I actually disagree! I totally see what you’re saying, but I find that you only get shown the same books over and over if you interact with sort of content! my feeds are so diverse and most of the books I get shown I’ve never heard of before which is pretty great
@@rubiesstories I wish that was the case for me. I don’t interact with those videos. Every time I open any book content it’s SJM (I don’t like her books) or Elsie silver or powerless
@@rubiesstories I actually have to disagree! A lot of the bigger more pushed out content creators are talking about the same dozen or so books, there’s a handful of smaller harder to find creators who have a more diverse recommendation list but for the most part booktok and book tube do talk about the same dozen to 2 dozen books. SJM, fourth wing, Elsie silver, ect. There’s not a lot of variety you usually see everyone reading the same books.
@VazquezReads Those are great books! I totally understand the frustration, however, it must be from interacting with creators and content that have to do with those types of books/authors. Certain authors and book series are going to more popular than others, and I totally understand the frustration of seeing the same thing over and over so I highly recommend searching the different sides of UA-cam and booktok!
My main issue with booktok is the impressionable minds (11,12,13 yr olds) finding books like haunting Adeline or even icebreaker and being exposed to that.
Also the aspect of overconsumption within creators that set unrealistic expectations about book collections and bookcases. People always forget about what a valuable resource libraries are, both as a place to borrow books, but also exist as one of the only third spaces left within society.
@@Itsme-zt9lmI really appreciate booktok girls who remind viewers about apps like Hoopla or Libby and also why I don’t get people who claim audiobooks don’t count as reading, not everybody wants to spend $25 every time they want a book or hope a book is on sale. The book rooms are cute and all but I hope girls don’t feel like they have to copy influencers, especially if they can’t afford to do that.
I completely agree with the overconsumption aspect. I've heard people say, "well overconsumption is a problem; but it's different with books." There's this issue then, with assigning aspects of overconsumption as "good" and "bad" - when in reality overconsumption is just that: overconsumption. Publishers are taking advantage of this incessant need to grow bookshelves and BUY books rather than borrow with new special editions coming out constantly. I mean, we see the adverse effects of this even through major publishing houses having big printing issues (I think there was a problem with the Fourth Wing sequel?). People pushing these giant book hauls-and then later, massive book UNHAULS full of books they never read-is unnatural. ANYWAY YES!! SUPPORT LOCAL LIBRARIES!! Use Libby!!!
I think my main issue is the 'tropification'. Sometimes I feel like recently published books don't have a fleshed out plot anymore and are instead written around popular tropes that are often mentioned when people talk about books on booktok. No hate towards anyone who likes it, but I feel like Powerless is one of those books. It just seems like the author took all the popular tropes and the plot was kind of an afterthought. And I've been noticing that a lot of books published after 2020/2021 have that problem
My biggest issue is seeing booktubers and tiktokers only recommending new books that are wattpad style when there are so many older books that are amazing, it feels like its not about reading anymore and its more about reading whats new trendy (sorry for spelling mistakes its not my 1st language)
i mean hey if they like the books they like the books. i guess bc like wattpad style isn’t great we all know but sometimes it’s what ppl like. not day to day, but sometimes it’s nice to turn your brain off and read if that makes sense
kids are consuming CONTENT they are not supposed to. its not just books like haunting Adeline. even tv shows, movies and songs ( evenn some short form content )iss wayyy too mature for a certain age group. i feel like the parents need to be cautious about what type of content their kids are consuming .
In my personal opinion I'm stuck in the middle of this issue, do I think bootok has ruined literature? God no, that's a stretch. But has it changed the way people perceive reading? For sure. I feel like people see reading/books as this "romanticisation" sort of thing like an aesthetic of itself rather than reading to actually read. But in the end, read what you wanna read, is it really that personal if you see people reading genres like romance and not classic literature is just stupid, like in the end we're all readers and enjoy it!🤞
Right. We should be dissecting those readers who think that they have a moral high ground on others because they only read "real books" like classics. It's really annoying to see those people insinuating that readers who like "tik tok books" or popular books are mindless sheeps, corn addicts, or dumb. Like, personally, I read both "high brow books" (ugh) and tik tok books. I don't think they realize that reading novels is ultimately for enjoyment. There's a reason we aren't reading textbooks instead. Like, let me read both Jane Austen and Ali Hazelwood at the same time. And a lot of people who laugh or make fun of romance readers are, I've noticed, incredibly misogynistic incels.
@katgreer6113 My favourite genre is political literature like George Orwell etc and I get so much hate for it because I'm seen as a person who "does it for attention" like let me read what I like in peace without constantly getting critised on just because I don't enjoy romance based books 😪
I believe romanticizing something is making it in your own way a dedication of yourself to be in the moment is more the aesthetics that kills me and makes me wanna be a maximalist😅 anything that makes you look at your life and makes you see the little things and value them be grateful for them its in my point of view romanticizing ❤ but I know what you mean
I’ve been a reader my entire life. I grew up reading and writing & truly love the art behind both. My issue is that it feels like recently anyone can be an author. I’m not saying this in any bad way, what I mean is that a lot of new books have mediocre writing at best. It feels like everyone is just reading ‘for the vibes’ instead of actually appreciating the hard work behind a sentence. It, sadly, feels like people are reading because it’s the ‘cool’ thing to do at the moment & reading the same recommended books. There’s nothing wrong with that, if that’s your preference, I’m just saying it feels much different than it was before.
I totally agree! I’ve been watching booktube for EONS. I don’t even know how long ago I started but it’s just crazy to me to see the shift on so many levels. Not only have the types of people that are reading have changed but also the way they think about reading, the types of books they read (and therefore the types of books that are largely getting published and heavily promoted), the overconsumption, the focus on having an “aesthetic” setup, keeping up with trendy books and authors, tropification, lack of editing and scrutiny before publication (I’m looking at you, Powerless), etc. (Some of these certainly happened before but imo it wasn’t on the same scale) These aren’t all inherently bad, although, some of these things have probably permanently damaged the way we all used to find out about books before and the quality of literature that is being published. It’s bittersweet to see a community that I have been a part of so long do a complete 180 degree change within a couple of years. Sometimes it’s completely unrecognizable (Side note: does anyone remember that before the current book besties group the original squad was hailey, Zoe, and Hannah? I miss those days sometimes. Although it’s great to see so many new fresh faces in the internet booksphere)❤
when someone is gushing about a book to me on youtube or BookTok, i ask if there is smut in it, not because i want to read it, but because dont. I think that people on BookTok are a little too obsessed with porn and smut. so, for people like me, who DONT want to read it, you cant go on platforms like that, because it seems like today smut is all people want to read.
Yeah I feel exactly the same, but think in the context that she was talking about is when someone is talking about like, a classic book that most likely doesn’t have smut in it, yet people in the comments aren’t actually listening to the creator about how wonderful the book is they are only concerned about the smut (but if they’d listened they probably could have figured out there wouldn’t be any)
@@hailey_the_ace_of_hearts4127 exactly, like what in the world, when has a classic ever had smut in it?💀 But if it’s any other kind of book I have to ask, because I am worried about smut.
I 100% agree with you. I feel like a lot of people on booktok only care about the smut. Some of the books I’ve gotten recommend on there turned out to have like 10% plot(?) and 90% smut. Like I think a little is fine but it’s gotten to the point where it’s the majority of a lot of books! 😭😭
@@Gh0u11z.7 I swear at this point it’s becoming harder and harder to find a book that doesn’t have porn in it, like I don’t think tiktok is ruining literature, I think this cutler is, and there obsession with profanity. When it gets to the point where it’s 90% smut and 10% plot, I believe that’s not a book anymore. Just porn written down. Now I have read amazing books that have maybe 1 or 2 scenes in them that I can easily skip past, so I definitely think there are books out there that are really good but still have a little bit of spice. I just wish other books I’ve read that are amazing, but don’t have smut in it, would get more hype.
my main issue with the new wave of bookfluencers weither on tiktok or youtube is the refusal to really get into it when talking about books and hiding behind *spoiler free* if you really read and understood a book you should be able to give a comprehensive review with interesting opinions and diverse vocabulary to describe how you felt. but nowadays you all just say “it was a 5 star”, “ i didn’t like it BUT DON’T WORRY it’s just not for me” etc like tip toeing around upsetting people and it’s just irritating. STAND FOR SOMETHING OMG it’s the same people that refuse to speak on real issues in the community (book boycotts, problematic authors and plots, racism and exclusion in the space etc) AGAIN STAND FOR SOMETHING MY GOSH
As a dark romance girly, I think it is important to understand that Haunting Adeline is an adult romance and as an ADULT I can decipher the difference between a 'book boyfriend' and an actual attraction to a real life man. I think the real issue here is children getting their hands on these books. As we know, people have different tastes and that's ok, but let's not shame people for what they enjoy, just because you didn't enjoy it❤
i dont think she was trying to shame anyone for reading and enjoying it. i think she was just trying to say that people were taking it too far, even adults, and romanticizing these aspects and applying them to real life murderers. As well as, its easy for someone to take a look at booktok and only see that and think booktok is just smut, dark romance, not real reading etc. because there can be some toxicity and discourse within the book community. i love dark romance but it is true that SOME take it to a whole other level, and its not even about the book or content anymore. i completely agree that children getting their hands on books like these are an issue, especially bc they are more impressionable and find it harder to distinguish the two but since booktok has exploded (4-5 years ago) many young people have emerged into adulthood with harmful mentalities surrounding this type of content.
@@vaidavaldez6144 i completely agree, youngins shouldn’t get there hands on that stuff.. but once again, that’s nobody’s problem but the parents. it’s not up to creators to dictate their adult content by the fact that a child may see. there are plenty of blocks parents can do on the device to prevent this. also, i agree that the people applying stuff to the real life criminal is WIERD and DISGUSTING. 100%. the only problem i have with what you said was “it’s easy for someone to take a look at booktok and only see that and think booktok is just smut, dark romance, not real reading, etc” …. so what is real reading ???because the last i checked, reading is reading words. that’s literally it. this is the problem with the stigma now a days revolves around this entire topic. people believe that just cause someone enjoys smut, they aren’t a real reader. hey so new flash, as an adult, i can appreciate something realistic for adults, such as sex. so i usually gravitate towards new adult. and not YA, cause i’m 22 years old and not 16 anymore. YA is hardly relatable to me. but i’m also not someone that will say, those aren’t real readers. we really need to stop shaming other people cause they enjoy something different. it all boils down to people believing they are better than someone else. when they are in fact, not. lol, sorry.. that wasn’t entirely directed at you, btw. just in general, it’s a very frustrating topic. because genuinely at the end of the day, if people stopped worrying about other people, we wouldn’t even be having these disagreements or discussions.
personally I love booktube over book tok because I love long form content and it’s relaxing to me! Totally agree with your opinions and thank you for all of your recs des!💗also please do a deep dive on the new Barnes and noble
As someone who's seen booktok videos in 2019/2020 when it first started .Changes has occurred relating to the type of the books that gets recommended , or how the books are been recommended . Even if now the publishing area has benefited from the growth of the platform , I can't personally deny the fact that the value of the actual reading is kind of lost , since now everyone wants to read because its an aesthetic , or just because its popular . I am not saying that trying popular things is wrong , but it is important to actually respect the value of books and not devalue them . 😊 just wanted to share my opinion
@@PartOfBrookesWorld I meant that now there is a certain type of books that is getting popular to the point were sometimes if you want to search for book recommendations everyone is recommending the same book , and everyone is reading the same book , even if in the reality the book is not worth all the hype that is getting . People now will get fixated on certain tropes , and now with how big the booktok platform is getting , its a bit overwhelming now to go to the app and search for book recs , that's why sometimes I check other platforms to see different books and authors and genres :)
I feel like the people who say booktok is ruining literature just doesn’t like the genre of books that are in it. Some people take it too far, and some books don’t !!
And you can’t just judge people’s choice of books. A lot of booktok is romance and some smut, if you don’t like that then you just aren’t watching the right ones. There are people who only read booktok recommendation vs looking for books themselves and picking out of pure interest. It’s unfair to say booktok is ruining literature, what it’s done is encourage more people to read. Now how the authors write is a whole different conversation.
@@Mollywashere I completely agree. Most of the people who say that don’t like romance recommended, and that’s perfectly okay. I just don’t get why they say it’s ruining literature when it IS literature
I agree to an extent. Where I'd say it is kind of ruining literature is that there is a variety of genres on booktok and i personally would say what's ruining 'literature' is the obsession with tropes. Tropes are fun but you can tell when a book values tropes over plot and even characters. And the obsession with smut. being so addicted to smut to the point where you won't read a book without it is concerning. "is there smut?" i'm recommending anne of green gables....
18:20 literally why books are so powerful. Love these kind of videos we need more!!! As a librarian I think we all just need to realize that booktok is personal recommendations. Some times I hate the recs sometimes I love them that’s the fun in reading!!!
I would have never gotten back into reading without the rise of booktok. If booktok books aren’t your cup of tea, that’s fine! Look somewhere else. But don’t shame the people who do like booktok books. They’re reading SOMETHING for fun, which is already two steps ahead of the general population.
I also wasn’t a big reader before booktok and the popularity of reading has made me learn to love reading! I do see where some people get mad at booktok cuz I’m not a big fan of all the books that are popular but the fact that more people are reading for fun should be celebrated.
Dark romance reader 🖤 I appreciate the video Destiny and the conversation but these types of books which are heavy on spice, have trigger warnings and are ADULT content. Young readers should NOT be getting there hands on this type of fiction and having an 11 year old niece I know we check what she is reading. There has to be some responsibility on parents to know what their children are reading. Dark romance is not advertised to children. Haunting Adeline is one of my favourite books, not because Zade is romanticised -- if I consider him a "book-boyfriend" I can but would I date someone like this in real life HELL NO!! It's escapism and fiction! I'm 32 and LOVE very, very spicy books. I don't have TikTok, but I think that platform is encouraging readers to picks books up for the first time or finding enjoyment again in books. No shame to a readers taste.
I LOVED this video! I would like to see you make a video on the Barnes and Noble modernization! Honestly, I love the whole booktok/booktube community. I enjoy watching these videos because I'm a young teen (14) and I don't have anyone to talk about my passion with. I love watching you, Sara, Haley, and more booktubers!. Sometimes I get AMAZING recs from you guys, sometimes I don't read them (bc they're inappropriate for me!) but I love the community and how everyone can bond over something we truly love. So no, I don't think booktok is ruining literature :)
I think the “booktok” books are a lot of the same tropey kind of books and that’s because there’s a target audience for those books. There are soooo many other books, genres works of literature but sadly it’s not as “trendy” on booktok so I think a lot of people are just reading the books that are currently trending and fit the tropes that are selling well at the moment. I encourage everyone to try to read diversely seek out new authors, lesser known books and authors with different plots, set in different parts of the world. You can literally explore the world through literature. Let’s say booktok books are like a destination vacation. Everyone wants to visit there right? But there’s a whole world to travel. ✈️📚
I would love to see a B&N video! In terms of the topic at hand, I have found AMAZING book recommendations from booktok and ones that I just don’t vibe with. And THAT’S OKAY! I wholeheartedly agree with you!
I work at a bookstore during the summer and on saturdays during the school year. The ammount of young girls that buy haunting adeline or acotar is crazy! I was going to say something since a young girl was getting ACOTAR but its not my job as someone who works at a bookstore its the parents job. I feel the same way with parents getting ice breaker and thinking its a cute non spicy teenage romance when in reality its nothing like that. Growing up my parents always looked up the books I was intrested in getting to make sure its appropriate! It is so important for parents to research books before they get them for their kids.
I think what people have issue with is the unwillingness of people on ‘booktok’ to engage in a serious discourse about something they like. An example is like Rhysands actions in acotar where he takes advantage of feyre and these actions are swept under the rug because that break the illusion of him being a ‘book boyfriend’. Books like haunting/hunting Adeline are such extreme examples of what’s on booktok that people turn their heads to rhysands actions and whatnot. It enables people to not really think about what they’re actually engaging with imo.
i think most normal people read a book. know that what happens in book, should not happen in real life. it’s for shock value or entertainment. no one’s reading these romances as guides to real life.
@@kianalikesbooks this is exactly what I’m talking about. This is a fallacious argument. People don’t want to talk about the material of the book (which is fine) but then problematic content is dismissed on the basis of ‘shock value’.
I personally can’t find my interests on book tok so I just steer away from it and I don’t see why other people don’t. It’s so easy to just not consume what you don’t want 😭
I agree with everything you said. My biggest problem with booktok is how people get personally upset with people if they don't like a book that they loved.
Personally, I think booktok has saved reading. I think so many more people are reading books because of booktok, and, regardless if I like the popular books or not, that’s what it’s all about isn’t it? People reading 💖
I used to post photos of my books on Instagram in middle school and my friends would comment stuff about how they hated reading and that I was crazy… the tables have turned 😅😇
when i was an intern as a senior for SEVENTH graders they were reading Haunting Adeline other dark romances. i don’t have a problem with the adults reading it (and not romanticizing it), but when 11-12-13 year olds are it’s a problem.
Not been a lot on tiktok, I'm soon 35. So maybe I'm too old😅 I love longer content. I love following people on booktube for recommendations. Sometimes I find a book I like and sometimes not. Like you said people have different taste. I don't like all books some of my favorite booktubers like. There will be sometimes we agree and sometimes not. I love a bit spicy but not too much, so I'm very greatful when you and other rate the spice too❤ Love your video🥰🥰
i love the way des explains things, even with how she explains books she has read. the points made in these videos are so eye opening especially with both sides talked about! this is a topic i never thought about, but this video was wonderful! love u des, can't wait for the next vid!!
I see a lot of people discussing that too many people are just “reading for the vibes” and to not think too deeply of the plot, but this is my entire reason for reading. I have a busy life with school and work, and many people (as do i) read for fun, and booktok has just shown that to a longer extent. I don’t always wanna think too hard behind every line and word😢
It also connects you to the authors because some of the authors are on tiktok and that’s always nice, especially if you can’t go to book releases/signing
i don’t get it either. like just cause someone reads for smut or someone reads to learn something. that.. in NO way makes that person better🙄 i’m so tired of that
@@kianalikesbooks rightt! read what you choose to and dont bring anybody else down for not wanting to read a 600 page dictionary. at least we're all reading
@@aliahamdani exactly. the problem is most people are so worried about other people. like go touch some grass, the world doesn’t revolve around you, and stop complaining 🙄
21:47 I 1000% agree with this. I have been a reader for as long as I can remember (I'm 35 now) and I always struggled to find people to talk about books with in my real life. Since booktok and the pandemic so many of my friends have gotten into reading. Booktok gets major points for this! P.S. I love this video and you should definitely do more like this!
I absolutely love commentary videos like these!!! I definitely would love to see one on overconsumption specifically in the book community. It has been something I’ve been very interested in lately. I also love the point you made about people essentially complaining that the book content they want is not necessarily what they are getting (relating to diversifying reads as well as the algorithm in general). I think there are so many topics you could get into with this form of content!!
As someone who likes dark romance and loved the cat and mouse duet myself...I think it's disgusting that women are romanticizing this REAL person and the disgusting things he did. He is not some fictional character. He is a real person who did HORRIBLE things and liked it. I don't see how anyone can look at him and think anything other than disgusting. I've seen a ton of dark romance booktokers make videos about this situation and how real life and fiction are very different.
First off, I absolutely loved this style of video!! As someone who was re-introduced to reading through booktok, I think it’s one of the greatest things to happen to literature and readers within the last few decades. Throughout my life, before the rise of booktok, I watched quite a few independent book shops in my small but very overpopulated town open and fail almost immediately (I mean months after opening) because nobody was reading! Fast-forward to post-pandemic/booktok, my town is home to its first successful book store since 2011. I go to my high school of over 1,500 students and see kids sprinkled throughout our campus carrying around a popular booktok book or reading during lunch or breaks. I initially fell off of reading in middle school, (pre-pandemic) as I felt judged and “uncool” for loving books, which seems silly in hindsight, but middle schoolers are mean! And I was young and impressionable! All this being said, with the rise of book content on social media, I, as well as so many other readers, were accepted into a community that encouraged and re-instated a love for reading in people of all ages.
You totally should do a Barnes and noble video, I would love to hear your opinions on it! I feel like it would be so interesting! Love this video btw 💗💗
The reason behind “rushing the writing/publication process of a book to keep it popular” doesn't make sense because literally people have been waiting for the last book of A song of ice and fire for a decade.Also, real readers don't mind waiting as they appreciate the crafting process of a quality book. This leads me to the conclusion, Booktok isn't ruining literature but rather the publication companies are as you see a lot of books coming out poorly editied with 0 plot. Also I 100% agree with the shaming aspect. I personally don't like how epic fantasy readers shame romantasy readers as they imply ”romantasy is ruining fantasy/world-building.”
When I see people write than Throne of Glass isn’t great because there’s not enough smut, that makes wanna cry 😅 Like spice is the goal and a big criteria to rate a book, no matter the genre. Spice levels are just characteristics of books, like genres. Doesn’t make a good or a bad book (except if the spice is badly written ahaha). Also, the rise of booktok has had negative impacts in non-English speaking countries. I’m French, and French translations of popular English books are now so rushed that they are often really bad and contain lots of mistakes.
i know i’m super late, but i just have to say that finding this channel (and sara’s, haley’s, and rachel’s ofc) has helped me so much and i feel so close to everyone here even though we’ve never met! 💛🌻🐝
It’s so nice to hear my feelings verbalized about this topic! I have my issues with booktok like everyone else does but it is hard to deny the good it has brought. I started really getting into reading in 2021 with People We Meet on Vacation. I doubt I would have kept up that momentum with out booktoks recommendations. I learn things about myself with every book I read, no matter if I liked the book or not. Loved the video!💕
i hate it when someone says they hate booktok vrac it’s recommending them bad books. like sis this girl is talking about a book she fell in love with because she wants you to fall in love with and see how many people have the same taste as her. but booktok also made authors just write a mix of every trope under the sun. and it’s fun to have multiple tropes but then too many tropes is just obvious that you just want to be on everyone romance booktokers page
I think calling booktok 'bad' is such a blanket statement. It's good because it is encouraging people to read, but there's equally a lot of things we can and need to critique about it. That is my take summarised into two sentences.
English was my worst subject in school. I always hated reading because I can never read ahead when I was called on but watching these videos gave me the confidence to read and now I've been reading for the last year and a half and I love it
Okay. I actually love this video style from you! Your points were articulated so well and I loved hearing what you had to say🤩 Would definitely love to see a video on the rebrand of Barnes and also more about how to curate your fyp. Love ya girl!🩷
I LOVE this format des! I would really like if this type of debate video became a series, or something that you keep doing in the future with reading prompts. sending love from argentina🩷
my favorite thing about booktok is when i've forgotten about a book from my childhood and someone talks about it and it sparks that memory and the excitement i was feeling when i was reading it. i might never have remembered that book if not for that random person.
Not a TikTok girl but it’s the same when people say audiobooks don’t count… even if I’m not reading the words myself it’s still a book I’m reading I’m just listening to someone telling me the book. Physical, kindle, audio it all counts
I certainly agree, reading is reading whether you consume it with your eyes or your ears. Unsighted people have a specific service that provide audiobooks so they don’t have to miss out, is it reading…YES YES IT IS. Anyone who says that it isn’t reading needs to recheck their words before they put them out there.
@@ElinWinblad totally agree, some people are such sponges for the written word and others maybe auditory learners or a combination of of both . However people read it all counts
I agree. Also, I know a lot of people don’t like booktok due to minors being exposed to mature content, but if you think about it they can’t do anything about that. This happens all the time. Not only on TikTok, on UA-cam, instagram, any social media app. It’s not booktoks fault. This type of thing happens in booktube aswell, you can’t control who views your videos no matter what you say.
People getting upset with booktok for ruining books with the reliance on popular tropes just doesn't make any sense to me. Don't hit me but this has always been a thing in all types of media and creative spaces. The idea of a specific author, musician, or artist following a specific trend that they know their target audience is going to consume is not new at all. For example, during the Victorian era, lots of English authors like Dickens or the Bronte sisters would write coming of age novels that follow the same structure (such as the main character having a childhood trauma, going to school, getting a best friend, and finding love in the end). That in itself would be considered "tropification" in a way. Musicians also follow the same formula that is popular when it comes to creating songs (that's why most music that's popular right now sound generic and similar). So authors deciding to essentially abandon creativity and instead publish books based on specific tropes in hopes that it sells is certainly not a new thing, tiktok has just made us hyper aware and annoyed with it now. We just have to continuously remind ourselves that the entertainment industry is a business and most people in it choose profitability over creativity, which of course is understandable. I don't think we can essentially "blame" booktok for something that has been happening for hundreds of years.
I’m a silent subscriber and watch all your content but I really loved this video! Des, you are such a breath of fresh air and booktok eventually brought me to your channel (& some of my other favorite creators) so for that alone, it’s such a positive in my life and I know so many other’s.
Thank you for opening up a discussion on this topic. I have some grievances with book booktok that I don't think we should be defending for these few reasons: I grew up loving books and not really having a place where I could find them easily. Even the public libraries had no variety and you were kinda forced to see the popular or classic stuff, so if you didn't like those ones then sorry for you. I was one of the people who really got excited when books suddenly went up in popularity because that meant more variety, more opportunities for writers to receive the limelight and get an actual salary from this, and that people were building communities where deep thinkers could have a space to argue and agree and disagree enthusiastically without shame for being nerdy and passionate about books. While I hear your point about anyone being allowed and able to read whatever I, however, I believe it's bred this really scary mentality that the most bare minimum stuff can be tolerated, and even celebrated. I'm not just talking about authors losing their integrity as their series grows, but I'm talking to and about those people who will ride the bandwagon just for followers and clout. But on that, I must say this is one of the more disheartening things that booktok has allowed. Some of the most phenomenal thinkers of our time are relying on well liked and easily digestible tropes just to make money. Everyone's just feeding the instant gratification train and encouraging others to consume the same thing. I wish publishing houses actually valued the integrity of a book rather than what everyone's gonna eat up and not even remember in the next 5 years. I actually spiraled at some point because I thought authors were using ghost writers to finish their series because surely they wouldn't have put out something so unlike their style and personal integrity. And not only that, but everyone and anyone is becoming a writer! I dont care how it sounds i absolutely hate it. We're such a spineless society for allowing people to come into spaces where you needed to do hard work and prove yourself just to write horribly and take advantage of those who trusted them to give them something worthwhile. And im not saying restrict writers based off of unattainable standards, but not everyone can be a writer, just like not everyone can play in an orchestra. No wonder everyone is making fun of reading. It's deeply upsetting that we as a society will allow these people to be celebrated in defence of everyone being able to read and write whatever they want. As soon as someone says they like something because of their personal taste it blocks off constructive criticism and healthy conversation about the things we are consuming. Just look at all the authors who have beef with goodreads reviewers. We are allowing so many young and impressionable minds to take these sometimes deeply flawed works as the way in which to view their own life. Some depictions of romance and life in general are romanticized and its seen as something to look up to. I actually rarely read or watch things that dont have romance in them. There's something about squealing and kicking at my blankets at odd hours of the morning that just does it for me. If I were to be an annoying comment under a book recommendation video I would read "Okay but do they hold hands shyly at any point in the book tho?" All this to say, it really me mad when all the romances are "How can these two get to the bedroom quicker", or "How can I depict unhealthy romantic relationships in a hot way?". There's something to be said about how in the past women were not allowed to read or study because society knew that you couldn't lie to an educated woman, and now that reading is easily accessible and even highly encouraged, all there is to see is less intelligent depictions in the one genre that women love. Booktok has also allowed people to stop respecting people's relationships. Even when men are married maybe even with kids and have no idea that they're being sexualized and seen as these fictional characters who make some of the worst decisions I've ever read in my life, booktok is rallying behind these spaces as freedom of speech, enjoying silly goofy good fun despite the main parties non-consent, and what else, female empowerment. Yeah, okay. I just think there is a lack of accountability going on. Why is it that when people are being called out and put on mainstream media for being a poor example of the space they represent that we want to defend them so we can save face for our own niche spaces? One bad apple spoils the rest. We don't learn these idioms because they're fun to recite. Instead of taking this as a lesson and holding the responsible people accountable, we will do anything to claim there was no fault in the first place because "let girls have fun". It not only cheapens the argument when something is blatantly wrong, but it puts morals and values in question. The past couple of years have actually made me hate reading. There are no proper book critics because no one is telling the truth, and everyone just likes how it looks for them to be supporting something that girls like. ESPECIALLY the merch stores and publishing houses that get to benefit financially. In as much as I disagree with some of the positive outcomes of booktok (because yay book shops are booming, even though kids are reading filth that's popular), I actually really like your channel. I'm a new viewer so I have yet to get to know your channel properly. But after a really exhausting search where I decided I was not gonna let booktok ruin my love for reading anymore, I found one of your videos and enjoyed your approach to reading. I can tell you actually love it and aren't just saying or reviewing things for the sake of maintaing your channel. I hope you won't take my thesis here as a personal attack. I just really want better for all of us.
I truly want to thank you for placing the spice rating in all of your wrap ups! I personally avoid/skip over it so to know the level of spice a book has is something I am very grateful for! 🤍 Thank you for being so inclusive to all the book girlies.
I've loved this style of video for a long time and seeing it from one of my favorite creators ever was such a pleasure---I'd love to see you do more like it!! As for topics I don't have any off of the top of my head but I've enjoyed everything you've put out for the last couple of years anyway!
Giving you a like and a comment because I personally love essay style videos. And LOVE that you talked about this. Good work babe! Growing up, kids my age just weren’t reading. I would have thoroughly enjoyed something like booktok or booktube to not only have a community of people who just have a love for reading but could haven’t broadened my horizons when it came to books I was choosing. So I can not knock bookmedia for what it has done…given light to literature of all kinds and making people book people again. Whatever they are reading! That being said, I’m not a smut girly. But as long as people are reading, who cares. We love to see a busy B&N no matter the reader. Back to essay videos. I’d love to see more! Maybe topics on how independent bookstores and how they influence us or we as people influence them. Or even a deep dive into spicy readers vs non spice readers. Even a history of good ‘ol B&N and how it became the bookstore it is today. Thank you for doing the research and giving us a different type of video!
I loved this, nicely done :) I think booktok has its positives and negatives as you mentioned but I think overall it’s a net positive. Book popularity is good for authors, publishers, book stores (local and chain), the economy, etc. it’s also amazing to see so many people enjoy a hobby that was kinda becoming a thing of the past. As much as the negatives suck, I think the positives are more important
as someone who discovered BookTube way back in like late 2014 to early 2015 right when it started, finding a whole community of the internet that enjoyed talking about books made me so happy and so i love that BookTok is helping people either get into ready for the first time or it be them getting back into reading again. there are some wild ones in the bookish community, but then again the same could be said for every other community imaginable. great video and great points made, loved it so much💗💗💗
Thank you Destiny for speaking up about people romanticizing the wrong books, such as dark romances! I recently saw a comment section on tiktok and everybody was making excuses for the mmc of Haunting Adeline, I was literally shocked.
this topic has been discussed for a while now. I think the only thing that’s “ruining” literature is the overconsumption that has now seeped into the book community. I get that people who make book content have to do it for work, but the constant challenges, 50+ book hauls, reading books that you don’t like just for the sake of reaching a target or adding it to ur goodreads etc has been getting a little out of control
I absolutely agree with you Des,like everyone has their own tastes. If you don't like certain side of book tok then you have to just dig more and find your community that you would love,actually tbh I started reading with recommendations by book tok and see now I am ALSO reading classics,novels that some people say they are just "real books" and I have news for those people I started reading and convinced myself to read them by reading books book tok recommended and then I also got into them.If you don't like then just skip why would you want to harm people and by saying their tastes are awful? Btw book tok helped me to find my own community yk there isn't any person around me like Des and I couldn't talk with anyone which was making my interest to books down,however, when I found people who likes talking about books my enthusiasm towards books rosed a lot. That is all what I wanted to say,I hope my comment changed somebody's opposite thoughts.
i think it’s so silly people have started to criticize others who they think are just reading for an aesthetic. if someone reads, then they read and there’s not much more to that. it’s great if you love classics and well perceived literature, but you’re not better than someone who reads cute little rom coms. if you enjoy reading, then you enjoy it! the great thing is that we have libraries and bookstores and great resources to find different works, and you can choose something you’ve never heard of on social media if that’s what you prefer! 💖
If anything, I think booktok has brought back reading as a thing for people to do. And definitely brought bookstores back on the map. I originally joined booktube so I'd have a place where I could talk about books. Not having anyone around me who read or rather read as much as I do. Talking about your favourite books to people who don't read or maybe at most reads a book a year and you get there and have at least a new book a week you want to blab about, that conversation gets so one ended and ultimatelly not very enjoyable, for any part. So booktube gave me that outlet, whether anyone listens or not, it's out there, it's out of my system. And sometimes if I'm lucky, I find other creators who enjoys the same books or even if they didn't, there's a conversation to be had, as long as both sides are open. Sometimes I make new friends, sometimes it only goes as far as the comment section. Personally, I enjoy booktube more than booktok. As I feel booktok goes too fast and also I feel like it's far easier to find likeminded people on youtube, than it is on tiktok. I feel like the algorithm on tiktok is so much mroe sensitive than youtube. Like, if you go on one "wrong" video on tiktok your whole for you page is ruined. Whereas youtube it's a lot easier to have multiple areas of topics without losing the kidns of videoes you like to watch. Say you have a combination of books, beauty, asmr, anything really. Great video! And great point of discussion! 💜💜
i think the b&n video essay/discussion would be awesome! i'm not from the us so that industry is different to where i live (south america) but i think it's a phenomenon that happened in many places and it would be very interesting to listen
Great video! Well organized and engaging! ❤ Personally, I’m grateful for booktok… not because I’m on it, but because my local Target carries great books now and I know it’s due to booktok. I love to peruse the book aisles and then borrow the ones I want from my library. Best of both worlds. 😊
i feel like when it comes to the booktok community or even just the publishing industry/authors of this generation, no one wants to wait for the anticipation of a new book anymore. as a music enjoyer/enthusiast, it's pretty much the same thing when it comes to artists releasing albums too often nowadays when in the past, we would have to wait a a couple of years in between albums. this new generation wants things immediately & we're losing the art of anticipated releases & bc of that, we're getting lukewarm books. this also goes along with the growth of short attention spans & if we don't get a release now, then it's on to the next thing & it's depressing to see.....
The building your own algorithm point is interesting and left me thinking about my own for you page. A lot of my booktok/booktube recommendations aren't my taste in books, BUT, I don't hate seeing books that I might not neccesarily enjoy, because it lets me see more into what my best friends may be interested in reading. Which I think is equally as cool as building that foundation for your own for you page.
I’ve hated reading my whole life. Last year booktok got me started on reading again. It gave me a base of where to find books as an adult. Understanding the tropes and ratings. I went from never reading to reading 9 books in a month in a year and half. 😊
I really enjoyed this video style and deff would like to see you make more video essays! I think booktok has popularized reading and made it seem “cool”. naturally there’s always going to be good and bad that comes with it but overall it has gotten people back into reading and that’s what matters!
READING,BOUNDARIES ,OPINIONS these are just simple words and i wish people understood the meaning of these words before cooomingggg at people for just reading what they want to and for having opinions on what they are reading.
My problem with booktok is how defensive and cultish they get over their favorite book/ author. Like I’ll say one very mild criticism about SJM and people start acting like I just cursed their entire bloodline and killed their grandma. Booktok is ruining people’s ability to critique because the people on there are sensitive snowflakes who can’t handle even a little jab. Hating is good and needed, especially within the literature community. 🙄
The issue is also young kids being influenced what to read. As a teacher I think Parents just want their kids to read. So it is hard for a parent to then go through the book and figure out if it is appropriate. Unlike movies and TV it is not regulated by a pg-13 or r rated scale.
Yes I understand that haunting and hunting Adeline are questionable but that doesn’t represent the people that read it. I’m personally not the biggest fan of the MP series but I don’t question their sanity for liking a very back and forth series. People just need to realize that what we read is for entertainment and not so much for real life relationship advice.
my only gripe with tiktok (aside from the same recs over and over) is how much intense and graphic dark romances and smut is praised and viewed as the epitome of romance. especially with colleen hoover being SO big but the book is a domestic abuse story marketed as romance. i just feel like some of these books should not be marketed or labeled as romances. as for kids reading these books honestly i feel like that’s on the parents.
My issue with booktok and even booktube is that people don’t think for themselves. The same books will be shown over and over again
I actually disagree! I totally see what you’re saying, but I find that you only get shown the same books over and over if you interact with sort of content! my feeds are so diverse and most of the books I get shown I’ve never heard of before which is pretty great
@@rubiesstories I wish that was the case for me. I don’t interact with those videos. Every time I open any book content it’s SJM (I don’t like her books) or Elsie silver or powerless
@@ReadwithLin ack that’s frustrating!
@@rubiesstories I actually have to disagree! A lot of the bigger more pushed out content creators are talking about the same dozen or so books, there’s a handful of smaller harder to find creators who have a more diverse recommendation list but for the most part booktok and book tube do talk about the same dozen to 2 dozen books. SJM, fourth wing, Elsie silver, ect.
There’s not a lot of variety you usually see everyone reading the same books.
@VazquezReads Those are great books! I totally understand the frustration, however, it must be from interacting with creators and content that have to do with those types of books/authors. Certain authors and book series are going to more popular than others, and I totally understand the frustration of seeing the same thing over and over so I highly recommend searching the different sides of UA-cam and booktok!
My main issue with booktok is the impressionable minds (11,12,13 yr olds) finding books like haunting Adeline or even icebreaker and being exposed to that.
I agree, but in my opinion that’s where parents roles come in. They should be looking into the books their child wants to read
I don’t think kids that young should be on TikTok anyway bruh😭 I hope parents are checking what their kids are reading 😑
@@morgankunselman I couldn’t agree more
Then why again is a parent letting their young kid on that app??
So true I also found books like that under the name young adult very often like really haunting Adeline in the children’s section????
Also the aspect of overconsumption within creators that set unrealistic expectations about book collections and bookcases. People always forget about what a valuable resource libraries are, both as a place to borrow books, but also exist as one of the only third spaces left within society.
yup.
Agreed 100 percent. On top of people complaining that third spaces no longer exist
yes! what happened to going to the local library? it feels like its more about owning books than just reading them
@@Itsme-zt9lmI really appreciate booktok girls who remind viewers about apps like Hoopla or Libby and also why I don’t get people who claim audiobooks don’t count as reading, not everybody wants to spend $25 every time they want a book or hope a book is on sale. The book rooms are cute and all but I hope girls don’t feel like they have to copy influencers, especially if they can’t afford to do that.
I completely agree with the overconsumption aspect. I've heard people say, "well overconsumption is a problem; but it's different with books." There's this issue then, with assigning aspects of overconsumption as "good" and "bad" - when in reality overconsumption is just that: overconsumption. Publishers are taking advantage of this incessant need to grow bookshelves and BUY books rather than borrow with new special editions coming out constantly. I mean, we see the adverse effects of this even through major publishing houses having big printing issues (I think there was a problem with the Fourth Wing sequel?). People pushing these giant book hauls-and then later, massive book UNHAULS full of books they never read-is unnatural. ANYWAY YES!! SUPPORT LOCAL LIBRARIES!! Use Libby!!!
I think my main issue is the 'tropification'. Sometimes I feel like recently published books don't have a fleshed out plot anymore and are instead written around popular tropes that are often mentioned when people talk about books on booktok. No hate towards anyone who likes it, but I feel like Powerless is one of those books. It just seems like the author took all the popular tropes and the plot was kind of an afterthought. And I've been noticing that a lot of books published after 2020/2021 have that problem
YES
this is exactly how I feel!! I really didn’t like powerless and this was a big reason why
I agree!
literally couldn’t have said it better also I felt the same about powerless
this is exactly how i feel!! i just hate tropes so much, it makes every book un memorable because they all end up reading the same
My biggest issue is seeing booktubers and tiktokers only recommending new books that are wattpad style when there are so many older books that are amazing, it feels like its not about reading anymore and its more about reading whats new trendy (sorry for spelling mistakes its not my 1st language)
Big agree! Like a get that’s some ppls preference but wish that wasn’t almost everyone
Then just don’t read those books lol.
@@Julliettwarnerit’s about how the culture of book tok is as a whole obviously if op doesn’t like the books they won’t read them
i mean hey if they like the books they like the books. i guess bc like wattpad style isn’t great we all know but sometimes it’s what ppl like. not day to day, but sometimes it’s nice to turn your brain off and read if that makes sense
kids are consuming CONTENT they are not supposed to. its not just books like haunting Adeline. even tv shows, movies and songs ( evenn some short form content )iss wayyy too mature for a certain age group. i feel like the parents need to be cautious about what type of content their kids are consuming .
STRONG AGREE
SAY IT LOUDER FOR THOSE IN THE BACK ‼️‼️
One thing about me: if Des posts I’m SAT
Can't wait for tomorrow's podcast its like recharging my batteries. 😮💨
In my personal opinion I'm stuck in the middle of this issue, do I think bootok has ruined literature? God no, that's a stretch. But has it changed the way people perceive reading? For sure. I feel like people see reading/books as this "romanticisation" sort of thing like an aesthetic of itself rather than reading to actually read. But in the end, read what you wanna read, is it really that personal if you see people reading genres like romance and not classic literature is just stupid, like in the end we're all readers and enjoy it!🤞
Right. We should be dissecting those readers who think that they have a moral high ground on others because they only read "real books" like classics. It's really annoying to see those people insinuating that readers who like "tik tok books" or popular books are mindless sheeps, corn addicts, or dumb. Like, personally, I read both "high brow books" (ugh) and tik tok books. I don't think they realize that reading novels is ultimately for enjoyment. There's a reason we aren't reading textbooks instead. Like, let me read both Jane Austen and Ali Hazelwood at the same time. And a lot of people who laugh or make fun of romance readers are, I've noticed, incredibly misogynistic incels.
@katgreer6113 My favourite genre is political literature like George Orwell etc and I get so much hate for it because I'm seen as a person who "does it for attention" like let me read what I like in peace without constantly getting critised on just because I don't enjoy romance based books 😪
also when dark romance was making problems, people now have a bad idea of all readers and call us gooners smh
@@ashleygoetz7847 honestlyyyy
I believe romanticizing something is making it in your own way a dedication of yourself to be in the moment is more the aesthetics that kills me and makes me wanna be a maximalist😅 anything that makes you look at your life and makes you see the little things and value them be grateful for them its in my point of view romanticizing ❤ but I know what you mean
I’ve been a reader my entire life. I grew up reading and writing & truly love the art behind both. My issue is that it feels like recently anyone can be an author. I’m not saying this in any bad way, what I mean is that a lot of new books have mediocre writing at best. It feels like everyone is just reading ‘for the vibes’ instead of actually appreciating the hard work behind a sentence. It, sadly, feels like people are reading because it’s the ‘cool’ thing to do at the moment & reading the same recommended books. There’s nothing wrong with that, if that’s your preference, I’m just saying it feels much different than it was before.
I totally agree! I’ve been watching booktube for EONS. I don’t even know how long ago I started but it’s just crazy to me to see the shift on so many levels. Not only have the types of people that are reading have changed but also the way they think about reading, the types of books they read (and therefore the types of books that are largely getting published and heavily promoted), the overconsumption, the focus on having an “aesthetic” setup, keeping up with trendy books and authors, tropification, lack of editing and scrutiny before publication (I’m looking at you, Powerless), etc. (Some of these certainly happened before but imo it wasn’t on the same scale) These aren’t all inherently bad, although, some of these things have probably permanently damaged the way we all used to find out about books before and the quality of literature that is being published. It’s bittersweet to see a community that I have been a part of so long do a complete 180 degree change within a couple of years. Sometimes it’s completely unrecognizable (Side note: does anyone remember that before the current book besties group the original squad was hailey, Zoe, and Hannah? I miss those days sometimes. Although it’s great to see so many new fresh faces in the internet booksphere)❤
yes!!!!
“I’m gonna touch your hand when I say this” DESTINY absolutely iconic 💀
when someone is gushing about a book to me on youtube or BookTok, i ask if there is smut in it, not because i want to read it, but because dont. I think that people on BookTok are a little too obsessed with porn and smut. so, for people like me, who DONT want to read it, you cant go on platforms like that, because it seems like today smut is all people want to read.
Yeah I feel exactly the same, but think in the context that she was talking about is when someone is talking about like, a classic book that most likely doesn’t have smut in it, yet people in the comments aren’t actually listening to the creator about how wonderful the book is they are only concerned about the smut (but if they’d listened they probably could have figured out there wouldn’t be any)
@@hailey_the_ace_of_hearts4127 exactly, like what in the world, when has a classic ever had smut in it?💀
But if it’s any other kind of book I have to ask, because I am worried about smut.
I 100% agree with you. I feel like a lot of people on booktok only care about the smut. Some of the books I’ve gotten recommend on there turned out to have like 10% plot(?) and 90% smut. Like I think a little is fine but it’s gotten to the point where it’s the majority of a lot of books! 😭😭
@@Gh0u11z.7 I swear at this point it’s becoming harder and harder to find a book that doesn’t have porn in it, like I don’t think tiktok is ruining literature, I think this cutler is, and there obsession with profanity. When it gets to the point where it’s 90% smut and 10% plot, I believe that’s not a book anymore. Just porn written down. Now I have read amazing books that have maybe 1 or 2 scenes in them that I can easily skip past, so I definitely think there are books out there that are really good but still have a little bit of spice. I just wish other books I’ve read that are amazing, but don’t have smut in it, would get more hype.
I agree. That is why I stick to the classics and biographies.
my main issue with the new wave of bookfluencers weither on tiktok or youtube is the refusal to really get into it when talking about books and hiding behind *spoiler free* if you really read and understood a book you should be able to give a comprehensive review with interesting opinions and diverse vocabulary to describe how you felt. but nowadays you all just say “it was a 5 star”, “ i didn’t like it BUT DON’T WORRY it’s just not for me” etc like tip toeing around upsetting people and it’s just irritating. STAND FOR SOMETHING OMG it’s the same people that refuse to speak on real issues in the community (book boycotts, problematic authors and plots, racism and exclusion in the space etc) AGAIN STAND FOR SOMETHING MY GOSH
totally agree!!!!
RIGHT
this.
As a dark romance girly, I think it is important to understand that Haunting Adeline is an adult romance and as an ADULT I can decipher the difference between a 'book boyfriend' and an actual attraction to a real life man. I think the real issue here is children getting their hands on these books. As we know, people have different tastes and that's ok, but let's not shame people for what they enjoy, just because you didn't enjoy it❤
Exactly!!
My exact thoughts
MY EXACT THOUGHTS
i dont think she was trying to shame anyone for reading and enjoying it. i think she was just trying to say that people were taking it too far, even adults, and romanticizing these aspects and applying them to real life murderers. As well as, its easy for someone to take a look at booktok and only see that and think booktok is just smut, dark romance, not real reading etc. because there can be some toxicity and discourse within the book community. i love dark romance but it is true that SOME take it to a whole other level, and its not even about the book or content anymore. i completely agree that children getting their hands on books like these are an issue, especially bc they are more impressionable and find it harder to distinguish the two but since booktok has exploded (4-5 years ago) many young people have emerged into adulthood with harmful mentalities surrounding this type of content.
@@vaidavaldez6144 i completely agree, youngins shouldn’t get there hands on that stuff.. but once again, that’s nobody’s problem but the parents. it’s not up to creators to dictate their adult content by the fact that a child may see. there are plenty of blocks parents can do on the device to prevent this. also, i agree that the people applying stuff to the real life criminal is WIERD and DISGUSTING. 100%.
the only problem i have with what you said was “it’s easy for someone to take a look at booktok and only see that and think booktok is just smut, dark romance, not real reading, etc” …. so what is real reading ???because the last i checked, reading is reading words. that’s literally it. this is the problem with the stigma now a days revolves around this entire topic. people believe that just cause someone enjoys smut, they aren’t a real reader. hey so new flash, as an adult, i can appreciate something realistic for adults, such as sex. so i usually gravitate towards new adult. and not YA, cause i’m 22 years old and not 16 anymore. YA is hardly relatable to me. but i’m also not someone that will say, those aren’t real readers. we really need to stop shaming other people cause they enjoy something different. it all boils down to people believing they are better than someone else. when they are in fact, not.
lol, sorry.. that wasn’t entirely directed at you, btw. just in general, it’s a very frustrating topic. because genuinely at the end of the day, if people stopped worrying about other people, we wouldn’t even be having these disagreements or discussions.
personally I love booktube over book tok because I love long form content and it’s relaxing to me! Totally agree with your opinions and thank you for all of your recs des!💗also please do a deep dive on the new Barnes and noble
As someone who's seen booktok videos in 2019/2020 when it first started .Changes has occurred relating to the type of the books that gets recommended , or how the books are been recommended . Even if now the publishing area has benefited from the growth of the platform , I can't personally deny the fact that the value of the actual reading is kind of lost , since now everyone wants to read because its an aesthetic , or just because its popular . I am not saying that trying popular things is wrong , but it is important to actually respect the value of books and not devalue them . 😊 just wanted to share my opinion
@@Booklover640 that's the same thing I'm thinking as well!
how would you say the types of books have changed? I didnt discover booktok until 2022-ish
@@PartOfBrookesWorld I meant that now there is a certain type of books that is getting popular to the point were sometimes if you want to search for book recommendations everyone is recommending the same book , and everyone is reading the same book , even if in the reality the book is not worth all the hype that is getting . People now will get fixated on certain tropes , and now with how big the booktok platform is getting , its a bit overwhelming now to go to the app and search for book recs , that's why sometimes I check other platforms to see different books and authors and genres :)
I feel like the people who say booktok is ruining literature just doesn’t like the genre of books that are in it. Some people take it too far, and some books don’t !!
And you can’t just judge people’s choice of books. A lot of booktok is romance and some smut, if you don’t like that then you just aren’t watching the right ones. There are people who only read booktok recommendation vs looking for books themselves and picking out of pure interest. It’s unfair to say booktok is ruining literature, what it’s done is encourage more people to read. Now how the authors write is a whole different conversation.
@@Mollywashere I completely agree. Most of the people who say that don’t like romance recommended, and that’s perfectly okay. I just don’t get why they say it’s ruining literature when it IS literature
I agree to an extent. Where I'd say it is kind of ruining literature is that there is a variety of genres on booktok and i personally would say what's ruining 'literature' is the obsession with tropes. Tropes are fun but you can tell when a book values tropes over plot and even characters. And the obsession with smut. being so addicted to smut to the point where you won't read a book without it is concerning. "is there smut?" i'm recommending anne of green gables....
@@roseanne2717 ikr? It feels like books are now made for the new readers with like 10+ tropes but barely any plot
18:20 literally why books are so powerful. Love these kind of videos we need more!!!
As a librarian I think we all just need to realize that booktok is personal recommendations. Some times I hate the recs sometimes I love them that’s the fun in reading!!!
A a sit down video literally just about books that changed your life and why we should read them, I will be sat
I would have never gotten back into reading without the rise of booktok. If booktok books aren’t your cup of tea, that’s fine! Look somewhere else. But don’t shame the people who do like booktok books. They’re reading SOMETHING for fun, which is already two steps ahead of the general population.
Exactly my thoughts 👏🏼
this ‼
I also wasn’t a big reader before booktok and the popularity of reading has made me learn to love reading! I do see where some people get mad at booktok cuz I’m not a big fan of all the books that are popular but the fact that more people are reading for fun should be celebrated.
Dark romance reader 🖤 I appreciate the video Destiny and the conversation but these types of books which are heavy on spice, have trigger warnings and are ADULT content. Young readers should NOT be getting there hands on this type of fiction and having an 11 year old niece I know we check what she is reading. There has to be some responsibility on parents to know what their children are reading. Dark romance is not advertised to children. Haunting Adeline is one of my favourite books, not because Zade is romanticised -- if I consider him a "book-boyfriend" I can but would I date someone like this in real life HELL NO!! It's escapism and fiction! I'm 32 and LOVE very, very spicy books. I don't have TikTok, but I think that platform is encouraging readers to picks books up for the first time or finding enjoyment again in books. No shame to a readers taste.
I LOVED this video! I would like to see you make a video on the Barnes and Noble modernization! Honestly, I love the whole booktok/booktube community. I enjoy watching these videos because I'm a young teen (14) and I don't have anyone to talk about my passion with. I love watching you, Sara, Haley, and more booktubers!. Sometimes I get AMAZING recs from you guys, sometimes I don't read them (bc they're inappropriate for me!) but I love the community and how everyone can bond over something we truly love. So no, I don't think booktok is ruining literature :)
I think the “booktok” books are a lot of the same tropey kind of books and that’s because there’s a target audience for those books. There are soooo many other books, genres works of literature but sadly it’s not as “trendy” on booktok so I think a lot of people are just reading the books that are currently trending and fit the tropes that are selling well at the moment. I encourage everyone to try to read diversely seek out new authors, lesser known books and authors with different plots, set in different parts of the world. You can literally explore the world through literature. Let’s say booktok books are like a destination vacation. Everyone wants to visit there right? But there’s a whole world to travel. ✈️📚
I would love to see a B&N video! In terms of the topic at hand, I have found AMAZING book recommendations from booktok and ones that I just don’t vibe with. And THAT’S OKAY! I wholeheartedly agree with you!
I work at a bookstore during the summer and on saturdays during the school year. The ammount of young girls that buy haunting adeline or acotar is crazy! I was going to say something since a young girl was getting ACOTAR but its not my job as someone who works at a bookstore its the parents job. I feel the same way with parents getting ice breaker and thinking its a cute non spicy teenage romance when in reality its nothing like that. Growing up my parents always looked up the books I was intrested in getting to make sure its appropriate! It is so important for parents to research books before they get them for their kids.
I think what people have issue with is the unwillingness of people on ‘booktok’ to engage in a serious discourse about something they like. An example is like Rhysands actions in acotar where he takes advantage of feyre and these actions are swept under the rug because that break the illusion of him being a ‘book boyfriend’.
Books like haunting/hunting Adeline are such extreme examples of what’s on booktok that people turn their heads to rhysands actions and whatnot.
It enables people to not really think about what they’re actually engaging with imo.
yess I agree
i think most normal people read a book. know that what happens in book, should not happen in real life. it’s for shock value or entertainment. no one’s reading these romances as guides to real life.
@@kianalikesbooks this is exactly what I’m talking about. This is a fallacious argument. People don’t want to talk about the material of the book (which is fine) but then problematic content is dismissed on the basis of ‘shock value’.
I personally can’t find my interests on book tok so I just steer away from it and I don’t see why other people don’t. It’s so easy to just not consume what you don’t want 😭
this is such an interesting topic, love you destiny!
I agree with everything you said. My biggest problem with booktok is how people get personally upset with people if they don't like a book that they loved.
You hit the nail on the head. This video was articulated so well. I’d love to see more videos like this!
DESTINY ILYYY SO MUCHHHHH literally comfort youtuber
I think this is a great point to look at!! Personally, I don’t think I would’ve gotten back into reading as heavily without booktok!
Personally, I think booktok has saved reading. I think so many more people are reading books because of booktok, and, regardless if I like the popular books or not, that’s what it’s all about isn’t it? People reading 💖
des doing commentary is everything !!
I used to post photos of my books on Instagram in middle school and my friends would comment stuff about how they hated reading and that I was crazy… the tables have turned 😅😇
I absolutely NEED more videos like this from Destiny.
Really LOVED this video Des! Definitely do that deep dive on Barnes, I’m intrigued!!
when i was an intern as a senior for SEVENTH graders they were reading Haunting Adeline other dark romances. i don’t have a problem with the adults reading it (and not romanticizing it), but when 11-12-13 year olds are it’s a problem.
The problem is their parents aren’t doing their job to watch over their kids.
@@maddie87278 absolutely!!!!! i had to contact the parents and all of them were shocked 😭
Not been a lot on tiktok, I'm soon 35. So maybe I'm too old😅 I love longer content. I love following people on booktube for recommendations. Sometimes I find a book I like and sometimes not. Like you said people have different taste. I don't like all books some of my favorite booktubers like. There will be sometimes we agree and sometimes not. I love a bit spicy but not too much, so I'm very greatful when you and other rate the spice too❤ Love your video🥰🥰
i love the way des explains things, even with how she explains books she has read. the points made in these videos are so eye opening especially with both sides talked about! this is a topic i never thought about, but this video was wonderful! love u des, can't wait for the next vid!!
I see a lot of people discussing that too many people are just “reading for the vibes” and to not think too deeply of the plot, but this is my entire reason for reading. I have a busy life with school and work, and many people (as do i) read for fun, and booktok has just shown that to a longer extent. I don’t always wanna think too hard behind every line and word😢
anything that gets people reading is a good thing. it's so weird to me that people argue against this or try to pick it apart.
i think its okay to criticize because it also has negative affects on the industry
It also connects you to the authors because some of the authors are on tiktok and that’s always nice, especially if you can’t go to book releases/signing
i don’t get it either. like just cause someone reads for smut or someone reads to learn something. that.. in NO way makes that person better🙄 i’m so tired of that
@@kianalikesbooks rightt! read what you choose to and dont bring anybody else down for not wanting to read a 600 page dictionary. at least we're all reading
@@aliahamdani exactly. the problem is most people are so worried about other people. like go touch some grass, the world doesn’t revolve around you, and stop complaining 🙄
21:47 I 1000% agree with this. I have been a reader for as long as I can remember (I'm 35 now) and I always struggled to find people to talk about books with in my real life. Since booktok and the pandemic so many of my friends have gotten into reading. Booktok gets major points for this!
P.S. I love this video and you should definitely do more like this!
I absolutely love commentary videos like these!!! I definitely would love to see one on overconsumption specifically in the book community. It has been something I’ve been very interested in lately. I also love the point you made about people essentially complaining that the book content they want is not necessarily what they are getting (relating to diversifying reads as well as the algorithm in general). I think there are so many topics you could get into with this form of content!!
As someone who likes dark romance and loved the cat and mouse duet myself...I think it's disgusting that women are romanticizing this REAL person and the disgusting things he did. He is not some fictional character. He is a real person who did HORRIBLE things and liked it. I don't see how anyone can look at him and think anything other than disgusting. I've seen a ton of dark romance booktokers make videos about this situation and how real life and fiction are very different.
@@kimberlysreads couldn’t have said it better girl!🩷
100% agree we need to have a club with the girlies that can differentiate fiction from reality ASAP
First off, I absolutely loved this style of video!! As someone who was re-introduced to reading through booktok, I think it’s one of the greatest things to happen to literature and readers within the last few decades. Throughout my life, before the rise of booktok, I watched quite a few independent book shops in my small but very overpopulated town open and fail almost immediately (I mean months after opening) because nobody was reading! Fast-forward to post-pandemic/booktok, my town is home to its first successful book store since 2011. I go to my high school of over 1,500 students and see kids sprinkled throughout our campus carrying around a popular booktok book or reading during lunch or breaks. I initially fell off of reading in middle school, (pre-pandemic) as I felt judged and “uncool” for loving books, which seems silly in hindsight, but middle schoolers are mean! And I was young and impressionable! All this being said, with the rise of book content on social media, I, as well as so many other readers, were accepted into a community that encouraged and re-instated a love for reading in people of all ages.
please do more sit down talking videos! love to listen while I'm doing laundry
You totally should do a Barnes and noble video, I would love to hear your opinions on it! I feel like it would be so interesting! Love this video btw 💗💗
I absolutely LOVE the way she ends her videos. Her eyes are so pretty too! Loved this one!!💗💗
The reason behind “rushing the writing/publication process of a book to keep it popular” doesn't make sense because literally people have been waiting for the last book of A song of ice and fire for a decade.Also, real readers don't mind waiting as they appreciate the crafting process of a quality book. This leads me to the conclusion, Booktok isn't ruining literature but rather the publication companies are as you see a lot of books coming out poorly editied with 0 plot.
Also I 100% agree with the shaming aspect. I personally don't like how epic fantasy readers shame romantasy readers as they imply ”romantasy is ruining fantasy/world-building.”
When I see people write than Throne of Glass isn’t great because there’s not enough smut, that makes wanna cry 😅 Like spice is the goal and a big criteria to rate a book, no matter the genre. Spice levels are just characteristics of books, like genres. Doesn’t make a good or a bad book (except if the spice is badly written ahaha).
Also, the rise of booktok has had negative impacts in non-English speaking countries. I’m French, and French translations of popular English books are now so rushed that they are often really bad and contain lots of mistakes.
i know i’m super late, but i just have to say that finding this channel (and sara’s, haley’s, and rachel’s ofc) has helped me so much and i feel so close to everyone here even though we’ve never met! 💛🌻🐝
It’s so nice to hear my feelings verbalized about this topic! I have my issues with booktok like everyone else does but it is hard to deny the good it has brought. I started really getting into reading in 2021 with People We Meet on Vacation. I doubt I would have kept up that momentum with out booktoks recommendations. I learn things about myself with every book I read, no matter if I liked the book or not. Loved the video!💕
i hate it when someone says they hate booktok vrac it’s recommending them bad books. like sis this girl is talking about a book she fell in love with because she wants you to fall in love with and see how many people have the same taste as her. but booktok also made authors just write a mix of every trope under the sun. and it’s fun to have multiple tropes but then too many tropes is just obvious that you just want to be on everyone romance booktokers page
I think calling booktok 'bad' is such a blanket statement. It's good because it is encouraging people to read, but there's equally a lot of things we can and need to critique about it. That is my take summarised into two sentences.
I could not agree more with some of the points Des made!! I am so appreciative that she went in depth about these topics love ya Des❤❤
Yay! I love this style of video. Love hearing your thoughts on book topics. This was so fun to go along!
English was my worst subject in school. I always hated reading because I can never read ahead when I was called on but watching these videos gave me the confidence to read and now I've been reading for the last year and a half and I love it
Okay. I actually love this video style from you! Your points were articulated so well and I loved hearing what you had to say🤩 Would definitely love to see a video on the rebrand of Barnes and also more about how to curate your fyp. Love ya girl!🩷
I love this kind of content from you! It’s so interesting to hear you expand on a single topic :)
I LOVE this format des! I would really like if this type of debate video became a series, or something that you keep doing in the future with reading prompts. sending love from argentina🩷
my favorite thing about booktok is when i've forgotten about a book from my childhood and someone talks about it and it sparks that memory and the excitement i was feeling when i was reading it. i might never have remembered that book if not for that random person.
Not a TikTok girl but it’s the same when people say audiobooks don’t count… even if I’m not reading the words myself it’s still a book I’m reading I’m just listening to someone telling me the book. Physical, kindle, audio it all counts
I certainly agree, reading is reading whether you consume it with your eyes or your ears. Unsighted people have a specific service that provide audiobooks so they don’t have to miss out, is it reading…YES YES IT IS. Anyone who says that it isn’t reading needs to recheck their words before they put them out there.
Plus, also people have different learning styles, some more auditory some more visual a.k.a. reading the words, etc.
@@ElinWinblad totally agree, some people are such sponges for the written word and others maybe auditory learners or a combination of of both . However people read it all counts
I agree. Also, I know a lot of people don’t like booktok due to minors being exposed to mature content, but if you think about it they can’t do anything about that. This happens all the time. Not only on TikTok, on UA-cam, instagram, any social media app. It’s not booktoks fault. This type of thing happens in booktube aswell, you can’t control who views your videos no matter what you say.
People getting upset with booktok for ruining books with the reliance on popular tropes just doesn't make any sense to me. Don't hit me but this has always been a thing in all types of media and creative spaces. The idea of a specific author, musician, or artist following a specific trend that they know their target audience is going to consume is not new at all. For example, during the Victorian era, lots of English authors like Dickens or the Bronte sisters would write coming of age novels that follow the same structure (such as the main character having a childhood trauma, going to school, getting a best friend, and finding love in the end). That in itself would be considered "tropification" in a way. Musicians also follow the same formula that is popular when it comes to creating songs (that's why most music that's popular right now sound generic and similar). So authors deciding to essentially abandon creativity and instead publish books based on specific tropes in hopes that it sells is certainly not a new thing, tiktok has just made us hyper aware and annoyed with it now. We just have to continuously remind ourselves that the entertainment industry is a business and most people in it choose profitability over creativity, which of course is understandable. I don't think we can essentially "blame" booktok for something that has been happening for hundreds of years.
I’m a silent subscriber and watch all your content but I really loved this video! Des, you are such a breath of fresh air and booktok eventually brought me to your channel (& some of my other favorite creators) so for that alone, it’s such a positive in my life and I know so many other’s.
Thank you for opening up a discussion on this topic. I have some grievances with book booktok that I don't think we should be defending for these few reasons:
I grew up loving books and not really having a place where I could find them easily. Even the public libraries had no variety and you were kinda forced to see the popular or classic stuff, so if you didn't like those ones then sorry for you. I was one of the people who really got excited when books suddenly went up in popularity because that meant more variety, more opportunities for writers to receive the limelight and get an actual salary from this, and that people were building communities where deep thinkers could have a space to argue and agree and disagree enthusiastically without shame for being nerdy and passionate about books.
While I hear your point about anyone being allowed and able to read whatever I, however, I believe it's bred this really scary mentality that the most bare minimum stuff can be tolerated, and even celebrated.
I'm not just talking about authors losing their integrity as their series grows, but I'm talking to and about those people who will ride the bandwagon just for followers and clout. But on that, I must say this is one of the more disheartening things that booktok has allowed. Some of the most phenomenal thinkers of our time are relying on well liked and easily digestible tropes just to make money. Everyone's just feeding the instant gratification train and encouraging others to consume the same thing. I wish publishing houses actually valued the integrity of a book rather than what everyone's gonna eat up and not even remember in the next 5 years. I actually spiraled at some point because I thought authors were using ghost writers to finish their series because surely they wouldn't have put out something so unlike their style and personal integrity. And not only that, but everyone and anyone is becoming a writer! I dont care how it sounds i absolutely hate it. We're such a spineless society for allowing people to come into spaces where you needed to do hard work and prove yourself just to write horribly and take advantage of those who trusted them to give them something worthwhile. And im not saying restrict writers based off of unattainable standards, but not everyone can be a writer, just like not everyone can play in an orchestra. No wonder everyone is making fun of reading.
It's deeply upsetting that we as a society will allow these people to be celebrated in defence of everyone being able to read and write whatever they want. As soon as someone says they like something because of their personal taste it blocks off constructive criticism and healthy conversation about the things we are consuming. Just look at all the authors who have beef with goodreads reviewers. We are allowing so many young and impressionable minds to take these sometimes deeply flawed works as the way in which to view their own life. Some depictions of romance and life in general are romanticized and its seen as something to look up to.
I actually rarely read or watch things that dont have romance in them. There's something about squealing and kicking at my blankets at odd hours of the morning that just does it for me. If I were to be an annoying comment under a book recommendation video I would read "Okay but do they hold hands shyly at any point in the book tho?"
All this to say, it really me mad when all the romances are "How can these two get to the bedroom quicker", or "How can I depict unhealthy romantic relationships in a hot way?". There's something to be said about how in the past women were not allowed to read or study because society knew that you couldn't lie to an educated woman, and now that reading is easily accessible and even highly encouraged, all there is to see is less intelligent depictions in the one genre that women love.
Booktok has also allowed people to stop respecting people's relationships. Even when men are married maybe even with kids and have no idea that they're being sexualized and seen as these fictional characters who make some of the worst decisions I've ever read in my life, booktok is rallying behind these spaces as freedom of speech, enjoying silly goofy good fun despite the main parties non-consent, and what else, female empowerment. Yeah, okay.
I just think there is a lack of accountability going on. Why is it that when people are being called out and put on mainstream media for being a poor example of the space they represent that we want to defend them so we can save face for our own niche spaces? One bad apple spoils the rest. We don't learn these idioms because they're fun to recite. Instead of taking this as a lesson and holding the responsible people accountable, we will do anything to claim there was no fault in the first place because "let girls have fun". It not only cheapens the argument when something is blatantly wrong, but it puts morals and values in question.
The past couple of years have actually made me hate reading. There are no proper book critics because no one is telling the truth, and everyone just likes how it looks for them to be supporting something that girls like. ESPECIALLY the merch stores and publishing houses that get to benefit financially.
In as much as I disagree with some of the positive outcomes of booktok (because yay book shops are booming, even though kids are reading filth that's popular), I actually really like your channel. I'm a new viewer so I have yet to get to know your channel properly. But after a really exhausting search where I decided I was not gonna let booktok ruin my love for reading anymore, I found one of your videos and enjoyed your approach to reading. I can tell you actually love it and aren't just saying or reviewing things for the sake of maintaing your channel. I hope you won't take my thesis here as a personal attack. I just really want better for all of us.
i love when you do videos that you find interesting! loved this vid and such good points
I loved this discussion style so much Des!! I agree totally that booktok has helped so many people fall in love with reading 💓💓💓
I truly want to thank you for placing the spice rating in all of your wrap ups! I personally avoid/skip over it so to know the level of spice a book has is something I am very grateful for! 🤍 Thank you for being so inclusive to all the book girlies.
I've loved this style of video for a long time and seeing it from one of my favorite creators ever was such a pleasure---I'd love to see you do more like it!! As for topics I don't have any off of the top of my head but I've enjoyed everything you've put out for the last couple of years anyway!
Giving you a like and a comment because I personally love essay style videos. And LOVE that you talked about this. Good work babe!
Growing up, kids my age just weren’t reading. I would have thoroughly enjoyed something like booktok or booktube to not only have a community of people who just have a love for reading but could haven’t broadened my horizons when it came to books I was choosing. So I can not knock bookmedia for what it has done…given light to literature of all kinds and making people book people again. Whatever they are reading! That being said, I’m not a smut girly. But as long as people are reading, who cares. We love to see a busy B&N no matter the reader.
Back to essay videos. I’d love to see more! Maybe topics on how independent bookstores and how they influence us or we as people influence them. Or even a deep dive into spicy readers vs non spice readers. Even a history of good ‘ol B&N and how it became the bookstore it is today. Thank you for doing the research and giving us a different type of video!
yes please talk about barnes and noble! I work there and would love to see your perspective on the remodeling of it.
Des I love the second half of this video so much thank you for being open minded and educated!!!
I loved this, nicely done :) I think booktok has its positives and negatives as you mentioned but I think overall it’s a net positive. Book popularity is good for authors, publishers, book stores (local and chain), the economy, etc. it’s also amazing to see so many people enjoy a hobby that was kinda becoming a thing of the past. As much as the negatives suck, I think the positives are more important
as someone who discovered BookTube way back in like late 2014 to early 2015 right when it started, finding a whole community of the internet that enjoyed talking about books made me so happy and so i love that BookTok is helping people either get into ready for the first time or it be them getting back into reading again.
there are some wild ones in the bookish community, but then again the same could be said for every other community imaginable. great video and great points made, loved it so much💗💗💗
Thank you Destiny for speaking up about people romanticizing the wrong books, such as dark romances! I recently saw a comment section on tiktok and everybody was making excuses for the mmc of Haunting Adeline, I was literally shocked.
this topic has been discussed for a while now. I think the only thing that’s “ruining” literature is the overconsumption that has now seeped into the book community. I get that people who make book content have to do it for work, but the constant challenges, 50+ book hauls, reading books that you don’t like just for the sake of reaching a target or adding it to ur goodreads etc has been getting a little out of control
I absolutely agree with you Des,like everyone has their own tastes. If you don't like certain side of book tok then you have to just dig more and find your community that you would love,actually tbh I started reading with recommendations by book tok and see now I am ALSO reading classics,novels that some people say they are just "real books" and I have news for those people I started reading and convinced myself to read them by reading books book tok recommended and then I also got into them.If you don't like then just skip why would you want to harm people and by saying their tastes are awful? Btw book tok helped me to find my own community yk there isn't any person around me like Des and I couldn't talk with anyone which was making my interest to books down,however, when I found people who likes talking about books my enthusiasm towards books rosed a lot. That is all what I wanted to say,I hope my comment changed somebody's opposite thoughts.
Oooooooooo she’s a scholar with it!
i think it’s so silly people have started to criticize others who they think are just reading for an aesthetic. if someone reads, then they read and there’s not much more to that. it’s great if you love classics and well perceived literature, but you’re not better than someone who reads cute little rom coms. if you enjoy reading, then you enjoy it! the great thing is that we have libraries and bookstores and great resources to find different works, and you can choose something you’ve never heard of on social media if that’s what you prefer! 💖
If anything, I think booktok has brought back reading as a thing for people to do. And definitely brought bookstores back on the map.
I originally joined booktube so I'd have a place where I could talk about books. Not having anyone around me who read or rather read as much as I do. Talking about your favourite books to people who don't read or maybe at most reads a book a year and you get there and have at least a new book a week you want to blab about, that conversation gets so one ended and ultimatelly not very enjoyable, for any part. So booktube gave me that outlet, whether anyone listens or not, it's out there, it's out of my system. And sometimes if I'm lucky, I find other creators who enjoys the same books or even if they didn't, there's a conversation to be had, as long as both sides are open. Sometimes I make new friends, sometimes it only goes as far as the comment section.
Personally, I enjoy booktube more than booktok. As I feel booktok goes too fast and also I feel like it's far easier to find likeminded people on youtube, than it is on tiktok. I feel like the algorithm on tiktok is so much mroe sensitive than youtube. Like, if you go on one "wrong" video on tiktok your whole for you page is ruined. Whereas youtube it's a lot easier to have multiple areas of topics without losing the kidns of videoes you like to watch. Say you have a combination of books, beauty, asmr, anything really.
Great video! And great point of discussion! 💜💜
i think the b&n video essay/discussion would be awesome! i'm not from the us so that industry is different to where i live (south america) but i think it's a phenomenon that happened in many places and it would be very interesting to listen
Great video! Well organized and engaging! ❤
Personally, I’m grateful for booktok… not because I’m on it, but because my local Target carries great books now and I know it’s due to booktok. I love to peruse the book aisles and then borrow the ones I want from my library. Best of both worlds. 😊
i feel like when it comes to the booktok community or even just the publishing industry/authors of this generation, no one wants to wait for the anticipation of a new book anymore. as a music enjoyer/enthusiast, it's pretty much the same thing when it comes to artists releasing albums too often nowadays when in the past, we would have to wait a a couple of years in between albums. this new generation wants things immediately & we're losing the art of anticipated releases & bc of that, we're getting lukewarm books. this also goes along with the growth of short attention spans & if we don't get a release now, then it's on to the next thing & it's depressing to see.....
Love this new type of video! You should definitely do more video essays/ commentary! A good one could be booktube vs booktok
really loved this style of video, booktok helped me get back into reading during the pandemic, without that time i don’t know if i would have. 💗
The building your own algorithm point is interesting and left me thinking about my own for you page. A lot of my booktok/booktube recommendations aren't my taste in books, BUT, I don't hate seeing books that I might not neccesarily enjoy, because it lets me see more into what my best friends may be interested in reading. Which I think is equally as cool as building that foundation for your own for you page.
I’ve hated reading my whole life. Last year booktok got me started on reading again. It gave me a base of where to find books as an adult. Understanding the tropes and ratings. I went from never reading to reading 9 books in a month in a year and half. 😊
The way I ate this video up!! I completed agree and we need more "talking" vids like this!!
I really enjoyed this video style and deff would like to see you make more video essays!
I think booktok has popularized reading and made it seem “cool”. naturally there’s always going to be good and bad that comes with it but overall it has gotten people back into reading and that’s what matters!
Can we all just take a moment to appreciate Des and her amount of posting per week/month
READING,BOUNDARIES ,OPINIONS these are just simple words and i wish people understood the meaning of these words before cooomingggg at people for just reading what they want to and for having opinions on what they are reading.
This was such a good discussion and I actually learned so much! Loved this Des
My problem with booktok is how defensive and cultish they get over their favorite book/ author. Like I’ll say one very mild criticism about SJM and people start acting like I just cursed their entire bloodline and killed their grandma. Booktok is ruining people’s ability to critique because the people on there are sensitive snowflakes who can’t handle even a little jab. Hating is good and needed, especially within the literature community. 🙄
go off destiny! i loved how you said we have made a space that people could feel comfortable in sharing what they read and love!
The issue is also young kids being influenced what to read. As a teacher I think Parents just want their kids to read. So it is hard for a parent to then go through the book and figure out if it is appropriate. Unlike movies and TV it is not regulated by a pg-13 or r rated scale.
A scale should definitely exist
i love these kinds of videos!! this is such an amazing format of commentary and i personally like this topic too!!
Yes I understand that haunting and hunting Adeline are questionable but that doesn’t represent the people that read it. I’m personally not the biggest fan of the MP series but I don’t question their sanity for liking a very back and forth series. People just need to realize that what we read is for entertainment and not so much for real life relationship advice.
They’re opening another Barnes and noble near me I told my husband I never thought I’d see a coming soon sign on a Barnes and noble since the pandemic
my only gripe with tiktok (aside from the same recs over and over) is how much intense and graphic dark romances and smut is praised and viewed as the epitome of romance. especially with colleen hoover being SO big but the book is a domestic abuse story marketed as romance. i just feel like some of these books should not be marketed or labeled as romances. as for kids reading these books honestly i feel like that’s on the parents.