible men as the 'dark, brooding type' could be really damaging.

[@kie5850]

the way this has alw been a problem even before tiktok lol

[@rea6667]

I think this has always been a problem within the media. In this case, I would argue that it's often the author at fault rather than the readers for exposing them to it. Some younger readers may not realise the negative impact on glorifying/romanticising toxicity, or that the book even does this, as it's become so normalised in so many forms of media. But yes, Booktok has definitely contributed to this issue no less.

[@veramagdalina2184]

books have age ratings/recommendations for a reason. the problem isn't the topics within the book, it's when older tiktokers irresponsibly market these books to younger audiences who may not be mature enough to read them.

[@personaseria2035]

this!!!

[@chappellroanplsgotomanilaibeg]

@@kie5850 So why arent we doong something about this. Acknowledging it would be a start for change

[@linzimacmillan6182]

If book tok keeps book shops open then I’m fully supportive. If it helps people who wouldn’t choose to read and they are now doing so then I don’t think it matters what they read.

[@lemonywater2979]

They are starting to be filled with mostly tiktok recommended books though, that's what I don't like about it

[@lillysummeroriginals1213]

@@lemonywater2979 from the perspective of the store owner it makes sense. We need to keep this business running and so we will fill it with the books that are primarily selling but from the perspective of a consumer as a reader who doesn’t rely on TikTok for books it’s annoying. I recommend secondhand thrift stores. This is because they will buy whatever people bring in and so it’s less likely people will bring in a TikTok book all the time rather than a store just ordering all those TikTok books at once if that makes sense.

[@lillysummeroriginals1213]

I agree. If people wanna read it they should have the right to read whatever they want and get their ideas from wherever they please. Personally I don’t really like TikTok books and I’m not on TikTok anymore just for ethical reasons but whatever. I get my ideas from KZbin and Goodreads and those same people could potentially be making TikTok videos so it’s the same

[@kashfiii990]

​@@lillysummeroriginals1213exactly. But the only problem I have with booktok is that most of the time, it promotes such trashy books which is even worse than those cringy wattpad fanfics from 2014. So I just don't take recommendations from booktok.

[@lillysummeroriginals1213]

@@kashfiii990 I get you. I deleted TikTok in January and I’m really happy with that. I used to get a lot of my recommendations from good reads but I found those to be not that great either. It would either recommend me very popular books which are the same on TikTok or books exactly the same as the same storyline as what I just read so it was boring. Do you need experience have also been useful because they help me become a more curious reader. I’m more open to giving any book a shot and I realize that I can just put it down if I’m not interested. I value my time in sofa book isn’t intriguing I will just replace that with another novel that is. In regards to discussing good not trashy books what are some of your favourite recommendations. Specially like books and teach me about culture in different places around the world. Do you have any recommendations in that regard. Hopefully we can continue on as per conversation and also I am legally blind. If you have any questions in that regard also please feel free to ask

[@monster-enthusiast]

Love how two of the criticisms were "they make their bookselfs look good" and "they have piles of unread books" cuz like, people were doing that before the internet even existed.

[@KatNips]

Personally I don't like having unread books on your shelf, but that's because for me personally a bookshelf is a shelve of achievements. I red that, I like that and the thing I like is now on display for everyone to see. But that's very personal to me and my autistic lil brain and it's probably really nice to have lots of books just THERE for you to read so it's not really a valid form of criticism you know

[@steviepeculiar2415]

a bookshelf full of unread books is a bookshelf full of opportunities and adventures to look forward to having ✨

[@neb-03]

Having unread books on your shelf doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t read. I used to read a lot as a kid and by the end of high school (pre-TikTok) I still had tons of unread books on my shelves. In high school, when puberty hit and academic pressure increased, I had less time and mental bandwidth to read what society around me considered “good” books, i.e. classics and non-fiction written by white men. Instead, I was mostly reading romantic novels on my phone that my parents wouldn’t have let me buy at a store. But I was trying to cling to the seemingly virtuous “reader of good books” identity I used to have previously, and so out of guilt and a desire to still fit into that, I kept buying aspirational reads. I’m in my twenties now, have zero guilt about reading romance novels, and mostly borrow from the library or buy secondhand because I don’t like the pressure of having unread books on my shelves. But I wouldn’t begrudge someone who has unread books because everyone has a different journey with reading.

[@Anana315]

True, when you love books and care about them, you make your bookshelf look good. And when you love books, you buy tons of them so logically, you always have a pile that you haven’t read yet

[@flappyturtlesnatch]

It's "bookshelves"

[@gailcbull]

Full disclaimer: I'm a Gen X. What I find odd about the criticism of Booktok-ers being "readers" and making being a reader a part of your identity is that this has been a state of affairs since long before the internet (even before TikTok). When I was in high school in the '90s -- yes, I'm old -- there were always the people who carried a novel with their school books from class to class, and the ones who didn't. And the ones who always had a novel with them and read for pleasure were known as "readers". Funny, that. And readers didn't just shop for books, we shopped for cool bookends and bookcases so we could display our books. Some of us even carried tote bags stamped with the logo of our favourite bookstore or library and carried our library cards in plastic covers outside our backpacks and bags to advertise our "reader aesthetic". Classic romance readers even had their own trend of t-shirts that said "Mrs. Darcy" or "Mrs. Heathcliff" to make fun of themselves for having crushes on fictional characters. So long before e-books, long before the internet, and long before Booktok, there were readers who wore their reader aesthetic as a lifestyle. So I'd just like to ask the author of that GQ article: "How long have you been living under a rock?"

[@gloxiinia]

I genuinely hate that people, every generation have the "back in my day" thing (idk how to word that 💀). It happens every generation that the current adult one decides the next one is doomed (even though they raised a lot of them). It's hypocritical and they don't even notice. We like to believe we are superior even though it's just nostalgia at play.

[@strangevol5264]

Heathcliff? Like the orange cat?

[@gailcbull]

@@strangevol5264 Heathcliff is the lover in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Although having love affair with Heathcliff the cat would healthier. The Heathcliff of Bronte's novel is cruel and borderline psychopathic, so I never understood why some people found him "sexy". He's the spiritual forerunner to Edward Cullen of Twilight and Christian Grey of 50 Shades of Grey. Creepy as f*ck.

[@haleighen]

Agreed - I don’t think identifying as a reader was something readers decided. Popular culture decided that reading made you the “other” and so readers embraced that. How often do “readers” mention a book they read and someone responds with “I don’t read”. We don’t do that with other media???

[@Beautiful_Serenity_00]

@@gloxiinia I get it but that's not the point here. The OP's intention is to say this isn't a new thing. How else would they convey that without say back in my days? 🤷‍♀ And tbh growing old is a part of life. Us GenZ when we get old in the future would do the same thing. You can resolve not to do that. That's fine too. But unless its being rubbed in everyone's face obnoxiously and just stated like here its not something to be upset about imo.

[@Emperorofthemoon1]

Fun fact: Niccolo Machiavelli dressed up in a full toga to read classical Roman literature because it helped him feel like he was conversing with the likes of Cicero. So…go nuts with your cute reading outfits lol

[@vettii]

Cringe

[@elitesqueak]

​@@vettiii wonder how machiavelli would react if someone called him cringe

[@vettii]

@@elitesqueak he'd probably say something cringe

[@i.b.640]

I am not sure, that machiavelli is a good role model :D

[@gilbertoflores7397]

​@@i.b.640his work is very misunderstood or been completely changed from his intention. His writings were meant as a warning or things to look our for in people who would scheme against you, rather than a how to, it's similar to how Oedipus, actually didn't have an Oedipus complex.

[@bats550]

the funny thing about the intro article is that book collectors have always been into aesthetic over reading. That's why perfectly preserved 1700s first editions sell for thousands but can lose value if they aren't in pristine condition.

[@bats550]

adding onto this, miniature books have existed since at least the 1950s, if not longer. sorry I just find it crazy that the journalist acted like this was a new facet

[@pablopalacios1459]

Not sure if that's a good example. For collectors owning those books it's like owning a painting. By owning the thing you are not only owning a first edition of, let's say, Dracula; but also an object loaded with history.

[@darkwriter_xx94]

@@pablopalacios1459but I think that’s why it’s a good example because like booktok, there is a spectrum. There are certainly collectors that are in in for the history and the love of books. There are also collectors that collect books just to show off their collection and to have the chance to say “I own a first edition x”

[@renatal.129]

@@pablopalacios1459 but it still is like... "wasteful", it's basically the same thing that people accuse booktok of doing: buying pretty books and not reading them. Like Elinor from Inkheart has a mansion full of books, some rare some common, and she doesn't let anyone touch them no matter how old they are. I saw her as a critic of this collectors who just keep but don't enjoy.

[@hannahsutherland9329]

​@@pablopalacios1459 Someone "collected" them when they were brand new. They didn't always have a lot of history attached.

[@moonthe0ry]

I work at a library in Circulation and I’m just glad to see teens come up to the desk and ask if we have these books. Few years ago, they hardly came in to check out books or if they did it was for a school assignment only. Let people read!!!

[@alb0zfinest]

The library is one thing, but alot of people are just participating in mass consumerism, having 40+ unread books, it’s just as wasteful as if someone having 40 pairs of shoes. The other problem is people don’t branch out. Like ok, YA fantasy can be a good start, but so many just stick to that one genre and never look elsewhere. You’re essentially gaining nothing from them. Not even the one thing you bought them for - pleasure, because the prose is (objectively) horrendous, the same plot points are repeated, and what’s portrayed as good is some of the most toxic shit I have read in any genre.

[@klyk69]

But people don't read, just buy books and let them dust

[@amiraloll]

​@@alb0zfinest this is why I think more people should buy secondhand books but they probably won't do that bc it ruins the aesthetic im assuming. alot of people do buy books just to have them

[@yuklimka7251]

I often spent time in our school library to check out books and chat with the librarian between classes. And I had a library card that I used all the time when I was still living at home. I've recently come back into the fold -- and I'm so glad I did. There are so many interesting, exciting, fun-to-read ebooks/books that have come out. I'm learning so much from Booktube about authors I'd never heard about.

[@Iamalive]

@@alb0zfinest but how is that your problem? people can choose what they wanna read for themselves

[@mctayy]

Millennial here. Didn't pick up a book and finish it in probably 10 years and got intrigued because of tik tok. Already read 23 books this year and thanks to booktok my TBR has 75 more books on it to read.

[@wellenhelen]

Omg I had to check this twice, because these are basically my stats: 23 read ( as of 1 month ago, now 26) and 75 on my TBR :D

[@alexanderramirez5072]

SIMILAR HERE, I had a reader's block for YEARS and having undiagnosed adhd and autism made it super difficult to understand why I couldn't read and now with booktok and leftist tiktok I've been reading so many things (at the same time tho, I can't read 1 NF book at the time, lmao)

[@kenzashenna]

Im on Book 9 now ever since I re uptook reading in May, and have 25 books on my list for the rest of my year. I can’t wait. I’m so so happy I’ve picked it up again after stopping reading in about 2015.

[@folded_pizza]

I read A LOT as a child. Eragon, Harry Potter, Silmarillion, I read all of those in elementary school and didn't quite get affected by their size or complexity. But after getting a phone (14) and going into high school (16-18) I really lost my ability to focus for long periods of time, and combined with burnout and studying fatigue I really couldn't get through a book. Now I never downloaded tiktok, but just from social osmosis, the fact that reading is "cool" now kinda nudged me towards trying it again, and slowly but surely I have read 16 books this year (10 of which are new reads).

[@pinkmagicali]

Same. It's helped me find my love of reading again. Although some a good and some are overrated. Much like newspaper reviews. I like just enjoying reading again.

[@whoami.24601]

I've been teaching English to 16-18 year olds for 11 years and when I started teaching in 2012 maybe 1 person in a class would even admit to sometimes reading a book. Most of them would say either "I used to love to read, but now I never do anymore" (not necessarily an uncommon thing in different eras of your life, tbf!) or "I've never finished a book in my life." Usually no one, or maybe 1 or 2, would say they actively liked reading. Booktok has 100% changed this in a way that booktube and bookstagram never did. Being snobbish about what teenagers read and why is pointless. Young people finding joy in reading is purely a good thing and the why and the what shouldn't matter.

[@Chaotic_Pixie]

I was in HS from 2000-2004 and went to a very progressive HS with a brilliant lit department. But, grades 8-11 were so regimented that it honestly sucked the fun out of reading for most of us by 12th grade when we finally got to take fun English glasses. This was especially true if you took Honors or AP English. I mention this, because now I know quite a number of HS English teachers and when they've been given freedom to design their curriculum... HOLY MOLY WOWBALLZ do they come up with some cool stuff. I have one friend that teaches a class called "Books for Jocks" and they read everything from graphic novels to literary classics.. but the key thing is, they all involve sport. Students also get to pick several of the books they read which allows for his students who have lower reading ability to read books more at their level rather than relying on audiobooks. The truth is, a lot of athletes make it to 11th/12th grade with a lot of academic issues that went under-addressed. I have another friend who teaches two really cool courses, one of which gets paired with a history course (lit 2 days a week, history 2 days a week). The first one is simply called Vampires. They read Dracula and Twilight and everything in between it seems. Students choose a few of the books they read and the class focuses on comparative analysis. The hybrid course focuses witches/monsters and students study historical events/themes through modern times and they discuss how literature is a reflection of the world that produced them. I have other friends fighting to create their own courses too. Cool literature courses shouldn't be the sole realm of the English major. I think if more high schools shifted closer to upper division university style lit courses, students would keep loving reading with a lot less outside effort... even offering them as electives. Also, I really hope American Lit courses have gotten a face lift since I was in school. I think we read 1 female author out of probably 18.

[@nt4075]

Yup, totally agree. Live and let live. :)

[@snickeringpigeon4370]

When I was in grade 9 or 10 I was reading ACOMAF and I carried it to every class because you never know when you might not have any tasks for a few minutes and have time to do something else. So all throughout school I always carried a book with me, even when I had to leave my backpack for physics and chemistry class. Well, I had the German harcover edition of ACOMAF on my desk (which is a monster of a book) in physics class. Our very snobby teacher pointed me out and told the rest of the class they should read more just like me. All the while I was thinking to myself: "I'm not sure if you would still be of that opinion if you knew what this book is about". He was the kind of teacher to tell us about how he would quit his job if they installed a smartboard in his room and removed his chalkboard. And he would brag about how his children never get to watch movies and complain about girls wearing leggings. In general he just seemed to have a bit of a superiority complex. So I doubt he would approve of my reading taste lol (then or now).

[@evelynreinbold5525]

It’s really nice to hear this from a teacher! My teacher told me that when I’m reading fantasy books I’m not actually reading, since those aren’t ,,real” books.

[@m.josena4485]

@@Chaotic_Pixie I would’ve loved this in hs! Though I already loved reading but this seems so cool

[@renatal.129]

i know the topic is nuanced, but the funniest part of media criticizing it is: media: teens don't read anymore teens: ok! *start reading* media: nOT THESE BOOKS!!

[@nishthagupta1357]

Exactly yess

[@sykoelf]

I think a huge part of it is that the media just LOVES to shit on what young women like. Cue the hatred for Twilight, One Direction, etc… we just dont like young women who are happy, I swear.

[@imnoemit]

Well but there are books that are the same as watching tv...

[@elise85391]

Exactly, teenagers can never win no matter what it is that they’re doing

[@ck.7343]

@@imnoemit not really, even reading dumb shit is better than watching dumb shit because ur brain at least trains to concentrate

[@milkteamachine]

My main problem with booktok (and booktube) is that it’s SO focused around consumerism. I’ve read a ton of books, nowadays I hardly own any. I go to the library or buy them used, I’ve never taken a photo of myself reading. I don’t think having fun reading is bad, but I definitely think that collecting and displaying books and actually reading them are two very different hobbies. I’ve participated in both, and having 100+ unread novels on my shelf was when I was actually reading the least of them.

[@RockHeiland]

That’s generally a problem with social media, the (German) manga community has the same problem. It’s no longer about reviewing great manga series, it’s about your latest „manga haul“, about how you bought another 15 manga you won’t actually read because you just bought 20 mangas the other week. It’s about „who has the longest reading list“, about „who has the largest collection“.

[@d3nza482]

"collecting and displaying books and actually reading them are two very different hobbies" - BINGO! With a caveat that reading is not really a hobby. It is an activity done for entertainment or education - but it is no more a hobby than using a pencil or keyboard to communicate thoughts. It is a passive skill and an active pursuit of information, ideas and/or vicarious experiences. Calling it a hobby is like saying thinking or communicating is a hobby. If you're doing it as a hobby - you're doing it wrong. Collecting and displaying books on the other hand... that IS a hobby.

[@alicehellstrom7616]

I completely agree. I have a friend who doesn’t have a lot of books but about 20 of them she hasn’t read (she has like 50). I’m really happy that she is reading but the fact that I have to remind her every now and then to stop buying more books and that she should read the ones she already has is just strange. This is also coming from someone who has hundreds of books but I have read them all and have been collecting them for basically 10 years and not only 2 (also read all of mine)

[@quinn7937]

@@alicehellstrom7616does it matter how she reads though? i do the same because i want to stock up

[@alicehellstrom7616]

@@quinn7937 well it’s more about the fact that she buys a book, doesn’t read it until two years later and she now hates it bc it isn’t something she’s interested in. It feels unnecessary to buy so much and waste so much money for something you’re going to dnf after 20 pages

[@pikkuiida2801]

My biggest problem with booktok is the you have to be this or this. There is no in between. You only read classics and literally fiction or you only read romance and colleen hoover. But in irl you most likely tend to read both. Edit: Thank you for all the likes :)

[@elise85391]

Yeah, I feel like there’s so much tension to put people in boxes, when most people probably read some of everything, with maybe a genre or two that they really don’t like

[@wokekoala5790]

people (especially on tiktok) tend to put themselves into groups like.. "clean girl" "vanilla girl" "dark academia girl" which causes many more poeple to not only name themselves these things and give themselves certain hashtags, but also judge others so bad and shove them into boxes (groups) in their minds (maybe without noticing!).. this problem is also caused by the speed tiktok is..

[@stillstymied]

I'm older and I think it's awesome that being a reader is something young people want to be!! It's very exciting to me. I'm hoping those strict categories are just starting points for young readers to develop their own taste. And eventually, if you're like me, you'll find your favorite authors and keep trying new titles (and old classic things). And bookshelves are pretty and so is my e-reader cover.

[@macylightfoot]

This is something that seems to occur in online "fandoms" in general. People of a certain age seem to feel the need to label themselves as fans of one thing, and that is their be all and end all for a while. And it never seems to be a case where they can like two things at once, or multiple things. If they want to talk about something else they have to remove themselves from the first fandom, or set up a whole new account to do it. It's so bizarre to see it happen. Twitter is probably a bad example because it's a mess these days, but when I first joined twitter I used it to talk about anything and everything, and had a really eclectic mix of accounts I followed, and followers. Now there's so many subdivisions of it that it feels like you're just tweeting into the void if you're not sticking to one very specific topic all the time. So yeah, it seems to be something that organically occurs in any kind of online community.

[@matthias4605]

Well why don't you make it different?

[@theres_no_guarantees]

On the note of overconsumption, I feel as if something that booktok kinda "sleeps on" is buying books used. As someone who works in a thrift store, you would not believe how many books we throw out every day. There are ways to consume and keep on buying books, but not promote waste. Like buy overstock copies, things from local thrift shops, from your library, from local bookstores, etc. Just be mindful!

[@seraphina1724]

Why do you throw out books if you don't mind me asking? I'm just curious about the criteria for that

[@TinyGhosty]

I will never understand why buying used books is not immensely popular.. You can easily find used books in great condition and it saves a lot of money that can buy more books or be used for other hobbies. I understand used bookstores are pretty much only in cities and thrift stores can be hit or miss while looking for specific books, but there are so many online options as well.

[@v_bunny]

i found the shadow and bone trilogy in a recycled bookstore for $5 each book in great condition! rather than $15 brand new! thrifting books can be a steal

[@daydreamer5608]

I'd love to be able to buy from thrift stores,as books can get quite expensive.. however,where i live TS only have really old and outdated book ,mostly old SF and books like the ones from Sandra Brown,which aren't my cup of tea.. I know it's not the same as owning the book,but I visit the public library quite often as they have newer books in better conditions -so I get to read for free a book that many have read instead of buying a book and Reading it once.

[@themetropolitansLFGM]

yes! my local bookstore has a used book section and i got a practically brand new copy of earthlings by sayaka murata for literally $5

[@mojaslatt]

Promoting reading is one of the better uses I have seen for TikTok lol

[@paziis]

As someone who has watched booktube since early 2013, it's so funny to me how all these 'booktok criticisms' are all topics that booktube community discusses like every 6 months. The buying way too many books, buying multiple copies, recommending the same authors, the stress of having a perfect shelf and lightning, the question of "are you a reader if you only read a certain genre, aka YA/romance", etc. It's all so old to me. However, I really enjoyed your video. You always make these 'dissertation' videos so fun to watch :)

[@penultimateh766]

Wow, sorry you are so bored by the topic. You could be reading, you know.

[@paziis]

@@penultimateh766 nah I just like to buy books so they look pretty

[@swand1383]

@@penultimateh766missed the point

[@cruelaz]

Yes I def gotten books because they had been hyped on booktube and when I red them was very dissapointed. It happens Also now I am older and I know my preferences better and look specifically for stuff in that direction. Who I follow on booktube has changed alot over five years but when I was on TikTok I also found people with similar taste like mine. For me personally if it gets people into reading again as booktube did for me so many years ago now I still count it as a win. Maybe not buy every hyped book libraries are a great option for that

[@ahouseofpomegranates4338]

tiktok goes through the same drama other websites went through years ago. all the social justice drama on tiktok is the EXACT SAME as tumblr in 2014

[@spinstercatlady]

As someone WELL past their teen years and a lifelong "reader", imo book lovers have always had something of their own aesthetic. Books and reading have always been associated with certain aesthetics like coziness, academia, etc. Plus, hardcore readers just naturally tend to gravitate towards aesthetics that reflect what we love to read, right? For example, I particularly love historical fiction, fairytales and beautiful children's lit art, so my home decor style is very Victorian cottage. To me, it just seems very logical that the aesthetics tend to "match" with the books.

[@natha1088]

That sounds cozy. I'll never understand why people think it's wrong with surrounding yourself with things that make you happy and give you peace. If somebody paints their bathroom barbie pink, good for them, if they like it, it won't stop my world from turning because it's not MY thing.

[@theefartman]

this thought is actually really interesting to me. i dress in a kinda emo goth inspired way with my own shiny, cyber aesthetic flair and i love murder fics, memoirs, coming of age stories, and weird stories. what does that say about me? do those things relate?

[@spinstercatlady]

@@natha1088 exactly! Surround yourself with what you love and what makes you smile 💜

[@spinstercatlady]

@@theefartman I definitely think they relate! Sounds so fun and interesting!

[@humancircuitry]

for real. anyone who is into a certain hobby or interest usually has some visual tells that give that away.

[@hershey2581]

I absolutely identify as a reader just as a I identify as a runner. My hobbies are what fulfills me, so I incorporate them into who I am.

[@hazeltoffel243]

Things you do definitely speak more than things you can't control I always found it weird how people absolutely want to identify with things they have no control over (like anything you're born with be it your skin, orientation or any type of illness to give a few examples) and nothing else Like just think of any twitter/instagram bio and what's in there 5 things they got no control over and didn't do anything for and maybe a hobby or job I just really don't get it

[@zuhaethari9964]

@@hazeltoffel243 I see your point, however those things that people are born with still end up shaping them as a person, which is out of their control, and it is quite a sad truth. Most of the time your skin color, orientation, or illness determines how others treat you and you are forced to figure out how to act and respond to that which eventually becomes ingrained to your identity.

[@manonvo8615]

I totally agree. Your hobbys say so much more about you than for example your job. Which it's really normal to say that about yourself in an introduction. I am not a "contentmarketeer" I work in content marketing. I AM my hobbies more.

[@Shubham-hk6yf]

Reading is sexy. In my opinion

[@Aya-iv7vw]

Exactly!

[@madeline52]

I uninstalled tiktok about two years ago because it was taking up too much of my time and messing with my sleep and mental health. Before that though, I was very deep within booktok and I have made many friends due to it, the problem was that I wasn't enjoying a lot of videos because it felt like reading was becoming a competition with the "books I read this week" and "how to read 10 books in a month" and things like that. I have always loved reading, when I was 4 I used to sit next to my mum and read with her whilst she read her book. It has been a big hobby of mine. So when booktok started to turn reading into a competition, it made me feel like I wasn't worthy almost. Like I had been reading for so many years yet I can't possibly be a good reader because I don't read 50 books in a year. Booktok was less about quality of reading and more about the quantity of books read. For me, reading has always been a part of my identity in the way that it has been with me for all of my life, but that's the thing, it has been a part of MY life and MY identity. I don't refer to myself as a "reader" because it makes it sound like reading is a job, like reading is no longer a hobby and is a class of people. I refer to myself as a bookworm. When people ask about me I usually say "I'm a very big bookworm, I read a lot. I love fantasy books because they make me feel like I'm having adventures too" so yes, reading is a part of my identity, but not because reading is cool or aesthetic but because I enjoy it and it makes me happy.

[@AliceinMonsterlands2]

That's the main problem of booktook for me...The competition

[@amw6846]

You know what, though? We encouraged that with AR in elementary school, so I don't know why we're surprised now.

[@smallestcomfort]

To be fair many forms of "book social media" heavily focus on the competition. I used to watch booktubers and also was on goodreads, and there was the pressure to read a large amount in a month, and also it had to be a diverse and inclusive group of books, so you couldnt just binge read one author or saga . At one point I also struggled with my "reader" identity and stopped following that kind of creators and just didn't count my books anymore. I'm not sure how that has evolved since I'm not in those communities now, but I feel at peace with my current reading habits now that reading is just for myself

[@madeline52]

@@smallestcomfort tiktok was pretty much the only media I consumed about books. It definitely made reading habits worse and public and now that I read for my own pleasure and my own business it feels a lot more enjoyable. Diversity and inclusivity is needed a lot more, but with booktok it feels like people are only reading diverse books for the sake of read diverse books. I feel like they need to be advertised more in shops and online and in reviewing platforms so that people pick them up. Half the time I don't even realise that the author is not a straight white person because I just care about the story and dont' focus on the author.

[@smallestcomfort]

@@madeline52 true, I think actually now I read more diverse than before bc I give myself more time to choose, but also I don't beat myself up when I realize this time I bought only european authors instead of local authors or stuff like that. Also it's important to have bookshops avalaible that have a more diverse offer, bc where I live bookshops have more or less the same books, and libraries usually are similar bc there are more books from bigger publishing houses

[@makennabyrne]

Ok I had to share this silly little tidbit about the passage you read from The Great Gatsby. When I read this in school my teacher shared that apparently rich people would buy blank books to put on the shelves. Like the name was on the cover but nothing was inside. They were like a status symbol saying “look at how smart I am! I have all these books!” While simultaneously saying “look at how much money I have that I can buy all these books and never read them and use them as decorations”. I just thought that was an interesting little addition to the point you were making

[@racheljohnson7177]

Interesting fact! This sounds believable actually.

[@ceycey6037]

I don’t understand people that complain about others making their bookshelves ‘aesthetic’: it’s part of your house, of course you’d want it to look pretty😭

[@wplants9793]

I completely agree with you. But I also have a secondary opinion, that if you are making your bookshelf, pretty just to get views on TikTok, that is not healthy and incredibly para social, and perhaps damaging in some cases. But honestly, that would depend on the person, and if it wasn’t books would be something else and it’s probably more complicated than the way it looks on the surface.

[@ceycey6037]

@@wplants9793 I agree!

[@therealjetlag]

While I don’t understand the logic of organising your books by colour (I mean, it looks incredible, but how do you find what you’re looking for if you don’t remember what colour the spine was?), but I do want my shelves to look good and do organise them by edition within a category, which causes a similar problem 😂

[@amaya0223]

As a kid I WAS a bookworm until school kind of ruined reading for me. Reclaiming that title helps me rebuild the habit and joy of reading, and even nurture my inner child. These critics scoffing at people who identify as "readers" has personally been an obstacle to that. I can only speak for myself in certainty but I don't think I could possibly be the only one who feels this way

[@limendime3720]

Second grade caused me to take a year long break in reading because the teacher didn't allow me to read at the level I was was at and instead forced me to read at "second grade" level. Bad times

[@NearsightedNarhwal]

One of the main reasons the “young people don’t read number” trope exists is because of schools (IMO). The moment a young child is *forced* to do something, they don’t wana do it anymore. Of course schools should be making kids read and teaching them about different kinds of literature, it’s just how kids are

[@pinkmagicali]

Yeah. I kept being told to stop reading and study it go talk to people or do something else. I lost the ability for years. Booktok has helped me read more in the last year than the previous 10+.

[@Katie-ug3ep]

I picked up 1 book that went massively popular on tiktok. It was one of the worst books I've ever read in my life. But ya know what? I come from the generation that got into reading because of freaking TWILIGHT, so who am I to judge 😂😂. As long as young people are reading, it's a win.

[@BeepBoop-z2v]

Exactly, reading for fun comes first, they have little to no experience on what is "good" and fun. They need a fun start that they can really get into to get into the deeper stuff in the first place

[@red__guy]

Haha mine was de vinci code

[@heijimikata7181]

@@red__guyThat was my second! My first was a comprehensive version of the Greek Mythology. I remembered taking them off of my grandpa’s shelf when I was 9. Never looked back since!

[@lyricquinn]

What book was it?😂

[@kingexplosionmurderfuckoff9376]

​@@lyricquinn I'm guessing something by Coleen Hoover.

[@maluse227]

I think the only thing I genuinlly worry about when it comes to booktok is the continued influencerization of authors, and how writers are expected to perform as tho they were reality stars/ influencers in order to get their books noticed by major publishers. And this has been becoming an increasing problem where some publishers wont look at an author unless their social platform has reached a certain level. But that's not a problem of the audience and a problem of the industry itself.

[@SaffariRose]

THIS 💯 And the offshoot problem of this is that to get noticed on TikTok, some of the writing and storylines has become formulaic, generic and simplistic because they sometimes are trying to cater to a particular audience who like certain genres and aesthetics.

[@katelynbarnes2987]

@@SaffariRose yes. as a writer, i love looking at other peoples works and ideas, but it's just a copy and paste of the last nowadays. the fantasy genre well is running dry, and unfortunately, the genre as a whole is going to be ran into the ground. it's strangely exhausting to read about these fantasy ideas where one thing is altered and it becomes an entirely new story. a fair reason as to why i'll never touch a modern day fantasy novel or series.

[@SaffariRose]

@@katelynbarnes2987 Good point! I recently started 'The three body problem' by Lui Cixin. It's been out for years but I only used to hear it been called 'complicated', so I stayed away. But then I realized that the people saying that really only like a particular genre of fantasy/science fiction so obviously they would never give a fair judgement. And that goes back to this whole tik-tokification of literature. To be honest, more and more I'm reaching out to works of writers from other Countries because I feel the generalization of ideas hasn't hit them yet. Meanwhile, if we're not recommended Collen Hoover, then it's Sally Rooney 🙃 I'm so tired of this trend.

[@katelynbarnes2987]

@@SaffariRose i agree so much. i feel like a lot of booktok creates this generalization of whats expected out of a book, and therefore, classics like ‘Gone with the Wind’ and ‘The Portrait of Dorian Gray’ would be deemed “too complicated” like you said. it breaks my heart because both of those novels are such masterpieces in their own ways. even novels like ‘The Outsiders’ are being criticized as “boring” and “stupidly long” and things along those lines. if it doesn’t meet a certain list of bullet points, it’s not generally accepted by booktok. it’s singlehandedly changing how authors and writers alike approach their novels; even me, who has been reading and writing since before grade school.

[@SaffariRose]

@@katelynbarnes2987 I hope you don't change your voice or the original ideas in your writing because the one thing I do know is that works usually find their audience. It might not be tik-tok approved or popular but readers will still find it valuable eventually. I'm just thinking of the last six literature Nobel laureates and how I never heard of their names let alone their books, but yet, their body of work still gave them that award. It just sucks for us that we don't always have diverse recommendations.

[@kezla]

As someone who is 40 soon, and was heavily bullied in her youth for being "bookish" and...even worse...reading high fantasy. My inner child is rejoicing at the explosion in bookish content on social media! I grew up feeling very isolated in my hobby with nobody but Matilda in the Road Dahl novel to relate to! 😆 I'm here for the aesthetic content too, it's a mindfulness activity when you think about it 💡(I work as a therapist for teens) This was a very interesting watch, and very eloquently put 👏🏻

[@mavywavy801]

As a soon to be 30 year old, I feel you on this, been bullied relentlessly on reading books and keeping to myself as a child. Normally I don’t mind the book explosion on social media but it does get concerning when children are being exposed to certain age appropriate books like 50 shades of gray or any Colleen Hoover book without proper warnings.

[@kezla]

@@mavywavy801 Agree with you on that cautionary point! Some of my work is teaching parents internet safety in regards to their kids and teens usage.

[@amandahakes2226]

“Do you identify as a reader?” In middle school I walked from class to class while also reading. In highschool My mom once said to me “if you spent as much time reading text books as you did reading any other books you would never struggle in any of your subjects” I always had a book in my bag. Constantly. This was all early 2000s and what blows my mind is the critique that TikTok has turned reading into a lifestyle aesthetic seems to either not be aware that (or has entirely forgotten that) girls like me identified as readers way before social media told us that there were others like us floating around. This is not a new thing to feel like reading/books is a part of who we are as people and it never seemed to threaten literature before…

[@Vonunov]

God, yes. I developed the ability to read on the way to the next class while using peripheral vision to navigate. The textbook comment too. They didn't realize that I had already read the textbook cover to cover. It only takes one day of forgetting to bring something decent to read or the first period teacher's shelf missing all the new/good stuff that day. Getting in trouble for reading in school. Getting in trouble for reading in English class, or better yet, in "reading" class. Getting in trouble for reading the wrong thing. Reading while the teacher is talking -- listening too, but it wasn't always pure lecture; they were reading slides or textbooks or whatever, and pretty regularly you would know what was going on for the next 30 seconds, which gave you plenty of time to take in another paragraph and tune back in when they got to the next section or you started hearing something you didn't expect. Reading ahead instead of keeping pace while the class slogs through a book at one chapter a day. Being accused of reading ahead and having to convince them you'd already read it years before. Getting good at turning pages without being noticed because the teacher was watching to make sure you didn't read ahead while the class took turns reading bits of the chapter aloud. Constantly having the maximum allowed number of books checked out. At both libraries. I agree, feeling like reading is part of who we are is hardly new. I actually wanted to post something about finding it vaguely off-putting to hear reading described as a "hobby". That word always suggested to me a sort of frivolity or superficiality almost along the lines of "dabbling". A "hobby" strikes me as just some extracurricular diversion that you do because it's entertaining or relaxing or fills time well. It also seemed like hobbies were something that had to be taken up deliberately at some point. I never viewed reading as a hobby in that I couldn't remember ever "getting into" reading -- it was simply something I'd done forever. Besides, I read because I couldn't not read, not necessarily because I wanted to (though I did want to most of the time, which was convenient). So it could no more be a hobby than could breathing air or drinking water -- or less hyperbolically, preferring to walk around with an MP3 player instead of in silence. Plenty of people will tell you they can't stand not to have something to listen to while walking or on the bus, but they won't generally describe it as a hobby, and this was the kind of thing reading was for me. But there seemed to be a good chance that it would come off as gatekeeping, so I figured it would be more trouble than it was worth to post as a top-level comment. Anyway, I think maybe the critique is (or should be) aimed more at the performativity of it. Reading felt integral but also vaguely sacred in some way. When someone would lay it on too thick about being such a bookworm, it seemed almost offensive, even if they weren't lying, but especially if you happened to know it was nothing but an act. In my eyes, if you were really a "reader", it wasn't something you needed to tell anyone or make any effort to broadcast. Everyone already knew, because you were that person who would read in the bath, on the toilet, on the bus, while walking to school after missing the bus, in the hallways, at breakfast and lunch, at dinner if you could get away with it, in class, at recess, during fire drills, at pep rallies, before school, after school, and under the covers. So I can understand having some kind of problem with this at least, because I have found myself contemptuous of people who wanted to adopt the image but who clearly didn't live and breathe it like I did. Like I said, this can easily sound like gatekeeping, but I don't think it is. I never cared if anyone felt like they were a reader, and I'm not sure if I ever really judged someone else as being somehow less worthy of the "title" or anything like that. The problem was just the blatant and desperate signalling of it. So this I can understand criticizing, but I guess I don't know the intent for sure.

[@ijustdocomments6777]

Yeah I was thinking this also, "pretty sure reader aesthetic was a thing before the internet".

[@krishaashah6219]

Still doesn’t change the fact that you weren’t doin great in studies and were instead reading about a vampire and a girl

[@kellykrotzer9711]

I wonder if there are some people though, who were made fun of for reading so much as a kid, and are now upset at how mainstream reading seems to be. The anime community is dealing with the same thing right now, to be honest, so I wouldn't be surprised if it applied here as well

[@amandahakes2226]

@@kellykrotzer9711 It could be possible. That would indicate some deep seeded trauma and that can be very hard to recognize let alone deal with. If that is the case I would hope that anyone feeling that way would realize that while reading (or anime for that matter) is a part of them, it is not them in their entirety. Meaning that what happened to them in the past doesn’t have to be something they own now. And when they feel threatened by others using that hobby in a way they don’t like it’s okay because it is not a reflection of Them.

[@Shadowpool71]

going to be honest, as someone that dives deep into booktok regularly, i feel like the "recommends the same 20 books" criticism is very valid. i actually live in the horror reader shelf of booktok, so i dont run into colleen hover (although i'd argue she IS actually writing horror) or miss maas, but if i get jack ketchum or nick cutter recommended to me one more time, i may lose it. I do feel like some of it is one person read it, said it was really good, so then a bunch of other people reviewed it and put it out and there is some beauty to that, but it's so irritating

[@NearsightedNarhwal]

It’s so weird to me how people’s complaint is “they recommend the same books over and over!!” When like, dude, shouldn’t you be annoyed by the fact that the books your seeing over and over are books that are romanticizing abuse and toxic relationships (since a lot of booktok people are romance readers). Shouldn’t you be annoyed that bad messages are being promoted, not the promotion itself?

[@VzoZel]

​@@NearsightedNarhwal many do, that's why they complain about those books being recommended over and over again, as if they didn't romantized abuse. Those two complains are many times holding hands.

[@lily.skylar]

my biggest issue with booktok as an avid reader for as long as i can remember is that stories had a general formula they loosely followed, but it was loose enough that i still felt like i was reading something new and i could still get surprised and discover different characters i enjoyed. booktok has amplified trope culture in books so much that many books written post-booktok are less about a story with tropes (bc books would be talked about bc of certain aspects someone liked and a trope might be mentioned but it was more like “harry potter meets etc with this element” over “enemies to lovers, one bed, secondhand romance”, which tells you EXACTLY what is gonna happen. books today are written around tropes rather than tropes being a small part of a story that may be recognized by the reader as “i kinda like when there’s one bed” over this being a trope you look for and pick what you read based on. so many books today feel like they follow a blueprint bc they’re writing around tropes so many plot elements and characters feel like copy and paste of each other. i do see exceptions with authors who had a following before booktok, but authors who became famous bc of booktok or those trying to use booktok to get their books read seem to be falling into this trap which is disappointing bc it isn’t their fault but it’s a product of the consumption system booktok created :/

[@angelxxsin]

It's because books have morphed into "content" instead of just stories told for fun thanks to the algorithm.

[@josefschwab261]

This is my problem with "Booktok".

[@redsun23x]

Excellent comment 🙌👏

[@pendragon2012]

Personally, I feel like anything that encourages people to pick up books is a good thing whether I choose to partake or not. You and others, Leonie, have made me enjoy reading and discussing books again. For that I thank you!

[@strshipsuprnova]

I personally have an issue with making reading an aesthetic simply bc it keeps people in boxes. I’ve been in bookstores and overheard people on several occasions say they were interested in a book but wouldn’t buy it bc it wouldn’t match the aesthetic of their book shelf. I think if you’re interested in a book then you should read it. Not expanding your reading list for no other reason that it’ll ruin the look you want seems to me as though you aren’t reading for the true enjoyment of reading, but because you care too much about the aesthetic of it. If you want to read classical novels, but also read manga, you should. Don’t let the weird stares from cashiers or the potentially negative comments from random instagram users stop you from truly enjoying the reading experience.

[@gabrielamorales7390]

While you may be right, making reading an aesthetic also serves as a purpose for motivation. For example: I always hated exercising but when I started getting cute workout clothes clothes and sort of romanticized it in a way it helped me find the motivation to actually do it, and I'm much healthier now. Same with reading, me and a lot of teenagers finding an aesthetic appeal to reading can also motivate us to reading. Things have always worked like this, it's just more prominent now with social media, and I think it bad, but it can also do a lot of good, just like everything in life. I feel like people are criticizing booktok too much because people do what they have to do to motivate them to read or do things. So yeah limiting yourself because of aesthetic isn't good, but aesthetic can do a lot of good as well.

[@PirateQueen1720]

I think teens identifying as readers is great! Sure, some of the popular picks may seem a little cringe... but every book worm can probably look back and go "Man, I can't believe I used to like that!" or "Well, I still kinda like that for the nostalgia, but..." So judge the books, if you must*, but don't judge the readers! * I must. I can't help myself. Even the books I love I have a few things to complain about.

[@evakrivankova6196]

⁰

[@toliyeptho3313]

Well said👍

[@Rebel_without_a_clue]

This is precisely how I feel about some of the books I used to read. I agree that we shouldn’t gatekeep reading from young women; yes ofc they will probably start with reading the most populair books rn (with is totally okay btw), but eventually, they’ll probably find the niche of books that they enjoy the most. Whether it’d be the classics or populair ya series, the best thing to do is to encourage reading for everyone, regardless of what their taste in books might be.

[@nauriini]

I agree so much with this. Reading is about personal experience and the only thing that matters is if the reader enjoys or gets what they hope from the book. Nothing else should matter

[@ellie7878]

I remember one of the books my friends and I were obsessed with for a short while when we were about 11. Prophecy of the Gems. God it was terrible lmao but there are a lot of good memories associated with that time frame too. Let people read whatever books make them happy.

[@QueenCloveroftheice]

My biggest complaint is that it encourages over-consumption, which I wouldn’t mind so much if it was boosting unknown authors’ sales, but it’s usually the same names that keep coming up.

[@Pkelly730]

This is why I only support booktokers who read diversely and those who promote the library and second hand sources!

[@sentient.ball.of.stardust]

I get it, but i don't mind it when it comes to books. Better that than make-up, fast fashion or funko pops.

[@DisplacedUnderDog]

That is about the only thing I take issue with even booktube when they talk about booktok for those of us that do not do the toks of tiks.

[@jjw23]

As long as people are actually READING, who cares what they read/why? I for one am happy they’re using TikTok for something other than to simply waste time.

[@anna.owo.]

Reading alone means nothing, reading a sampo label is better that reading a collen book. There are far right books out there, are those also ok for people to consume and agree with it?

[@silvernblack21]

​@@anna.owo.It's as ok as people reading far left books. At least in my country it is.

[@ioncekilledamanwithmyshoe]

I mean, maybe we should care at least a little about what people are reading. Aside from obviously harmful books, Colleen Hoover books teach teens awful things about romance and love.

[@jjw23]

@@ioncekilledamanwithmyshoe I agree (I don't like CoHo's books), but I have heard of many people who got into the habit of reading because of booktok. that's what I'm referring to.

[@M.H.I.A.F.T.]

@@anna.owo. I don't care for far-right politics in the slightest, but I would never in a million years be arrogant enough to think I could tell others what they should or shouldn't be able to read and think about. Do you realise that Farenheit 451 was written about people with your mindset?

[@dalishrogue3621]

As a Graduate Lit major, I realize how annoying it is to see people obsess and analyze commercial works that don’t have much depth to them. But I also love that people are doing it. It means they’re reading. And more importantly, they *enjoy* it. They enjoy so much that they take the time and resources (believe me when I say your sticky note budget goes through the ringer when you use them as a way to keep your annotations in order) to all but rip the books apart as they try to figure out every little nuance of the book or even just to point out a spot that she dis/likes. Also, I have stacks and stacks of books that aren’t read and that’s mostly because I have a bunch of things that I have to read for school and when I’m done with classes, I might of lost interest. I can’t believe that people are making it seem like reading is bad. It’s not. I read broadly because it’s important for my hoped career, but when I chose works for myself for pure enjoyment, they’re not always something that I’d study for class and that’s because they’re for entertainment. They don’t have to be deep or meaningful or whatever.

[@tdreamer25]

things may have more depth than you think depending on how the story resonates with people. If it is important to them then that's something to notice. Remember that what you though it was meaningful in you teenage-hood or adulthood might change, but it's never meaningless.

[@Wildflower1013]

Also, after reading the more commercial works, they might move on to things with more depth and they can carry those analyzing skills with them. It's definitely not a bad thing!

[@yuklimka7251]

Not every book has to have immense depth or be a life-changing experience. If that were the deciding factor, we'd have to watch only documentaries on TV. I suggested a book to a student of mine for a Selective Fiction Reading course. My student saw the cover, and the book clicked with her. She's about a third into the book by now, and it turns out the novel resonates with her for very personal reasons. I'm expecting some interesting discussions with her.

[@lauriensnijers2322]

What is literature? What books are considered literature? I've read books my entire life, devoured them. most of them were kids' books and YA since I'm 18 but what would i need to read to read propper literature?

[@tdreamer25]

@@lauriensnijers2322 honestly there’s nothing wrong with YA, read whatever makes you want to read more. Do you want to dip your toes into literature? Read the classics, Jane Austen is great author to start with for example. It all depends on your interest really, whether you like romance, fantasy or a good mystery. Good luck!

[@mclairekchan4716]

when i watch your videos i feel like yes, i can read 200 books in the span of two weeks

[@TheBookLeo]

nice!

[@thifanny7298]

When I watch her videos I’m like “Damn! Make it one week!”

[@jcristina42]

honestly? same

[@nishthagupta1357]

Lol yes😂😂😂

[@wmd8840]

As someone who hasn’t seen this channel before, and who read this comment… I just looked through the whole channel history for a video about reading 200 books in two weeks. And I feel like a fool now, thanks 😜

[@tash4995]

i feel like the "booktok aesthetic" as always been a thing we just never agreed to a name until now. like in the 2010s, especially on tumblr, people were already hoarding books, colour coding them, buying books cos its popular the only thing that has really changed is the types genres but even then a lot of the same tropes occur

[@einhuhnchen9241]

a few years ago when I was doing nothing else but reading the entire day, people were getting bullied and called nerds. now tiktok made reading “cool” again and I am thankful for that

[@krishaashah6219]

Is it REALLY cool again?

[@i.l.9151]

​@@krishaashah6219yep! I see lots of teens taking books to school and reading in public. Of course, some people will always think reading is uncool or weird, but it's definitely not the majority

[@mollymynte7418]

I am a teenage girl, part of gen Z, who is apart of booktok. I grew up reading. I don't remember ever not liking books. I have read books since I got one stuffed in my hand in my old small school library, long before I was apart of tiktok or booktube or bookstagram. When I was younger I was so embarrassed that I liked to read. It was very uncool to read and I had exactly one other friend who enjoyed it. Now, most of my close friends enjoys reading as well. Most girls I know my age read at least sometimes. And a lot of them read maybe a book or two a year, and its either Colleen Hoover or some really hyped booktok romance. That is not really my taste in books, but I really don't mind. I think it is great that it is so normalized now. That I have a bunch of friends who started out on booktok with a Colleen Hoover book and now read 50 diversed books a year. I think being part of booktok, at least for me is about the community. I love actually being able to nerd out about a hobby that I have loved for years, that I only recently felt like was acceptable to share to others. I just wanted to share my thoughts as an actual 'teenage gen z girl', who is mentioned a lot in this video, and the actual target audience for (most of) booktok. I really appreciate this video - how it talks about negatives and positives, without trying to judge or look down upon booktok. It made me open my eyes for some of my unhealthy habits because of booktok (or social media in general) - how I really want to 'present myself as a type' both on the internet and in real life. But also, this video just made me feel very seen, which I really really appreciate.

[@theefartman]

people love to hate on the interests and personalities of teen girls in particular. we need to take that back!! do what we want!! read cuz we like it!!

[@Chaotic_Pixie]

The world is warped. But I'm so glad teens are finding ways to find space for themselves in this world. As a *gulp* elder millennial, I'll openly admit, it really sucked that it took until my mid 20s to find a space in this world where I felt comfortable "taking up space" and wasn't tease/mocked for doing so. There's room for all sorts of literature in this world... from the fluffy or spicy to the truly deep, philosophical and meaningful and there's always room for "the pursuit of knowledge" type books.

[@karenjobim5794]

I loved what you shared with us! As a Gen X that experienced everything you did from an early age, I can relate. Also, I was proud of being called a nerd (lol). But it always made me sad when I saw kids and teens weren't reading at all. Nowadays, I'm happy to see so many young people reading, excited for something. It doesn't matter if it's Collen or manga, whatever! It's refreshing. I only hope it continues and it's not a trend. I'm sure the person reading CoHo today will be reading fantasy or literary contemporary some years from now. I appreciate this video a lot too. Happy Readings, Molly!

[@victorvale1015]

Exactly. I don’t think I’ve ever had a year with less than 20 books read including rereads- and the vast majority have been over 50 a year. It’s not booktok making me read it’s just where I go to talk about it

[@janetmorgan9728]

Oh, I so agree about the overconsumtion thing. I do feel like a person can truly love reading without buying a single new book or special edition. I buy all my books used on ebay or thrift stores and it makes me feel good that I can read all I like without hurting my wallet or environment so much. I also borrow from the library extensively! I love seeing a bookshelf full of well cared for, but obviously used and well-loved books. It's a personal favorite "aesthetic" ❤😊.

[@cookiearmy9337]

Saying "because your bookshelf/books are pretty and aesthetically pleasing, you must not actually have time to read or like reading", is like saying "your car is very clean and we'll looked after, you must not drive it on the road often". 😂 No it just means I see these books as pieces of art and I should love and look after them so my kids and grandkids and great grandkids can read this amazing novel.💕

[@prkp7248]

Booktok books are not very good when it comes to the way they were printed. Paper is low quality, covers are clearly targeted toward 15 year old white girls and wording and composition of text on pages is horrible.

[@theharshtruthoutthere]

@@prkp7248 No place for BIBLE (KJV)? Among the other books? Practising reading but keeping far from BIBLE? BIBLE is the only book which is filled with the basic instructions before leaving earth = BIBLE. Never had the interest of knowing how to live on earth?

[@Sky-bu1jj]

@@prkp7248 Some of the worst quality books I've ever owned are the cheap penguin classics with the off-white/beige-ish spines. The covers with the paintings are beautiful, but the spines crack the moment you actually try to read them, the pages are rough and uncomfortable to hold for long durations, and the print is terrible, tiny and sometimes illegible due to too much or not enough ink. Another classics publisher I've learned to avoid is the Collins Classics that look like knockoff black penguin classics. Some of the best paperbacks I own are TikTok books, like _We Were Liars._ Never cracked, beautifully bendy pages, decent print. I'm not here to defend the contents of the books, since that's all subjective, but in terms of quality of the physical books, I have no clue what you're talking about.

[@prkp7248]

@@theharshtruthoutthere Why would I read it in KJ version, if my native language have better translation? KJV is full of mistakes, it was not created by scholars who were versed in ancient greek, aramaic or hebrew.

[@theharshtruthoutthere]

@@prkp7248 Is any of it, what you mentioned matters; as the truth is also written into all hearts of all humans, be they small or great, rich or poor. KJV full of mistakes? Name these, or you judging here UNrighteously.

[@emmathompson7904]

I recently became a librarian (first of all, it’s the best job in the world), and I have such a new appreciation for “bad” books. One person’s trash is another man’s treasure, and that applies to reading as well. Basically, my fundamental ideas around reading (and librarianship) is LET PEOPLE READ! Whatever that may be! There will never be a shortage of beautiful, eloquent, moving books for literary types to gobble up. Gen-Z folks are not going to take that away because they like angsty, sometimes poorly-written smut about faeries and goblins (I am said Gen-Z folk that likes that stuff). Let other people have some fun and enjoy what they enjoy!!! Never feel ashamed for your reading preferences!!

[@lorenzomeulli750]

The point of "bad novels" isn't if it affects us, it's how it affects the Kids reading them. This is an old topic, far from being born out of booktok or KZbin. It's about some really fucking bad books being published as "YA" or "for teens" when they are straight up bad. Quality doesn't have an age restriction, nor it's about literary style. I prefer clear and dry writing to elaborate styles, something that goes to the point and is focused. Why don't young people deserve reading good stuff? Why it's so common that YA and related stuff are sub-par?

[@emmathompson7904]

@@lorenzomeulli750 There are plenty of "bad" adult fiction books as well; they exist in every genre. And there are plenty of amazing YA books out there, it's not like teens only have the worst of the worst books to choose from. The YA genre is exploding with diverse, moving, extraordinary, revolutionary works now more than ever before. The point I was trying to make is, what we consider bad may be good to someone else (this definitely excludes works that promote abusive/toxic relationships, self-sabotage, internalized misogyny etc., though). Taste in writing and story telling is subjective, and that's okay.

[@lorenzomeulli750]

@@emmathompson7904 Sure, on that I agree. But you must also agree that plenty of stuff is extremely and purely bad. It doesn't reduce the enjoyment someone might have, but It brings me to a question. "Why are we more accepting of bad writing in YA novels?" And in general towards children stuff, for that matter. Exactly because they are young we should expect good stuff. Do you let children stuff their mouths of fast food?

[@emmathompson7904]

@@lorenzomeulli750 Hm, I think that is an interesting question, which probably deserves a paper or video essay on the topic. I imagine the easy answer is because publishers hoping to make a big buck don't think kids/teens will notice, which is definitely an issue (and the point I think you're trying to make).

[@lorenzomeulli750]

@@emmathompson7904 Precisely. And they get to do so because we, the adults, don't really expect much from what kids pick up to read (I am generalizing of course). If there was more interest in quality for young people books, cinema and whatever these things would spark a lot more interest from them, compared to... Well, not giving a fuck about anything beyond mainstream films and Netflix. Lemme be clear, it's not that I care what a 15yo does in their free time, but if we didn't accept the quality of their entertainment be so low, more people would develop a superior media literacy. Which, honestly, seems to be a growing skill when It comes to importance.

[@Saltkiing]

More books being sold means that maybe we can get more book stores open- That would make me happy

[@thetastiestjam]

I will say booktok/booktube got me back into reading, but I do understand how it promotes over-consumption. I think that tracking how much money I saved by reading library books instead of buying them has helped me fight against buying too many books. There is no way I could afford 15 new books a month if I didn't rent 90% of them.

[@kassiedelong7983]

For the longest time I identified as a reader and it was part of my personality. I worked a lot in therapy because I was so stressed out because I wasn’t reading enough and I felt like I was losing part of myself. It took me getting rid of 50% of my books, using the library, unsubscribing from a majority of the creators I followed, and really looking inside of myself to find what books I actually liked to realize that it’s okay to just enjoy reading and it’s not a race and there won’t be a pop quiz. 😂

[@nostalgicsapphic8450]

i think the piece of advice that changed my life the most was "when someone tells you they haven't experienced something you have (like having not read one of your favorite books) don't make fun of them, but instead inform them and let them know they're in for a good time" and it really has helped me when in situations like this where gatekeeping can get bad and ruin peoples fun

[@einepersondiekeinelusthat3875]

I actually felt stupid for multiple times. Just because booktubers/-tokers read 4 times faster than I do. And couldn’t enjoy the books anymore because of the pressure I put myself in by comparing my reading habits to people on the internet who read like 100 books a year.

[@prkp7248]

They are mostly read waste paper level of literature, don't worry about them.

[@lordbunbury]

Most of them lie about the books they have read, and if they have read a 100 books in a year, they’re very light easy reads.

[@Midalias25]

Don’t compare yourself. If you are reading and you are enjoying it why compare your enjoyment to others. If they read 100 books in a year, great. If you read 5, also great.

[@Blakoss]

Hobbies are meant to be enjoyed. Too much of anything is bad. If it’s getting to the point where you feel like reading is a chore, definitely dial it back at bit. Reading 100 books a year is insane and just not necessary at all

[@meeomelovescookiesandhisto459]

it's their job to read, just as it is a food blogger's job to cook beautiful creative meals and it's a fitness influencer's job to look good and work out. They get money for it and they have time for it because it's their job. As a regular person, I sometimes get through 2 books a year. And I make pretty lunches like once a week. I workout whenever I can or feel like it, and I don't look good doing it. My job is something different, and I do a multitude of things. I don't have to compare myself to others as long as it works for me and doesn't harm anyone. Plus, as others have said, influencers often lie and set high standards, and often they struggle just like we do but feel like they have to pretend because of their platform. Making reading a numbers game is a sad way to read to me now, and I focus on people who don't focus on that aspect of the hobby.

[@mitsuha0608]

the thing is... i hate the tiktok in general, not only the booktok 🙃

[@seraphina1724]

I don't mean to sound rude or negative but... so what? Why did you feel the need to share this? It doesn't add anything to the conversation it just reiterates a tired opinion

[@mitsuha0608]

@@seraphina1724 Cause I wanted to express my opinion. And even if it doesn't add anything, it's how I feel. I'm tired of so many people not talking about anything other than tiktok, they spend hours and hours watching it, and that only makes me hate this social media even more. And in my opinion, even if it is not important to you, tiktok does not add anything to these teenagers' lives, on the contrary, it only wastes their time, destroys their ability to think for themselves, makes them anxious wanting to be someone else or wanting to have many followers and so many other bad consequences.

[@v_bunny]

@@seraphina1724 and why did you feel a need to add this comment? it’s fine for people to share very non-harming opinions that lots of people can relate to, especially in a video very centred towards said app. i also hate tiktok and dislike how it’s made me feel in the past when i did have it. discussing opinions politely is how we make conversation and share ideas with others, and we shouldn’t have to tell others to close their mouths for some simple opinion just because we dislike it.

[@yesyes9698]

I don’t understand people hating on TikTok. Maybe as a “general” in “it’s bad for the people in general” is more ok. But individually hating it? Just to sound edgy and sound relatable because it’s a trend? I’d like to hear the reasons why you really hate TikTok.

[@v_bunny]

@@yesyes9698 to call hating a tiktok a "trend" just because lots of people hate it, is really weird. i understand some people come across as very "i'm better because i don't use tiktok" which isn't the case for op considering they listed many reasons why they don't like tiktok. i dislike tiktok because it makes me feel self conscious, i feel a need to "fit in" more, i found myself wasting hours on that app doom scrolling when i could've done literally anything else that i enjoyed, and more. it's not "edgy" to hate a social media app, and it has the ability to be relatable because it is. just like the relatability some have who do like tiktok, and others who have no stance on it.

[@MyNeonBubbles]

People 5 years ago: not enough young people read! The last 2 years: *young people read* People now: REEEEE NOT LIKE THAT!

[@matthewcaldwell8100]

@@MyNeonBubbles Yeah. What you read matters quite a bit. You wonder how we have so many thoughtless people who don’t know anything about history or culture? It’s because they grew up thinking that indulging themselves with Tolkien was the same thing as reading Milton. To the degree that they could even get through the former.

[@MyNeonBubbles]

@@matthewcaldwell8100 people don’t have to read deep shit all the time. Let people read what they want to read

[@matthewcaldwell8100]

@@MyNeonBubbles it’s pretty clear that most don’t read “deep shit” ever.

[@livnatkafka9017]

Not a point that was in your video but my biggest criticism of booktok is that a lot of the books in the mainstream seem like tropes first and the story second and that can be incredibly problematic when representation and certain themes aren't handled with care. That in combination to toxic positivity and anti intellectualism is creating a cycle that in mainstream tik tok really problematic books go viral and the conversation about what it means to read without critical thinking even for fun is just buried and not being addressed

[@yasminechoerryscherry3701]

I agree with you but I would like to know what you mean by "anti intellectualism"? Like I genuinely want to understand what it means

[@livnatkafka9017]

I used the Wikipedia definition because it's more eloquent then me😅 "Anti intellectualism is the mistrust and lack of interest of intellect and acquiring knowledge" sometimes it's the dismissal to the arts and philosophy sometimes of all academy in general. I see it most with people saying they don't read critically they just read for entertainment and they don't engage with anyone who analyse a book they like and wants to critic it/ have a discussion on it for a lot of different reasons a couple I have are: they don't want to see the flaws in something they love because they will like it less They think that reading critically is stuck up/ elitist "It's just fiction it isn't that serious"

[@sclumptuous]

@@livnatkafka9017 this ! im studying english lit in university at the moment and it's shocking how many people can't fathom how there's enough to be said on the topic to warrant universities to be able to offer bachelor's degrees in it. i literally had a guy ask me the other day 'what do you even DO in your classes? do you just say if you liked the book or not?' totally earnestly, because of this popular perception that books are just stories and there isn't more to be discovered within them about human nature and how we respond to the times and environments we live in. honestly, i feel like studying literature is like studying the history of average people instead of the typical conception of history concerning world leaders, industry, etc.

[@najawin8348]

@@livnatkafka9017 100% this. It's bad on booktube as well. I had a booktuber tell me that analyzing books by looking at themes + the author's clearly indicated intent from their personal life, as opposed to just "I didn't like it because it was kinda slow in the middle and things happened off screen rather than showing us the action" (when that was the _entire point of the book)_ was classist and elitist of me. No, I'm sorry to tell you, Barthes was wrong, you can still analyze works, and there's still right and wrong ways to do things.

[@dopex89]

I kind of disagree. First, school is there to teach you critical thinking and how to analyse a text, not tiktok. It puts a lot of responsibility on tiktok creators to educate to such an extent, especially since a lot of them are young as well. Second, I firmly believe reading should be fun and a way to unwind at least some of the time. I have a bachelors in Spanish linguistics and literature. We had to take books apart, heavy books, for four years. I also studied literature theory and there are so many ways to look at a text. And another interesting aspect was censorship in either publishing or translation. I'm not saying criticism of a book is censorship but a lot of political regimes did believe that books must demonstrate the values of the party and would not allow things to be published if they didn't or had translators change the meaning. All of this put me off reading for so long because it had become labour for me. In the end what got me back into it was reading a modern fantasy about a wizard detective. And guess what, now I don't even like the books anymore but who cares? Are they misogynistic? Yes, but I had fun and lost myself at the time. They didn't teach me anything, they didn't make me smart but they were good for something which can't be quantified. I just don't think books should bear the responsibility for people's actions irl. Society, educators, parents should teach young people how to behave and how to read critically (when applicable) and what they consider good.

[@kimigautau]

As someone who used to be bullied so much for being a reader I'm just plainly so happy to see more people, especially younger kids, reading now! Who cares if it's not the kind of books that me or other people might want for ourselves? Reading is good!

[@freddie.spaghetti]

a lot of the “tiktok is shallow, people only care about aesthetics and looking pretty holding a book, they dont actually read” stuff feels pretty rooted in mysogyny lol edit: y’all need to chill. first of all, i’m only trying to say this is one factor out of many. i’m not trying to boil the whole conversation down to “this is sexist”, because that’s NOT the whole conversation. but do you guys think people would be talking about online book communities like this if they were primarily populated by men instead of women? it’s pretty obvious to me that this attitude is aimed towards the women of booktok. it feels so similar to the way people (not just men) always hate on interests that are especially popular with girls and young women.

[@sofiagisondi5543]

Wtf how does it relate to misogyny?

[@kyoka1528]

​@@sofiagisondi5543Booktok - especially aesthetic Booktok communities - are often accounts run by women or fem presenting people. Not saying men are never in this subsection but, it's not nearly as common. Basically, people are calling these women and fem presenting people who like the aesthetics of books shallow. They're calling these people shallowing for simply wanting their environment to look pretty. Like no one wants their environment they live in to be pleasing their own eyes? That's why it's tied to misogyny because the Booktok aesthetic community is usually feminine people that are being shamed and called "shallow".

[@sofiagisondi5543]

@@kyoka1528 (Sorry, KZbin didn’t send me the notification of your reply) As a woman myself I find the most of the girls my age really stupid and interested in superficial stuff because I don’t relate to them in any way; still, this doesn’t make me a misogyny. However, the booktok is one of the things I don’t relate to (or TikTok in general) but there are some “friends” of mine that do and talk with me about that books and I can realize how the most of new authors that start from the platform are not skilled in any way possible. I’m not talking about the all of them, of course some people review books seriously high quality, and I fee thankful for that.

[@kyoka1528]

@@sofiagisondi5543 That sounds like something you need to unpack yourself. When you actually talk to other women, you realize 9/10 they're only interests don't lie in superficial stuff. It doesn't mean you're purposefully misogynistic but you do have internalized misogyny to just assume all women your age are interested in superficial stuff and that they're all stupid (except you because you're "not like other girls" am I right?) It's actually incredibly hurtful to those women so I suggest you unpack that and fix it. Because guess what just because you don't relate to it, it doesn't make it superficial or stupid and you need to learn that real fucking quick.

[@aquadraws5833]

⁠​⁠@@sofiagisondi5543not relating to your peers is ok because I’ll be honest I don’t either (I have more tomboyish interests while most of them are more interested in fashion, makeup etc.) however calling them shallow, stupid or superficial does in fact make you a misogynist. They’re allowed to have hobbies and enjoy whatever they want. Putting down other women to make yourself feel better is absolute pick me behavior. And you sound like a very bitter person just from what I read in your comment.

[@GIJose-pm3vw]

I am a 45 yo teacher and I can tell you that I LOVE kids starting reading no matter what. There will always be some time in which a reader will try new things. On the downside, I am really glad of not being a teenager or young person nowadays. Keeping up with social media and showing yourself to the world like that when you are still creating your persona must be really exhausting and in a way, dangerous for your developing personality. Not everyone is as focused and confident as you seem to be (but again, who knows? You are creating an image that might not be true!!) A great video, showing excellent hindsight. Keep up the good work!

[@puppytree6343]

Agreed. reading goes at all ages, reading at a young age only gives you more time overall to find and change your favorites. And yeah i hate the way younger teens feel they need to have a persona. You dont need to be online every day, just read and then share when you have the time. Not to mention all the articles telling teens theyre shallow and are ruining hobbies regardless if their actualy reading or not.

[@alanamarie2150]

This year I picked up reading again and it brought back an old part of myself I lost a long time ago. I’ve read so many books that stayed with me but also read ones that were overly saturated on tik tok. I found the lesser known books that were recommended ended up being some of my favorites while the bigger authors ended up becoming my new favorites such as Lynn Painter, and Emily Henry. It even inspired me to start writing and which ultimately brought me to your channel you give great insight into book trends and the critiques that needs to be said in order to have a good story line. Maybe tik tok created a new uproar with reading but I guess that is what inspired me to get back into and I’m thankful for it ♥️

[@user-en5gu7nf4v]

IK what the point of this video is but Colleen hoovers books are literally like reading a wattpad story by a 12 year old 😭 AND THERE ARE SO MANY PLOTHOLES Idk why they’re complaining about annotating books though; I have so many books filled with tabs and post it notes that are filled with new words and phrases I discover or like as well as mini analysis’ and ideas for my own stories. Like bro it’s not because I don’t understand I just like the book 💀

[@yuklimka7251]

I majored in English Lit. I annotated all my books in the margins as I was reading, so I'd remember my initial thoughts before diving into critical articles and studies. And I learned so much from reading extensively. Literary fiction is great, but so is genre literature (at least for language learning). I don't want grass-fed beef on a bed of brown rice with organic veggies for every meal. Sometimes I crave pizza or a burger with a side of fries.

[@Smidgeon-pigeon]

I agree with you about annotations! Heaven forbid someone deeply engage with material they're reading

[@user9391]

in my AP lit class we read an article from an expert who literally SUGGESTS annotating and encourages it for the most immersive experience, best comprehension and heightened enjoyment! I forgot what the author’s name was but the title was along the lines of “How To Mark Up A Book”

[@user-en5gu7nf4v]

@@Smidgeon-pigeon oh gosh someone *actually enjoys reading and is on tiktok?* what. a. sin! It’s unnatural **audible gasp** I even annotate books I don’t like so I know what not to do 🤭

[@Archanam5175]

ikr annotating makes it so fun to read when i have read a book i can always go back to my annotations and experience the same things i did when i read the book it's really fun also the tabs make books look pretty lol

[@Lokster71]

Great video. I'm 52. All those criticism in that article could apply to me. I have loads of unread books, but so did Umberto Eco who talked about the importance of a library of unread books. If I had more space I'd have a much more aesthetically pleasing set-up. Even allowing for that I've made an effort for the books on my mantlepiece - which are all classics from the Epic of Gilgamesh to the 18th century in publication - to look good. I find it comforting. How you display you books is utterly up to you. If you want them displayed to look pretty, why not? If you want them to look like an explosion in a library, why not? I've watched a lot of Booktok and I find some of the creativity involved pretty cool, although sometimes it feels like I'm being assaulted by sound and fury. I do think part of this might be judgment of things young women enjoy. I know Booktok isn't a female only space but I think the perception of it is young women. Also, I definitely identify as a reader. If I had the energy and talent I'd make the whole thing more part of my aesthetic from clothes to decoration. Anyway thanks again for the video. Sorry for the long comment.

[@AkaHeiwa]

Jugement of things teenage girls enjoy - exactly, I think that's exactly what's at stake here. Whether it's music or literature, somehow if young women enjoy it, it has to be wrong and shallow!

[@carolitoffana]

My grandfather had stacks of books, I pretty sure he never read them all, but now I have so much fun reading the old books, there are full beautiful collections and so many interesting topics, now I'm adding my books to the collection and I hope someday someone will have the same joy I had reading these books

[@AliceinMonsterlands2]

Now I have a great "excuse" to have so unread books😂😂😂just kidding, I also love to have this kind of library, it's almost like going to a bookstore, because some of them you don't even remember you have(sometimes I pick books that have at least three years in my bookshelf) , and once you find them it's a surprise, and you don't have to pay anything 🥳

[@samashton4486]

Even with the downfalls calculated in, I'm so happy to see young people reading more. The reading community was really falling with the come of Netflix, social media etc. and now kids are hyped about books again. It makes me so happy, even if that means bookstores have TikTok tables (which I hate). Kids are reading again. Reading is respected again. Let it be what it its

[@samashton4486]

AND ALSO! As said in atomic habits, identifying yourself with a community makes you more motivated to actually do the thing. I identify as a reader, just as a writer and as a sporty, because: That's what I do. It motivates me to do those things.

[@weronikashysha]

I've literally followed Booktok idea to make miniature versions of books I've read and store them in a jar and it gave me so much motivation to read. To think someone thinks it's not 'good enough' or it's just for 'aesthetic' and it makes be a worse type of reader... I like diy, I like crafts, I like books. I like books with nice covers. I like seeing my shelves full (although I manage by TBR pile pretty well). I was reading a lot as a child, teenager, young adult then had a few years of a break and booktok got me out of a slump and I'm so happy about it. Why would that be bad?

[@rsmith4407]

You might like storygraph - this app has literally got me reading again because I love stats.

[@weronikashysha]

@@rsmith4407 I do use it and like it :) I use Goodreads, storygraph and a notebook. But a jar full of mini books is the most pretty :D

[@rsmith4407]

I’m glad! Every day pleasure from beautiful things is healthy.

[@humancircuitry]

this is SUCH a cute idea!!

[@prkp7248]

But why do you need motivation to read? If you don't want to do it, just don't do it, nobody will evict you from your house for reading less (of course its a whole different thing if you need yo read something for your university or job).

[@countingstars9781]

as an english lit major, i must admit that the books that are being released lately and that are hyped on booktok are not personally up my alley (but tbf i'm quite picky on what i like to read). i think teenagers starting to read again is great, i just hope certain tropes don't impact them the wrong way and that they can tell the difference between a desire to see something depicted in fiction and what one actually wants/needs once the book is over

[@SephTheHuntress]

I really love Tolkien's works, but i dont shame anyone who doesnt. I also dont mind people who solely read fanfiction, because theyre still reading. Its a step in the right direction. Audiobooks and downloaded books are also great. As long as they are consuming something that triggers one's imagination, im fine with it. Edit: Oh! I also really liked the Ranger's apprentice series. I only have 1 book but i still love it.

[@randombibliophile3686]

I once saw a tiktok video titled "books that are 100% worth the hype" and the very first book was My year of rest and relaxation.. and the description said, "this book is about sleeping... amazing"... Huh? I mean, anyone who's read that book would know that this book is less about the main girl sleeping and more about her mental health problems. So, my point is, the allegation that, these tiktok readers don't even read the books properly is true. Sadly, these types of videos are more popular, as you said, because of the algorithms.

[@sclumptuous]

and also that the form itself doesnt facilitate adequate discussions of layered books, which is why quick read-in-one-afternoon romances are so popular on the platform!!

[@soapy3452]

To be fair, that sounds very tongue-in-cheek are you sure it wasn’t meant to be a joke?

[@randombibliophile3686]

@@soapy3452 nope , as i assumed from the the video the creator was serious.

[@macylightfoot]

@@sclumptuous That's a fair point about the format of tictok not allowing for indepth analysis. However I noticed the same lack of indepth discussion from booktubers too, and again I think it comes down to the algorithms on these sites, regardless of the run time of "content". The vast majority of people don't want to watch someone discuss one book for a 10 minute video. They want to see someone give a one line review of 27 books in 5 minutes. I used to follow quite a few booktubers and thought I had a pretty good mix of people and styles of video, but over time a lot of them started to look like the same channel, posting the same content, and saying the exact same things about the exact same books. And, unsurprisingly, those are the channels that end up with huge follower numbers and view counts. I think algorithms in general are slowly killing any kind of original thinking, critical thinking skills, even just general conversational skills. They're killing originality and storytelling when it comes to streaming, and it's doing the same with anything that exists online like this.

[@sclumptuous]

@@macylightfoot quite true. it's a case of the medium becoming the message, people go on the internet in their spare time for relatively easy to digest stuff (in different degrees of course, tiktok being the easiest and youtube allowing for more detail, etc) so in-depth analysis and criticism doesn't really flourish here. However I do think youtube has done a LOT more for me in making me take more interest in reading and learning basic vocabulary for talking about books i both like and dislike. booktube is NOT a substitute for a degree in literature, and nobody is saying it is, but it does do its job in raising interest in the medium of the novel. people do say the same thing about the same books, but it's because theyre reviewing books that are already popular, and the books that are already popular are those that don't have too many layers to leaf through in the first place. you're oversensationalising the issue here a bit... asking booktubers across the board to emerge from a cocoon as fully formed literary critics can be like asking a fish to climb a tree, the job is totally different. there are some people on the platform like jack edwards and emmie who have/are int he process of obtaining degrees in english lit though, and i know that emmie hosts book clubs every year that revolve around reading classics. book clubs that spring up around youtubers on platforms like discord facilitate deeper discussions. youtube serves its purpose to the book community as a meeting point where people can find an entry point.

[@tessaonthego]

I (24F) identify as a reader I guess, but don’t actively flaunt this label when people who ask about my identity… I usually say it’s one of my hobbies. I like telling MYSELF I’m a reader because it helps me keep the habit. It’s one of my favorites, but when something comes up in my life, it becomes the first to drop off. Telling myself I’m a reader affirms that even though I’m not reading RIGHT NOW, I know I like it, will do it, and allows me to be gentle with myself instead of kicking myself for not reading the past week. I don’t need to gatekeep the community, it’s small enough in my real life. I wish I could talk to more of my friends about the books I read!

[@michelle_i5959]

This isn't Reddit

[@TarekAmr]

I make living by making algorithms similar to the ones for TikTok et al, and I wanted to say your explanation of how the algorithm works is tip-top. You intuitively explained stuff like cold-start problem and regression to the mean, which clearly explained the problem with book recommendations and why they are so

[@brianna2278]

I personally find tik tok in general soul-sucking, but the reasons I had to phase booktok out of my algorithm completely before deleting it were the fact that 1) I was only getting recommendations for bad books and 2) I find short form content isn't really for me because it reduces the depth of conversation that you can have about a book. Obviously these are generalizations; any time you make any "tik tok is x" statement, it's reductive. But in my experience this is true. It could be that my algorithm was fucked up, but it was not useful as a community or a tool for book recommendations for me

[@sclumptuous]

so true about the form altering what kind of conversations can be had about the books that get popular over there. it absolutely has a hand in what kind of books get discussed and recommended - snappy contemporary romances are a lot easier to dissect in 60 seconds than something like Middlemarch lol

[@brees3]

I completely agree. Especially on #2. I feel like TikTok has created a massive influx of anti-intellectualism in the book space. It's just not possible to explore nuance through short videos. Any criticism of a book gets dumbed down to "book=bad" and any endorsement of a book gets dumbed down to a "10 books I'd sell my soul to read again for the first time" montage set to a Doja Cat song.

[@Chaotic_Pixie]

I haven't exactly phased it out and I rarely go on the platform anymore... but what I found so frustrating about the content was kind of what you said... the lack of actual content. Tell me why you hated a book or loved a book. If you love a certain theme/genre/plot/device, don't just tell me that... recommend me books that fit that specific niche. If you hate a book or a specific author, TELL ME WHY! I hold firm that if you can't articulate why you "hate" something, you probably don't and you're just looking for clicks. That's a big difference I've noticed between Booktube and Booktok. On booktube, ppl may make a bold claim like, "I can't stand Stephen King and I'm never reading another book by him again" but then proceed with an extensive list of well-thought out reasons and what I call "automatic yucks".

[@vashtinayagar1325]

I completely agree with point 2. I don't like to use tik Tok for recommendations because I don't think I can form an opinion on book through a 5 second video, but KZbin is perfect for recommendations and discussions

[@HaleyWingate]

I completely agree with your first point, I've gotten to the point where if a book is recommended on TikTok, I can safely assume that it is a badly written/boring/bad book.

[@kavya12kohli]

I love both the reading part and the aesthetic part. It doesn't have to be one or the other.

[@beverly_yve]

I'm actually grateful for booktok cause before I got on it, I had lost my love for reading. But with the community, the annual reading goals and the simple books, I'm getting back into it and I'm starting to love reading again. Of course it has its flaws like any community; we are human-we aren't perfect but I am glad TikTok lead me there. I really needed it. So I would identity as a reader. I did long before TikTok was a thing and I probably will long after.

[@minimatrix2763]

Whilst people getting back into reading is fantastic! It’s hard to ignore that book sales are skyrocketing from this - even though people are buying books it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re reading them. Seems to me that book tok just acts as an extra stage of advertising for the publishing industry but that could be me being cynical. Also hard to ignore the toxicity of some of the more popular book tok books that will deffo be read by younger readers 🤔

[@elise85391]

But I do think that to some extent it’s still on the parents of these teenagers to be paying attention to the things they are reading, just like they’re expected to do with TV shows, and movies, and other things in their lives. Cause they always say, you didn’t grow up in the Bible Belt unless you knew somebody who couldn’t read Harry Potter because it was witchcraft. But I do agree that some of the stuff that is being marketed toward these teens and young adults is not appropriate for them, either in content overall or in the way it’s portrayed. And that’s definitely a problem that needs to be addressed

[@hurricaneofcats]

I agree somewhat with the cynical publishing industry advertising angle and that a lot of the stuff popular on booktok is YA, mass market, and 'trashy' romance type stuff and that a lot of these books definitely have some weird or 'toxic' content. But the thing is that's always been the case with mass market fiction. Personally I'm not super concerned about underaged readers because I feel like this is the same kind of pearl clutching that's been going on for years. Plenty of people who are now adults grew up reading racy harlequin novels, Flowers in the Attic and Twilight well before age 18 and have gone on to be functional people (not to mention the kind of fanfic you can read on the internet these days). I think consuming this kind of fiction is a stage most readers go through and reading these stories doesn't necessarily make you internalize it. Some adults like myself continue to read this kind of fiction because it offers a fun mindless escape from dire current events, work and other stressful things (unfortunately Tolstoy just isn't appealing when you need a pick me up). Teenagers will read and get invested in problematic things, but they will also likely learn and grow out of things as well, so let them read what they want because literacy (however it's acquired) is more valuable than the books themselves.

[@laispires9892]

Yessss, a 40 minutes Leonie video was everything I needed today ❤️

[@Blingygrayi]

So interesting! I love this topic as someone new to booktok but has been a "reader" since childhood. I am seeing a new trend in book influencers being real about unhauls and talking about how they don't even know why they have some books on their shelves. Deinfluencing is the influencing trend this year ironically

[@TalesandtomeswithAmy]

Very well thought out video essay, thank you! From Twilight to the InstaPoetry genre, I keep coming back to my morbid fascination with why society wants to hate on the interests of young women. And you are so right, because reading is considered such a high-brow endeavor, critics can’t fault young women for reading, but will endlessly belittle them for how they go about it.

[@Mila_2057]

19:08 I know I'm 1year and a half late but I really wanna comment on this one. This is about the aesthetic part. (This is my opinion!) Most people don't read for the aesthetic but if they read they want to make it aesthetic. (Idk if this make sense but let me explain.) Most people who read wanna organise their bookshelf, organize it by color, sizes, genre's, authors... and decorate it with lamps, plants, candels ... But that's not a thing that only readers do. See it like someone how is a collecter, it mostly isn't about the vibe but about what the collect but if they collect something they can easily make it a bit more aesthetic. Or see it as idk skateboards people buy skateboard with a cool back (idk how you call that, i'm not a skater) and sometimes hang them up or something but we aren't saying they just do it for the aesthetic. Idk if this explanation made any sense but yah do what you want to do with it haha lol.

[@helena8226]

Have you thought about starting a podcast? you are the only one in the Booktube community who makes videos like this. I love Sundays just because I know your video is coming

[@ThePanicRoom_]

Ah! Can't wait to watch. I love how intelligent and concise yet understandable you are in these kinds of videos.

[@TheBookLeo]

thank you so much

[@M.A.Y.Y]

omg ukr thats why i subscribed. I love how well she dives in.

[@Bruno_Swag]

I think its worth considering that some of the "aestheticization" of books can probably be attributed (at least partially) to the fact that producing content in a VISUAL MEDIUM can be very difficult when the content you are inspired by and are depicting are not a visual medium. So I think that some of the content is not covering the books themselves can be attributed to the fact that (especially if you don't do skits and/or analysis) it can be hard to make content.

[@VideogamesWorld93]

Honestly I love to read and I love reading content, but I’m sure that just like me the vast majority of people doesn’t even have TikTok installed in their phones.

[@jmsl910]

i don't. but i don't think i'm the target audience either

[@mrsn00del]

same. watching short videos over and over is too much i’d rather watch multiple 20+ minute videos

[@brancimarie735]

I didn't even realize this video was 40 minutes. You spoke so eloquently. Love this conversation.

[@leonasindlerova1727]

These articles really remind me of all the critique being put on young people (especially women) in 19th century for reading way too many novels instead of something of more intellectual value :DDD Nothing ever changes

[@marcduhamel-guitar1985]

I remember reading books before the internet existed. My thoughts on reading have nothing to do with social media. I don't have nor want TikTok. I judge a book by its own merits, not whether I'm a fan of this or that author. And yet, I would never bring someone down for how they organize their book collection. People love finding new ways to bring others down. Do what you love! Cheers!

[@supersnek5]

My main issue with booktok is that when I see book recommendation videos, 80% of the time people don't leave the book on screen long enough for me to read the title and author 💢

[@ccappa2001]

I really love reading, yet the aesthetic is ONE PART that I enjoy. I love anything cozy, and curling up with a book is definitely cozy. Autumn is my favorite season because of how beautiful and comfy everything is. I love sweaters, candles, reading books, the smell of books, and it's nice

[@mk-yt8og]

The thing that bothers me the most about booktok by far is how it encourages overconsumption, (especially to a young and imressionable audience that doesn't have that much spare money to begin with) by romanticising having unread books in the higher two or even three digits. What should be popularized instead is supporting your local public library (if you have one available ofc).

[@thefalllinepodcast]

It’s so strange; as a former English professor,I’m thrilled people are reading. ❤ YA and fantasy aren’t my cup of tea now but I adored them both at one point and I’m so glad there’s material out there for people to love and get excited about. And there are lots of corners of BT! 🎉

[@ccappa2001]

I read all the time and one of my best friends has dyslexia and doesn't like reading because of it, but if there is a show version of the books I read she watches that and we still can talk about it together. She is amazing at math and super smart, yet I am smart with reading and writing and not math so we balance each other out perfectly.

[@sannasscreams]

awwww i love that !!

[@yuklimka7251]

Did you know that Merphy Napier and Daniel Greene are both dyslexic and very vocal about it on their channels?

[@ttfn1412]

that’s so cute omgggg 😭😭

[@talifishman618]

As someone born in 97 (proof that I AM PART OF GEN Z), I really don't like booktok. I can't stomach tiktok in general- I just don't understand it, but the sheer amount of shitty books I sat through because booktok recommended them is time I'll never get back lol. Plus it feels to me like almost 50 percent of recs are catered towards romance fans, which is just not a genre I can get into. Plus it's extremely hard for me to find YA books I like, which make up for a large chunk of the recs. Not for me.

[@elise85391]

Yeah I’ve noticed that there are only certain genres where I can really get recs from the internet. And I try to get them from creators that I’ve been watching for some time and I know how their reading tastes line up with mine. I’m also a ‘97 baby and I’ve noticed with YA, i can really only handle fantasy anymore, once they start talking about high school, I’m out, because I just can’t relate to that at all anymore.

[@talifishman618]

@@elise85391 Yeah! It really does feel like most of that genre falls flat for me... I'm thinking of the last 7 years and the only YA books I somewhat enjoyed are probably The Fifth Wave and More Than This

[@apatel101]

​@@elise85391 97 baby here!!🙋‍♀️ reading both of your comments made me realise that i havent read YA in ages, i guess the last time i read YA was Twilight😬 and it's fanfiction, but even those fanfics weren't always in YA genre. As for romance i like steamy ones, and not just slightly steamy i mean alot of spice😆

[@mikaylarobinson2353]

97 gang! And that part of 50 percent of books being romance recommendations is spot on! Like don’t get me wrong I don’t have anything against romance novels but personally it’s not my cup of tea and it seems that every book tok is catering to romance novels.(fun drinking game. Drink everytime a Colleen Hoover book is mentioned or recommended in a TikTok. )😂

[@Vonunov]

@@elise85391 Have you found Eddings yet?

[@kristentharappel1441]

I like that booktok reenforced the idea that reading can be fun again. That you can be an adult and enjoy books that aren't considered classics or for the "intellectual". I think it's great we've got the younger generations enoying books and keeping bookstores open. There's no need to gatekeep the love of reading.

[@theefartman]

i could never be ashamed of stuff my younger self did/liked like these people look down upon the current kids. hell, a lot of my favorite books from childhood i find still hold up!! i promised to myself at a young age that i'd never look down at a past version of myself and i still hold that philosophy. it really improved my self esteem and the way i view other youth.

[@atlas956]

it’s true! recently i picked up an old fantasy novel i read as a ten year old and i was extremely delighted to find out it still held up, i just now get the jokes that went all over my head.

[@kathiekalara6]

I disagree with this. Some things you can look back at yourself and be proud of but much of the other stuff should absolutely make you cringe. Cringing means you've matured from a more immature way of thinking (because we all did stupid stuff/liked dumb ideas as kids) and it is a huge sign of personal growth. You can acknowledge that a previous mindset was incorrect and that you've moved upward from that place as you've grown; it's not wrong to look back on things.

[@theefartman]

@@kathiekalara6 acknowledging you did something wrong is far more mature than 'cringing'. cringing is looking down upon one with shame, acknowledging past wrongdoings is how you improve while giving yourself credit for trying.

[@Areaeees]

@@theefartman not only that, but kids today are getting their confidence, self esteem, and reassurance from social media apps rather than actual friends or real people. Everything is so fake now.

[@chey_daniella]

I realized this past week that my gripe with booktok is that many of the booktok famous books read like bad Netflix shows. I personally don’t care if someone has a large TBR book pile or if they focus too much on having an aesthetic bookshelf. I was more worried that when I did buy into the hype I got excited only to be let down the majority of the time. I think this is partially because the people reading those books are usually new readers or people getting back into reading. For those people the Netflix mini series style writing is great. It’s easy to digest, it grabs their attention and it uses themes and tropes they are already used to seeing. It’s not the type of writing I prefer, but considering how well Netflix originals do the audience is definitely there.

[@nekokicker]

Kind of related, I grew up skateboarding. A new wave of people being interested in skateboarding happened recently (kind of, it’s been a while. Time is a lie). So ton of people started buying decks, and saying they skate. Everyone screaming poser at them. Which tbf like a lot of the people jumping in are going to be shallow interested in it. Which I never understood why that was so bad. Like shallow interest is still interest. Then like some of those people will get legit super into it. Like I think it applies to all hobbies. Like if 1 out 10 join the hobby then it is worth it.

[@taylorgayhart9497]

This isn’t a new thing, it’s a trend that comes and goes in mainstream popularity, but there are always people who want to appear like readers without actually reading lol

[@Flyingkittoh]

This goes to show that no matter what happens some people will find a way to publish criticisms and negative comments on it even if it's something as noble as spreading the culture of reading and learning.

[@miaadelizi4714]

Thought this was an old video, turns out it was posted 45 min ago lol. I started reading again in the past two years as a way to get away from tictok. I realized the barrage of mediocre, very short content was affecting my mental health. So in a way tictok did make me read more

[@carolitoffana]

My tiktok started recommending me books, I bought them and loved it, so I started reading more and more and deleted the app...so it helped me in a weird way too

[@elise85391]

I’ve also noticed how short form content, even Instagram reels and KZbin shorts, are absolutely destroying my ability to focus for longer periods of time

[@souumcorvo]

This conversation made me remember that another day I (26y) said that I did not believed that 'The selection' was still showing up in list of best books, or something like that, and my sister (21y) said: "ravena, some people are starting to read now". And so we talked about how some people didn't had a "personal influencer" (a older sibling/friend) to share their books recommendations (my sister read some books not recommended to her age because she read the books that I borrowed from the library 😬) so they are now on tiktok sharing their experience, like you said. Now I think that is kinda funny see teenagers discovering books, like yesterday I watched a video of a 19 years old talking about 'Beautiful Disaster' and how "has a lot of red flags but makes sense because is from 2011"! 😂

[@PistachioGold]

I love your criticism on the critics. They're really always tying to devalue certain groups of people. I don't have tiktok myself but I feel that teens should have a free space to express themselves.

[@emeliawharmby]

a few years ago when i was about 14/15 i really considered myself a ‘reader’. I watched a lot of book tube and based my personality around the fact i read more books than my peers. I did this because at the time, no one around me seemed to be reading like i was and I was known for it. But now i’m almost 19 and maybe thanks to booktok, or maybe just because we’re older, everyone i know has similar reading habits to me, and the label of ‘reader’ doesn’t feel significant anymore.

[@MMAACC2014]

If I ever did get a HUGE bookshelf to display my books in, it's gonna look very odd; a mix of thrifted books, a mix of ones I redid the covers for, and a mix of brand, spanking new ones😅 And I've often found that the books hyped on booktok tend to be great surces of disappointment because they often fall super short of the expectations I end up having for them.

[@henkagomez]

it just makes me sad that kids who were usually addicted to reading growing up were categorized as weird or shouldn’t be approached but now it’s cute because pretty people on tiktok said colleen hoover changed their life

[@randompromises1038]

FR no one liked me in elementary because I read too much, now it's a trend and I'm in my last year of high school 😮‍💨

[@soaa_stay9932]

⁠​⁠@@randompromises1038same, I even did it from year 5-10 (where I live in the school system is different) and people always treated me as if I was invisible, weird and a total nerd, because I was reading so much, so I didn’t have lots of friends. Also they didn’t like me too haha I hope that you’re treated better now :)

[@sentient.ball.of.stardust]

Yes and those kids grew up and taught their kids better, hence that stigma is gone. It's progress. It should make you happy that kids no longer have to deal with that, not sad.

[@victoriab8186]

I feel like this is powerful, and positive. Most, especially in the 'new adult' age range, of booktok probably did have this experience. And now they are refusing to be ashamed. Why is rejecting stigma a sad? Why is a removal of prejudice sad?

[@winterstormmaya]

ppl say this all the time tho, i remember being in 9th grade in the 2000s and being like "i can't believe reading JUST became "cool" and "popular" when before it made me "weird"!!!!" everyone thinks that is happening all the time when actually it is either constantly or never happening (idk which one yet)

[@cunninglilcutie]

I considered reading to be an inherent part of my identity growing up, so when I got to college and didn’t have time to read anymore, it was more than just a loss of a hobby. I felt like I had lost a key part of myself, too. So after I graduated and I found booktok, it was like rediscovering a part of myself. I definitely do recognize that there are many valid criticisms of booktok, particularly the importance it places on the quantity of books you read each month, but it has so many good things to offer, too. It’s motivated me to read when I’m going through a slump, inspired me to try book recommendations that I never would’ve picked out for myself, and just overall makes me feel really good