Thank you all for your fascinating comments and participation in this discussion! I wasn't sure what the reaction to this video would be and your support (including those of you sharing the video on other social media too!) has been so wonderful. For those asking.. of COURSE I didn't highlight library books! I'm not a DEMON! I highlighted my own course texts that I purchased (and cost me a fortune so at least they are finally doing me some good!) and I lightly penciled in the library books and they have all been erased and are back in perfect condition! 😅
Wow, Ariel. I have been a fan of your discussion videos from the beginning. Your intellect and ability to speak your thoughts has always amazed me. This video has taken that to an entirely new level. What a well- rounded, well- paced, well- researched, and well- spoken scholarly discussion. You are one of the most articulate speakers I have ever seen. If this is an insight to the future of your channel, I could not be more excited, and the new signature at the end really yet rounded off your sense of professionalism). Well done, Ariel.
I love your point about the etymology of the word 'amateur' - it's something I tell people all the time if they use it as an insult. This is a great video, Ariel! :)
Something that this video made me think of is how hard it is to contribute to discussions when you're in school. Like, I remember when I was in school, each seminar had those 3 or 4 people that would dominate the discussion with the professor and yeah, it was interesting, but I felt like the rest of the class were spectators. Or sometimes the discussion would get too academic in that they used language that was inaccessible and I felt like I couldn't contribute because I was slower to understand all this new academic jargon. But in the online bookish communities like booktube/bookstagram/booklr, its easy to just jump right into the conversation. Just post a comment or make a blog post, and most times the conversation remains accessible. The analysis is all still very insightful, but the language is casual and everyone is welcome and able to pitch in their thoughts.
Books 'n Bows that’s a really interesting contrast between the two! I hadn’t thought of it but you’re so right.. it’s a lot easier to contribute here, even if you don’t want to make videos!
I related to this comment so much, thanks for sharing! :) I found that I could be really quiet in my seminars because I was intimidated by the academic jargon (that you mentioned). Especially as an English major, I had this irrational expectation of myself that I should know what every single word in the English language means (especially since I don't speak any other language) but I just felt lost sometimes in those seminars haha. I contributed more near the end of my degree but it's a shame to think that I was overthinking so much and missed out on so many engaging discussions!
Hmm, do you want to learn a new language? I make videos about the Frisian Language (still trying to find my style, though) and could also teach a little bit of Dutch, but since I haven't really gotten a degree in any language, only a semester worth of academic credits for fun, I'm not willing to beyond basics and maybe talking about books while reading :D
Yesss, I get this so much. In seminars I often feel intimidated and don't share my opinion because I can't think of a good way to word it, or I don't feel that it's as "educated" an opinion as the others I'm hearing, but booktube is a place where I can give my thoughts and opinions about books without worrying about using academic language (although to be fair, even on here I'm still bad at wording things lol)
Ahhh, I love how this video came out and I'm so glad other people are finally getting to see all your hard work. I've just been reading the comments and seriously love all the discussion that you've inspired. Thanks for letting me be part of this, Ariel!
If this is a taste of your future book documentaries, I am pumped! I do think booktube is educational, the difference is that the threshold isn't that intimidating as that of scholarly learning. I feel the same way as Christine about the community: finding people who are as excited as you about the same thing and you can share in this experience.
I think booktube teaches you how to express and listen to others opinions and think about books in a way that is more personal and emotional. While you won’t learn about the themes in Romeo and Juliet or discuss the metaphorical resonance of the green light in the great gatsby, you learn about the human side of books. In school, you read books and talk about their content from a analytical perspective. On booktube, you see how books affect other people, and you get to talk about the way then book made you feel. Both of these perspectives are incredibly valuable, even though one is more valued in society than the other.
My two cents: BookTube can be educational, but that isn't necessarily always the case. For example, there are channels that only post tags or hauls or whatever and as a viewer, it doesn't really change you. But then there are videos like this (MCSBooks has been doing some great discussion videos like these too) which push you to think about things a little more. My view is that life itself is educational and BookTube just becomes a part of life, even if you're just watching it. I've been watching it since about 2012 or so but only started taking part myself in 2017. I think watching and actually taking part are too very different things but I think both are educational in their way. I also know for a fact that I've seen comments on reviews and stuff where people have been like, "I'm studying that for my GCSEs and this has been super helpful." So... :D
Love this. I think the way you set this video is really fascinating. You are doing such great work. I'd be very interested in having a similar discussion about the way BookTube as a reading community is formed and the disciplinary function of that. Thank you for sharing your brilliant and attentive work.
I love your longer videos, where you really get into the nitty gritty of literature. You've provided me with a deeper understanding of why I love reading and learning, but also, why college didn't fit for me. I really needed to find my "student self" if that makes sense. I don't learn in the cookie cutter style that higher education seems to provide, and I'd rather chase ideas down a rabbit hole and interconnect them on my own terms. I really hope your enthusiasm can spark this desire to learn in more people, not just readers but other groups as well. Passion is the greatest excuse to learn. Validation through paychecks and degrees should only be seen as a side effect. No brick and mortar building is going to encourage me to learn as much as you have. I'm so excited for this new journey on your channel and I am eagerly awaiting more notifications of future videos. As a side note, the growth of pet tube over the past year has also sparked my passion beyond belief. I used to droll on and on to my friends and family about animal facts that they quite honestly, couldn't care less about. Watching both of these communities grow during my time on youtube has been a pleasure and really makes me want to be a bigger part of the dialogue. Too bad I'm hecka shy!
Abby Fish "Passion is the greatest excuse for learning" that stuck out to me so deeply. Had to screenshot your comment. Amazing stuff, there's so much to take from what you've just said. 🔥
Both intellectual and fun, proving those two concepts can totally coexist! I love it. In fact, I find us in similar boats. I'm about to graduate with a degree in literature and when I finish I want to start making some similar types of videos. Thanks for paving the way for this kind of content and discourse! It's so inspirational and so exciting!!!
Holy moly Ariel, WHAT. A. VIDEO. It's been half a year (already!) since I graduated from university and I've discovered this new sense of excitement for learning that I have not felt in such a long time. I feel so inspired and driven to learn because now I have the freedom to CHOOSE what I want to dedicate my time to and I absolutely love that this video (and all of your videos) satiate this never-ending hunger that I've been feeling since I left school. You inspire curiosity and passion (among so many other things) and this is what makes me keep coming back to your videos. I'm really happy to have discovered you and many others in the TH-cam and Instagram communities that encourage learning outside of school and the importance in finding your passion in whatever field or subject it is. I can only hope that English departments in universities will incorporate more options for students to present their ideas other than through a written essay because it feels so restrictive to me at times. This video is definitely proof of how engaging and thought-provoking it can be! And it brings in so many other people into the conversation, why should our thoughts be restricted on a piece of paper that only we and our professors see? DO YOU SEE HOW MUCH THIS VIDEO IS MAKING ME THINK? And that's not even all of it, I've only watched 8 minutes so far but I just had to join in the conversation because my mind won't stop buzzing. Great job and keep moving mountains in the academia world.
AMAZING! In Brazil, right now, we are discussing a lot about books, recently there was a lot of fuzz about “books that don’t make you think”, which is an absurd idea. Any book can make you think, books can make you smarter indeed. Also, this is so cool, to see booktube as a space where you can learn something, or better, get suggestions of books that have taught something that makes the booktuber talk about it with so much passion and spread it to more people to learn that, or learn somehing else, since the experience of reading a book is never the same for each of us, everyone has different views and all. Thank you so much for this video 😉
Aaaaaaah the idea that education is about forming people, about teaching life, and that that's what books do... It's true and I love it. The value of passion is underated. Also, I've never though about the opportunity cost in not being encouraged to communicate ideas that are not perfectly backed up. Vocalizing raw or intuitive ideas is helpful, if only to inspire new ones in ourselves and others, but when I'm writing an essay for university I sometimes feel like there's no space for ambiguity. Christine is so right! Everyone in booktube chooses their authoritative sources, which is such a cool idea and it lets everyone construct their experience of literature (which you can do by picking your classes, but in a more constrained way). Also, the canon in booktube is constantly being rewritten in such a communal way; it's allowed to change faster and encompass a wider variety and, depending on your fave corner of booktube, you can somewhat choose your canon. I love that some of the books that are considered essential in booktube or that everyone reads because of hype are sometimes not very good; I find a weird value in reading not-good books and looking back on them with the community; you are not likely to hear a negative review of a book in classes, for many reasons, and those are important in their own way. It's obvious I think this, by the length of this comment, but the video was so interesting Ariel! Good luck with getting to know your new video format; you're doing great😊
What a beautiful video! It’s obvious how much effort and creativity that you put into making this video and it felt like a discussion with all of us. Well done! :)
I love how Ariel is revealing the underlying informal academic setting that booktube has always been. I'm seeing booktube in a whole new inspiring light. Thank you Ariel.
It's a wonderful video. Here in this booktube community, a person can debate, can review, can critic, can found the book of their life. There's a definite change in your life after you read a book.
Girl, I absolutely love the way you express your toughts and not only that, you're giving voice to authors that in school are boring. This is a rich discussion that goes trough different times... Congrats!
Ariel, I’m super blown away by this. This content is exactly the kind of thing I’ve been craving on booktube. I think learning to be passionate about reading is something that’s definitely missing from academia, and it might not be anyone’s “fault” really. There is a structure to the classroom, which can and has been broken by many wonderful professors, but something like booktube is simply too new to society to have had any affect of traditional academia all those years ago. But that’s totally changing. I think technology is really opening up doors. My favorite professor ever, who taught me creative nonfiction and journalism and literature during my undergrad, teaches a course called Media and Storytelling. In that class we had to do Instagram essays and video journalism and curate different online sources for Storify projects. And sometimes I would sit back and marvel at how this type of class wouldn’t have happened when my mother was in school. For my final project in my Jane Austen class, I created a Tumblr for Fanny Price as if she lived in the early 2000s. It was so fun to try consciously translating 19th century feelings and situations into something an emo 2000s teenager would rant about on her blog. These kinds of projects really bring about an important balance, at least for me personally. I was critically reading Mansfield Park whilst doing something I was passionate about: making online content. Though I don’t agree with the thought the students enter their literature major with an idea of immediate job security (there is really no such thing in the world of books, no matter if you’re a reader or a writer), I do agree that not everyone has the privilege to be in the classroom. And booktube is much more diverse for its lack of gatekeepers. The whole of society isn’t on a university campus. Thank you so much for making videos. I really look forward to everything you put out. ❤️ and I love these women you’ve included in your project. The editing and the pace are perfect. In the fall I’ll be stratify my masters, and I really want to take this kind of energy with me.
Hats off to this awesome video essay! Loved hearing different but also similar takes on the intersections between Booktube and academia. For me, WAY before the likes of something like Booktube and Goodreads, the intersections were similar having grown up watching "The Reading Rainbow" and "Between the Lions" (minus the social aspect). The passion behind these kinds of shows/products made the educational part accessible. "The Reading Rainbow" showed me how to love reading and exploring while "Between the Lions" showed me how to love language and literary tropes. Then, that carried over to watching Booktube as I wrote my way towards a Creative Writing Degree and seeing how it influenced my Goodreads TBR. Mad, mad props, Ariel (et al)!
I appreciate switching up the angles of the videos so much. Seeing a TH-camr actually utilise the visual part of platform, rather than just the audio (which makes it like a podcast). Loving it! Thanks!
OMG This is why I started watching book tube videos. I can't lie and say I didn't cry because, truth be told I did. I love University but, it's so hard finding someone that loves books just like you. Booktube is kinda like online class. But instead you're not being graded for the discussions that you have about a certain book. Awesome. Beautifully put together.
Yes times 1000 to this video. This was wonderful. I’ve been watching Booktube for years and just started my own channel. Booktube is educational and a gateway to learn more. It introduces you to knew books that contain new ideas, help you learn new things, gain empathy for others etc. Reading and Booktube are both amazing and the passion on this platform is awesome! I didn’t have a place to gush about books when younger (like in high school). It wasn’t cool. I love the work you’re doing on your channel. Your thesis in video form will be awesome!
I know you're not exactly taking requests for video ideas but I'd really love a discussion surrounding 1) "How I/We Got Into Reading" particularly from people that don't have the standard experience of studying English or from people who loved reading as a child. I've always loved learning but never cared for reading books until the last few years - and I love it. 2) I'd also love a discussion about "The pressures of reading/booktube". For the longest time, I'd feel "bad" if I wasn't reading self-help or loads of non-fiction. Mainly because I felt like I wasn't learning enough. Lately, I haven't cared as much and read what I enjoy but I'm sure many people in the reading community have shared such experiences. Great video as always Ariel!
This is so clearly an evolution for you as a creator, Ariel. It's inspiring to see. But I also think it's evidence of a much larger evolution that is happening online in the booktube space as some of our larger creators get older, study more, and have different (not worse or better, just different) discussions about books than they did when they started their channels in the earlier 2000's. I don't have any type of conclusion on that topic, but I do think it's absolutely fascinating
I took a literacy studies class in my undergrad where we looked at discourse communities and passionate affinity spaces, and the different literacies that come along with those. If you haven’t had the chance to study about these things they’re really cool! I wrote a paper analyzing the makeup community as a discourse community with its own set of literacy that can be studied. This video just made me think a lot about that! Loved it! I think I’m going to tweet the link to the professor that taught that class. I think she’ll enjoy this
What one of the women said about having to search outside your friend group for someone who has read Harry Potter is how i feel. I feel this with many other books aswell. This must be why i watch so much booktube. I get to find others with the same passion for reading. I also get recommendations. Most of my close friends do not read as much or at all. I am trying to find friends that like reading also. But i do feel like where i am it is hard to find. One of my friends even would call me lame for wanting to read a book. I really love the direction you are taking your channel.
It’s so true that booktube teaches you passion! I’ve never thought about it like that before, but when I was in a 2 year reading slump, it was your videos that helped me feel excited about reading again.
This video not only made me fall in love more in books and booktube, but it also made me rethink more in the academic education and take it more seriously. I think books out of academic education and books from the academic education contribute together to make us both humans living in a society,and students and intellectual that question that human and humans in those societies. This kind of videos do really enlight minds and souls and thank you for that 👍👍💜
The content of this video is so high quality, it makes me feel like a complete lazy blubbering mess in all of my videos. This is the kind of video I want to see more of and hopefully one day make more of on Booktube. Seriously well done, and can't wait to see what you do next!
This was so interesting, Ariel. I do think booktube IS educational, but as opposed to school, it's a different kind of educational, as a viewer, or as a creator, you can choose which things to create, or watch, and where to focus on; you learn how to interact with other book lovers, to explore new stories, how to analyze the themes of books, respect different reviews, and of course, how and what to be passionate about.
This is such a fascinating video! I think the amazing thing about booktube is that it can be whatever you want to make it. One thing that Claire said was really interesting to me, which was that making a video that doesn't have all the research behind it is more nerve wracking in a way. Booktube help us express and defend our own opinions, regardless of what we think will get a good grade, along with challenging biases because there are so many different kinds of people together in this community. Those things themselves make it educational in a way that you may not always get in a organized education system.
This is so good! I especially love the sentiment that Booktube allows a more organic formation of a cannon, and an inclusive cannon, at that. That's the core of this debate for me. Academia is stuffy, yes, but the biggest problem is often the exclusionary attitude that exists in that realm. Booktube allows for varied perspectives in a safe environment. Anyway, great though-provoking video!
Discernment is our way to respite in the 21st century and the centuries after that. A beautiful, thoughtful look into the edutainment world. A lot of the time I found myself not reading because of Booktube, and I blamed it on Booktube, but that was my lack of motivation. For the longest time too, I felt Booktube did scratch that enthusiastic itch I've been trying to reach. It's all about being informative while also being influential in an inviting, fun way.
I know I'm probably late on this discussion, but this discussion video was needed! I didn't really feel the brunt of reading in high school, I felt it more in college, where I felt like if I wasn't reading academically and expanding my mind that way, then I couldn't jump in the conversation properly. But being a huge fan of booktube (I'm not a booktuber myself, I'm a book blogger) has expanded my mind and reading tastes with people who GET IT. You guys get it and understand that not every book is for everyone, while still maintaining your love for other books you love. :)
This is a BANQUET for thought! I loved what you Claire, Christine and Marisa had to say about books, creators, and the curators of the books we consume in school. Thank you so much for this video!
Wow, that was truly a thought provoking video, especially with all the different aspects you highlighted! What came to my mind when you were talking about education was that in Germany we have two words for it: 'Ausbildung' (learning skills to achieve a certain goal) and 'Bildung' (learning through interest without wanting to get to a certain goal, it’s like self growth). I feel like school is mostly focused on teaching skills in the sense of Ausbildung so it gives you the tools to learn and to put your thoughts into words. On the other hand booktube would mostly be educational in the sense of Bildung because it shows passion and creates deep running interest in people who therefore are willing to educate themselves more about the subject. This interest is crucial as Bildung can only be successful if you do it by yourself out of passion because nobody is able to make you grow from the outside (kinda weirdly said, I’m sorry xD). Bildung makes you change and it makes you question your surroundings although you may not even be noticing that you are changing as it happens indirectly through reading, for example. Okay, that was a little long but I feel like it is really connected to the arguments in your (super cool) video. Now I gotta hurry to get to school in time xD
I LOVE this! This was such a fascinating discussion. I already considered BookTube educational because BookTube is where I get most of my book recommendations from, so both the book and the BookTuber who recommended it are educating me. But I love the focus on passion in this video, how BookTube creates and encourages passion, and how anyone in the world can join the platform and share their thoughts on literature. You did an amazing job on this video! Thank you for sharing it!
I loved this! My major is held in the college of engineering at me school, and humanities is really put on the back burner. If I don’t choose a humanities class that focuses on literature, I could go my whole college career without taking one. Therefore, a lot of my learning about books comes from the online community and is self-driven. I make time for it because I love it. Again, really loved this video and thank you so much for sharing!
This video was so amazing and impressive. Lots of thought-provoking discussion points. For me, Booktube is definitely a safe space where I can say whatever I want about books, which wasn't always the case in college. I'm honestly so thrilled that you're making this type of content :- )
Your content is becoming better and better Ariel, I think everyone who has been supporting you for a generous amount of time is amazed at your growth as a booktuber! Keep going, I loved this one!
it changed my thoughts about A LOT OG THINGS, i am so thankful about it and also for encouraging me of doing what i love, what i need to do: spread the word about knowledge but most important: about passion
I had to pause at 13:14 because I was sitting in an empty room at Uni when someone came in and I have not headphones with me - BUT so far I love it, the statement that academia is rather a chore for most students compared to the passionate videos of booktubers is really striking. Where at uni there are only some in class that are as interested as you yourself, sometimes even the professor makes you feel like he would love to be somewhere else... booktube is different, nobody I've met here thinks that reading a certain kind of book is a waste of time because it's not academic enough, and that's what it is about for me.
First off: I LOVE that you've started with documentaries. Also, I think that booktube can be educational because while books can be seen as lesiure if you're not studying the content, you're still being analytical when reading them, even if you don't quite realise it.
If I could give this video a standing ovation I would. I haven't felt this challenged to think critically in a long time and my mind was racing with all the ideas and opinions I shared. This was a fantastic video. Well done. I'm going to share it with everyone I know.
He sido parte de la comunidad (consumidora) de booktube durante seis años. Creo que la plataforma es excelente y útil especialmente para compartir el entusiasmo por los libros y la lectura. Sin embargo, aunque "cualquier libro, por estúpido que sea, tiene algo que decir" (te debo a la autora, leí esa cita hace mucho tiempo, creo que fue Jane Austen :/ , y sin intención de menospreciar ningún tipo de libro), son muy muy muy escasos los canales dentro de la comunidad que ofrecen un acercamiento hacia un pensamiento critico, más que repetir los típicos clichés sobre el acto de leer, que es mágico, te lleva a otros mundos y te ayuda a escapar de la realidad, o fomentar el fanatismo hacia títulos o autores específicos. Insisto en que es una plataforma maravillosa y con mucho potencial, pero si creo que nos hacen falta más personas que más que decir lo "cool" que les pareció una lectura, basándose solo en la acción principal o en la personalidad de un personaje, ayude al consumidor (de booktube y de libros) a contextualizar sus lecturas y hacerlo participes de ellas mediante un pensamiento crítico.
Like i just want to thank you for taking the time to make this. Is amazing and so well produced. I know you are really busy right now in your life but you did this and i could not be more amazed by it. It's pure art and it opens a great discussion! I'm so interested in all booktube related and is so good to have people like you that actually talk about this parts of the community. I loved it, it deserves a booktube oscar for sure!
Honestly, the only thing that stopped me from going for an English Hons. is the rigid way of interpreting books. A fictional piece or a poem, when studied for school, was supposed to have just one meaning which was the answer accepted during exams. But being an amateur reader gives me so much flexibility, in terms of interpretation as well as choice of books. If I don't find a book resonating with me, I can discontinue reading it as opposed to school. This was a great video, Ariel. :)
This video is fantastic! I love seeing this shift in the focus of your content! As a person with lit degrees, I've often wondered about what I'm doing on BookTube. This video has really got me thinking about what this community is doing for readers and what I'm doing as a creator. Thank you for making this! :)
You’re platform has been a marvel of honesty, commitment, and forward thinking. I truly loved your content on the various quest to define what booktube brings to the education field. Self learning is essential for growth and I’m very excited for the rest of the content you may post on your channel! Keep up the great work Ariel and remember to enjoy the process :)
So many people have told me that higher education is what ruined their love for reading, and it makes me so sad. Literature is art, and art is supposed to make you feel something, and I think that very important point is often lost in English classes. While there is nothing wrong with picking books apart and studying their merits, there is something just as valuable about learning to embrace our feelings about books. Feeling and passion are what make life so special! Ariel, thank you for challenging these "serious" and elitist ideals that academia tends to hide away from most of society. You are using your voice to make the world a better place. You are remarkable!!
This was an absolute joy to watch! Your videos were the first I ever saw on BookTube, and lately I find myself coming back again and again, looking for some light and inspiration in your passion and your commitment to creating quality content that feels genuine to you. I've been really struggling with these things myself lately and to see you handling it all so beautifully helps me both to feel better and more at peace with the world as well as giving me a lantern to see my own path. Thank you for putting so much time and effort into what you do; I look forward to seeing whatever comes next from you.
Ariel, I loved this video. I started watching book tube video's because I love reading, all types of genres. That was something I never got in high school at all. I never like how my English teachers taught or lectured on the books we were to read. And I was always the one that had a book to read, but would hide it from my peers. I have learned alot from book tubers, and I've expanded on my reading list. For me, right now, I read for the sheer enjoyment of reading and for the escapism the book can give me. Thanks so much, Ariel.
This is so great! The way you integrated the quotes and your research sources is next-level. Booktube is absolutely educational, and this video is evidence in itself!
This video is absolutely astounding! I'm amazed by the way it's structured, its insights, and all of the beautiful, well-picked quotations. In fact, I will need to rewatch it and write down many of these quotations for future reference. Finding the amateur in the professional is an idea that resonates with me, both for booktube and literature and my actual profession. And the examination of hierarchy and the role of trust in booktube is brilliant. This video not only shares poignant ideas about the role of booktube, but also about the fundamental structure and issues with formal education in society. Your video made me realize how booktube is a socratic seminar of sorts. It functions as a Romantic or even Classical model of education, where passionate discussion can flourish in a way that is often hampered in the modern classroom setting. I still don't know if I've fully processed this marvelous and thought provoking video in its entirety. It's a topic I'll be thinking about for the rest of the day! ❤
This video deserves more than I could give - a like and a comment. Maybe it's time for fanmail....XD LOVE THIS SO MUCH. The video is a PERFECT reflection of the topic. A mix of the academic style and the booktube style!!!! OMG love the textbook underlining shots. The tone and content match as well. Everyone gave great opinions and you tied them up perfectly. The level of inspiration this video is emanating is palpable. I am a first year English major and I want to be like you!
I loved this video so much! I'm coming towards the end of my first year in an English Literature degree, and as someone who comes from a working class family, thoughts about the institutionalisation of academia are often swimming around in my head. I liked the overall takeaway as well that passion and learning are not dichotomous - that's certainly not how I experience literature, and I in-part have the BookTube community to thank for that! Thank you for such a well thought-out video. I know you have been mentioning for a while on your channel that you're wanting to branch out into more documentary-style videos, and I found that this one really worked. I can't wait to see what you do next!
Wow! Congradulations! I think you made an amasing work! I love the way you enlighted booktube, the power you gave to the passion we share in here. I truly enjoy how the balance between your academic studys and your booklover entusiasm shapes your videos in such an unic way. I seriously believe you just made Booktube proud! I wish you all the luck with the end of your degree and in your future!
I'm late to the party. Dang it. Been anticipating this video all day yesterday only to realize I wasn't subed to you this whole time hence why I never got notified. -_- Love your video! I've been told multiple times throughout my life that I'm capable. I can do anything I put my mind to as long as I had effort and put hard working hours into it. But school MADE IT DIFFICULT. School felt like a competition between how educated I am versus my passion for reading/books. I was smart enough to get into upper level class in high school and college but my work wasn't good enough unless I used "real" authoritative figures to back up my thesis or hard evidence that my statements stand. I felt less educated by school because my theories didn't stand unless their criteria were implicated. Don't get me wrong, school can make you educated but you're only educated by doing it their way. By "their way" I mean educations standards. I felt both limited and unlimited to my thoughts for education because my analysis can stand no matter what I said, just as long as other creditable figures had established that it's possible. Not only was academic studying hard but the atmosphere within the classes was even harder. Students did what was needed for an assignment and went on about their life. No passion, a drag to get through the work, only to be told your paper wasn't good enough or could use more work in certain areas. Booktube is preference towards passion for books but not limited to. Anyone can join this community and share the love of others creative outcomes one has for a book. Anyone can influence whether or not a book is worth wild just by saying "I loved this book" because here in Booktube they can become your amateur authoritative figure like Ariel said. It's always enlightening and cheerful because you get what you want not standards of what others want. Getting insight on others thoughts on a book or analysis of what's to come in a continuation isn't limited to anyone. Your analysis matters no matter if your wrong or right. Booktube is here for you to choose who makes you feel more passionate towards books. Your opinion matters to the creator just as much as their opinion matters to you, it's not compressed into greater figures. Education here is for everyone who wants to know what you know, it isn't forced or under appreciated. We were always told that school was the only way for you to grow your education and comprehend complex analysis of what's to come. Not true anymore.
I love that opening quote - it really sums up English learning for me. This whole video was amazing! I found it really engaging and thought-provoking and I can't wait to see more of these insightful video essays in the future! (Oh and I feel exactly the same as Claire about people who come disinterested to English class, which is a shame - English class could be so much better if everyone came passionate to discuss!)
What a thought-provoking video! Thanks for making it! I'm just finishing my (2nd) lit master's and heading for a Ph.D., while also growing a very new BookTube channel, and I've been thinking about a lot of the points you've made. I jumped into BookTube because I know that my grad program will lack the fun and passion and community feel, and I hope that participating in BookTube will help keep the passion alive for me. Also, the question of whether BookTube can be educational has been hanging out in the back of my mind, and will stay there for a while. Who knows? Maybe I'll do my dissertation on reading communities.
I think the most interesting point you made was about the social formation of booktube, it just sunk in how complex this community in when you listed the vocabulary and social etiquette that we have established without really thinking about it
I love this video. I think the lack of enthusiasm and excitement is a lot of what turns people away from academia and you highlighted that beautifully. I love booktube and you highlighted so many of the things that make it wonderful. I love that you talked about what it means to be an amateur. I've never heard it described with such positivity and I think more people should view it that way. Great work!!
This was incredibly well-researched and well-executed. As someone who is just about to graduate with an English degree, I’m incredibly intrigued by this discussion. For me, college and booktube have always felt similarly educational, but just in different ways. I’ve grown both as a reader and as a person from both platforms, but I love this idea that, because the, as you put it, boundaries for entry are so low, that Booktube is actually representing the ideas of a much larger, more diverse populous. Also, just as a final note, your videos, more than anyone’s, always leave me feeling smarter than when I started.
Ariel, I love you !! I love what you are doing!! This is the coolest booktube video ever. These are great ideas and discussions, and I love that it is something that you are passiomate about. Thank you for sharing these ideas and putting it all into curating something as wonderful as this. It was so cool to hear booktubers talk about books, education and booktube like this. Thank you xx
One of the things that I think prevented me from really including myself in discussions at university, especially in seminars, is that I am a big reflector. And of course, between classes/ texts I did have time to brew my ideas and thoughts, but in seminars there were so many ideas floating around that I'd find myself overwhelmed and unsure where to start. Before I knew it the class was up and I'd barely participated. Online discussions give viewers the space to formulate a response in their own time, and to decide where and when they feel their contribution is best given. I always felt like my professors were surprised when they received competent and knowledgeable essays from me because I was quiet in seminars, but online it feels (at least to me) like a given that it takes time to formulate thoughts and ideas.
This is the first time I've seen any of your vids and WOW! It's going to get repeat viewings because there's so much substantial, powerful stuff to think about. Lonesomereader advertised you and several other booktubers on his last vid and because he's so good, I'm checking you all out. If your vid here is any indication of how energizing and enriching your booktube channel is, I'm all in to listen, learn, think, and read.
Thank you so much for this video Ariel! It's wonderful. You made me remember when I was younger there were some voices asking for having a more fun and even interactive method to teach/learn at school. And when we have something here that could be exactly that, we create these misconceptions about discussing books on the Internet. I'm from Spain and I can say we have the exact same situation here, educational system and booktube are worlds apart! Of course the problem firstly comes from this idea that says that making videos for youtube is not a job (you know, that job with capital letters) and if it's only an entertaining to the person creating the video and the person watching the video, how are going this content and even the conversations from the comment section to be taken as valuable?? In my personal situation I share some of the points that were said here, I didn't have a vast group of friends to talk about books when I was younger, but now I'm 32 and I don't have a group of friends to talk about books even less about booktube. I do share this things only on my social media platforms. And that being said, thank you so much for this video! Keep going with your new creations!!
Just want to say I nearly cried by the end of this. I'm a long time sub and it's been so amazing to be along for the ride with you. I know you don't know me but I still feel inclined to say I'm incredibly proud of you. Please don't ever stop sharing your passionate intellect with the world.
I loved this. And I always like how you talk about booktube - with lots of love and no judgement. Also all of these books you've referenced sound so good!
I could not wait to get out of class to watch this! I was so excited! Watching it I had a big smile on my face. I love what you and the other women had to say. I'm so excited that you were able to do this and research it and let other people think about this. I haven't been subscribed to you for long but you're what really inspired me to read for pleasure, I couldn't help but feel so proud of you. And I couldn't help but feel inspired. Thank you :D
I really loved this. It’s almost funny because recently I’ve been missing the feeling of college life. I went to university 2011-2015 for film, a creative field that gave me the opportunity to critically look at something considered for entertainment experiences. For some reason I separated my experiences with booktube and university, but just like you, Ariel I tried to merge them with assignments. And I find it funny because this video makes me reconsider what booktube actually does for me, it’s not just a space for recommendations, but also discussion. I have the ability to give Authority to people I decide to follow. It’s funny because you made me reconsider this feeling of missing school. Maybe I miss being in a room with a group of people with the similar passions up for discussion, but not missing the academic aspect because I get that here on TH-cam. Again, loved the video! I kind of hope you do more like this ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
That was a very interesting and dare I say educational video. I think that both spheres are educational, just in different ways. The same way that living life can teach you something a classroom just cannot. And I think the immediate connection may actually help a lot of people (particularly young people) engage more readily in literary discussion than in a University/College. Not to throw any shade whatsoever onto formal learning, of course. But when you have just normal everyday people discussing their own opinions, it's a lot easier for the average Joe to relate to that person. There is no pedestal of academia blocking them. There is no real grave authority, they are not the teacher, they are a fellow fan. It becomes a lot easier then for someone who perhaps didn't do very well academically (for whatever reason) to become more confident and find common ground with a BookTuber, particularly if it's someone of a similar age and even learn from them. For example if a teacher recommends a book, there is an air of an agenda. They may mean well, but they want that person to learn. If a peer recommends a book, there is more implicit trust that it is done purely for the enjoyment they may take from said book. Both have merits and both do well in their respective fields. I feel BookTube might be more accessible by default. For better or worse.
Wow, Ariel. This is an amazing video. You are incredible and put so much work into this. I think you would make an amazing college professor. Creo que entiendes el español, así que voy a seguir en este idioma. Este es uno de esos vídeos que te hacen pensar y eso me parece increíble. Es como leernos la mente a todos los Booktubers porque, al final del día, creo que todos pensamos más o menos lo mismo. La idea de las personas en las que confías, esas figuras de autoridad que tú misma te creas en tu cabeza, me parece fascinante. No sé qué más decir, porque me he quedado sin palabras, pero te felicito.
In awe at this video! It showcased beautiful people & beautiful thoughts about Booktube that were so interesting and fresh to hear. Adoring this new path you've set yourself on video and self-wise because it feels so "you" and so "right" to watch as a viewer. Can't wait to see what you create next :)
I loved this video. Thank you for creating such an interesting conversation! I’m about to finish my Masters in Teaching and I find that middle schoolers and teaching have a whole other place in this discourse; one that I will need to ponder. I hope that one day I can teach the passion we find here to my future students.
Thank you all for your fascinating comments and participation in this discussion! I wasn't sure what the reaction to this video would be and your support (including those of you sharing the video on other social media too!) has been so wonderful. For those asking.. of COURSE I didn't highlight library books! I'm not a DEMON! I highlighted my own course texts that I purchased (and cost me a fortune so at least they are finally doing me some good!) and I lightly penciled in the library books and they have all been erased and are back in perfect condition! 😅
Don't forget about about: John Taylor gatto book's, "the underground history of American Education"
Because you made this video, I just subcribe to your channel 😎😎👍👍
This is such an incredible, thought provoking video. Thanks for inviting me to be part of it =)
polandbananasBOOKS thank you for being in it, Christine! I was so glad to have your voice in this project! 💕
why she is not uploading any videos please upload videos about "staar test". please please
" children learn what they live. Put kids in a class and they will live out their lives in an invisible cage".
--- John Taylor gatto
Wow, Ariel.
I have been a fan of your discussion videos from the beginning. Your intellect and ability to speak your thoughts has always amazed me. This video has taken that to an entirely new level.
What a well- rounded, well- paced, well- researched, and well- spoken scholarly discussion. You are one of the most articulate speakers I have ever seen.
If this is an insight to the future of your channel, I could not be more excited, and the new signature at the end really yet rounded off your sense of professionalism).
Well done, Ariel.
Katie'sBookCorner 🙈🙈🙈 ahhhhhh thank youuuuu you’re too kind!!! I hope I can keep making stuff that people enjoy!!
I love your point about the etymology of the word 'amateur' - it's something I tell people all the time if they use it as an insult. This is a great video, Ariel! :)
Yes! Me too, etymology is one of my favorite things to study haha.
Me too! I had completely forgotten what the word really means.
The Reader's Athenaeum its such a cool word! I agree that it’s odd when it’s used as an insult!
Something that this video made me think of is how hard it is to contribute to discussions when you're in school. Like, I remember when I was in school, each seminar had those 3 or 4 people that would dominate the discussion with the professor and yeah, it was interesting, but I felt like the rest of the class were spectators. Or sometimes the discussion would get too academic in that they used language that was inaccessible and I felt like I couldn't contribute because I was slower to understand all this new academic jargon. But in the online bookish communities like booktube/bookstagram/booklr, its easy to just jump right into the conversation. Just post a comment or make a blog post, and most times the conversation remains accessible. The analysis is all still very insightful, but the language is casual and everyone is welcome and able to pitch in their thoughts.
Books 'n Bows that’s a really interesting contrast between the two! I hadn’t thought of it but you’re so right.. it’s a lot easier to contribute here, even if you don’t want to make videos!
I related to this comment so much, thanks for sharing! :) I found that I could be really quiet in my seminars because I was intimidated by the academic jargon (that you mentioned). Especially as an English major, I had this irrational expectation of myself that I should know what every single word in the English language means (especially since I don't speak any other language) but I just felt lost sometimes in those seminars haha. I contributed more near the end of my degree but it's a shame to think that I was overthinking so much and missed out on so many engaging discussions!
Hmm, do you want to learn a new language? I make videos about the Frisian Language (still trying to find my style, though) and could also teach a little bit of Dutch, but since I haven't really gotten a degree in any language, only a semester worth of academic credits for fun, I'm not willing to beyond basics and maybe talking about books while reading :D
Yesss, I get this so much. In seminars I often feel intimidated and don't share my opinion because I can't think of a good way to word it, or I don't feel that it's as "educated" an opinion as the others I'm hearing, but booktube is a place where I can give my thoughts and opinions about books without worrying about using academic language (although to be fair, even on here I'm still bad at wording things lol)
this is a legit video essay #litcrit
Ahhh, I love how this video came out and I'm so glad other people are finally getting to see all your hard work. I've just been reading the comments and seriously love all the discussion that you've inspired. Thanks for letting me be part of this, Ariel!
littlespider9 Thank you for being in it!! I’ve loved your channel for a long time and am so glad I could get your ideas in this project 💕💕💕
littlespider9 hi, I really liked all that you had to say.
If this is a taste of your future book documentaries, I am pumped!
I do think booktube is educational, the difference is that the threshold isn't that intimidating as that of scholarly learning. I feel the same way as Christine about the community: finding people who are as excited as you about the same thing and you can share in this experience.
I think booktube teaches you how to express and listen to others opinions and think about books in a way that is more personal and emotional. While you won’t learn about the themes in Romeo and Juliet or discuss the metaphorical resonance of the green light in the great gatsby, you learn about the human side of books. In school, you read books and talk about their content from a analytical perspective. On booktube, you see how books affect other people, and you get to talk about the way then book made you feel. Both of these perspectives are incredibly valuable, even though one is more valued in society than the other.
I love your latest content. The effort you're putting into these longer videos is showing and it's so amazing!
thank you thank you thank you. i cant wait to keep making these!!
I was thinking the same thing! These recent videos are so well done :)
Why is Ariel so underrated?? Her content is better than half of Booktuber's yet she has such a low sub count.
This is such a brilliant video! You've framed BookTube in such a wonderful light, and it's so interesting to think of it as a place we can learn.
Book Break thanks, book break! 💕
My two cents: BookTube can be educational, but that isn't necessarily always the case. For example, there are channels that only post tags or hauls or whatever and as a viewer, it doesn't really change you. But then there are videos like this (MCSBooks has been doing some great discussion videos like these too) which push you to think about things a little more.
My view is that life itself is educational and BookTube just becomes a part of life, even if you're just watching it. I've been watching it since about 2012 or so but only started taking part myself in 2017. I think watching and actually taking part are too very different things but I think both are educational in their way.
I also know for a fact that I've seen comments on reviews and stuff where people have been like, "I'm studying that for my GCSEs and this has been super helpful." So... :D
Love this. I think the way you set this video is really fascinating. You are doing such great work. I'd be very interested in having a similar discussion about the way BookTube as a reading community is formed and the disciplinary function of that. Thank you for sharing your brilliant and attentive work.
Thank you Jason
I love your longer videos, where you really get into the nitty gritty of literature. You've provided me with a deeper understanding of why I love reading and learning, but also, why college didn't fit for me. I really needed to find my "student self" if that makes sense. I don't learn in the cookie cutter style that higher education seems to provide, and I'd rather chase ideas down a rabbit hole and interconnect them on my own terms. I really hope your enthusiasm can spark this desire to learn in more people, not just readers but other groups as well. Passion is the greatest excuse to learn. Validation through paychecks and degrees should only be seen as a side effect. No brick and mortar building is going to encourage me to learn as much as you have. I'm so excited for this new journey on your channel and I am eagerly awaiting more notifications of future videos. As a side note, the growth of pet tube over the past year has also sparked my passion beyond belief. I used to droll on and on to my friends and family about animal facts that they quite honestly, couldn't care less about. Watching both of these communities grow during my time on youtube has been a pleasure and really makes me want to be a bigger part of the dialogue. Too bad I'm hecka shy!
Abby Fish "Passion is the greatest excuse for learning" that stuck out to me so deeply. Had to screenshot your comment. Amazing stuff, there's so much to take from what you've just said. 🔥
Faith I'm glad I could reach you! I hope you are brave enough to follow your passion :)
Well done Ariel! 🙌🏻 I love the addition of the other creators as well. It really felt like a round table discussion and not a singular opinion.
That's what I was hoping for so I'm really glad you felt that! I can't make claims about booktube without getting other voices!
Kendra Y i like it too
Both intellectual and fun, proving those two concepts can totally coexist! I love it. In fact, I find us in similar boats. I'm about to graduate with a degree in literature and when I finish I want to start making some similar types of videos. Thanks for paving the way for this kind of content and discourse! It's so inspirational and so exciting!!!
Holy moly Ariel, WHAT. A. VIDEO. It's been half a year (already!) since I graduated from university and I've discovered this new sense of excitement for learning that I have not felt in such a long time. I feel so inspired and driven to learn because now I have the freedom to CHOOSE what I want to dedicate my time to and I absolutely love that this video (and all of your videos) satiate this never-ending hunger that I've been feeling since I left school. You inspire curiosity and passion (among so many other things) and this is what makes me keep coming back to your videos. I'm really happy to have discovered you and many others in the TH-cam and Instagram communities that encourage learning outside of school and the importance in finding your passion in whatever field or subject it is. I can only hope that English departments in universities will incorporate more options for students to present their ideas other than through a written essay because it feels so restrictive to me at times. This video is definitely proof of how engaging and thought-provoking it can be! And it brings in so many other people into the conversation, why should our thoughts be restricted on a piece of paper that only we and our professors see? DO YOU SEE HOW MUCH THIS VIDEO IS MAKING ME THINK? And that's not even all of it, I've only watched 8 minutes so far but I just had to join in the conversation because my mind won't stop buzzing. Great job and keep moving mountains in the academia world.
Jacq I miss you so much
AMAZING! In Brazil, right now, we are discussing a lot about books, recently there was a lot of fuzz about “books that don’t make you think”, which is an absurd idea. Any book can make you think, books can make you smarter indeed. Also, this is so cool, to see booktube as a space where you can learn something, or better, get suggestions of books that have taught something that makes the booktuber talk about it with so much passion and spread it to more people to learn that, or learn somehing else, since the experience of reading a book is never the same for each of us, everyone has different views and all.
Thank you so much for this video 😉
Aaaaaaah the idea that education is about forming people, about teaching life, and that that's what books do... It's true and I love it. The value of passion is underated.
Also, I've never though about the opportunity cost in not being encouraged to communicate ideas that are not perfectly backed up. Vocalizing raw or intuitive ideas is helpful, if only to inspire new ones in ourselves and others, but when I'm writing an essay for university I sometimes feel like there's no space for ambiguity.
Christine is so right! Everyone in booktube chooses their authoritative sources, which is such a cool idea and it lets everyone construct their experience of literature (which you can do by picking your classes, but in a more constrained way). Also, the canon in booktube is constantly being rewritten in such a communal way; it's allowed to change faster and encompass a wider variety and, depending on your fave corner of booktube, you can somewhat choose your canon.
I love that some of the books that are considered essential in booktube or that everyone reads because of hype are sometimes not very good; I find a weird value in reading not-good books and looking back on them with the community; you are not likely to hear a negative review of a book in classes, for many reasons, and those are important in their own way.
It's obvious I think this, by the length of this comment, but the video was so interesting Ariel! Good luck with getting to know your new video format; you're doing great😊
This was such an amazing, educational and interesting video! Incredible work, looking forward to more videos like this
What a beautiful video! It’s obvious how much effort and creativity that you put into making this video and it felt like a discussion with all of us. Well done! :)
I love how Ariel is revealing the underlying informal academic setting that booktube has always been. I'm seeing booktube in a whole new inspiring light. Thank you Ariel.
It's a wonderful video. Here in this booktube community, a person can debate, can review, can critic, can found the book of their life. There's a definite change in your life after you read a book.
Girl, I absolutely love the way you express your toughts and not only that, you're giving voice to authors that in school are boring. This is a rich discussion that goes trough different times... Congrats!
Ariel, I’m super blown away by this. This content is exactly the kind of thing I’ve been craving on booktube. I think learning to be passionate about reading is something that’s definitely missing from academia, and it might not be anyone’s “fault” really. There is a structure to the classroom, which can and has been broken by many wonderful professors, but something like booktube is simply too new to society to have had any affect of traditional academia all those years ago. But that’s totally changing. I think technology is really opening up doors.
My favorite professor ever, who taught me creative nonfiction and journalism and literature during my undergrad, teaches a course called Media and Storytelling. In that class we had to do Instagram essays and video journalism and curate different online sources for Storify projects. And sometimes I would sit back and marvel at how this type of class wouldn’t have happened when my mother was in school. For my final project in my Jane Austen class, I created a Tumblr for Fanny Price as if she lived in the early 2000s. It was so fun to try consciously translating 19th century feelings and situations into something an emo 2000s teenager would rant about on her blog. These kinds of projects really bring about an important balance, at least for me personally. I was critically reading Mansfield Park whilst doing something I was passionate about: making online content.
Though I don’t agree with the thought the students enter their literature major with an idea of immediate job security (there is really no such thing in the world of books, no matter if you’re a reader or a writer), I do agree that not everyone has the privilege to be in the classroom. And booktube is much more diverse for its lack of gatekeepers. The whole of society isn’t on a university campus.
Thank you so much for making videos. I really look forward to everything you put out. ❤️ and I love these women you’ve included in your project. The editing and the pace are perfect.
In the fall I’ll be stratify my masters, and I really want to take this kind of energy with me.
I’ve been so excited to see this after watching your journey of it on Instagram.
This was absolutely wonderful!
Paige Bernard thanks for following along on the journey, haha!
Hats off to this awesome video essay! Loved hearing different but also similar takes on the intersections between Booktube and academia. For me, WAY before the likes of something like Booktube and Goodreads, the intersections were similar having grown up watching "The Reading Rainbow" and "Between the Lions" (minus the social aspect). The passion behind these kinds of shows/products made the educational part accessible. "The Reading Rainbow" showed me how to love reading and exploring while "Between the Lions" showed me how to love language and literary tropes. Then, that carried over to watching Booktube as I wrote my way towards a Creative Writing Degree and seeing how it influenced my Goodreads TBR. Mad, mad props, Ariel (et al)!
I appreciate switching up the angles of the videos so much. Seeing a TH-camr actually utilise the visual part of platform, rather than just the audio (which makes it like a podcast). Loving it! Thanks!
OMG This is why I started watching book tube videos. I can't lie and say I didn't cry because, truth be told I did. I love University but, it's so hard finding someone that loves books just like you. Booktube is kinda like online class. But instead you're not being graded for the discussions that you have about a certain book. Awesome. Beautifully put together.
Yes times 1000 to this video. This was wonderful. I’ve been watching Booktube for years and just started my own channel. Booktube is educational and a gateway to learn more. It introduces you to knew books that contain new ideas, help you learn new things, gain empathy for others etc. Reading and Booktube are both amazing and the passion on this platform is awesome! I didn’t have a place to gush about books when younger (like in high school). It wasn’t cool.
I love the work you’re doing on your channel. Your thesis in video form will be awesome!
I know you're not exactly taking requests for video ideas but I'd really love a discussion surrounding
1) "How I/We Got Into Reading" particularly from people that don't have the standard experience of studying English or from people who loved reading as a child. I've always loved learning but never cared for reading books until the last few years - and I love it.
2) I'd also love a discussion about "The pressures of reading/booktube". For the longest time, I'd feel "bad" if I wasn't reading self-help or loads of non-fiction. Mainly because I felt like I wasn't learning enough. Lately, I haven't cared as much and read what I enjoy but I'm sure many people in the reading community have shared such experiences. Great video as always Ariel!
This is so clearly an evolution for you as a creator, Ariel. It's inspiring to see. But I also think it's evidence of a much larger evolution that is happening online in the booktube space as some of our larger creators get older, study more, and have different (not worse or better, just different) discussions about books than they did when they started their channels in the earlier 2000's. I don't have any type of conclusion on that topic, but I do think it's absolutely fascinating
I took a literacy studies class in my undergrad where we looked at discourse communities and passionate affinity spaces, and the different literacies that come along with those. If you haven’t had the chance to study about these things they’re really cool! I wrote a paper analyzing the makeup community as a discourse community with its own set of literacy that can be studied. This video just made me think a lot about that! Loved it! I think I’m going to tweet the link to the professor that taught that class. I think she’ll enjoy this
What one of the women said about having to search outside your friend group for someone who has read Harry Potter is how i feel. I feel this with many other books aswell. This must be why i watch so much booktube. I get to find others with the same passion for reading. I also get recommendations. Most of my close friends do not read as much or at all. I am trying to find friends that like reading also. But i do feel like where i am it is hard to find. One of my friends even would call me lame for wanting to read a book. I really love the direction you are taking your channel.
It’s so true that booktube teaches you passion! I’ve never thought about it like that before, but when I was in a 2 year reading slump, it was your videos that helped me feel excited about reading again.
This video not only made me fall in love more in books and booktube, but it also made me rethink more in the academic education and take it more seriously. I think books out of academic education and books from the academic education contribute together to make us both humans living in a society,and students and intellectual that question that human and humans in those societies. This kind of videos do really enlight minds and souls and thank you for that 👍👍💜
The content of this video is so high quality, it makes me feel like a complete lazy blubbering mess in all of my videos. This is the kind of video I want to see more of and hopefully one day make more of on Booktube. Seriously well done, and can't wait to see what you do next!
This was so interesting, Ariel. I do think booktube IS educational, but as opposed to school, it's a different kind of educational, as a viewer, or as a creator, you can choose which things to create, or watch, and where to focus on; you learn how to interact with other book lovers, to explore new stories, how to analyze the themes of books, respect different reviews, and of course, how and what to be passionate about.
This is such a fascinating video! I think the amazing thing about booktube is that it can be whatever you want to make it. One thing that Claire said was really interesting to me, which was that making a video that doesn't have all the research behind it is more nerve wracking in a way. Booktube help us express and defend our own opinions, regardless of what we think will get a good grade, along with challenging biases because there are so many different kinds of people together in this community. Those things themselves make it educational in a way that you may not always get in a organized education system.
This is so good! I especially love the sentiment that Booktube allows a more organic formation of a cannon, and an inclusive cannon, at that. That's the core of this debate for me. Academia is stuffy, yes, but the biggest problem is often the exclusionary attitude that exists in that realm. Booktube allows for varied perspectives in a safe environment.
Anyway, great though-provoking video!
Discernment is our way to respite in the 21st century and the centuries after that. A beautiful, thoughtful look into the edutainment world. A lot of the time I found myself not reading because of Booktube, and I blamed it on Booktube, but that was my lack of motivation. For the longest time too, I felt Booktube did scratch that enthusiastic itch I've been trying to reach. It's all about being informative while also being influential in an inviting, fun way.
I know I'm probably late on this discussion, but this discussion video was needed! I didn't really feel the brunt of reading in high school, I felt it more in college, where I felt like if I wasn't reading academically and expanding my mind that way, then I couldn't jump in the conversation properly. But being a huge fan of booktube (I'm not a booktuber myself, I'm a book blogger) has expanded my mind and reading tastes with people who GET IT. You guys get it and understand that not every book is for everyone, while still maintaining your love for other books you love. :)
This is a BANQUET for thought! I loved what you Claire, Christine and Marisa had to say about books, creators, and the curators of the books we consume in school. Thank you so much for this video!
Wow, that was truly a thought provoking video, especially with all the different aspects you highlighted! What came to my mind when you were talking about education was that in Germany we have two words for it: 'Ausbildung' (learning skills to achieve a certain goal) and 'Bildung' (learning through interest without wanting to get to a certain goal, it’s like self growth). I feel like school is mostly focused on teaching skills in the sense of Ausbildung so it gives you the tools to learn and to put your thoughts into words. On the other hand booktube would mostly be educational in the sense of Bildung because it shows passion and creates deep running interest in people who therefore are willing to educate themselves more about the subject. This interest is crucial as Bildung can only be successful if you do it by yourself out of passion because nobody is able to make you grow from the outside (kinda weirdly said, I’m sorry xD). Bildung makes you change and it makes you question your surroundings although you may not even be noticing that you are changing as it happens indirectly through reading, for example.
Okay, that was a little long but I feel like it is really connected to the arguments in your (super cool) video. Now I gotta hurry to get to school in time xD
I LOVE this! This was such a fascinating discussion. I already considered BookTube educational because BookTube is where I get most of my book recommendations from, so both the book and the BookTuber who recommended it are educating me. But I love the focus on passion in this video, how BookTube creates and encourages passion, and how anyone in the world can join the platform and share their thoughts on literature. You did an amazing job on this video! Thank you for sharing it!
I loved this! My major is held in the college of engineering at me school, and humanities is really put on the back burner. If I don’t choose a humanities class that focuses on literature, I could go my whole college career without taking one. Therefore, a lot of my learning about books comes from the online community and is self-driven. I make time for it because I love it. Again, really loved this video and thank you so much for sharing!
This video was so amazing and impressive. Lots of thought-provoking discussion points. For me, Booktube is definitely a safe space where I can say whatever I want about books, which wasn't always the case in college. I'm honestly so thrilled that you're making this type of content :- )
Your content is becoming better and better Ariel, I think everyone who has been supporting you for a generous amount of time is amazed at your growth as a booktuber! Keep going, I loved this one!
I absolutely love the concept and collaborative nature of this video. It speaks to the nature of the dialogue that happens within booktube.
it changed my thoughts about A LOT OG THINGS, i am so thankful about it and also for encouraging me of doing what i love, what i need to do: spread the word about knowledge but most important: about passion
I had to pause at 13:14 because I was sitting in an empty room at Uni when someone came in and I have not headphones with me - BUT so far I love it, the statement that academia is rather a chore for most students compared to the passionate videos of booktubers is really striking.
Where at uni there are only some in class that are as interested as you yourself, sometimes even the professor makes you feel like he would love to be somewhere else... booktube is different, nobody I've met here thinks that reading a certain kind of book is a waste of time because it's not academic enough, and that's what it is about for me.
I literally just have goose bumps and tears. It is so moving to see somebody so incredibly passionate about books and learning. Thank you❤
The joy and passion of this video translates so well the importance of BookTube and it's effect on the modern reader. Love love love this Ariel
I don't think I've ever fan-girled harder in my life. You inspire me to thinker deeper about the things I love. You are so amazing!
First off: I LOVE that you've started with documentaries. Also, I think that booktube can be educational because while books can be seen as lesiure if you're not studying the content, you're still being analytical when reading them, even if you don't quite realise it.
This is an awesome literary video essay! Love this new content... but couldn't help but gasp because: did you highlight in a library book?! 😂
Emily Weber noo!!! Pencil in library books which I’ve erased and highlighter in my own books!!!
If I could give this video a standing ovation I would. I haven't felt this challenged to think critically in a long time and my mind was racing with all the ideas and opinions I shared. This was a fantastic video. Well done. I'm going to share it with everyone I know.
He sido parte de la comunidad (consumidora) de booktube durante seis años. Creo que la plataforma es excelente y útil especialmente para compartir el entusiasmo por los libros y la lectura. Sin embargo, aunque "cualquier libro, por estúpido que sea, tiene algo que decir" (te debo a la autora, leí esa cita hace mucho tiempo, creo que fue Jane Austen :/ , y sin intención de menospreciar ningún tipo de libro), son muy muy muy escasos los canales dentro de la comunidad que ofrecen un acercamiento hacia un pensamiento critico, más que repetir los típicos clichés sobre el acto de leer, que es mágico, te lleva a otros mundos y te ayuda a escapar de la realidad, o fomentar el fanatismo hacia títulos o autores específicos. Insisto en que es una plataforma maravillosa y con mucho potencial, pero si creo que nos hacen falta más personas que más que decir lo "cool" que les pareció una lectura, basándose solo en la acción principal o en la personalidad de un personaje, ayude al consumidor (de booktube y de libros) a contextualizar sus lecturas y hacerlo participes de ellas mediante un pensamiento crítico.
Like i just want to thank you for taking the time to make this. Is amazing and so well produced. I know you are really busy right now in your life but you did this and i could not be more amazed by it. It's pure art and it opens a great discussion! I'm so interested in all booktube related and is so good to have people like you that actually talk about this parts of the community. I loved it, it deserves a booktube oscar for sure!
Honestly, the only thing that stopped me from going for an English Hons. is the rigid way of interpreting books. A fictional piece or a poem, when studied for school, was supposed to have just one meaning which was the answer accepted during exams. But being an amateur reader gives me so much flexibility, in terms of interpretation as well as choice of books. If I don't find a book resonating with me, I can discontinue reading it as opposed to school.
This was a great video, Ariel. :)
This video is fantastic! I love seeing this shift in the focus of your content! As a person with lit degrees, I've often wondered about what I'm doing on BookTube. This video has really got me thinking about what this community is doing for readers and what I'm doing as a creator. Thank you for making this! :)
You’re platform has been a marvel of honesty, commitment, and forward thinking. I truly loved your content on the various quest to define what booktube brings to the education field. Self learning is essential for growth and I’m very excited for the rest of the content you may post on your channel! Keep up the great work Ariel and remember to enjoy the process :)
So many people have told me that higher education is what ruined their love for reading, and it makes me so sad. Literature is art, and art is supposed to make you feel something, and I think that very important point is often lost in English classes. While there is nothing wrong with picking books apart and studying their merits, there is something just as valuable about learning to embrace our feelings about books. Feeling and passion are what make life so special! Ariel, thank you for challenging these "serious" and elitist ideals that academia tends to hide away from most of society. You are using your voice to make the world a better place. You are remarkable!!
This was an absolute joy to watch! Your videos were the first I ever saw on BookTube, and lately I find myself coming back again and again, looking for some light and inspiration in your passion and your commitment to creating quality content that feels genuine to you. I've been really struggling with these things myself lately and to see you handling it all so beautifully helps me both to feel better and more at peace with the world as well as giving me a lantern to see my own path. Thank you for putting so much time and effort into what you do; I look forward to seeing whatever comes next from you.
Ariel, I loved this video. I started watching book tube video's because I love reading, all types of genres. That was something I never got in high school at all. I never like how my English teachers taught or lectured on the books we were to read. And I was always the one that had a book to read, but would hide it from my peers. I have learned alot from book tubers, and I've expanded on my reading list. For me, right now, I read for the sheer enjoyment of reading and for the escapism the book can give me. Thanks so much, Ariel.
This is so great! The way you integrated the quotes and your research sources is next-level. Booktube is absolutely educational, and this video is evidence in itself!
I love this. This kind of cultural analysis is exactly the path that my own mind has been wandering down for a bit now. Great video Ariel!
This video is absolutely astounding! I'm amazed by the way it's structured, its insights, and all of the beautiful, well-picked quotations. In fact, I will need to rewatch it and write down many of these quotations for future reference. Finding the amateur in the professional is an idea that resonates with me, both for booktube and literature and my actual profession. And the examination of hierarchy and the role of trust in booktube is brilliant. This video not only shares poignant ideas about the role of booktube, but also about the fundamental structure and issues with formal education in society. Your video made me realize how booktube is a socratic seminar of sorts. It functions as a Romantic or even Classical model of education, where passionate discussion can flourish in a way that is often hampered in the modern classroom setting. I still don't know if I've fully processed this marvelous and thought provoking video in its entirety. It's a topic I'll be thinking about for the rest of the day! ❤
This video deserves more than I could give - a like and a comment. Maybe it's time for fanmail....XD LOVE THIS SO MUCH. The video is a PERFECT reflection of the topic. A mix of the academic style and the booktube style!!!! OMG love the textbook underlining shots. The tone and content match as well. Everyone gave great opinions and you tied them up perfectly. The level of inspiration this video is emanating is palpable. I am a first year English major and I want to be like you!
I loved this video so much! I'm coming towards the end of my first year in an English Literature degree, and as someone who comes from a working class family, thoughts about the institutionalisation of academia are often swimming around in my head. I liked the overall takeaway as well that passion and learning are not dichotomous - that's certainly not how I experience literature, and I in-part have the BookTube community to thank for that!
Thank you for such a well thought-out video. I know you have been mentioning for a while on your channel that you're wanting to branch out into more documentary-style videos, and I found that this one really worked. I can't wait to see what you do next!
I love that quote at the beginning..
Wow! Congradulations! I think you made an amasing work! I love the way you enlighted booktube, the power you gave to the passion we share in here. I truly enjoy how the balance between your academic studys and your booklover entusiasm shapes your videos in such an unic way. I seriously believe you just made Booktube proud! I wish you all the luck with the end of your degree and in your future!
I'm late to the party. Dang it. Been anticipating this video all day yesterday only to realize I wasn't subed to you this whole time hence why I never got notified. -_- Love your video!
I've been told multiple times throughout my life that I'm capable. I can do anything I put my mind to as long as I had effort and put hard working hours into it. But school MADE IT DIFFICULT. School felt like a competition between how educated I am versus my passion for reading/books. I was smart enough to get into upper level class in high school and college but my work wasn't good enough unless I used "real" authoritative figures to back up my thesis or hard evidence that my statements stand. I felt less educated by school because my theories didn't stand unless their criteria were implicated. Don't get me wrong, school can make you educated but you're only educated by doing it their way. By "their way" I mean educations standards. I felt both limited and unlimited to my thoughts for education because my analysis can stand no matter what I said, just as long as other creditable figures had established that it's possible. Not only was academic studying hard but the atmosphere within the classes was even harder. Students did what was needed for an assignment and went on about their life. No passion, a drag to get through the work, only to be told your paper wasn't good enough or could use more work in certain areas.
Booktube is preference towards passion for books but not limited to. Anyone can join this community and share the love of others creative outcomes one has for a book. Anyone can influence whether or not a book is worth wild just by saying "I loved this book" because here in Booktube they can become your amateur authoritative figure like Ariel said. It's always enlightening and cheerful because you get what you want not standards of what others want. Getting insight on others thoughts on a book or analysis of what's to come in a continuation isn't limited to anyone. Your analysis matters no matter if your wrong or right. Booktube is here for you to choose who makes you feel more passionate towards books. Your opinion matters to the creator just as much as their opinion matters to you, it's not compressed into greater figures. Education here is for everyone who wants to know what you know, it isn't forced or under appreciated.
We were always told that school was the only way for you to grow your education and comprehend complex analysis of what's to come. Not true anymore.
I love that opening quote - it really sums up English learning for me. This whole video was amazing! I found it really engaging and thought-provoking and I can't wait to see more of these insightful video essays in the future! (Oh and I feel exactly the same as Claire about people who come disinterested to English class, which is a shame - English class could be so much better if everyone came passionate to discuss!)
What a thought-provoking video! Thanks for making it! I'm just finishing my (2nd) lit master's and heading for a Ph.D., while also growing a very new BookTube channel, and I've been thinking about a lot of the points you've made. I jumped into BookTube because I know that my grad program will lack the fun and passion and community feel, and I hope that participating in BookTube will help keep the passion alive for me. Also, the question of whether BookTube can be educational has been hanging out in the back of my mind, and will stay there for a while. Who knows? Maybe I'll do my dissertation on reading communities.
Ariel, this video was amazing.
Thank you, Monica! I love your videos so it's wonderful to see you in my comments section!
I think the most interesting point you made was about the social formation of booktube, it just sunk in how complex this community in when you listed the vocabulary and social etiquette that we have established without really thinking about it
thenewyorkbookshelf I felt like that could be a whole video of itself!
I’m stealing all of the quotes. This video is so educational and displays a fascinating topic! That is amazing!
I love this video. I think the lack of enthusiasm and excitement is a lot of what turns people away from academia and you highlighted that beautifully. I love booktube and you highlighted so many of the things that make it wonderful. I love that you talked about what it means to be an amateur. I've never heard it described with such positivity and I think more people should view it that way. Great work!!
This was incredibly well-researched and well-executed. As someone who is just about to graduate with an English degree, I’m incredibly intrigued by this discussion. For me, college and booktube have always felt similarly educational, but just in different ways. I’ve grown both as a reader and as a person from both platforms, but I love this idea that, because the, as you put it, boundaries for entry are so low, that Booktube is actually representing the ideas of a much larger, more diverse populous. Also, just as a final note, your videos, more than anyone’s, always leave me feeling smarter than when I started.
Thank you for this. I've been told by my educators that my reading isn't "real reading". I'm glad I now have some backbone for my retorts.
Ariel, I love you !! I love what you are doing!! This is the coolest booktube video ever. These are great ideas and discussions, and I love that it is something that you are passiomate about. Thank you for sharing these ideas and putting it all into curating something as wonderful as this. It was so cool to hear booktubers talk about books, education and booktube like this. Thank you xx
One of the things that I think prevented me from really including myself in discussions at university, especially in seminars, is that I am a big reflector. And of course, between classes/ texts I did have time to brew my ideas and thoughts, but in seminars there were so many ideas floating around that I'd find myself overwhelmed and unsure where to start. Before I knew it the class was up and I'd barely participated. Online discussions give viewers the space to formulate a response in their own time, and to decide where and when they feel their contribution is best given. I always felt like my professors were surprised when they received competent and knowledgeable essays from me because I was quiet in seminars, but online it feels (at least to me) like a given that it takes time to formulate thoughts and ideas.
This is the first time I've seen any of your vids and WOW! It's going to get repeat viewings because there's so much substantial, powerful stuff to think about. Lonesomereader advertised you and several other booktubers on his last vid and because he's so good, I'm checking you all out. If your vid here is any indication of how energizing and enriching your booktube channel is, I'm all in to listen, learn, think, and read.
Thank you so much for this video Ariel! It's wonderful. You made me remember when I was younger there were some voices asking for having a more fun and even interactive method to teach/learn at school. And when we have something here that could be exactly that, we create these misconceptions about discussing books on the Internet. I'm from Spain and I can say we have the exact same situation here, educational system and booktube are worlds apart! Of course the problem firstly comes from this idea that says that making videos for youtube is not a job (you know, that job with capital letters) and if it's only an entertaining to the person creating the video and the person watching the video, how are going this content and even the conversations from the comment section to be taken as valuable?? In my personal situation I share some of the points that were said here, I didn't have a vast group of friends to talk about books when I was younger, but now I'm 32 and I don't have a group of friends to talk about books even less about booktube. I do share this things only on my social media platforms. And that being said, thank you so much for this video! Keep going with your new creations!!
Just want to say I nearly cried by the end of this. I'm a long time sub and it's been so amazing to be along for the ride with you. I know you don't know me but I still feel inclined to say I'm incredibly proud of you. Please don't ever stop sharing your passionate intellect with the world.
thank you so so much, Allie
OMG, I'm so excited!!!
I paused the video to write this haha
Thought this was really cool and loved all the people and references you brought into the discussion. Yeay for the love of books🥳 📚
Your hard work shines through the video, its content, and my phone screen. Absolutely phenomenal, Ariel!
Thank you for implementing what you have learned from academia and Booktube in a comparison of the two.
I loved this. And I always like how you talk about booktube - with lots of love and no judgement. Also all of these books you've referenced sound so good!
I could not wait to get out of class to watch this! I was so excited! Watching it I had a big smile on my face. I love what you and the other women had to say. I'm so excited that you were able to do this and research it and let other people think about this. I haven't been subscribed to you for long but you're what really inspired me to read for pleasure, I couldn't help but feel so proud of you. And I couldn't help but feel inspired. Thank you :D
I really loved this. It’s almost funny because recently I’ve been missing the feeling of college life. I went to university 2011-2015 for film, a creative field that gave me the opportunity to critically look at something considered for entertainment experiences. For some reason I separated my experiences with booktube and university, but just like you, Ariel I tried to merge them with assignments. And I find it funny because this video makes me reconsider what booktube actually does for me, it’s not just a space for recommendations, but also discussion. I have the ability to give Authority to people I decide to follow. It’s funny because you made me reconsider this feeling of missing school. Maybe I miss being in a room with a group of people with the similar passions up for discussion, but not missing the academic aspect because I get that here on TH-cam. Again, loved the video! I kind of hope you do more like this ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Love the quote at the beginning.
Also, love the vid! You sound brilliant (as usual)
This is such an innovative video and videos like this bridge the dichotomy between academia and the book tube community!
That was a very interesting and dare I say educational video.
I think that both spheres are educational, just in different ways. The same way that living life can teach you something a classroom just cannot.
And I think the immediate connection may actually help a lot of people (particularly young people) engage more readily in literary discussion than in a University/College. Not to throw any shade whatsoever onto formal learning, of course. But when you have just normal everyday people discussing their own opinions, it's a lot easier for the average Joe to relate to that person. There is no pedestal of academia blocking them. There is no real grave authority, they are not the teacher, they are a fellow fan. It becomes a lot easier then for someone who perhaps didn't do very well academically (for whatever reason) to become more confident and find common ground with a BookTuber, particularly if it's someone of a similar age and even learn from them. For example if a teacher recommends a book, there is an air of an agenda. They may mean well, but they want that person to learn. If a peer recommends a book, there is more implicit trust that it is done purely for the enjoyment they may take from said book.
Both have merits and both do well in their respective fields. I feel BookTube might be more accessible by default. For better or worse.
Wow, Ariel. This is an amazing video. You are incredible and put so much work into this. I think you would make an amazing college professor. Creo que entiendes el español, así que voy a seguir en este idioma. Este es uno de esos vídeos que te hacen pensar y eso me parece increíble. Es como leernos la mente a todos los Booktubers porque, al final del día, creo que todos pensamos más o menos lo mismo. La idea de las personas en las que confías, esas figuras de autoridad que tú misma te creas en tu cabeza, me parece fascinante. No sé qué más decir, porque me he quedado sin palabras, pero te felicito.
In awe at this video! It showcased beautiful people & beautiful thoughts about Booktube that were so interesting and fresh to hear. Adoring this new path you've set yourself on video and self-wise because it feels so "you" and so "right" to watch as a viewer. Can't wait to see what you create next :)
I loved this video. Thank you for creating such an interesting conversation! I’m about to finish my Masters in Teaching and I find that middle schoolers and teaching have a whole other place in this discourse; one that I will need to ponder. I hope that one day I can teach the passion we find here to my future students.