BookTok and overconsumption
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 มิ.ย. 2024
- TikTok promotes overconsumption - that's a sentence you'll no doubt have heard at some point over the past couple of years. It started with TikTok fashion, then with TikTok beauty trends and food and drink (remember WaterTok?) and it has slowly made its way into homeware. Judging by the rate at which BookTok is growing, I think literature is next.
Chapters:
00:00 - TikTok is a selling machine
01:05 - the BookTok boom and book haul culture
04:04 - BookTok is not all bad
04:36 - but it's not all good either
06:18 - everyone wants to read MORE
10:34 - reading = virtue
12:03 - reading also = entertainment
13:10 - the environmental impact
15:19 - an ode to personal libraries and unread books
17:15 - BookTok burnout
19:44 - remember libraries?
21:21 - TikTok is starting a publishing company
22:50 - the TikTokification of literature
24:52 - thank you for watching love you
Videos mentioned
Jordan Theresa - • the aftermath of tikto...
Mina Le - • tiktok is kind of bad ...
Alice Cappelle - • fast homeware is the n...
Tiffany Ferg - • DEINFLUENCING & home d...
Jack Edwards - • how to talk about book...
Elliot Sang - • Gen Z Needs Public Lib...
Gabi Belle - • The TikTokification of...
Articles mentioned
www.theguardian.com/books/202...
mashable.com/article/diverse-...
www.nytimes.com/2023/07/01/bo...
bookriot.com/tiktok-publishin...
www.theguardian.com/commentis...
www.thebookseller.com/comment...
The TikTok creator asking whether books are the new fast fashion is Kaelyn Grace Apple - @KaelynGraceApple both on TikTok and here on TH-cam.
"personal book cellar" article
sentiers.media/dispatch-14-a-...
thank you so much for watching, please subscribe!!!!
#booktok #booktube - บันเทิง
"Reading books and collecting books are two different hobbies" is an often used phrase in the booktok community and i think it sums it perfectly
also, it's a phrase used to justify shopping addiction. as a shopping addict myself it's not fun, especially when you just want to watch some fun book tiktoks / reels / shorts and get bombarded with hauls and stuff. for me it's getting better now, as i finally accepted i'm an addict and i'm working so hard on defeating this addiction. but several people i met through booktok are proud of their addicition and even go into debt for it. a book - even a special edition- isn't worth that much to get yourself into debt. and when i tried to tell these people 'hey i think you might be a shopping addict' i get so many weird reactions of them trying to justify their behavior. e.g. telling me "reading books and collecting books are two different hobbies". :/
This made me laugh, it made me think of something my mom told me, “doing crafts and buying things for crafts are two different hobbies” hahahah
I will admit I buy hard covers of books that I’ve already read and I will find a new home for books I already have bought and I will still keep ebooks I have.
I did this with Sunbearer Trails and gave it to my cousin who will see themselves represented and I did rehome Emily Wilde’s encyclopaedia to my sibling because I had the hardcover coming and I knew this was up her ally.
I also like to buy books that I’ve already read in the library and I know I will reread.
This is how I do things on the dark side.
Also I only will ever have one version of a book because I don’t need like 5 of the same book in different covers!
also, it's a phrase used to justify shopping addiction. as a shopping addict myself it's not fun, especially when you just want to watch some fun book tiktoks / reels / shorts and get bombarded with hauls and stuff. for me it's getting better now, as i finally accepted i'm an addict and i'm working so hard on defeating this addiction. but several people i met through booktok are proud of their addicition and even go into debt for it. a book - even a special edition- isn't worth that much to get yourself into debt. and when i tried to tell these people 'hey i think you might be a shopping addict' i get so many weird reactions of them trying to justify their behavior. e.g. telling me "reading books and collecting books are two different hobbies". :/
@@AutsiticAlien007 I feel like this is the healthy version of collecting books.
What I find interesting though is watching a content creator post a 30-50+ book haul video and then that same content creator having a physical TBR video showing off their 200+ UNREAD book collection is so so so crazy to me...
I mean it's collectibles! I have a 1,200 books reading list on goodreads, about 30 unread at home and 500 on my kindle ready to be read in the next decade.. I will probably never get through them, but I love looking at them all and feeling the excitement 🎉😊
@@kenzashennathis is a completely fine way to do it but a lot of these creators will make comments like 'I bought this book because it's popular but I hate the genre and the plot doesn't sound interesting to me so I'm never going to read it'
@@lydiamac1771 yeah that sounds insane to me. I get buying a book because of the hype but when you already know you are going to hate it, why not check it out from the library instead? Like I wanna try some booktok books where I'm pretty sure I won't like them but I'm not spending money on them
The comments often turn into borderline bragging about a shopping addiction, meanwhile I wish I had the money to spend on something I'll never touch
Same! Personally I always work on my physical TBR but I currently have 5 on it and I think it’s a lot. Luckily, since I have so few books on my physical TBR, I am most likely to enjoy them since I read them in shorter span of time, then those people that have 200+ on their TBR.
Every industry is engaging with the fomo 'fast fashion' type of marketing. Nail polish, fountain pens, stationery, home decor, the entire business model of soap and shower gel at bath and body works. Literally everything. We live in dystopian hell.
Indeed we do
for things like Stationary it seems kinda odd to me. why do i need 25 fountain pens? just a few ones i like the look of and like writing with is enough.
Its the taylor swift effect
seeing all this unfold in the last few years has actually pushed me away from buying so much!
Yep. It's always been there but I didn't realize how much so until later in life, and my own part in it. Now, over-consumerism, fast fashion and constant consumption are normalized and shoved at children barely out of the womb onward, thanks to "iPad parenting" & internet in general, making a bigger ongoing problem in this area. Very concerning. (Edit for grammar)
Honestly, I have 64 unread books on my bookshelf rn and last night my husband said I should probably read at least 30 before buying any new books. I reluctantly agreed. After seeing this video though it was a really great reminder of where I stand on consumerism and environmentalism and I have not been practicing what I preach. Thank you.
my pleasure! happy reading xx
I have a lot of unread books as well. I used to read A LOT as a teenager. I joined the army and I didn't have the time anymore. During that period of time I still bought books and just threw them in the container of books I had whenever I visited home on the holidays. Now that I'm out I looked forward to getting back into it...and started another job that keeps me too busy lol. Butttttt now I just buy the audiobook and the physical one for my book case...that way I can "read" while I'm driving...truck driver
I want to create content around books, mainly because I want to inspire more people to read and learn and I want that positive impact, but I’m so scared of this happening. I’m thinking of giving away the books, but I need to stop the habit of writing in my books first 😂
@@RickyRicardoMJFmy dad is also a truck driver who loves to read. We like to recommend books to eachother and while I know he doesn't have a lot of time on his hands he always tries to read in his down time :) I hope you're enjoying the books that you've been reading!
the 'get it now' mentality has also made these people rude as hell to library workers, lol. like if someone doesn't know how libraries works and wants, say, a colleen hoover book, they will ask us for it and expect us to have 25 copies of a popular author when in reality they are all checked out because they are, again, popular! and people new to libraries then forget to return the books as well, lol
I haven't seen one famous dark romance author in my local library in Germany and despite sometimes indulging in that genre myself, I'm quite happy about it. If people want to read crap like that, they should go out of their way to do it 😅😅 But I'm sorry that you get to deal with the kinds of people who think the exact opposite. Crossing my fingers that this trend (not just dark romance but booktok) will die down eventually.
@@Shirumoon By criticizing other's reading preferences .... तुमने अपनी औकात दिखा दी
The downside of tiktok book trends is that it inflates waiting lists for a set number of books and leaves the rest in the dust. People are bypassing the library and buying the popular books, which is a shame, because I've found a ton of hidden gems at the library.
This is so sad! I wanted to check out Caraval for the last 1-2 weeks and all four is checked out until ~mid April in the library I attend. Tough luck but at least people are still reading it! + One of my friends could lend me a copy of the book so I don't even have to wait lol.
Gosh.... This sounds so sad. I loved my library when I was younger.
I would add that too many books are getting special editions with over-designed covers so that they can be shown off on tik-tok. I remember being gob-smacked when I went into Barnes & Noble a few years ago and saw that 'Children of Blood and Bone' had been re-released with several different collectible editions. That book was middle-of-the-road at best, but they're giving it sprayed edges and a foil cover like it's 'Lord of the Rings.'
I noticed that on Instagram too
I meeaaaan a few decades back there simply weren't paper backs, and EVERY published book, as bad as it may be, had a special gold foil edition 😅 I recently cleaned out my deceased grand father's book case and it was just tomes upon tomes of beautiful hardback, of the most mid romance novels and history chronicles
Been noticing that especially in the fantasy genre, a lot of the books I've never even heard of and have less than 1k ratings on goodreads which made me wonder if there's even enough demand to justify it
*cough* Fourth Wing *cough*
and not only that but they sometimes have different special editions so you "have" to buy the same book 4 times if you really want to show off. I get having different editions of books but if you are just buying the same story 4 times just because they have a special edition it's not really about the book anymore.
I'm not on booktok but I can say that other hobbies definitely have productivity races like reading does. I knit and my instagram feed is bombarded with people making 20 sweaters in a year or how they knit faster this way, etc. I imagine it's like this with most hobbies but we're just not aware unless we're apart of that community. I think we just love the satisfaction of completing something and want to get as much as that as we can while indulging in our favorite pastime.
I stay away from the crochet community for this very reason. Unless I'm looking for a pattern and getting ideas for a color scheme, I stay away
New to fibre arts and noticing this all over the place. People making a "dream wardrobe" for a video and you rarely see them wear any of that stuff again. That's not slow fashion anymore
Yes this. Also turning everything in to a business. I knit and crochet very slowly, so in the year I’ll make a couple,wearable things for me and maybe a couple of gifts. Most of us are not producing multiple items a week but social media makes it look that way
There's a similar toxic productivity race in the language learning community. If you're not learning 10 languages at the same time making 10 anki flashcard decks for each language every day you're not even learning languages
Recently started crocheting and I've noticed that too. I haven't seen a lot of artists and writers fall into the productivity rabbithole yet but that may be because the artists and writers I follow haven't fallen down that rabbithole yet.
ETA: There are goals and challenges ofc, but I am referring to making or writing so much that you don't know what to do with it anymore.
I stopped using goodreads when I noticed that it made me focus too much on finishing a book and „hitting a target“. It felt less and less like I was reading for the experience of immersing myself into a fictional world or seeing life from a different viewpoint.
Now that I started reading for enjoyment and broadening my horizon again I feel way more relaxed and in the moment.
if you still want to somewhat track your reading, make a spreadsheet or set up a notion page. I track my percentage, rating and usually a small review but without comparing my stats to someone else
I set a very low reading goal. But I totally agree, I hate the little reminder on there that says something like “you’re 2 books behind schedule”. Like why do i *have* to read a ton of books? If I wanna spend 6 months on one book, I should be allowed to do so lol
It happened to me as well, and the same again with the super complicated spreadsheets where you could track everything. I decided then that everything that turned a book into a number should go xD I only use a textual log when I take notes of what I start (most of the time 😅) and what I finish (and the format) by date, no way to count the books read in total unless I do that on purpose and with external aid, but useful when I need to remember when I read (or also just started!) a certain book 😊
I like using it as a way to track what i read, what i thought of it, and for the reviews when deciding if i want to read a new book since a lot of recommendations like to leave out important content warnings :/ i don’t use the whole yearly reading goal thing for the same reason you quit using the app
I also deleted my goodreads because of that. It felt too much like social media and not like a personal tracker
i've spoken w/ friends how i think the "buying books and reading books are two different hobbies" has gone from a haha funny joke into literally just "i have a shopping addiction!! :-) aren't i soooo quirky?? :-)"
Yeah, I didn't bring up the shopping addiction aspect of this because I don't feel qualified to talk about addiction, but it's a real thing. And since books are "good things" to be buying (as opposed to more trivial things like clothing and makeup), people can avoid criticism for longer before they have to admit they might have a problem...
@@accordingtoalina i definitely agree. it really is just like the people who have buckets full of makeup that expires before they ever touch it, but book influencers are engaging in a "smart" activity so they can skirt around the issue.
and, not to be overdramatic or anything, but i notice a lot of book influencers on the subject of potentially getting rid of some books are like borderline hoarder mentality. like, you have 100+ unread books on your shelf, some of which have been there for YEARS, and you keep buying more and more, but you can't get rid of any of them becaues "well i MIGHT read it someday!! 🥺", even though if you donated them to your local library they would still be readily available if you ever did have the urge to read them that you haven't had the last five years that you've owned them.
again not to be dramatic but there are some influencers i've seen where, with the mindset that they're in, im genuinely concerned that they're only a few steps away from developing more immediately harmful habits 😭
i see this with lots of things.. when people makes jokes that equte to haha i can't stop overconsuming, i just feel really bad for them
yes! It used to be: "these are the books I'll read when I have the time" and now it's just performative. The important thing is ownership and showcasing those books, not reading and enjoyment
personally, whenever i go to a bookstore, i already have a book in mind that im gonna buy that’s already on my tbr. and yeah ofc ill look around and read the back of some books that seem appealing. and if i like it i just add it to my tbr and say im gonna buy it another day. i usually leave a barnes and noble with at most 3 books in my hand bc books are EXPENSIVE
and i’m a slow reader so ik i will not be reading those 3 books in one sitting. some people are so excessive for no reason
As a librarian from a small language area (Finland) I have mixed feelings about booktok. Yes it encourages especially young people to read more cause it's trendy, but it also makes the life cycle of books shorter than ever. If there's a hot new book in the English-speaking side of tiktok, finnish publishers ofc want to translate it, but when that process is done (sometimes hastily, but thats a whole other discussions) people are no longer interested cause there's already a new hot book. Libraries need to make room for new books that nobody wants to read the next year
totally unrelated to your comment but I was wondering if you could recommend some finnish authors?
Well but how we can see gen alpha can't read and more young people are reading?
I tend to have the opposite problem - I want to read books that I loved from 20 years or more ago since I don't like most new releases but the library hardly has them and old books don't tend to get reprinted now unless it's turned into a tv series or film.
@@craftyhobbit7623 Same … I love the classics but the library never Carrie’s them…it’s all just fast fashion James Patterson type stuff
Exept that they rarely read
I am only part way through, but often I find phrases like 'just let people enjoy things' are used to shut down any forms of criticism, even ones that are very true and needed to be said. And it happens too often when the criticism is discussing discrimination in a certain group. Yes, let people enjoy things, but also let people criticise and have these important discussions that are needed to be had.
I normally say, “let people like things,” but there DEFINITELY is a line and book tock has crossed it..
I feel the same way. It feels like it's become something people use to dismiss any concerns someone might have
Yes, I want to start a book social media platform but without pressure to do 24 hour reads, because reading is not a race it’s an escape from the pressures of society. I want to express my love for literature the foundation of creativity and art. I thank you for speaking out on this! Also fellow Romanian here, and I would like to say ca eu te ador și te apreciez mult ❤
Aaaah merci de comment Alexa, sper sa te vad vorbind despre carti in cel mai chill fel posibil curand xxx
I think you should go for it! Do whatever type of videos you like to make and I'm sure you find your audiance ^^ No need to do 24h reading to make videos interesting! I honestly not enjoy does type of videos so much because it looks exhausting and not fun pushing through a book within a certain time frame 😂🙈
I hope you do start a book social media platform! Just a friendly reminder- reading, acquiring books, annotating, etc. is not a competition. Reading is subjective and should never be about who reads the most books, who buys the most books, who does the most challenges, who annotations are the most esthetics. Books are for one's own enjoyment, happiness and their joys in wanting to share it with others. There shouldn't be any pressure to "perform" or "crank out content" every single day. Wishing you all the best!
I think you should go for it! I have a Bookstagram and don’t post regularly or have participated in any reading marathon because that’s just not me. I also don’t write reviews for every book I’ve ever read like some people expect you to. Reading should be self paced and intentional!
@@johannalehto9154 Thank you for your encouragement 🤍
As somebody who worked in a bookstore for a year, nothing made me more angry than seeing all the booktok books I had to display. I was in charge of the English YA and NA section of the store (European here) and whenever someone asked what book I would recommend - I didn't have an answer most of the time because 90% books were just so bad.
And let's not talk about supposedly YA books with atrocious smut, it physically hurt me to see them. Also I had to warn 13 ish year olds, and younger, about the content.
I know that they have Internet and probably had already found something, but that is for free. I can't believe teens are buying something that you can get for free on AO3 or even Wattpad.
Yeah, I feel you. I kinda avoid the booktok section in the bookstores I go to. In the beginning I looked at what people read and even picked some up, found maybe five good books in the beginning, but it changed quickly and now I completely avoid it. I enjoy a well written book, mostly fantasy or science fiction, but now I started to not get interested in new published books or authors I didn't know before anymore, because I had such bad experiences and that just from the bookstores since I don't even use TikTok anymore. And there is a lot of stuff with smut. I have one author I am okay with reading smut because the rest like writing and world building is amazing, but a lot of authors just don't write as well and/or the book is so full with smut scenes thst everything else is missing. It's sad. I'm probably going to stick to some older books for now.
I'm also from Europe btw☺️
One of the problems I started noticing (Urban Fantasy was the worst, and this was about 15 years ago, now) was that I was getting disappointed with most of the new books that I picked up. Urban Fantasy is notorious for having bad smut scenes in them, but it just seemed that every fantasy or sci-fi book that I picked up then was poorly written, and this was mainly in the adult section. I read a few YA books, hated the writing, so didn't bother again. I noticed a downturn in the quality of writing of even authors I enjoyed because there was a lot of pressure on them to write more than one book a year and it was very apparent that the number of books that they brought out impacted on the quality of the book you got, and it's sad to see a good author deteriorate in their writing. I now stick to books that were written in my favourite period of publishing from when the Hobbit came out to the early 2000's (before e-book self publishing took over) as that is where I find most of the books that I enjoy the most. There will sometimes be a good new author who comes out but the race to publish, and produce seems to have taken over from telling a good story and perfecting the draft, proof-reading and editing before a book is published - I'm sure a lot of books published now would be great if people took the time to perfect it and didn't publish their first National Novel Writing Month draft.
I stopped reading YA long ago for various reasons but if I hadn’t already I definitely would have now after seeing the “variety” offered, and that’s a very generous description. There is almost no difference between most YA/NA books. It’s all the same story with same characters just different names. It’s exhausting and disheartening to see. And it’s 90% smut. There is nothing wrong with smut if that’s what you’re into. But when we are at the point where the first question someone asks about a book is if it’s “spicy” or how much seggs is in it, there is a problem
YA stands for "young ADULT" so 13 year olds shouldn't be reading them. Young Adult means 18 to 25. Nothing wrong with smut for adults.
As a writer who takes my time to make my work the best I absolutely can, even if that means a book takes years to write, this hurts my soul.
I know there have always been fad books and bad books, but there was more space for other books, as well. As much as I love that self-pub has opened up new avenues for authors (especially marginalised ones) that otherwise would never be published, I also can’t deny it’s made reading a lot more frustrating because so many writers slap their unedited books up on the storefront, and as a reader you can’t always tell from the cover or blurb whether you're going to get a book that had some effort put into it or not. Just this month I've started and stopped half a dozen books because they were poorly written and riddled with typos. When I was a kid going to a physical bookstore, I didn’t end up liking every book I bought, but all of them were written at a professional level with several rounds of drafts and proofreading. Whereas there’s a much bigger monetary incentive in self-pub to write fast and put a book up for sale long before it’s ready.
I just have to wonder how much worse that’s going to get if booktok really takes over the publishing space. It feels like it’s going to be a race to the bottom to write viral fad books with flashy covers. And with AI (ugh) encroaching I hope books don’t become the next get rich quick scheme.
I saw a library haul video once and it was so refreshing! I need to get some things with my library account sorted out but I think I’m really going to make more of an effort to support my local library in the next year. This video inspired me.
I also really do not understand the FOMO people get over books that don’t interest them! I kind of understand it if you’re a content creator and you’re trying to stay relevant and get views, but I don’t understand the pressure that non-creators feel. If it sounds like a book you would get nothing out of, don’t bother reading it!
Yesss go get that library account!!
I live in Australia where books are crazy expensive I'm talking over $20 each. I started going to the library this year because I was spending far too much on books and could not afford to continue spending so much on books that I sometimes only read once or twice. I love going to the library so much I've been able to read so many books that I've been wanting to read without feeling shit if I don't enjoy it and don't want to continue it. Not only that but they have a large DVD selection so I've been able to watch so many movies and shows that Netflix doesn't have. I could not be happier going to the library, I haven't bought a new book in months and have read so many amazing books.
@@thelostgirlsclub7254 I live in Mexico, where libraries don't have that much funds to find a lot of things, or they're far, but still I want to try it. Because sure I love possessing books, but from all the ones I've read I only keep the ones I loved and continue reading over and over, the ones I didn't loved I usually gift them on Christmas to family that also like reading, so it's kind of a win-win situation, still I see all this thing about being a reader as an aesthetic thrown around on social media that it's sick, I even talked about it on a video not long ago (this is not spam, sorry if it read like it), talking about how they want everything to look perfect and more than enjoying the reading it's all about everything looking perfect and beautiful... And now that I think about it, what's said here it's also true and kinda makes me feel bad because I've seen so many trash books getting published, with tons of mistakes and dumb arches or structure, and it makes me question if there's space left for me on that writing world, since everything is now going that way of fast processing
Library haul sounds more fun - I want to know what's on the shelves in people's libraries way more ngl. I kind of honestly don't care about books some stranger brought that they might never read. I'd rather hear about them after they've read them otherwise.
Standard book hauls - looking from afar, at least - seem akin to those "decorative" books people will buy online as a form of furnishing, and it really makes me feel uncomfortable. It comes across to me as someone undereducated desperately trying to look smarter than everyone without doing the work. My mom has her books on shelves, but they're all definitely books she's loved for many years. She considers reading very important.
It helps that your library is good mine barely has anything new.
Book sleeves are for when you want to take a book somewhere, and reduce the chances of it being damaged! (some people have an obscene amount, realistically you only need 1 or 2, not 20)
And people that have an obsene amount of bookish candles with their favourites characters or whatever? 🥴It's ridiculous!!
@@GladysHunnam I have no problem with that if they actually use the candles! But just collecting them makes no sense
Ex: I am a tea drinker and like to buy literature-themed tea off Etsy, but will actually drink it in the next few months 😂
I have 2 book sleeves my mom crocheted me because my bad likes to destroy my books. One is for my softcover and one is for my hardcovers and the one for hardcovers has a handle so I can wear it
@@Feezee223that’s such a good idea! i read priory of the orange tree recently and it brought me back to struggling to haul around the later harry potter books when i was in like, 3rd or 4th grade. why do hardcover books have to be so anti-transportation friendly 😭
As someone who read 152 books last year and 172 this year. I am done with Booktok, the pressure I feel to constantly read is crazy. I haven’t even enjoyed most of them. My goal for next year is quality over quantity
I just look for recs. I know my limits 😅. I’m even in a Facebook group for authors and readers and there’s people saying that they can read 500 in a year. If you’re a parent, if you have a job or even go to school, how is that possible? I don’t do any of those things (even though I’m currently job searching. And it sucks) how do you even manage that much? 😳
My personal rule is that I only get books I've read multiple times and love, and even then I prefer to get them second hand. I know that isn't for everyone, but it works for me, especially because where I live has good public libraries. Please guys, support your local library
That's what I try to do too!❤
I would do this if my library had the books I liked lol
@@Turtle20305 You can request books from the library! Find out the ISBN and request it at the library!
I have pared down so much that I only own three physical books now! Catch-22, Fahrenheit 451, and Treasure Island (this does not count all my husband's books. He is much more of a collector than I am)
Getting a second hand book is another experience 🥺
Thank you so much for bringing up libraries! I love to read and most of my books I read are from my library. Libraries are so important to communities! And a lot of libraries have access to Overdrive or Libby which lets you read ebooks and audiobooks too! Booktube and Booktok seem to be allergic to libraries. I've found so many favorites at the library. I can try out books that I do see people talk about at social media, and if I don't like them, I can just return them. For the readers in the comments: get a library card if you haven't already!
seconding this!! i only buy books i enjoyed on audio or from library books.
i’ve been on a waitlist for libby and physical books at my library for 16+ weeks… i love libraries but it’s so unrealistic for me (and a lot of people) to wait literal months for a book i could read in a day or two, especially if i’m 95% sure i’d love the book
My local library provides free lunch for kids during the summer, when they don’t have access to school lunch. You’re right, they’re such important institutions. I donate every single time. It feels like what religious people must sense when they donate to their churches: I believe in this. I believe in literature. I believe in easily accessible information. I believe in the last stronghold for public wellbeing.
My library has practically been gutted by the local council. It's barely accessible outside of school hours, too. In school I was friends with a kid whose mom was a part of the council at the time, and based on what I've heard she was saying off them she couldn't comprehend why we need libraries and was a big driving force despite their protests (and also thought a single cup noodle was an acceptable everyday evening meal for a 7 year-old, but I digress).
I loved it growing up, but there's so little there now. I do still go, and I hoard digital books on my kindle using zlibrary and other download sources (which cost me £20 from shopping around) if the wait for something is too long, but I wish there was more I could just borrow and hold immediately again. Hell, I'd recommend piracy to some of these haul people - that way they can figure out what they actually want in their collection and have the "shopping spree" kind of experience without the waste.
Exactly! Buy the book if you loved it after actually reading it! You will feel much better about your financial choices and spending habits, and what you own will be a prized possession.
another big issue i find in non-english-speaking countries is that most books you find are either now in english, or translation of american/ english literature. the decrease of books published by national writers or from other non-anglo-saxon background, specially among younger generations, who don't have the abillity to fully undeerstand a book in a foreign language, is problematic. In my country, I've heard people say that they feel awkward reading in their own language and that books in english are generally cheaper and easier to read (probably cause they only read easy tiktok books)
Omw yes! I've literally read like 5 books in my home language, while I've read multiple English-language ones. It got so bad that it started affecting my speaking ability for my home language, and I was once one of the best undergrad language students in my year. The UK/ US focus of book content ultimately creates a homogenized cultural experience, irrespective of one's background and language.
In my country it's the total opposite. The english books are 2x pricier than the ones in my native language
Oh yesss, sadly. There is that pressure on reading books in other languages, mostly english to "get better with it", that sometimes I feel ashamed for reading in my native language - although I very much do prefer it. I can immerse in the story more and just enjoy the beauty of language and words itself. And I've read books in english of course (for example the majority of the Wings of Fire series, because only a few first volumes got translated. And it was a great read, also due to the words not being that much complicated, which made it flow).
And although I perceive my english as pretty okay, I feel worse for not reading all of my books in english. I just don't like it if I don't have to do it. But I do feel worse. Like I'm supposed to get every opportunity to improve my skills - and reading doesn't seem as appealing anymore.
But the good thing is that in my country there are lots of books from independent native authors being published in the recent years and the trend seems to be getting even more popular now :D
oh, i feel you! that's why I have a gull of my own to read a book in my mother tongue after reading a book in English.
Another big problem is that this American capitalist "easy" literature fills our shelves, leaving less space for native authors or authors from small neighbouring countries! literally kills me
I mostly read in English even though I'm Portuguese mostly because it's cheaper to buy books in English than to buy them translated into my language. Also, the booktoks I've read that were translated into Portuguese lack quality in translation, mostly because they're probably trying to translate them as fast as possible to launch them before people move on.
I put this together when “booktok” became a thing. I was very happy to see ppl excited to read, but then, like everything else on social media. It turned toxic. Between everyone reading a book because it’s trending, or have the same opinion about said book so they can get more views… I just started to ignore all of booktok last year because it was just ridiculous. Reading is supposed to be relaxing. Something you can get lost in. A story and a world that consumes you… I miss when people took reading seriously. Because this is just sad…
Agree 100%
A book sleeve is actually really handy to protect the pages when you put a book in a bag 😊
I bought a book sleeve awhile back now, and I no joke use it every day to bring a book with me in my purse without worrying about my wallet, keys, etc. wrecking the pages or cover
10/10 would recommend if you travel most days with a physical book
That and hiding whatever you are reading from public eyes ^.^'
yes, but just one or two, not 30 like I've seen some people own on bookstagram 🫥. I have two that I made myself, one big and one smaller (for small paperbacks) for when I take my current read out of the house 🙂
In my opinion, nobody can force you to do or buy anything and we all need to hold ourselves accountable for how we either help or further the problem. It’s a lot easier to blame an app but at the end of day, everyone is responsible for themselves and their actions.
I think the problem is more about influence. There’s so much pressure to be in the same lane as other people or relate to others that you’ll feel pressured to consume products in hopes you’ll fit in. Social Media has a grip on most users.
My friend has no job and she’s trying to be a booktuber and pays for these book hauls every day. It’s kinda scary
It is very important to remember that these people read as their primary source of income. Their 9 to 5 is reading books and posting about them! So it is silly to compare our reading habits to their 35-book monthly wrap-up video. I type this as a hypocrite bc I too have felt like a ''fake'' book lover in the past for reading 20-30 books a year.
no but you are so right, most booktubers *need* to read a lot to keep their channel going and therefore the money coming. no one can compete with that (and no one should try to do so!!!)
As a writer I find this new trend honestly terrifying just from the fact that I know that my genre of writing is much different from what social media wants to move away from where all they want are writers who will make the next weekly grab romance book that may take less than 5 months to make. In small terms they simply do not want to wait for an author to spend years upon years to finish books.
If the finished book is powerful, people will realize it was worth it. There's a place for the super fast candy romances but there's also still a place for thoughtful books that are true art.
As a fellow writer, I can relate so much. My genre is Science/Space Fantasy, so pretty niche as many Fantasy lovers prefer High Fantasy and SciFi fans prefer stories of human exploration, neither of which are themes of my project. On top of that, I despise writing or reading romances, let alone "smut", so I am probably the least marketable writer out there...
I want to become a published author one day so badly, but sadly the project I love dearest will be the one that has the smallest audience...
If it is any comfort to you, I think the type of reader who enjoys that kind of book (Game of Thrones, Outlander and other are now taking over 30 years, phew) seem unfazed by this and are still very much patiently waiting (if they haven't died of old age, that is. Tiny joke, sorry). I think it will die down and they will chill out eventually and grow out of it. Not so sure about Colleen Hoover fans tho.
You evoked this fear in me also, as a fellow writer. I just hope that when I'll finally publish the series I've worked on for more than 2 years now (and I'm only editing again now) the marketing team will do a great job (i don't have the marketing skills to self-publish but i think my book deals with important topics)
Booktube was like this too. It seemed like everyone was always doing haul videos every month and had a backdrop of a huge bookshelf completely full. None of the people I watched back then make book videos anymore. Some make different videos and some make none. I don’t really read much anymore either. I was getting sick of over hyped young adult books being on everyone’s lists. Anna and the French Kiss was so bad and everyone loved it. It’s the same thing with Colleen Hoover on booktok.
Came here to say exactly this. Same thing with bookstagram as well.
i love libraries because i cannot even contemplate buying a book if it didn't read and like it already... like I would feel so duped and upset about my money betraying me
lmao I feel a similar way, books take up a lot of space so if I'm filling the little space that I have with something, it has to be something I love
This video has voiced what I've been thinking about for weeks now. I live in New Zealand and the impact social media has had on books, or rather the intense boosting for specific books through Instagram and TikTok especially, is really changing the book climate here. Buying overseas to not only keep up with the trends based in America but also keep up with the number of authors who get published from middle-tier or lower-tier publishing houses (or self-published, not shaming anyone at any level btw) means that both local bookstores (independent and locally owned chain stores) are constantly having their stock contested with due to cheaper prices elsewhere. It also is starting to silence the voices of local authors and the themes and experiences we have which are far removed from the American experience. Loved your analysis and the perspective you have!
I came across an Australian book that I wanted to check out but the publisher only ships within Australia. It's a shame because I would have found it quite interesting, but I agree with the American (and in some cases, Canadian) perspective. The only UK book perspective books I get to read are historical ones, or James Herriot. There's very little modern day perspective books. I also find the North American perspective books to be very cookie cutter and varies very little from book to book - every character drinks and adores coffee, every character drives, every character loves guns, every character wears designers clothes, every character owns a beautiful big house, every character hangs around nightclubs and bars, every character has an insanely active sex life, every character is filthy rich, every character went to a top university like Harvad, or Yale (Berkeley or California if they are a trendy lefty or woke), every character says they respect people from less privileged backgrounds but rarely does anything to help or behaves in the opposite manner.
Interesting take, however when I lived in New Zealand I found the prices of books insanely expensive (hell everything's way too expensive in NZ). Local NZ literature also gets a lot of support from readers and institutions, though it's usually mainly the "hip" books written by younger authors that get much more traction (whether or not they're actually good).
I think that collecting massive amounts of books, obsessively updating your Goodreads status, and setting wild Goodreads goals reflect the present-day neoliberal subject. This concept equates an individual with an enterprise. And just as an enterprise has to invest money to upgrade its production process to gain more profit, so must a booktoker invest in himself/herself (by buying books, reading, and making content) to elevate their cultural/social capital and, with that, their financial capital (more booktok videos = more money).
Reading what you just write... You know what it reminds me today social media content... Black mirror, that episode on the first seasons where you have to post everything and in the reaction depends your grade, and kinda dictate your "value" watching it be real in one way it's so f-ing crazy to me
I think you really hit the nail on the head. People let a hobby/ profession be their entire identity and go all-in on it. I've always been a voracious reader, but that is only one aspect of myself. And I “only” read about one book a week. But more importantly, I only read books I'm interested in, not to cross off a bullet point on a list. I can’t imagine making reading into a chore or a competition to measure my self worth.
I‘m guilty of loving storyGraph and loving to add a book to my „read“ pile but to be fair I‘m like this with everything. I keep track of my spotify stats, reading stats because I‘m just really into that kinda stuff for some reason. But I will have months where I don’t read anything because I don’t try go push myself. Pushing yourself is the best way to spoil a hobby for yourself imo
As a German I was shocked when I found out that Americans buy our German TikTok famous books e.g. Fourth Wing JUST because of the sprayed edges. These editions are usually very limited and rare, they're meant for German speakers, but now Americans buy them out without even being able to read them, just to display them like some sort of trophy. It's absolutely crazy to me! And us here in Germany have to wait for ages to get our own books since they sell out so fast!
First time I hear about this, sounds insane!!!
i've been in the book commnity long before booktok and let me tell you bookstagram and booktube had just the same problems even like 8 years ago 🙈
huge monthly book hauls were a standart video format that all big booktubers did and they almost always had more views than wrap ups (which is where all the books people read get reviewed - which really should be more interesting if you think about it)
As one legendary article says, "social media won't save you from social media"
I looked it up with google exact search, I can't find it. Do you happen to have a link? Or an author? Thanks so much in advance!
As a mom, a book sleeve is a life changer when putting my books in my bags. My child will either want to put things in my bags or takes things out and its saved a book or two.
But i agree with this video so much
Really well put! That distinction of booktok focusing on "books" as an object to be consumed rather than a medium of art has always turned me off. I love good frothy romance fantasy but that sort of novel is generally a lot easier to power through than say, Middlemarch or a non-fiction book about Inuit culture. It makes all the bragging about huge numbers feel silly. And omg the booktok trends are the worst, the immense pressure to make a book that'll sell is really pushing the wrong authors to the top. It sometimes feels like quality of writing doesn't matter so much as the beats the story can hit.
that's why i'll always be a diehard e-reader stan! ethics aside regarding consumption, there's just something so cool and futuristic about being able to carry around my entire library of 400+ books on a tablet that uses freakin' e-ink technology, like what?! not to mention i moved recently, and even my very small cache of physical books was a pain to move. i can't imagine having to box up and haul some of the book collections i've seen on the internet.
if i really like a book, i'll spend my money on a pretty physical copy to covet, otherwise it goes into the digital realm where it belongs.
(it also helps if you're a 🏴☠but we're not gonna talk about that!)
as a diehard physical book enjoyer (it keeps me much more focused if i'm not looking at a screen/have pages to turn) this is something i think is so underrated about ereaders! i have a massive book collection i've been building since i was a child and i DREAD moving bc i know it's gonna be a nightmare.
i def focus better with physical books, but e readers are sm more practical and cheaper 🏴☠️, if i need to i’ll get the book from the library. and i’ll buy books i reread
Yes this!! I only get a physical copy of a book only if I really really love it, like Song of Achilles and Pride & Prejudice
@@tomdelongjohnsi love your username! 😂 and i definitely don’t envy you if you ever have to move! i ended up sorting my books into several smaller boxes and even those were quite heavy to lug around since i have primarily hardcovers. hopefully you can save up to hire a moving service when the time comes!
another underrated reason for owning an e-reader? i’m sure you know all too well the pain of trying to choose the reading material to bring on a trip with you… not with a handy dandy e-reader! i can bring my entire library with me, and it feels so darn cool. i definitely think it’s worth giving one a whirl if you ever get the chance, as i was also concerned about not being able to focus as much as i would with a physical book, but realized i enjoyed it just as much (albeit for different reasons ofc!). i think it helps that an e-reader is nothing but an e-reader, versus something like a tablet or a smart phone. then again my adhd brain really enjoys having a clearly defined separation between activities, so being able to associate my kobo with nothing other than reading has pavlov’d my brain into hyperfocus mode whenever i have it in my hands.
as soon as it comes outta hiding, i’m immediately like “ooh, is it reading time again?!” and that’s all i can think about!
Where do yall go to 🏴☠️?
This was so insightful! I must admit that I also have been influenced by booktok by continuously setting unrealistically high goals for myself, and feeling stupid when I have difficulties understanding a book (especially classics). I find it absolutely terrifying how easily our perception of intelligence is moulded by social media. Our time and ability to read books should not be a reflection of our intelligence.
At the end of the day, we are all blobs of flesh on a floating rock in the middle of nowhere. We should not beat ourselves up for not "owning enough books" or "reading enough books", because it doesn't even matter! 💗
This was so insightful! I must admit that I also have been influenced by booktok by continously setting unrealistically high goals for myself, and feeling stupid when I have difficulties understanding a book (especially classics). I find it absolutely terrifying how easily our perception of intelligence is moulded by social media. Our time and ability to read books should not be a reflection of our intelligence.
“I find it absolutely terrifying how easily our perception of intelligence is moulded by social media”: very well said
I just finished reading The Bell Jar. I struggle to envision how a book like that could be condensed into a TikTok clip. Scary to think that if Sylvia was trying to get published today, we might not get the chance to read her story because the topics aren't marketable or trendy. I subscribed to your channel after finishing this video! Can't wait to see what you talk about in the next one.
Tbh all the weird comments about Asian people throughout that book may also prevent it from publishing in the modern age
I am a self-published author. I have never been on book toc before, and this video validates my personal outlook. I labor in obscurity to put out a quality book. I think i’ll stay there.
Are your books available on Kindle .I would love to see what they are about and get if I want
It's only the social media aspect of reading that is like this. Most people that read are not actually active in this community. They simply read in their own time and that is that. How we all used to do it when we were kids lol. We share everything now so its made reading this more complicated kind of sport instead of a simple hobby.
Lately I went to an independent book store in London that was going viral on Tiktok. It really shocked me just how many of the books were already famous on Tiktok they had, the book collection just felt very curated for the platform which felt unsatisfactory cause I really wanted a personal recommendation or something i wouldn't normally read. But i guess the bookshop also do need to make a profit of it's competing against Bezzos'.
Were the employees knowledgable to recommend things for you? Because if they don't have a book in stock, they can order it for you!
omg i wrote something about this too! it's crazy how most "bookworms" nowadays focus more on how to look like a cute reader than actually immersing in the art of reading and appreciating books :(
Every time a global book community changes platform (blogs, tumblr, TH-cam, and now TikTok) (yes, I am not the youngest) the same debates and questions come up on a specific timeline, with a new layer for each platform (elitism, ethnocentrism, ethics, etc.) but with the same fear: everything is become the same because only a few popular themes drive up the sales.
A few centuries ago, there was a debate about bourgeois having beautiful books on their bookshelves but not reading them. It was ~the~ thing to do to flaunt money and establish your economical status.
The question of overconsumption nowadays does add a very interesting new layer. We know now how algorithms work and how we can use it to our advantage. In my opinion, it is up to us to put our money (or library card), likes and support where we preach. And I firmly believe that even though the book community has one share interest, reading, we are all so different that homogenization will never actually happen. Yes, there will be tendances, major running themes, etc. but never homogenization.
I'm not even on tiktok, but seeing books advertised as "tiktok sensation" or the like, now only serves to give me pause. I've seen some of the most mid books getting hype, and have realised that the most popular tiktok genres (romantasy, dark romance to name some) really aren't my cup of tea. It reminds me of the hype around twilight (which teenage me enjoyed, admittedly) and later fifty shades (not for me) which it felt like "everyone" was reading - only now it's many more books and the "trend cycle" moves a lot faster bc of tiktok. Fast fashion certainly seems like an apt comparison!
I am not on booktok but I was totally on booktube when I was in middle and high school. This video is so well made and has really got me thinking about my own book consumption, about meeting personal quotas because numbers are apparently indicative of success, and how doomed I feel we are as humans sometimes. I am still so conflicted about personal libraries especially if those libraries are stocked with exclusively newly printed books and not used copies of books that have been out for a long time. But I also feel like personal libraries can also be beautiful, especially if they're filled with books that are very special to you. I feel like I romanticize non-consumer ways of reading (like ebooks and libraries) and only owning a handful of your all time favorite books; but on the other hand, I don't know if this is just another image to fulfill instead of actually doing what feels right for you.
Ahhhh just so much to think about!! But I really appreciate this video sparking this conversation.
I think people see reading as a nurturing and productive hobby because it helps develop your critical thinking skills, the "read once and forget about them" books that are pushed by tik tok because they sell quickly and a lot, are not helping you develop anything, which is fine, not everything you do has to be productive, as long as there's room for all kinds of books in the publishing industry, but the waste that book overconsumption could potentially create is worrying
As someone who was avidly on Booktube as a teenager, and still loves reading, this is so dystopian to me. Like what are you gaining from reading 40 books a month? Are you enjoying the books? Are you even processing them? Are you doing anything else with your life? What is the point of it all??? Someone help me understand the motivation please
The tiktokfication of things became very apparent to me this last month with the premiere of the ballad of songbirds & snakes movie. I got to read the book like a year after it came out, and no one on tiktok was talking about it, just a few ppl on booktube, and when the trailer came out it was shocking to see the THG craze coming back and everyone talking about it again, but then came the edits with the "hot MMC". What got to me the most was seeing most of the ppl absolutely not understanding any of the messaging of the book/movie, and taking everything at face value, & i think basically thats what has been happening to a lot of new readers, reading books for the sake of saying "ive read --" but then proceeding to skim over the actual content and not getting the message the author was trying to put out
Media literacy in general is in the toilet. Being able to understand themes and symbolism and anything other than the most literal interpretation of a text is basically dead in today’s era of hot takes and skimming. Nuance is dead as well.
Libraries as the last bastion of community is so true, I believe at least 80% of the books I've read in my life are from my uni or public library and it is so precious to see what old mysterious books might be on a shelf somewhere in the corner of the library
A conversation I had with my boyfriend about a month ago.
”Man I wonder if this author will be present at the next book fest, I will really love if I could get a signing from him.”
”Eh probably not, his community is not that big.”
”What do you mean, his books are literary in the ”popular now” section.”
”Yes, because its NEW and has a cool cover. That is why people buy it, but few actually read it. They buy it because its cool to buy it and take a picture to brag you found a copy.”
And my brain froze.
The idea of a buying a book because its cool to buy it but you have no interest on the subject feels unproductive and stupid.
I have no issue with people who buy books because they liked the cover. I did that in the past. Some were became my favorite others I stop reading after 40-50 pages because I found them poorly written/not what I expected. But at least I had the intent to read them.
I think literature is like food. Everyone has their preferences and everyone consumes it at their own pace. Reading trends feel like the most in your face marketing scheme ever.
imo the root of the problem is fakeness. overconsumption is a problem for people who see reading only as an aesthetic and care more about collecting > reading. but for people who genuinely enjoy reading and do a lot of it (and have the means to build massive home libraries) i see no problem in that.
As someone who works at Thalia (Germanys biggest book retailer) , I 100% stand behind everything you said in this video . I have a pretty big collection of books due to my job, but with so many new releases being published every year, mainting a big collection (that you've actually read) is becoming harder and harder. A thing that people could start doing, is giving away the books, that have been sitting on the shelfs unread for years and years, to local libraries or shelters. The librarian at mine is always extremely happy about new donations and genuinly helps a lot of people, who love reading but don't have the money and space for large book collection.
I don't know if my comment makes a lot of sense, but in short, I really appreciate this video and the message you're trying to get out into the world.
I gift the books I didn't love to people I know who also like reading
I bought one book ( from throne if glass) ywo times and I knew that our local library had the first ones but not this one so I went there and gifted it.... a few days later my friend ame to me and said that she got a really good deal at the library because they sold the book for 1€ ... so I got my suspicious and when I got there the next time I asked about the book and they said they don't have it!! I was so disappointed and angry ( because then I could just have gifted it to my friend) that I never did it again
I live in Germany as well and I get most of my books at Thalia. I have a good amount of unread books but I read classics so it's not like you can fly through them. I don't know in which city you live but I always put my books into the buses. They have this little shelf where you can add and take books from.
It's easy to get lost in between "I want to read more" and "I have to read more". I have a job, I am a mom, a wife and a person. I love reading books, but I have a life and responsibilities. So 12 books a year sometimes is overwhelming for me. And sometimes 20 books a year feels like a breeze. If I have time, I read. If not, well... I don't read 😃 There are things to worry about already so worrying about number of read books is a luxury. Well, at least to me. I remember watching a video where one Booktuber said that they want to like a certain popular series, but couldn't. She came up with excuses why it's so hard for her to love the series even though a lot of people like it. And I was sitting there thinking "what? Now you HAVE to like certain series/books to count as a reader?" This mindset blew me away.
Thank you for pointing out that reading is first and foremost entertainment. People forget that the likes of Shakespear and many of the literary greats were considered "low brow" entertainment in their day. Bram Stoker and Charles Dickens published many of their works in serial newspapers. Books used to be what television currently is to the masses. It was an easy affordable way to entertain yourself. Classic literature is great but we need to remember its roots. Shakespear wasn't aiming for his work to be analysed in english lit classes he was aiming to get laughs, tears, and applause from his audience. What we consider low brow popular culture today will likely be being studied in universities in 100 years.
It depends. It may have been considered “low brow” entertainment, but the works were very clearly thought out and many of the deeper themes studied in them today were very intentional. I highly doubt something like Harry Potter would be studied in an English class in the future.
@@MysticOceanDollies Yeah sorry no. The amount of dick jokes in Shakespear or the fact that Dracula was one giant euphemism for oral sex says differently.
And pretending Harry Potter isn't going to be studied in Children's Literature circles in the future is choosing to be wilfully blind. It isn't about them being all that spectacular it is about the undeniable cultural impact they had and the fact that they changed the way Children's Literature and Young Adult Fiction was treated in the publishing world. Just because you don't like something doesn't change the impact.
Yeah but we also forget that a lot of books that became popular with the masses in the past are practically forgotten now, while a lot of what we consider "serious literature" didn't necessarily do well commercially when they were first released. A lot of the commercially successful crap that was published long ago has since disappeared.
i feel attacked, setting high goodreads goals & loving the idea of reading certain books
However i’m a pretty slow reader & only enjoy books when i read them slowly, i really have to stop comparing myself to ‘booktubers’, and not having to own books i’ve read from my kindle/ library
great video, thank you for your research!!
I agree completely with your views and seeing people do massive book hauls and unhauls just gives me the ick. Plus special editions of books already published seems like such a waste of the earth's resources.
It drives me mad that some people buy/own like 4 copies of the same book
I notice this problem as well. I would watch many different booktubers, and enjoy their content but then I realized the constant hauls being uploaded. There are channels who would post 30+ haul every other week, and constant Amazon wishlist hauls, subscription boxes. It was genuinely becoming overwhelming
Social media feeds into the human need for competition and overconsumption.
Like most things in life, I think it comes down to balance. Set a goal if it motivates you, but don't beat yourself up over it. Buy books if they make you happy and you plan to read them but not just to impress others. Read things you enjoy and not just to "look smart". I enjoy setting a reading goal for the year, because it keeps me reading at a comfortable steady pace. It gives me a little extra boost when I'm deciding between watching more TH-cam shorts or picking up a book haha. I also buy physical books (mostly used) and probably in an amount more than I should, but I have genuine intentions of reading all of them. I'm in the process of scaling back though. I also genuinely like looking at my bookcases. Sometimes, I just sit on my bed and admire them LOL so I like to think since they bring me happiness they're a bit more justified. I support my local library by checking out ebooks occasionally and going to a local bookclub.
What I have notice about some content creators in booktok is that they don't even really read the book, they just want to talk about a book because it is hyped at the moment, but when you listen to them, you realize that they have just skimmed through it to create content, without taking the time to really completely read it, so now I think it has become more about being in the hype and "popularity" than about reading.
Funny how we went through the uncluttering phase already but people still can't stop buying. I feel like the best choice if you're an avid reader is getting an ereader. Not having the clutter and commitment of buying and keeping a possibly bad or average book allows you to try different genres without being responsible for every single book you're bringing into your house.
Have you considered using apps like Libby? They are free to download and you use it by linking your library card to the app. It allows you to access your libraries ebook and audiobook collection without having to physically go to the library.
This is such a good video! Sometimes I consider jumping on these "niches" and making some content with them, but this kind of lets me know that the initial bad vibe I had about it not coming from the "right" place was rooted in something I couldn't put my finger on. Thanks for this!
I think there’s definitely variety across the communities. There are so many lovely booktok creators who sadly get overshadowed by these sensationalist haul tiktoks that go viral 🥲
I think there’s definitely variety across the communities. There are so many lovely booktok creators who sadly get overshadowed by these sensationalist haul tiktoks that go viral 🥲
@@accordingtoalina most definitely! but a big chunk of booktok is why i can’t trust reviews (the books that are most liked I usually despise) which is why I appreciate channels like yours - YT seems a bit more trustworthy in that aspect
Omg thank you for sharing my content as part of the discussion. I am honored!
My pleasure! I was so happy to see I was not the only one thinking these things!!
I get a lot of my books at thrift stores, library book stores, Little Free Libraries, Half Price Books, Book of the Month, and then Amazon but I rarely pay full price.. Only time I do is if it's a new release or pre-order that I know I'm going to love. I do some Unhauls as well but they tend to be the cheapest books and ones that I read but don't like enough to have them taking up space. I don't read e-books for different reasons and I have a hard time listening to most audiobooks.. having a book collection makes me happy so I prefer to purchase rather than rent from the library... also I like to tab, annotate/write, highlight in a lot of books so it's better for me to purchase them. Also this way I have a lot of books to lend out to friends and family! ☺
I get a lot of my books at thrift stores, library book stores, Little Free Libraries, Half Price Books, Book of the Month, and then Amazon but I rarely pay full price.. Only time I do is if it's a new release or pre-order that I know I'm going to love. I do some Unhauls as well but they tend to be the cheapest books and ones that I read but don't like enough to have them taking up space. I don't read e-books for different reasons and I have a hard time listening to most audiobooks.. having a book collection makes me happy so I prefer to purchase rather than rent from the library... also I like to tab, annotate/write, highlight in a lot of books so it's better for me to purchase them. Also this way I have a lot of books to lend out to friends and family! ☺
@@ville__ why is my comment copy/pasted ?
Thank you for this video! I unsubscribed from so many bookish channels which started to upload mostly book hauls/book subscription boxes but very few videos about books they actually read. There is definitely a place for both, but the proportions are so often so wrong.
The future of publishing scares me because of this fast consumerism. In this economy I don't understand why you wouldn't research and carefully select books you want to read.
I may have an unpopular opinion here, but I don’t understand how people buying books is problematic. My understanding is that one of the biggest problems with fast fashion is the waste that it creates. These books aren’t being wasted. They are being read, collected, donated, read second hand etc. Are they ending up in landfills? I am sorry I don’t understand the comparison at all.
I think it's ment to imply that it's sheer hedonistic consumerism rather than reading to learn to gain pleasure or expertise in something.
@@Merima28 so its the matter of morals instead of actual tangible harm?
I personally love tracking my reads and my books - but I've always been someone that tracks and plans my hobbies, I think that's what's part of having a hobby to me.
I tend to be more of a 'collector' in spirit, if I were a mythical creature I'd be a dragon if that makes sense, I find interests and then I hoard around them - that's just what brings me joy. So originally me tracking, observing and reviewing as a part of my hobbies became a way to appreciate them in a way that was more than buying them, storing them and then letting the novelty wear off.
I think with books it's so easy to buy a book and skim read it without actually... *reading* it. I track them with stats of how long they are, how long it took me to read it, what I would rate it, writing a review, etc - is so I have a checklist to make sure that I am actually finding myself sitting down with the book and reading it. I love looking back at last years lists and with my top reads and worse reads I'll often re-read them the year after to see if I:
a) remember it
b) hold the same opinion on it
Just some thoughts I had when you mentioned the goodreads bit :)
This is the first video I have watched regarding overconsumption taking in book form, and it felt as if everything was covered really nicely. It makes me so sad how people think 'trending' books are the only good books, the library has so many hidden gems if you take the time to search for them. I really loved your video!!
thank you so much for watching and for this lovely comment x
As someone who has never been on TikTok, this video and trend explanation explains the gradual increase of the book sections at the thrift stores near me!
I love how well-structured your videos are! Really insightful, I appreciate the work you put into them ❤
Thank you so much, that means a lot ❤
Wow this is very insightful! Thank you for making a video about this, not enough people realize what's going on with booktok's overconsumption.
I'm so glad someone is articulating this as well as you are. This is what turned me off completely from booktok and even trying to film my own content because I can't keep up with how much it's turned into a collection competition. It's so easy to get caught up in reading books you don't actually like just to keep up with the trends.
So I read A LOT! I listen to audio books, I have stacks I am working on. I was so happy when I found booktok and it slowly turned into annoyance/hatred. I think I have purchased a total of 9 books from booktok recs, and each time I was left thinking "Did they read this at all?" Some of the books people RAVED about were so hollow, and so terriblly paced I was left floored. I reached a point where I never turst reviews anymore. I know reading is subjective but it feels terrible to be the odd one out and wonder if any of the 300 people commenting read the book.
you are so eloquent & well-spoken on this topic and i agree with everything you’ve said. i have been trying to de-influence myself from everything social media feeds us about bookish topics and videos like this are so helpful
happy to help - you got this!
honestly, THANK YOU! you've put into words what I’ve been thinking in this past year.
So sad that the libraries are often forgotten. I try to use mine as much as possible.
i’ve never been involved in booktok, however this situation sounds eerily similar to the manga-tiktok craze of 2020-2021, which was something that i participated in
i remember my fyp would be filled with creator after creator buying 10 or 20 manga volumes per haul, and like a lot of other people did, i fell victim to the craze 😭😭 my manga collection of about 30 volumes grew to about 120 in the span of about 4 months, and even though i read and enjoyed most of my manga at the time, most of it is now just sitting on a shelf in my room collecting dust.
i think the fast fashion comparison is so accurate its a little scary 😭😭 anyways i really enjoyed the video!
When people in BOOK GROUPS are complaining that they can't read Stephen King because his books have "too many words" we have a problem.
I had to leave most of the book groups because people bashed amazing books for "too long", "I'm on page 15 and it's so boring, should I read on?"
And of course there are boring books. But these people were complaining about wonderful passages describing the setting. And every time I asked them what the issue was they'd say "I like a fast paced read that grabs from the first page".
I read a wide variety of books. I don't think that one genre is better than others. In fact, I can read Hugo and Homer and some funky horror paperback. But lots of people read absolute trash and have no attention span. My niece is 9, she reads bigger books than many adults
This was such a great video and analysis Alina! As someone who has read their entire life and joined Booktube this past year, I have felt similar types of pressure to buy more books and read faster to keep up with the trends. On the flip side, I’m also conscious of using my library more, supporting small or local bookshops, and not picking up every popular book as I know my own tastes. Over the past few months I’ve been exploring the thought of a slower reading year rather than setting a high reading goal and to force myself to sit with my books longer and to really allow myself to fully understand the books I’m reading. I’m a huge fan of classics and I find I cannot digest them as quick as I would a romance novel and that is perfectly fine to me. I’d rather read less and have less to post so that I’m able to enjoy what I’m reading and remember the details of the books I read years down the line. It’s definitely a nuanced topic that has so many different sides to it!
This is all so relatable! As someone who posts random videos on TikTok (mostly about books cause reading is something I do a lot), the only videos that gained a lot of traction were reading wrap-ups and mini hauls. Videos that had nothing to do with reading, or videos where I showed ebooks that I had downloaded for free didn’t even get a third of those views. That’s why I felt obligated to read as many physical books as I could because that’s what got peoples’ attention, but I don’t live in a country where mass consumption of anything is possible due to inflation. I’m also only 17 and have no time or motivation to read after a long day at school. For a long time it made me feel like I was failing, but I slowly realized that the people who blow up on booktok (usually) have the time and privilege to buy and read all of these books in a very short time. Thank you for addressing this issue!
I think my max is 40-45 books per year, including graphic novels and audio books. Regular novels, probably closer to 20. I don't know how people can read 100+ books per year and actually remember what happened in the books they read.
I think I've read maybe 3 books this year. 2 were Murderbot books by Martha Wells, a fantastic, very light series. Some people look down on that kind of reading, cause it's sparse, and light, and easy to read. But you know what? Since March of this year I've had a 24/7 migraine, a real banger of an aura having, science defying, crazy making status migrainous. Screw 'em. You can be temporarily abled, or you can be disabled, but either way whatever energy you have for books is a precious blessing and shouldn't be wasted on NOT ENJOYING IT. So sad to know people have been reading like other folks like, work out or eat healthy. Jeez people, you can be happy, it's ok to be happy.
Love the Murderbot series! I haven't gotten around to reading the latest one yet, I hope it's good 🤞
This was so well-done and thought provoking. And yes, as someone who's been an avid reader for nearly 40 years (aside from the first few years after university when I was burned out), I love the surge of Bookstagram, BookTube, and BookTok, but it has definitely increased the number of books I buy when I used to be happy going to the library. On the positive side, it's introduced me to books I ended up absolutely loving. And yes, if BookTube/Tok/etc. starts only promoting and discussing books published by TikTok's new company, I am OUT for sure.
I have a lot of problems with booktok honestly, since the begining I always saw it as a 2010s booktube but worse: the massive bookhauls, the trends, and the unrealistic amount of books read every year. Booktok does all of that but to an extreme.
Personally, one of the things I dislike the most about booktok is that almost everyone recomends the same books over and over again, without giving an actual review, they just hype the book barely explaining the plot.
10:47 I feel this very much. I'm not a writer, I will never be able to put into words what makes a book great or why I loved/hated it. I see these articulate reviews on Goodreads and I'm flabbergasted.
At some point in life I came to a conclusion about myself when it comes to that. Which is: I don't have thoughts about books, I have feelings about books. Don't ask me to discuss a book, because I'll be completely tongue tied. I know how I feel about a certain book and that's enough for me.
thank you for this video! my goal was to read 25 books this year, but looking onward for the remainder of the year, it’s looking like i’ll be about 8-10 books off. it had me wanting to pick up short reads or start an audio book, but then i reminded myself this was the first year into adulthood where i started up reading again. 25 was just a random number, still not really knowing my reading habits. i knew the next few books i wanted to read were thick, and so those are the ones i’m going to slowly consume. right now, i’ve still read 16 books more than i have in a year during adulthood. i’ve had so much joy and a range of emotions from the experience of reading my books. and that’s what matters to me.
I don’t like how Goodreads goal is by book vs pages. Someone could read a book that’s 5 pages vs another person who reads a book that’s 900 pages.
@@laurapeterson12this is the reason why I enjoy (and use the Storygraph) because I'm a mainly fantasy reader and I can assign a separate book goal and a pages goal, knowing the average book length (for me) is 600-800 pages but it's still only one book!
Whenever I visit someone’s House and thre is a bookshelf I am immediately drawn to it because somehow you understand a person so much better when you know what occupies her mind and what she reads. Unfortunately when you nowadays go through bookshelves you encounter all the current popular books that everybody needs to have in order to be relevant. Where did the careful curation of personal book acquisition and how their story becomes a part of you (be it positive or negative) go and was replaced by mindless buying and acquiring the books as soon as the author sets down the quill…
Amazing video. Thank you for this. Definitely given me lots to think about!
I was gifted a book sleeve by a friend and also thought I won't use it. Let me tell you, they're very good at preventing damage to your books if you like to take your book everywhere, including the pool. I'm bad, I know, but I shove too many things in my back pack and often used to bend and damage pages as a result. That book sleeve actually prevents that. Also, when I go to the pool, I usually only take a single bag, and even if a wet towel slips out of the plastic bag, it won't get my book wet. So yeah, they're useful. I'd have never thought so, but they are.
My mom has loved reading for many years, yet she hardly has any books at home. She does buy them, but after reading them she gives them away to friends, colleagues or even me. She always says that books are there to be read and not to be kept in the cupboard. She only keeps books that she knows she would read again and she is happy when she can make others happy by giving them her books.
great video! i used to be really active in the book instagram community but i quickly realised it wasn’t for me because i rarely buy books (and when i do i usually thrift them so i’m not usually reading the newest, most popular books) and borrow from the library instead :/ of course i still love reading but it was definitely a bummer to realise that i don’t fit in in the online community
Oh, I loved how you threaded everything together in this! I've recently left one online community here on youtube (knitting) because every youtuber had these huge hauls of (most often really expensive) yarn. No shame in having that, if you genuinely use it, but so many of them had the yarn "on display", sometimes for years and kept buying more yarn. As someone who doesn't have a lot of money and lives in a place where natural yarn is inaccessible (can only afford - some types of - acrylic yarn) it caused such a disconnection, I couldn't watch those creators anymore.
That being said, there are booktubers that I simply will not watch and I REFUSE to invite booktok and bookstagram into my algorithms, because I have no interest in watching people buying books, with the same plot slapped on the pages over and over again! When I want that, I go to fanfics, because they're free and I don't have to waste time getting to know new characters that are really uninteresting.
Another point that was really interesting to me, was the whole (this is gonna sound weird, because they *are* objects, but bear in mind the common meaning of the word) objectification of books. I don't get the appeal of having a huge home library. I haven't read a single physical book in months! I got myself a kindle, made an account on Z-library that I get whatever I need/want to read, because I don't have the money to spend on books that I'll read once and then clutter my home with.
Yes, the library would be a beautiful solution to this problem, but no libraries in my region have libby/e-reader apps and not only that, but the one in my city (which is so tiny, it has like, three full bookcases) lives off of donations, which means it only has really outdated books or what I would consider "rejects", such as school-assigned books that are really uninteresting and the teenager couldn't wait to get rid of, self-help books that were not useful to people, religious/spiritual fiction novels read by old ladies that passed away and the children donated the books etc. Not only that, but for example, the NEAREST bookshop where I live is an hour and thirty minutes away, four towns over.
I genuinely don't know what the average american pays for a book, but here in Brazil they are EXPENSIVE. Like, up to 5% of someone's monthly income, for A SINGLE BOOK. If people where to read 10 books a month, there goes 50% of their income. So??? It's unsustainable all around.
it's completely insane the amount of books being hauled and unhauled. But I notice in real life nobody I know does that. Even the ya readers love and keep their books. A lot of these people who do these hauls are american and they have a completely different relation with books. For example in the netherlands books aren't allowed big discounts in stores. Books are not cheap. English books are cheaper but only in paperback. Every reader I know also uses the library or thrift shops. I don't think I ever really donated books. I always gave them to friends and family. It's nauseating seeing these huge book hauls from amazon knowing how they treat writers. I sincerely hope these people wise up, most them are really young.
I think it's more of a content creator thing than country. There are few british booktubers I watch who haul up to 300 books every year (including birthday gifts from subscribers) and then are forced to make similarly big unhauls (often unhauling those books from subscribers, which they put on their wishlists, without reading them).
Getting views is a major factor in this. At least on Booktube, people who post reviews and in depth analysis about a book barely get views and comments. While those who do huge book hauls and show fancy editions of books they bought get all the likes and recognition. When I try to find reviews all the algorithm recommends is hauls. I really can't believe we've started to treat something so valuable and educational that is a book like it's just a decoration for our shelves and nothing more.
One aspect to also consider is that if the BookTokers are linking the books, they are most likely using commissionable links (more than likely from Amazon), and that can drive the consumerism cycle as well.
I just love hearing you explain things it’s so soothing 😩❤️
As a booktuber who has never had any of these problems with my channel, I get so frustrated when people feel like you HAVE to do these things. Because you really, really don’t. You don’t have to buy books at all. You don’t have to read just to make content. It’s easy to make content that doesn’t require having to read three more books. And you don’t have to beat anyone at a game that’s not real. Read however much you naturally enjoy. ♥️♥️♥️
this is so nice to hear! I definitely find myself looking for more cosy and casual content when I want to watch something - life is stressful enough without my comfort booktuber giving me anxiety over this or that reading challenge
I'm a BookTube creator and yes it's easy to get caught up in all the pressure to make more content, read more books, BUY more books. But at the same time I do feel that BookTubers (I can't speak to BookTok, I don't go there) genuinely just really love books. Personally I like Unhauls more than Hauls, because people haul books they never read all the time. I try to use the library or buy used books 90% of the time
Hi, Alina. This is a great insight on how the book industry is going. I also think that here in Thailand we are moving towards book haul video contents much more than reviewing them too. There is even some organization that allegedly does the marketing to encourage book buyers in becoming a 'bookfluencer' and share their book haul and reviews on social media such as Tiktok and TH-cam. I also think that I overbuy books and manga to make content here on TH-cam much more than reviewing them as it is way easier to do book haul contents than reviewing them.
It is very interesting to see this trend becoming a problem around the world too and it does reflect on how I want to reduce books buying addiction in the future.
Thank you for the video!
I’ve been thinking about the overconsumption of books and performance of reading because I noticed myself looking for ways to reach my Goodreads reading goal. I have never read a lot of books but the ones I have read in the last couple years I remember and can tell you about. I have never actually reached my Goodreads goal, and so this year I started listening to audiobooks 1.5 and looking for short books that I can log. As I noticed this happening, I have downloaded Libby and started going to my library more. I want to foster a reading habit without over consuming, give myself a chance to try new genres without cost, and find what kinds of books make me want to read more. This is part of my journey to find hobbies to replace (some of) the scroll, so I can feel better than I do after falling in a TikTok rabbit hole.
I started crocheting bc of TikTok but it was a good way to replace the scroll and have actively trying to avoid over consumption of yarn as well. I have to stay away from crochet content creators and only watch when I’m looking for a pattern.