Deeper Things: The Booktok of it All

Am I being too contrary? Or am I morally superior to the booktok girlies?

I want to caveat the following ranty paragraphs before I get started — I think you should read what you want to read and enjoy what you enjoy. The below is just my opinion, and I don’t mean to yuck your yum. Ever. I read a lot of nonsense, as you know.

It should not surprise those of you who know me well that I am a chronic overthinker — and so following that, it should be no surprise that I have complicated thoughts on #booktok. If you’re at all online, you have probably seen a video with that hashtag, comprised of (usually) a woman, sharing thoughts about a book — either fawning or pure disgust, with no in between. I am all for people reading more and finding enjoyment in it, but to me, these videos almost gamify reading, while at the same time giving it a moral status: I’m better than other people because I read 2000 books a year.¹

I started thinking about this in earnest last month, following the release of some of my most hyped books of spring (Emily Henry, Abby Jimenez, and Suzanne Collins). All of a sudden, my FYP was filled with people discussing — and a lot of times, just outright dissing — these books, often within hours of release. It really struck me all of a sudden, and I felt really gross to be participating in a system that really commoditized reading, filled by a lot of people who relished having a hot take about a book rather than just enjoying the book.

It feels toxic, and I hate that. Reading has always been an escape for me, a needed one, and I’ve been an avid reader since I was a kid — not for anyone but myself. When I had a book blog a million years ago, I found myself consuming books for a blog post first and I felt icky. Things like that send me into a spiral (and usually a reading slump), and for me, it’s a stark reminder that I need to lean into reading for my mood more than anything else. Not even y’all, as rude as that may be.

There are also a few authors that I resist reading, just because they are so hyped on the internet — to this day, I haven’t read anything by Jessa Hastings, Colleen Hoover, Elsie Silver, Alex Aster, or Lauren Roberts, all Booktok darlings. I’m having a hard time reading new releases by Ali Hazelwood², Tessa Bailey, and Abby Jimenez, and I’ve started and just not been able to get into books I’ve looked forward to for ages by authors I love like Olivie Blake. I feel oversaturated with book content that I didn’t actively seek out, and it’s making me increasingly cranky. I don’t want my experience of a book colored by someone’s opinion that they made in an attempt to stand out from the crowd, which is what Booktok is becoming to me.

Beyond that, it feels increasingly like a popularity contest — books are getting promoted because the author has a large social media presence, prompting people to post more about them, and starting a cycle that I’m not sure how to end. Alyssa Morris, who writes one of my favorite bookish newsletters

Romancing the Phone

, actually touched on this in a much more coherent way recently; I highly recommend this post she wrote about brand building on TikTok.

At the heart of it is how I can’t tell if I’m being annoying just to be annoying…or maybe annoying just to feel superior? I’m not a reader that is immune to trends — I love the Empyrean Series and Sarah J. Maas and Emily Henry. I consume a lot of book content. I write book content. Why am I drawing this line in the sand?

Funnily enough, this morning, my friend (and fellow avid reader) Caitin texted me that she stayed up super late reading a book by Elsie Silver — one of those authors I have avoided, thanks to overzealous women on the internet. I don’t know why I’ve lumped her in with Colleen Hoover, but I have, fair or not. But, I trust Caitlin’s opinion and have downloaded this series already. So, maybe it’s me and not the internet?

Let me know your thoughts — I clearly have unpacked quite a bit here, and I want to hear what you think! You can tell me I’m being a brat, I can take it.

1. I read a lot because I don’t like to be alone with my own thoughts, not because I think I’m morally superior.

2. To be fair, my favorite read of hers is Check and Mate, not the steamy romances she’s increasingly known for.