Trishna Inampudi ’28, Arts & Entertainment Staff Writer

#BookTok stands have been surfacing in bookstores across the nation in an attempt to appeal to new readers. (Image courtesy of Julia Goulet)

Lately it seems like the term “BookTok” has been popping up everywhere. From TikTok to Twitter to YouTube — whether it be the content itself or people criticizing it —  the term is hard to escape. BookTok refers to a community on TikTok of both creators and consumers that share a love for reading and writing, with a focus on fictional romance novels. The space has sparked various discussions, recommendations, and of course, debates. 

Those on BookTok claim that it encourages a creative outlet in a positive, judgment-free zone. Others say that it promotes problems such as anti-intellectualism and overconsumption. Regardless of which side of the debate you are on, it is undeniable that BookTok has made quite the impact. Its influence continues to grow, shaping trends in modern day literature. 

BookTok markets itself as a community accessible to readers of all reading levels. The books aren’t trying to be Shakespeare, they’re supposed to be fun and entertaining. These books make reading feel less daunting and appeal to wider audiences, breaking away from the isolated, exclusive group that readers were before. On TikTok, people feel like they’re choosing books on their own term — drawn in by entertainment value rather than obligation. One study by WordsRated reported that 62% of TikTok users have read at least one book based on a video recommendation. BookTok shows people that not all books have to be picked and prodded apart for subliminal messaging and literary devices, but instead read for pure enjoyment. Surbhi Choubey ’28 enjoys the space “because there’s this whole community of people who are similar and it’s a great place to make new friends. It’s a nice way for similar people to obsess over random details of the book with each other.” A big part of this has been through book romantic pairings, better known as “ships” that readers on BookTok love to discuss about. This “fangirling” has been a reason BookTok has seen such a major rise.

Despite this tight knit group, people still have their reservations about BookTok. Although its inclusivity has been praised, many other TikTokers and YouTubers claim it has “dumbed-down” the reading community. A topic that has been highly contested is the rejection of literary analysis. Some argue that books on TikTok have been removing the value of reading as an activity and newer books have begun to lack substance. Creators on TikTok, like @probablyoffreading and @lalysbooktalk, have revealed that they skip through descriptive paragraphs, pages, and even whole chapters to get the dialogue and romantic scenes. Authors only fuel this trend by crafting fast-paced narratives that align with reader’s short attention spans. 

On the flipside, others assert BookTok has become too pretentious. Along with books, it also features community-written poetry. While this can sometimes lead to artful expression, many creators have created rushed romantic poems often containing typos, grammatical errors, and of course faux-depth. “[BookTok] has become the fast fashion of the book industry,” Ethan Suwankosai ’28 says. “There’s not really any care to what’s being put inside these books, they’re just trying to draw in more readers to profit off of.” It’s true that TikTok has led to a massive rise in book sales, the American Booksellers Association stated there has been a 580% increase in sales seen in independent bookstores since 2020.While this has allowed a lot of brick-and-mortar bookstores to thrive, it comes at the cost of our environment. Content creators have been showing off book hauls containing 30 plus books that they plan to read. In reality, they usually end up rotting away on their shelves after being quickly stripped for content. 

Ultimately, it’s essential that we reflect on the books we consume and more importantly why we choose to read to them. With the constant back and forth between anti-intellectualism vs elitism and having fun versus trivializing, we must find our own middle grounds. In our own NA community, we should consider how we each engage with literature. Especially through a balance between critically thinking and simply reading for pleasure. It’s important to note that though both viewpoints emerge from an appreciation for reading, it’s just as important to be conscious of what we consume as readers.