Thoughts on the BookTube/BookTok phenomenon

[Anonymous]

Call me a pessimist, but I don't find it encouraging. A lot of it is boasting about how many books you read.

BookTubers seem to mostly promote young adult genre fiction whose prose doesn't read exceed two syllables. Yeah easy to plow through 200 books in a year if they don't require any attention span.

Whatever happened to quality over quantity?

[Anonymous]

Reading is better than not reading. Full stop.

[Anonymous]

I’ve got a lot going on in my life right now and heavy, challenging books are just a no-go. I love to read before bed and escape with some cheesy romance books by authors I like. Why do you care what others read? I’m thrilled people are still reading book, and not just scrolling on their phones all day.

[Anonymous]

I thought this is a thoughtful critique from a BookTuber:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98A9W3-Mdf8

[Anonymous]

I haven't been on either. But, I read an article about the guy who is teaching himself to read, to be a role model to his child, on Booktok as a way to make sure he keeps working at it. I thought that was interesting and a good use of the platform.

[Anonymous]

Anything that encourages reading is good. Even if you think the books they're reading are trash. They think the books you read are boring. To each her own.

[Anonymous]

There are always people who brag about how much they’re reading. I don’t see that as a major aspect of booktok or bookstagram.

I’m thrilled that more young people are seeing reading as something to be excited about. I think it’s great for publishing and authors, too. Great for self-publishing authors, who can promote their work using it.

The negative is that there is some in-app drama and some people with elitist and bad takes getting absolutely destroyed on there when they should simply be ignored. Some people need to participate in the dog pile.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reading is better than not reading. Full stop.

Agreed.

Are most of the books pushed by booktok my thing? No. In fact, if I hear something was popular on booktok, I’m likely to be skeptical that I’ll like it at all. But it’s great that others are finding things they want to read!

[Anonymous]

This isn’t particularly new. When I was growing up, public libraries and schools always had challenges on how many books you can read in a short period. That, of course encourages, picking simple books.

[Anonymous]

Librarian who retired a year ago. In the past two or three years, Colleen Hoover became extremely popular because of Booktok.

[Anonymous]

I love that BookTok is a thing. Agree with the PP that encouraging reading over doom scrolling is wonderful. I do wish that Colleen Hoover hadn’t become the poster child for BookTok though.

[Anonymous]

Anything that gets more people to read is a positive in my book!

People who seek out “quality books,” however they define that, will do so with our without BookTok etc.

But so many people who otherwise would not be reading these days are picking up a book or two because of BookTok. So I see it as adding overall readers, which is great!!

I see it in with my teenage daughter and her friends. They’re all smart, academic kids who used to read A LOT until middle school (and their phones …) But they're back into it now - squeezing in some “fun” / recreational reading in between Macbeth for school and sports practices etc. It’s great!! (It also got DD back into going to B&N and the library, where she’s also come out with “better” books, in addition to the latest Emily Henry book or novel with a pretty cover and “Summer” in the title. 😂)

[Anonymous]

I learned a lot about life through Sweet Valley High.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I learned a lot about life through Sweet Valley High.

I learned even more from Flowers in the Attic. 😳

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reading is better than not reading. Full stop.

Someone who uses full stop is probably better off doing something else. The reading is promoting mindless cliches for you to parrot.