There are a whole bunch of niche communities on YouTube. One such community that I’ve found is the BookTube community, where the YouTubers talk mostly about books (hence the name). I have spent many hours watching videos about new releases, favorite series and standalones, and rankings of books. As an avid reader, I love talking about books, and many times I don’t have someone that’s read the same book or is into the same genre as I am, so I turn to BookTube. Whether you’re looking to get into BookTube or are just curious about it all, here are some recommendations on where to start!
The first BookTuber that I ever watched was Christine Riccio (known as polandbananasBOOKS on YouTube), who has one of the longest running BookTube channels. Her usual content includes comedy sketches (about reading), book reviews, book tags, and writing vlogs. The BookTuber creates quality comedy content and brings a bright energy so anyone can enjoy her videos. She mostly talks about books in the young adult genre, however she does branch out to other areas once in a while. Christine is an avid reader and writer; she even published her own book last spring, called Again, But Better. As one of the biggest names of the BookTube community, I recommend starting with Christine!
Ariel Bissett is the next BookTuber that I recommend because I find her videos to be very casual. If you want a YouTuber with a more laid back personality, then Ariel is the one for you. She has videos covering book reviews, reading vlogs, poetry, discussions, vlogs, and even travel videos. The wide variety of content also comes with her wide variety of reading preferences, as she tends to only read standalone books from all genres. Ariel is also the cohost of the biggest read-a-thon on YouTube (the Reading Rush, formerly the BookTube-a-thon)! If you are unaware, a read-a-thon is when many people try to read as much as they can in the time given time. They are very fun and a great way to interact with the online community. Ariel also does a great job of making her videos entertaining without doing comedy skits or being over the top.
Youtube and the internet in general can sometimes seem like a lifeless place, but if you are able to find a community online that discusses your interests, like BookTube, then maybe it will seem more lively. Happy watching (and reading)!
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