Behind the BookTube Tag

[@jenniferf4471]

I definitely get something out of your videos and I'm glad you haven't quit! They always feel like a peaceful chit chat with a super smart friend.

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

Thanks so much, that's such a lovely thing to say. I think this is why I don't really like scripting my videos (even though I do very occasionally) because I like it to feel more like a chat - so I'm glad that's what my videos seem like to you

[@CoynieReads]

I’m so sorry about all the horrible comments but glad that the positive overwhelm them by far!! ❤

[@Dottiemi]

Please don’t quit, I love your channel. I like tag videos like this where you feel like you get to know the person a little more. I also enjoy wrap ups for ideas and perspectives. But I’m happy watching whatever is posted by the people I enjoy.

[@RovingReader]

I would love to read and discuss more queer lit!

[@jazzheadsbop]

I know this is a very late comment, but please don’t quit! I may not have the time to watch a lot of booktube consistently, but you’ve been my favourite youtuber for a long time now, so you should definitely not question whether you’re adding anything to booktube or not! Apart from the fact that I have a very similar taste in books with you, personally, I really enjoy your videos and along with them your chaotic energy! 😁 Also, ironically or not, your videos have a calming effect on me, just so you know! 😄

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

Thank you so much for your very kind comment, it really means a lot to me and I’m so glad that you enjoy the videos I make.

[@BookishTexan]

I’m glad you haven’t quit, but I think I have thoughts similar to your thoughts about quitting. I like videos where people talk about subjects/books they are passionate about and about which they know a lot.

[@anspikbl]

I love recent reading/bookish stuff updates type videos. Like Friday Reads that Greg does or Bobs Weekly Reading Wrup up. Also book prizes content. :)

[@marcellainthemargins]

I loved how you mentioned Scott's video and then said you didn't follow any of his advice. I was honestly about ready to quit after watching his video, so thanks for the perspective 😅 I think I love wrap ups the most, also reading vlogs, or book recommendations surrounding a theme. I also enjoy watching tag videos like this one where I get to know the booktuber a bit better. And I'm definitely interested in a queer themed book club on patreon!

[@robyn_m]

Gray hair and no makeup? Sounds like you're a pro at self-acceptance + worthy of respect. I love your channel and approach. (I generally watch all of your videos, but under my partner's profile / youtube premium.) If it weren't for you and Greg's EM Forster readalong this year, it probably would have been years before I had actually gotten to him. I'm looking forward to Maurice especially. The type of video I most enjoy is wrap-ups, since you get a good sense of a booktuber's various interests. But I also enjoy standalone reviews for specific books. Unscripted always feels more personable to me, but each day and each booktuber has differing levels of success with that. If I find a booktuber droning on and on and on, I am thankful to have a FFWD button. (That doesn't happen often with your videos, though.)

[@ameliabarlowbooks]

the plant analogy had me cackling 🪴 love your insights Jen, BookTube is a better place with you in it x

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

Thank you 🥰 I think the plant analogy applies to my entire life...looks like it's doing fine, then appears to be dry and withered, can be relieved with a good mixture of light and shade, and a drink!

[@ameliareads589]

Now I finally understand why I never started doing booktube videos. I never make it to priority three! 😂 If I'm subscribed to a channel I actually rarely skip a video. I just love booktube so much and it is my way to say thank you to the content creators. Please don't leave booktube, I love your channel!

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

It's wonderful that you can watch so many videos, you're such a great supporter of so many channels 🥰

[@ameliareads589]

@@JentheLibrarianreads Well, I would definitely get more reading done, if I would watch less. 😂 But I just love booktube so much! Thank you, that's very knid of you to say. 🤗

[@jamiebbooks]

I like your approach to booktubing. I put off starting my channel for years because I could not be sure I'd have regular content or nicely edited videos, but I am not aiming for thousands of viewers anyway. I have only done a couple videos so far that made it online, and mostly they are about reading and books so far, but I will probably start talking about crochet eventually, and might do live crochet and chat videos once I get used to youtube content creation a bit more. Interestingly enough , while I have been involved with Dewey's readathon and other readathons and Goodreads groups and bookish facebook groups, and watch LOTS of audiobooks on youtube, until I actually did searches for 'booktube' the youtube algorithm NEVER showed me bookish content besides audiobooks. I like content that is about books someone has read, especially when they have read enough books to make comparisons with other books they have also read. I may not have read the book they are reviewing, but I may have read others they reference and can get a better idea of the book they are discussing. I also like comparing my impressions with others' when I've read books I struggled with, I guess mostly to see if I was just missing something or whether the book is just 'like that' for other readers too. I'd say I like getting ideas for books to read next, but my TBR is huge, and I really don't have the funds to buy books anyway so I only occasionally get books based on online recommendations, and then usually when I see the books randomly at the library.

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

Thanks for letting me know you have a channel...I've subscribed now. I think crochet and chat videos sound delightful, I hope you do them at some point in the future.

[@heathergregg9975]

Thanks for recommend of Gunpowder Fiction & Plot - very good video of insights into being a Booktube content creator.

[@emeline_4]

I think my favourite Booktube videos are reading wrap-ups (I want to know everything, the faves, the DNFs, the meh!), then book recommendation videos (either recent favourites from the creator, or themed recommendations are awesome too). I like them because I'm wary of spoilers, and I feel like videos on multiple books usually hit a great balance of giving information about the books and what sets the book apart, without spoiling it. I also like tags, and reading vlogs (again, if they're not too spoilery) PS: I love your channel!

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

Thanks x 🥰 I try to avoid spoilers as much as possible, and hope I give warnings before I do stray into that territory. It's often hard to know what is a spoiler because I think everyone's level of what they want to know is different. Even in standalone book reviews I think there is definitely a way of talking about a book for ages without giving too much away - but I'd definitely say to stay away from them if you don't want to know anything at all about a book.

[@emeline_4]

@@JentheLibrarianreads I should have specified that I find your reviews hit the right balance for me and aren't too spoilery 😄 I'm more wary on some particular channels, or generally on Goodreads and Storygraph. But in any case I agree that it depends on the person and that everyone has a very different definition of what a spoiler is! So it's impossible to find a level that will suit absolutely everyone. And even for me it depends on the book and the genre, for some books I specifically want to know the vibe and some elements to know if I want to read it (e.g. if the ending is tragic), whereas for some others I know I want to read them so then I want to know as little as possible (like the Persephone book you mentioned in your August wrap-up). When that's the case I listen cautiously with my mouse ready to skip on if needed 😂

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

@@emeline_4 I definitely do the same, ready to skip ahead if too much is given away. I find it helpful when people include chapters and timestamps in their videos, so I can skip to the next book if things get too spoilery - I'm trying to do that with every video where I'm mentioning lots of books. Definitely with Persephone books I want to know as little as humanly possible, because I'm pretty sure I'm going to like them all anyway.

[@emeline_4]

@@JentheLibrarianreads Yes I love videos with timestamps!! Otherwise if I'm on my laptop, I will hover over the run bar (?) of the video and try to catch the next time a new book cover is shown on the preview and I will assume that is the start of the next section haha I have only read one Persephone book (*The Hopkins Manuscript*, which I read this year and loved), and I don't know where to go next, but maybe a semi-random pick is a good idea! I love the idea that with the grey covers and lack of traditional blurbs, they all hide secret treasures

[@KurtAnderson812]

Jen you are consistently one of my favorite Book Tubers. I love the recommendations and your insights. what exactly makes hair stupid?? 😅 I wasn’t even aware that hair had any intelligence whatsoever. One book I found through you was Swimming in the Dark and it’s become one of my favorite books in the last decade. So stand alone book reviews are always something I will watch whenever you post

[@jamiebbooks]

Fun. I just found a copy of Swimming in the Dark on my own bookshelves last night that I didn't know I owned (no idea when I got it or where- I'd have thought I'd never heard of it). I'll have to add it to my tbr for the rest of 2023 now. :)

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

You are so lovely, thank you so much 🥰 I, too, am baffled how my hair could be un-intelligent...but I guess you learn something new every day 😂

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

Swimming in the Dark is consistently one of my favourite books to recommend people, I really loved it and I do hope the author writes another book soon!

[@moonyreadsbystarlight]

I also don't trust the algorithm very much. I found a lot of people through book tags, which are videos I enjoy watching and making and something I've seen less of recently. I actually started my channel because of the nonfiction book tag. So many people had so many different niches - I love seeing people talk about what they're passionate about (even if it's not my thing). I also like specific recommendation videos a lot. I also like a long wrapup and sometimes vlogs.

[@jenniferlovesbooks]

Some of those comments are just weird 😂 I'm very glad that you are still making videos. I've got loads of great recommendations from you and I always really enjoy your content 😊 My favourite videos are probably wrap ups and recommendations but I'll happily watch a bit of everything! Your idea for a patreon book club sounds good, I'd be interested to hear more about that.

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

Yes, some comments are just very very weird 😂 Patreon book club is definitely the first thing I'm going to do just as soon as I have any free time whatsoever!

[@recentlyseenreading]

I’m glad that you’re able to mute the tiresome comments and able to focus on more positive interactions. I went grey in my thirties which was a loooong time ago and people were weird about it then too. In terms of video content: variety and sporadic seems to lead to less commercial, less marketing driven content. I tend to shy away from hauls and book prize video because they can get very caught up in the process of acquiring front list books. Nothing wrong with the front list but there’s a lot if it and a lot of people talking about it. I’m usually on the look out for chatter about back list, out of print, or small press books. Enthusiastic discussion of a book without a lot of buzz like, say, Joan, always makes me happy.

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

If you're on the look out for chatter about back list, out of print, or small press books then you're going to love my reading plans for next year (I'm already excited)

[@benreadsgood]

Thanks for sharing this Jen - really enjoyed it, and especially your honesty about this stuff. Can definitely relate! I tend to enjoy wrap-ups, prize stuff, themed reading, and reading vlogs. Or just stuff that’s a bit creative and different. I *love* a lot of creators who make single book reviews, but to be honest I rarely watch them unless I have read the book myself.

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

I don't know why, but I mis-read your comment the first time and thought it said "pizza themed reading" and now I've got an idea for a future vlog 😂

[@Michael_Wertenberg]

Nice video! The piece of broccoli in the teeth😄I've made that mistake too.

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

I think it might be a rite of passage at this point!

[@awebofstories]

I love watching all the responses to this tag! But, it breaks my heart that you've received such negative comments! I like the usuals - wrap ups, tbrs, hauls, etc. But I also like when people do a video where they recommend books based on a certain criteria. For example, books written during WWII or books by published under pseudonyms of famous writers.

[@bookofdust]

At this point I appreciate infrequent posters more, it like a little treat or holiday and they seem much more meaningful and focused because they are only putting it out when they are completely motivated to do so. I’ve found myself unsubscribing this year to accounts that just seem to pour out a video everyday or every other day, as if the social media component has become more important then the content component. I’m starting to bow out of watching book haul videos, outside of Greg’s retro reaction videos of past years. Bookstore adventures ones like you did are fine too, it’s just I don’t need a monthly wrap up each time of this is what I got. It’s a bit book collecting versus book reading and as someone who reads 99% digitally from the library my interest in the book collecting realm has withered. The situation that would interest me is book hauls of first editions and rare books, and the search to get them and identify them. There’s a lovely British man from an antiquarian bookstore in the UK who has a TikTok account that I love and I would totally watch longer Booktube videos of his adventures. By the by, what is the fascinating butter yellow oblong rectangle on your desk top there, my eyes were constantly drawn to it?

[@decorgirl9716]

My eyes were up to the same thing so I did a screen grab and popped it into the google image search and it's a bluetooth speaker. Also, love your thoughtful comment here! Ps. I'm curious over the British tiktok account you mentioned. ❤️

[@bookofdust]

@@decorgirl9716 It’s Tom Ayling at Jonkers Rare Books and he must use a middle initial for TT so @tomwayling I thought it might be a speaker, I’m watching on a phone and couldn’t make it much larger. It’s probably a UK product though. Thanks!

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

Great detective work!

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

I do quite like Greg's hauls, because I know he is a book collector and that he often buys books for that reason (like ones he has already read or intends to), and I like that he revisits the hauls to see how his book buying had changed over the years. It seems a much more intentional and purposeful way of doing book hauls. I mostly get books from the library and only buy occasionally these days, so there would be no point in me doing book hauls at all. I don't often watch many other hauls though. As @decorgirl9716 worked out, it is indeed a Bluetooth speaker. It's made by a company called Roberts, they're most well known for the retro style radios. I really loved the design of the speaker and tested it out to make sure the sound quality was good as well. I really love it. Unfortunately I don't think they are available outside Europe.

[@SupposedlyFun]

I'm sorry you get so many hateful comments. People can be the worst. This was a very interesting video!

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

Thank you. Luckily the bad comments are very few and few between - and some can just be laughed off as being frankly bizarre 😂

[@Bessie-On-Wheels]

I like watching if you like this book then you might like this book too videos. My favourite book that I have read on your recommendation is Devotion by Hannah Kent. I never would have found Greg of Supposedly Fun without you either. Thanks

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

Devotion is so good, I'm read glad I pointed you to towards it (and towards Greg, who is wonderful!)

[@ulrikebarth7088]

Keep screaming into the void x

[@Unpotted]

Only recently discovered your channel and subscribed. I quite like it so far. It’s a shame that some people just want to spew hatred. Carl Jung said that people always persecute that which they dislike in themselves. (Paraphrasing) Anyway, I do appreciate your efforts and your opinions. 😊 Are you familiar with Eric Karl Anderson? His self-titled book review channel might not be to your taste, but he’s an American gwm living somewhere in London, so you might enjoy conversing with him about common KZbin issues. Just a thought. Thank you for all you do. 😺✌️

[@Unpotted]

Should have also mentioned @BooksandBao, but she’s in the process of moving from London to Scotland, although you will still be able to communicate, of course. 😉😺✌️

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

Thank you so much for watching, and your lovely comments. I love Eric's channel - he's one of a handful of Booktubers who I watch all of his videos 😊

[@SaraMGreads]

I really enjoyed this (unscripted) video.

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

I don't have the attention span to read a script...I always divert off when I do try 😂