Barnes & Noble has been on a roll recently with their ambitious plans to open more stores than ever before. “The bookstore has confirmed plans to open 60 new locations across the country in 2026.” Sales have dwindled for the company since 2008 due to digital booksellers like Amazon, but with the rise of BookTok, there has been a surge in book shopping.
This resurgence may seem like a win for the reading community, but a closer look suggests that this gain may not be what it seems. BookTok has influenced readers to visit aesthetically pleasing bookstores, particularly stores like Barnes & Noble, where tables and displays are now dedicated entirely to BookTok and other trending recommendations. This raises an important question: if bookstores are thriving, why is literacy in the United States continuing to decline? BookTok, a community especially popular with teenagers and young adults, should be reflected in a new generation of readers. However, according to The Harvard Gazette, “Average reading scores for high school seniors — released by the Nation’s Report Card — fell to their lowest level since 1992.”
On platforms like TikTok, books are marketed less as introspective, intellectual works and more as entertaining, easily consumed escapes from reality. This is not to say that these books lack value; I have read and enjoyed quite a few “BookTok” titles myself that I will frequently recommend. Reading is supposed to be fun, and that can look different depending on your individual interests or preferences. The issue is not the books themselves, but the way they are being marketed and consumed.
BookTok creators frequently post large hauls, showcasing color-coded, wall-to-ceiling shelves filled with carefully curated collections, sometimes even multiple copies of the same title. Many users’ feeds are filled with BookToker’s attempts to tackle their ever-growing “physical TBR,” or “to be read” piles, which can reach into the hundreds, taking up room on their shelves. The problem is that books are being purchased in bulk, often faster than they can realistically be read.
Within this community, two separate hobbies have emerged: reading and book buying. Which brings us back to the question: has BookTok saved Barnes & Noble because more people are reading, or because more people are simply buying books, regardless of whether they will read them?
BookTok may have saved Barnes & Noble from a decline, but its impact on literacy is far more complicated. In this new culture where buying books is increasingly separated from actually reading them, the line between reader and consumer begins to blur. If the goal is to foster genuine engagement with literature, then simply selling more books is not enough. Addressing the literacy crisis requires more than just purchasing—it requires time, attention, and a willingness to look beyond what algorithms decide is worth reading. Without that shift, bookstores may continue to thrive as retail businesses, but the culture of reading risks becoming increasingly superficial, focused more on the appearance and aesthetic than on literature’s deeper purpose and impact, reducing reading to a trend rather than a meaningful, lasting practice.
Can’t get enough of HC UMass Amherst? Be sure to follow us on Instagram, listen to us on Spotify, like us on Facebook, and read our latest Tweets!