As someone who has always loved to read, my book obsession hit a whole new level when BookTok – the corner of TikTok where readers share recommendations, reviews, and reactions – exploded in 2020. Suddenly, my TBR (to be read) tripled overnight, my favorite books were getting five-star reviews from strangers on my For You Page, and I found myself staying up way too late just to finish a newly released book before the spoilers started rolling in. There’s no denying that Tiktok has transformed the reading community – but has it actually changed how we read?
- The Rise of the “It” Book
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Remember when reading was all about personal preference? Now, it feels like there’s a revolving door of must-read books that flood our feeds – and if you haven’t read them, what are you even doing? Viral books like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid and A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas have created a bandwagon effect, where the same books get recommended over and over again. Don’t get me wrong, I love them both, but while I’ve definitely been introduced to new favorites, I can’t help but wonder how many great books are getting lost outside the BookTok hype cycle.
- “Made for TikTok” Books
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BookTok hasn’t just changed what we read and recommend – it’s also shaping what gets published. Publishers are now actively looking for “TikTok-worthy” books – fast-paced, high-drama, and packed with unhinged plot twists that readers can discuss all over the platform (think Verity by Colleen Hoover). While this keeps things exciting, it sometimes has me questioning: am I picking up a book because I want to read it, or just because I feel like I’ll be out of the never-ending BookTok loop if I don’t?
- Reading for Fun vs. Reading to Keep Up
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With popular creators posting videos of the 100+ books they read in a year, monthly reading wrap-ups featuring multiple 500+ page novels, and comment sections full of recommendations and spoilers for popular books, it can feel like a struggle to keep up. When Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros came out, I stayed away from any book-related videos, knowing people would be reading it in one night and discussing all their favorite parts the next day. It’s hard not to feel the pressure to speed through books just to stay in the conversation.
In fact, one of my New Year’s resolutions was to drop “reading to reach a goal” and instead focus more on just reading for fun. After all, that’s what it’s supposed to be all about.
- Bringing Readers Together
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Despite some of the more negative aspects of the platform, my absolute favorite part is how it’s made reading feel more social. Now, even just walking into my local Barnes & Noble makes me feel connected to readers – I find myself immediately gravitating toward the “BookTok Made Me Buy It” table, knowing that thousands of people across the globe are just as obsessed with these books as I am.
On another plus side, TikTok has made reading cool again. It’s introduced more people to reading, helped new genres get discovered (hello, romantasy!), and put some amazing diverse stories under mainstream attention.
When TikTok got banned for all of 12 hours, my biggest concern was: where am I going to get all my book recommendations? BookTok has undeniably shaped the way we read – for better or for worse. It’s made books feel more social, helped authors reach new audiences, and introduced so many of us to popular faves. And while the pressure to keep up can occasionally take a toll, I still will always love being part of a community that’s just as obsessed with books as I am.
At the end of the day, whether a book is trending or not, what matters most is finding stories that resonate with you. And if BookTok helps us do that – well, I’d say that’s a pretty great thing, despite its flaws.