Written by: Saman Khalid
Posted on: November 27, 2024 | 
A Booktok section at a bookstore
There is, perhaps, no greater joy than the gentle culmination of an intimate connection between a writer and a reader, separated by nothing but ink and paper. This isolated relationship makes reading a highly individual activity; one that starts and ends within the bounds of the reader's own imagination. However, throughout the ages, lovers of literature have come up with various ways to channel their passion into their social lives. Book clubs, reading seminars and public book reviews are a few examples of this phenomenon. However, modern times have brought to the scene a tremendous extrapolation of this concept by emulating these activities in the ever-expanding realm of the Internet.
A monthly reading wrap-up
This article will attempt to carry out a critical analysis of the conception and progression of online book communities on different social media platforms.
While the early origins of online discourse about literature stemmed from written reviews, Booktube soon followed suit. The corner of YouTube dedicated specifically to book-related content is referred to as "Booktube". The community is minute in comparison to the big giants of YouTube, but over the years, it has managed to attract a niche but ardent audience of reading addicts, literary critics, authors, journalists and reviewers. While the content choices may seem paltry and bland to the average person, frequent consumers of Booktube are well-versed in the manifold nature of the videos posted by creators. The community started out somewhere around 2012-13, with only a couple of channels posting random book reviews, mostly about popular young adult books at the time. Slowly, but surely, the sporadic reviews took on more varied forms, and came to include joint discussions, fan theories, monthly reading wrap-ups, to-be-read piles, custom book recommendations and book tags. Book hauls (the process of acquiring and showing off new books) and unhauls soon became all the rage in the community. With so many new kinds of videos emerging, newer channels began to surface quite exponentially. The said booktubers were mostly young students passionate about reading, who decided to share their opinions with other readers. With the passage of time, Booktube evolved to make room for analytical discussions regarding publishing trends, book ethics and writing tropes. The niche also started receiving attention from publishing companies and authors alike. As a consequence, booktubers engaged in conducting author interviews and book promotions.
Jack Edwards has 1 million plus subscribers on Booktube
There is no denying the fact that YouTube offers the most conducive environment for creativity and quality. Booktube is no exception! Even with the rise of short-form content, Booktube still remains to be the only reading community that values and fosters intellectual discourse, original thinking and substantial content. It is easily the most diverse community on this list, and includes creators with all sorts of reading tastes and backgrounds. This prevents Booktube from falling into stale stereotypes. The most famous channels in this niche are :
Hannah Azerang from 'A Clockwork Reader'
1. Jack Edwards;
2. A Clockwork Reader;
3. Read With Cindy;
4. The Book Leo;
5. Polandbananasbooks.
As is evident from the name, Booktok is a dynamic hub on TikTok, where readers converge to post short videos about their favorite books. The community started flourishing during the lockdown phase of 2020, and gave rise to dozens of Booktok accounts. This brief but snappy format of entertainment soon garnered a massive audience consisting of millions. The explosive success of Booktok can certainly be attributed to TikTok’s algorithm, that often creates cycles of virality regardless of metrics like follower count. Initially, Booktok was a condensed version of Booktube; with quick reviews and recommendations. However, it became homogenized not long after, since almost every creator was talking about the same titles over and over in an attempt to cash in on the virality train. Moreover, adult romance emerged as the ultimate Booktok favourite, starting a dangerous chain-reaction in its wake. Booktok descended into a pothole of mindless content about sub-standard books featuring themes of abuse and aggression disguised as 'dark romance'. At this point in time, Booktok is in complete shambles. Whether or not a book deserves your time is determined by how outrageous the romance in it is. The constant promotion of trashy content presents a concerning conundrum, as TikTok has been proven to drive up the sales for these books. Many bookstores have gone so far as to introduce a designated "Booktok" section. In short, it has turned into a super-niche community where any semblance of intellect is considered snobbery, effectively shutting down the possibility of intelligent conversations.
Three Popular Booktok creators
Here are some highly followed Booktok channels:
1. Abbysbooks;
2. Jennajustreads;
3. Aymansbooks.
Lastly, let's dissect the beauty pageant of modern literature: book content on Instagram. The platform is catered to aesthetics and design, therefore, Bookstagram mainly comprises visually stimulating photos and videos of book copies. Originally, it was a wholesome community sharing vibrant pictures of books decorated with props. Soon after, creators began to pair the pictures with book reviews posted in the description. Even so, the main focus of the posts was obviously the picture itself. While some have criticized Bookstagram for encouraging consumerism, there is no doubt about the fact that it provides a fantastic creative outlet for artists and photographers. Compared to other forms of social media, it is also pretty accessible for novices. Over time, Bookstagram reels have also gained enormous popularity. These are short videos dedicated to book recommendations, albeit largely free of the vices of Booktok. On the whole, Instagram offers a relatively safe space for readers with an incredibly low barrier-to-entry. Here are the names of some key players:
An aesthetic Bookstagram feed
1. joeys_nook;
2. Nikitanavalkar;
3. Meganthebookworm.
Every platform has its own pros and cons, provided that they are utilized in a smart manner. Online book content is an awesome way to find out about new books to read, make long-distance friends and have productive conversations. However, it is important for viewers to make informed decisions about the content they consume. Relying solely on social media could be counterproductive and make one lose sight of their own opinions. Whereas, being completely cut off from it could cause one to miss out on potential favorites. Thus, as always, balance is key.
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