I feel like this isn’t a reading issue. It’s a social media is awful problem. If you get sucked in, it WILL ruin the reading experience. But it also creates opportunities to connect with readers we never would have. I mean, just look at the comment section here ❤
@@colin1818 No place for BIBLE (KJV)? Among the other books? Practising reading but keeping far from BIBLE? BIBLE is the only book which is filled with the basic instructions before leaving earth = BIBLE. Never had the interest of knowing how to live on earth?
"Talking about the same books over and over and over and over again...", says Merphy while Lies of Locke Lamora sloooowly rises up from behind her 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 (sorry Merph! 😂)
You know, i just read those Books because of her (three), and i liked, at least the first two, but no so much the third, hated the romantic part of it all, skipped all that part basically hahaha
As someone whose main hobby is reading and who sets aside a good chunk of the day for it, I've gotten so many snotty replies when talking about in real life - the classics "you must not be doing anything else with your life" and "that's so cute, I could never find the time for that" and my favourite, proudly stating "I haven't touched a book since middle school". I've found pretty much the same replies in the comments of book-related content. No matter how much or how little you read, whether you like physical or audio or ebooks, or you subscribe to a hundred other preferences, someone's gonna pop up to tell you you're doing it wrong. It's heartening to find someone talking about it in such a chill way as in this video. You're one of the very few people I've come across online with the "you can read how you want, i'm gonna read how I want and we're all good" vibe and it's the reason I love your channel ♥
I've heard similar things regarding not "having the time" to read from people who probably spend 2-3 hours a day on social media lol. A few weeks ago I actually read an article that said just cutting out 30 minutes a day of the endless scroll can equate to something like 13 average (and I think what was considered "average"was between 200-400 pages fwiw) sized books a year.
@@jgamez215 That's probably very true. I know for sure I complain about not having time for things, but I also sit here, like right now, watching UA-cam for hours every week. XD I think the internet steals a lot of time from people, and many don't even realize just how much time that is. I used to read like 4-5 books at once, and I sped through them despite not being a fast reader. Now I'm happy if I finish a book/year. XD But I also currently write books myself, make UA-cam videos, care for my flowers and bonsai trees, (watch youtube a lot), watch movies, paint and draw, and work full-time as a teacher. So I have less time for books, while I also spend less of the time I have on reading. But in the end, it comes down to choices. You choose what to do. And if you choose not to read, that's your own fault. :P But people needn't be so upset about what other people do or don't do, right? Or how they do it. XD I love this channel because it's friendly and chill. :)
@@SysterYster oh I'm definitely not immune to the algorithm based modern internet. Hell, on average I probably spend two hours a day just on UA-cam. We kind of are living in a paradox- we are living in a golden age or content. But we all are (or at least seem) busier than ever. Lol
@@jgamez215 So very true. XD It's both great and terrible at the same time. So nowadays, people need to manage their time way better or it just slips through their fingers. ^^;
We are all given the same 24 hrs in a day. "Not having time" is a personal problem and just means that they dont value reading (even with its myriad of advantages). I have this problem too with some people that are close to me. Live your life how you choose, but saying we have the luxury of time is condescending because I MAKE time to read because it's good for my health.
I actually find the ‘competition’ and goal setting on goodreads changed my habits for the better. It allows me to justify setting aside time each day and prioritizing it in my otherwise busy life. If it weren’t for booktubers like Merph I probably wouldn’t have got back into reading in such a substantial way, thank you!
Yeah it's almost like game-ifying reading which is fun. In my case the reading challenge is more of a motivator. I don't fuss about it too much but it's just that this year I feel like reading as many books as possible.
I'm so glad reading is trendy - the more people picking up books, the better. Content creation is a job like any other; if it's making someone unhappy and stressed out, it's time to change. That said, I believe the consumerism in the bookish space is absurd. I've seen content creators buy entire series when they haven't even read the first book to know if they enjoy it. I believe books are meant to be cracked, written in, loved, read, and given away, but not everyone agrees. But at the end of the day, reading snobs are nothing new, and I just want people reading.
When it comes to buying full book series. I just don't really understand. If I want to start a new series I get first book from library to see if I really like it. But my favourite series I collect.
Isn't that the problem with everything now? We go overboard, reading, learning languages, bullet journaling, study and so on. We fall into the rabbit hole of consumerism to feel like we belong and it's hard specially if you're an overachiever that wants to do all.
I agree with you, but we also have to understand that this is the way authors make money. Without them buying these books, the authors wouldn't be supported.
As someone who fell out of reading books a bit, I always assumed that people were falling out of reading too cause of so much other visual media out there. I am just happy that its still trendy and thriving
For me it's not that I fell out of reading, I just have a hard time finding something I'm interested in, (that and I was kinda exhausted after reading Marx)
I can't speak on this too much as someone who didn't fall out of reading, but from what I understand I believe it's just a representation of the direction art has been trending in for the past decade or so. Nowadays, people don't like to invest too much into their entertainment/art. That's why most art forms have evolved to short-bursts of entertainment rather than longer ones. Long-form entertainment is accepted to be more rewarding but also takes a lot more dedication, both in terms of time and in terms of mental effort. This is why in the last decade, movies have steadily become more and more unpopular, and TV shows have become dominant in the visual medium. Likewise, social media is all about short bursts of entertainment, literal seconds of content before you move on to something else. Even the length of popular pieces of music has shortened from 4-5 minutes to about 2-3 minutes, though this is a bit more subtle and inconsistent. So basically, books as a medium now apply mostly to a niche audience rather than the general public, who usually prefer to consume shorter-form art. That said, I think people are starting to get tired of the unending and repetitive nature of short-form media and are starting to dip their toes back into longer works, so I believe reading will start to become less niche as this change happens.
I kinda feel like the way many of us (at least in the U.S.) are taught literature in school definitely has an impact on the enjoyment of reading. I know the copious amounts of structured and assigned reading in high school and college, and the insistence on being quizzed on the least interesting aspects (looking at literally every English instructor who's ever assigned John Steinbeck) of the book definitely impacted me. I had a solid six year period where I didn't read for fun because of how I was "supposed" to do assignment reading.
The voice switch when Merph said "you haven't read this book? Ha I've read it twice" killed me 🤣 Also, without Booktube (specifically Merph and Daniel Greene) I probably never would have gotten back into reading, found some of my new favorite stories, or started writing my own book.
This was a fantastic video! I do find it kind of funny that the place I feel free with my reading is at university studying literature, where I anticipated to be judged for reading genre fiction etc, and the place I feel judged and measured the most is online lol Also, I completely agree about the idea that almost all of this has existed forever. My dad is 60 years old, never talks to anyone outside of the house about reading, but the man loves setting aside the day to reorganise the bookshelves throughout their house just for himself to sit back and appreciate. But if bookstagram existed back when he was young, I'm sure he would have been all over it. Since starting booktube, bookstagram etc, I found myself trying to conform to what is expected, and instead have now abandoned this romanticised vision of reading, and try to embrace the complete averageness of sitting down and reading lol.
The thing about feeling judged on the internet more than at university studying literature is a little too relatable. I'm in my first year of uni and i was so nervous about that, but i was plesantly suprised.
I'm so glad booktube exists, I got such great reccomendations from you and other booktubers. And sure, some of the content is "clickbaity", but it is easy to find the one which suits you. I don't watch bookhauls (and any other hauls), specificly to not promote the more consumerism side of things, but it doesn't mean I think people are wrong making them. Let's all chill and enjoy whatever we want to enjoy. Also, nobody is forced to watch anything. I have the feeling the drama queens are drown to drama content, and then they complain it exist...
I agree. Reading is, to me, a solitary activity, and the challenge is always to find enough uninterrupted alone time to get absorbed in what I’m reading. The only social activity related to reading that I enjoy is discussing books with friends. The online book community seems a little … frenzied. How many books do you read? Have you read this book? This series? Are you following this author on Twitter? Are you a patron; did you read the ARC of their forthcoming book? How do you rate your books? How can you tell if you’re rating them fairly? Are you part of this this online book reading group? Or this one? Reading should be less accountable.
I mean... I see reading like you. I am not a competitive person and I never EVER needed motivation to pick up a text - be it on paper or an e-reader or a short story magazine. I - therefore - avoid the frantic group like the plague. However ... I need a little accountability concerning exercise. Telling my boyfriend or collegues, "I've been hiking/to the cardio center/whatever" x times this months, and having a hiking buddy sometimes helps me to go once more. I know it's good for me, and I feel great afterwards - yet no intrinsic motivation exists. I gather it's similar for the social reading group. They actually like it, and it's good for their brains and they know it, but they need the outside oumpf to actually do it. Idk, maybe I am completly off, but this train of thought is why I don't want to dump on other peoples systems, even though I have nooo idea why booktok exists...
It’s really confusing to me that “aesthetic” reading bothers people so much. I kind of just view it as a parallel hobby. For example, I keep a book journal. I put a lot of time into it to make it look very aesthetically pleasing. But it doesn’t have anything to do with trying to become “a reader”. It’s because I like making and looking at beautiful things. I like to read but I also like to be creative, and because I spend so much time reading, books often become the source of inspiration for creative projects. That’s always what I assume when I see those beautifully curated Instagram photos or someone who spends so much time annotating or painting their books’ edges. Reading has inspired them to be creative in other ways and they’re just sharing that experience. Why can’t we just let people enjoy things!!!
I don’t do any of that artistic stuff and I completely agree with this comment. Same goes for bullet journals and planners. I don’t decorate mine but many people love to. It’s just a separate hobby. It doesn’t mean they don’t plan/journal/read as well.
The aesthetic thing is funny because it's not new. I remember a joke about how Umberto Eco's Name of the Rose was the best seller that no one had read because people had bought it to look smart/cultured back in the nineties.
All the social media performance aside, I love the way books and stories change and adapt with the culture and new technology, it evolves right alongside us and reflects the events, ideas and problems of the time the stories were told
I totally get this. I'll read Caves of Steel or The Naked Sun by Isaac Asimov and though it's set in the distant future, the '50s cultural norms still come out as an author is a product of his times. The language is even more formal. When you read Dragonflight by Anne McCafrey it has a strong female co-protagonist, but it is very standard sci-fi fantasy for the '70's, but you see her evolution and feminist thought creeping in by later books in the '90's.
@@rogerhuggettjr.7675 yeah, that's the kind of thing I'm talking about, books/stories are steeped in history even if they're fantasy or scifi, it's so cool 😀
oh, reading the short books and feeling guilty - that hit home. you are so right that people should just focus on their own business, but that would require (gasp) introspection :)
I'm sixty-four and read more than ever (I can't wait to retire). Unfortunately, in my neck of the woods, I don't come across many readers (they're mainly Netflix and Prime junkies). Therefore, Book Tube is a breath of fresh air. A very pertinent video. Thank you.
omg!!! i retired 4 years ago and my most favorite thing is to read! i don't "do" book clubs bc by the time they meet --usually once a month i've already read quite a few books since... i get a lot of good book recs on yt. and i enjoy hearing what the young readers think of the classics!!!
Any time a group or activity becomes "us vs them," it spoils it. Preserve the joy of reading as a social activity by being compassionate and inclusive. 💙
I think there's nothing wrong with romantizicing a hobby (I.e. redecorating your bookshelves to make them look pretty, taking pictures of your favourite passages in books) ☺
Merphy, you are completely right that this is not only concerning the book community but many others. :) I am not only a reader but also a vivid a knitter and very involved in the knitting community (knitstagram), and as much as I love it there, I must say: the pressure is REAL to finish a certain amount of garments in a certain time frame, to follow some Trends etc... I guess I have found a way for me to not give in to the peer pressure and (mostly) just enjoy my craft. But still, it's not always easy. 😅 Thank you so much for the insightful video, loved it! ☺️
When your hobby becomes your job, it is no longer a hobby. And when your hobby is your personality, it becomes a challenge to your personality when people do that hobby differently.
I partly think that’s also just part of making any hobby into a career. Take any hobby and add a monetary reward to it and it’s going to make it less enjoyable over time.
I feel like an outsider in this conversation, first on Daniel's video on this and now yours. I literally can't remember the last time I actually had a conversation about reading with someone, even online. None of my friends read really and most of my interaction with readers online is just looking for recommendations and occasional bits of sleuthing like with Cosmere connections etc.
Its sad because one of my fav parts about reading its the conversations about what you read, even when its just with yourself in your head. but finding people to go and have a coffee and talk about what you read, that's pure joy
Same, I’m still kind of normie, and read in ebbs and flows so I’m not super deep into the booksphere. I just look at all the booksphere content as fun and light hearted.
I feel like some of that is...if you're going from an online perspective, some things are more popular than ever. If you look at online, EVERYONE reads, the 'geeks won', and the culture accepts things like fantasy and sci fi,etc..more than ever. But when you step outside, the crickets are chirping, and saying the equivalent of "huh...looks like we got ourselves a reader." You really have to go out of your way to get a book club , or have that circle of friends where everyone is reading. I'm 41 now, and it honestly doesn't feel like things have changed all that much in regards to how reading is regarded. You still get looked at as if you're a unicorn, a lot of the time. What's more, people aren't really branching out and reading widely. They're reading YA and picking up a beach reads. Before I left the industy, the most rapidly growing sector was kids books and YA and manga. Pretty much anything else was stagnant. There's nothing inherently wrong with that..but it does leave the people who don't find much in those genres left out in the cold unless you find a good forum online..and that's just not the same sort of connection most of the time these days.
@@mattwhite4302 from what You are sharing I'm noticing a generational thing, and if You feel alianated I'm gonna tell You that I'm 23, and I'm not into YA as most young people are, but neither am into heavy old books or books about normal things. All I want, it's to read something special. But how to find that? Booktubers are recommending only the most popular YA books. And the "classics" are actually few. So I'm just trying to find this great stories and, instead of looking for reader Friends, I look up for Friends that can hold a conversation. I share a lot with My girlfriend and we don't read the same things. So for a conclusion, I hope You find these people that are smart, kind and Open mind enough to talk about anything and everything. I try my best to be that person
I'm 100% the same, everyone around me has other side hobbies, online chat is always recommendations rather than conversation. I just dont talk about them. It only really sucks when you want everyone to experience a story you really love, but know they just never will.
Being part of the OnePiece community, I know people often feel pressured to "catch up" or intimidated to even start the series because of it's length. What I always tell them is: This is not a competition. And this is true for all long series, like "The Wheel of Time" or Terry Pratchett 's books. People should take their time and enjoy their hobby whatever that may be.
Trying to "fit in" with your peers is an age old human trait that's crept it's way into the book community. Everyone wants to be like the cool kid, so they start imitating what they see. Next thing you know, everyone has fairy lights, holding up the same book, creating the exact same video(s)....but they never stop to ask themselves "why am I doing this?" For some, I don't think it was ever truly about reading books. It was about trying to fit in and make friends. None of which is a bad thing by any means. But you have to be true to yourself. Reading is a very personal hobby, and you're never going to find joy in it if you're just imitating how others do it. You have to find what works for you. And if that's reading 1 book a month, great! There's nothing wrong with that. Read for you, not for others.
[Toph voice] Reading is popular! Oh no... [/Toph voice] I honestly can't see why "reading is trendy" is a bad thing, TBH. So what if some people "are faking it"? So what if some people read genre fiction or posting about it? So what? At least they're reading or encouraging others to read, which is always a win in my book.
Your assessment of other communities being the same is so on point. I'm a knitter and the knitting online community also have a "competitive knitting" feel sometimes. Everyone talks about the "slow living" in association to crafting but sometimes it feels like you have to crank project after project to keep up. I'm all about the "ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it" so even if I end up knitting half a sock between 2 podcasts, i'll still have valuable info to share with people in the end.
I never really had a problem with reading as an "aesthetic". It's simply a way for content creators to showcase their creativity and skills in photography/videography. I don't see anything wrong with that. However, the issue of reading as a "competition" truly affected my personal enjoyment. I once felt pressured to read as many books as I can, only to end up reading books that didn't really leave a mark on me. I also felt the urge to read more novels when I'm reading a lot of mangas. Because of this, I made it my goal this year to read books that I'm actually interested in (regardless of popularity and format). I think the problem lies on this mindset that people have where they consider readers who posts pretty pictures, or who read more than 100 books a year, or who scribble beautiful annotations, or who read classics as the "standard". Having this standard of what reading should look like and pressuring yourself to meet that standard is detrimental. Read the books you enjoy. Read at your own pace. Read in any format you prefer. Read a book, or 7 books, or 153 books a year. Every reader is different, and reading- in any form or speed or amount- is still reading.
I think the whole drama is that we have too much to consume and we want everything all at once. Just recently stumbled on a youtube channels where pretty much every big classic is an audiobook. I was stunned 😭 Where do I start, what book should I read?? So then you kinda fall into the trap of buying everything so that to upon a random whim, you can decide to read anything at anytime because it's right in your shelf!
The thing is... I genuinely don't think it's possible to "fake" being a reader. People can do the aesthetics and the content, whatever makes them happy, but the book sphere is not exactly the place I would go if I was looking for an easy avenue to an audience. I'm happy reading is able to be such a social thing -- it does change it a little, but for me personally I've gone the loop of "Reading what I want", "reading what's trendy", and now looping back to "reading what I want" again. And on the note of whether creators are actually reading or not -- I notice that some people will have the camera on them for a bit and then turn it off. I don't think I've ever questioned if they were actually reading, I know they are because they are giving updates in their vlog. I think this is such a weird thing for people to get upset about honestly.
this is sooooo true. I say this all the time lol, if you want to make content for views or attention or clout or whatever, the book space just isn't the place for it. This space is made up of people that are truly passionate because, it's such a small corner of the internet and if you want to fake something for an audience, there's MUCH better choices lol
I see a lot of people in my book groups on FB showing how they read more than 400 novels a year. That’s more than a book a day! At that point is it even enjoyable? Or are they skimming these books to have a certain image on social media. I’ve tried going for my record number of completed books and I found that once I was done with a book, I couldn’t remember anything about it. I might as well of never read it and said I did. Now I’ve gone back to reading for enjoyment and relaxation. How it should be. Bonding with a book and ending with a lasting impression of the story instead of blaze through it like it’s home work.
The whole yearly goal really got to me. I felt like I had to speed through books to reach my goal. And I’m not even a content creator. I had to take a step back and realize that it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that I enjoy what I’m reading and however many books I read is enough. It’s been a competition with myself and now I feel like I need to stop and slow down.
I'm so confused... how can another person possibly ruin a hobby, that takes place predominantly inside the hobbyist's head, by existing prettily in front of their bookshelf or reading in a nook? If a person isn't reading but is making book content... how is that ruining it for you (general 'you' not specific)? Spoilers are literally the only thing that can ruin a book before you read it! It's a completely internal, subjective agreement between author and reader that NO ONE ELSE CAN EXPERIENCE! EVER! If the internet is ruining reading for you... isn't it you that's trying to base your enjoyment of the reading experience on validation from others?
Yessss!!!! Social media has been "ruining" quite a few things for me, so what did I do as a responsible adult? I CURATED MY FEED! I limited my time!! Personal responsibility, people!
As a watcher only of booktube (not on booktok at all and gave up on bookstagram) for the last 5 or so years, I've found that I actually have distanced myself a lot from the aesthetic/over consumption content that used to draw me in and make me feel insecure. I don't like TBRs, hauls, or even wrap up videos anymore - I seem to only like vlogs bc I like to see people read and review books in a more casual way that's not scripted or rehearsed. The people i follow don't do the "filming myself reading" thing very often and instead it's more lifestyle abd casual discussions. That makes reading and getting book recs seem more appealing to me. On a personal note, i actually sold probably 70% of my owned books bc I realized I had bought things simply bc of hype or bc a cover was pretty and none of the books around me reflected my actual taste. Now if I buy a book, I really think about it and take my time, or I go for an ebook - I'm just tired of having so much stuff! I also rarely pick up new releases in the same month or even year they come out bc I use my library and 1. There's a long wait time and 2. I don't care to be "in the know" of what everyone is reading at the time. I'm loving finding older books that I never got around to or even revisiting ones I read when I was younger. I think a younger generation is going through what all of us seasoned readers did a few years ago - it'll even itself out eventually. 😋
I am solely a manga reader, and can definitely think of a few anecdotes related to condescending readers. I enjoy stories, but it's difficult for me to get into reading a block of text. I thoroughly enjoy literary analysis, but I scratch that itch with video games, manga, anime, and other mediums for stories. I love Merphy because she has this passion for the stories she reads that is infectious. And if people get that from other influencers, more power to them. I'll be here though, waiting for her next SpyxFamily skit.
I'm manga reader too. I watch merphy because she has the same taste of manga that i like so maybe i could get some fantasy novel recommendations. I always getting bored because fantasy novels usually have some mainstream plot whereas manga (that i read) have out of the box story and very long series. Although i don't read merphy recommendations but i still watch her because she is so passionate about her hobby
I think another point is how fragile author (especially indie) reputations are. If an author makes one misstep or says one thing that another person finds offensive, it can quite literally ruin their careers. And god forbid if you're a reader and have one of those authors' books on your shelves.
Idk the whole “reading is trendy” thing has happened multiple times in my lifetime and I’m not that old. Plus, people buying books to show off but not read, is DEFINITELY not new either. I mean capitalism makes everything worse, I just try to focus on me and am just happy more people are reading.
and libraries are always an option, until this year, I haven't been able to afford to buy books while supporting my family and medical bills. I don't mind that people who are avid readers and making content around it is fine no matter how shallow people make it out to be. People will just follow good content that makes them happy.
I mean, more people buying books (even if they don’t read them) means more money for authors which is good. I do understand that it can also increase prices and lower supply at times though.
people have been buying books to show off since there have been books. Plenty of nobles, rich merchants and kings bought books to show off how wealthy they are
I like to point a fact that the discussion is not taking in account: I live in a small city in Mexico so small that in fact i cant go and buy a copy of almost any book classic or a modern one sure maybe some store can help to get but it will be expensive and this make even harder find people to share reading and the experiences of it and despite all the problems have the book content it give me a window to share and enjoy the hobby even more so its really weird to me that people says that book content is killing reading when in fact was book content what make me start being a reader at the age of 26 . So no book content is not killing nothing sure is not perfect but internet is a tool to connect whit others and book content is just other form of people connecting
"pressure to meet reading goals sometimes means you feel like you can't naturally ebb and flow out of your hobby" THAT HITS OMG. Feeling guilty for being behind on a goal because I've had an intense few weeks at work or because I've gotten into a video game or show... my goodness! That captures it so well!
6:08 I also would like to add fanfiction to this list. So many people, even in the book community, still see it as just “guilty pleasures”, or “something childish”, but it can be SO much more. I get that there’s some fanfics that are not super great, but there are books that are not super great as well! Like sheesh, reading is still reading, and I got valuable lessons from the many fics I read. I just wish it wasn’t so looked down upon outside of online fandom spaces
I honestly can’t think of why someone would dog on reading fanfics, other than ‘it’s not an officially published work, so therefor it doesn’t count.’ It’s never been my jam, but if it’s something that people enjoy and they’re *actually reading* and not mindlessly scrolling through social media, then that is a win. I would only encourage fanfic readers to try more published works, not to invalidate what they enjoy, but to possibly broaden their horizons and find more communities to be apart of. That will turn into more available fanfics to read, and it’ll create a positive feedback loop that keeps people from doom scrolling.
I used to feel bad that I didnt read as much nowadays but then I realized I probably read more than I used to. I started paying attention to the word counts on some fics I read and they're often 50k-200k. Fanfic gives busy ppl a way to find EXACTLY the kind of story they currently want to read without having to pick up a book they may only get half way through before they lose interest. I love that you pointed it out.
This is such a good point, sure lots of fanfics on Wattpad sound like they were written by a twelve year old who just discovered the wonders of whatever they stumbled upon, but some fanfics (especially on AO3 for some reason) are genuinely the most eloquently written pieces of literature I’ve ever read.
@@nadial8531 in AO3’s case, I’m pretty sure it’s the age of the users. Most writers on AO3 are older, which (usually) means more experienced writers and such
@@erincorcoran5936 also YEAH!! Fanfiction is so convenient! It’s free, it caters to your interest far more than books do, you don’t have to follow characters you don’t know yet, and it’s easier to find shorter stories if you enjoy those more. Since I began reading fics, I have read SO much more. I chugged them down, one shot after one shot lol. And the quality!!!! There are so many stories that are incredibly well written, characters that are well put together even when they’re outside their usual realities… there’s so much I could talk about fanfiction. It’s pretty neat, and I wish it wasn’t written off as “less than” simply bc it’s “not original”
Reading isn't different, but people are the same. Three thousand years ago, Socrates argued that writing things down in books would destroy oral commutation. Now, technology is changing the beloved format of the book. History is cyclical.
I have nothing against audiobooks. But reading has a clear definition that listening to a story simply doesn't meet. It's listening to someone else read. read verb (UNDERSTAND) to look at words or symbols and understand what they mean
“Ebb and Flow in and out of your hobbies” is a wonderful way to think of juggling different interests. I often feel like a bad reader bc i read books so slowly. Sometimes spanning a month and a half. Being an ADHD individual, I struggle with consistency in any area so I’m def going to think of it more like that!
It's definitely fun to have some social aspects to reading, participating in The Discourse about certain books/series, etc., but the feeling of being behind the times if you're not reading the books everyone is talking about can make a hobby feel like more of an obligation, and that's no good. Great vid!
I just think, as a non creator of content, that maybe there's a problem with the industry producing clones of the same material along the years. For ex. I follow a group of booktubers who like or at least gave 4 or 3,5 stars to every YA fantasy they read during all the year. I've read some of them and thought they seemed to be too similar, as if they were made following a strict pattern. So, do they really like them or it's just a publicity things, let's say, a reputation thing what makes them say only good stuff about what they read? I rarely see a booktuber suggesting or analyzing a, let's say, less popular book like Mitago Woods, Seveneves, The three body problem or Perdido Street Station. Men I'd love to watch a video of my favorite booktubers talking about their opinion about China Mieville, but it seems like they're only interested in talk about Sarah J Maas, Shadowhunters and, at most, another Brandon Sanderson's book
For me, the social aspect of reading has made reading so much more enjoyable! I grew up before the time of thriving online communities and reading being cool, and rarely had friends who loved to read, so reading was always a very solitary thing for me. Finally being able to share that love and talk about books with others who love them has been nothing short of miraculous for me. Being in the book community, both as a consumer and a creator, has also led me to read literal hundreds of books I wouldn't have otherwise, because I'm discovering so many more books than I ever had before and I'm driven to read more-and not because of comparative or competitive feelings, but because reading is just more fun when I can share the experience with others and explore my own thoughts about a book through reviews. And as someone very structure- and goal-focused, I LOVE putting together TBRs, most-anticipated lists, end-of-year stats, and so on. The book community has turned reading into so much more than just reading for me, and I love every minute of it.
I feel like listening to audiobooks isn't real reading, I didn't think I was being gatekeepy or judgmental about it; I don't even read really anymore, even though I want to pick it up again, but like... watching television isn't reading either and saying that isn't an insult, I just feel like it's a different medium and a different brain process.
I read because I like to read. I have more than 5000 books in my library... several of favorites are 40K/Warhammer (so tie-in) and they are good. If someone don't like it or don't think well... I don't care :) It's my collection, my books... Be yourself, read whatever you want no matter what it is... but read. That's the important. Elitism is awful. Why is Saramago better Dan Abnett? Why? because "you" say so? It really doesn't matter does it? What matters is that you read :) Good video :) one thing I changed was the pages per day. I was a bit obssessed and I've started my excel file in 2006 until last year. But it was not doing the right for me. sometimes I thought, yeah I didn't read 100 pages per day due to game X or anime Y... so I ended this year. I have a goal of books (real goal) but I am not that stressful... I tried a couple of years ago a youtube channel but it's not for me. I like to read, I like to put some info on goodreads or my blog BUT I am not a reviewer like you guys.. But there are people that are indeed doing good (like you or Mike Books OR Petrik)
well, yeah, anything "X" + social media will change the nature of thing. Because now you're not just "reading". You're "reading" to get views, to find people like you, to get monetized, to go viral. You've watered down what reading is. The same happens to authors on authortube. They start off focused only on writing, get an account and now being a writer (as an aesthetic) is their job, and they complain about spending more time making vlogs about writing than writing. And you can look at things like just existing. You used to just exist as a private person, now people who want to be influencers online, for example, live their life constantly thinking about how to make content out of their everyday moments. Take picture of food, clip this cute moment, share this, don't share that. Anytime you add social media and you add an expectation/goal (money, followers, likes, popularity, etc) you water down whatever you're attaching to it. it can be your own life, a hobby like reading, a profession like writing. NONE of this means people shouldnt do it. But if your main concern is reading, think twice about being an online reader; if your main priority is writing, think twice about being a writer online; if your main concern is living a genuine unbothered life, think twice about being an online influencer/persona. This is not rocket science people.
Interestingly enough, the social elements of reading are not in any way required to be an actual reader. If you don't like the social aspects then skip them. If you don't like SOME of the social aspects then skip those things. Don't like Goodreads? Don't use it. Don't like Booktube? Don't watch it. Just go read books. People have been doing it for centuries without the interwebs.
Confession time: I'm not into Manga. I've tried it, and I felt it didn't really gel with me. So, when you put up a video on One Piece or Vinland Saga, I don't watch those. Because the topic doesn't interest me. And then when you put a video up about a prose novel, I'll generally watch that (unless it's a spoiler review of a book I plan to read). That said, I don't feel compelled to write a missive to you complaining that you are doing videos on Manga, and telling you to focus on prose and not Manga. I don't think Manga is lesser, it's just not for me. So, I don't get this "oh, you're not a real reader" gatekeeping. I really don't. Read what you like. Read what enriches you. There's just no need to try and make everyone match my tastes. One of the reasons I watch Booktube videos is to see what other's felt. If I just want something that matches my opinion, then what have I learned?
I remember all the criticism about e-readers. People saying "you're not really reading." I flip back and forth with my books and e-reader. I have always been a reader, I'm 63. Funny story, my mom got mad at me when I was younger, because I brought my book "Jaws" into church!
I know I'm a little late to this, but my two cents: Most of the conversation is dumb and gatekeeping for no real reason other than people wanting to feel superior. Don't get me wrong, I understand the importance of having some of these conversations. I agree with you on that. But a lot of it is pointless. Like "people pictures of their books! They spend time setting up a bookshelf so when do they actually read?!" When they're not taking the picture. Tada. That's it. They decorate their house and try to make it look nice. They like the idea of the look of their bookshelf. That's fine. That doesn't mean they're not readers. They just also enjoy Instagram. Even some little things bother me. Like the idea of booktubers recording themselves so they're not reading. Like yeah, I would probably feel distracted. I just assumed most people might record a quick 30 second clip when they sit down and then start reading. Mayne if they're taking a quick break. Or maybe it just doesn't bother them and they do record for like 10 minutes and then find a little clip out of it. I've seen plenty of people who both read the books and then discuss them, which makes me think they are actually reading them. But they still have those clips. If their YT channel is their job, then they might just think it does well in the videos, and so they get them because it's part of their job. "But it's making reading less fun for me!" Then stop paying attention. I don't use Instagram. I never see that stuff. It hasn't ruined anything for me because I just don't go out of my way to find it. I don't go out of my way to get content I don't like. And if I did see that, I wouldn't care. It doesn't stop me from reading. I feel like most of the problems can be solved by understanding not everyone who reads is physically attached to a book and can do other things throughout the day. People have other interests. People who make a living off of it might do things to continue to make that living. If all of this is a problem, just go read. Mind your business.
Gatekeeping reading is a ridiculous notion and I won't even comment on it. The thing that fries my nerves though, is the new trend of random people INTRODUCING reading as this new shiny thing they found out about. The lack of awareness when someone pulls out LOTR or sth as popular as it, and present it like: so anyway i found out about this book i don't know if you heard of it. Obviously I am exaggerating, but whenever I first enter a space/hobby I behave as a beginner, not the authority. Obviously this is only a problem if you're an internet personality, but it is infuriating to see people who you know picked up two books in their lives (you do you) talk about it as if they need to hype it up and reading isn't a thing billions of people do😒 Don't even get me started on people treating it like any other trend and faking it but that is always to be expected in the online era✨️
i didn't even realise this was a thing, i mean hasn't reading always been a social thing, maybe there are also people that only read privately, or keep some of the stuff private but i think as long as reading for entertainment has been a thing so has the social aspect of it.
Fun fact: the, “this new form of reading is ruining reading,” argument is obnoxiously old. I don’t remember if it was Socrates or Plato who said that the written word would cause forgetfulness and laziness in the soul (because they should be memorizing stories not writing them down). When the printing press was invented there was backlash from that, etc. this isn’t new. It was stupid when Socrates said it, it’s stupid now.
It’s a load of nonsense in my opinion. The only issues from this are affecting those who care about any of that too much. Like how instagram fake photos aren’t a body image problem, they’re a content consumption problem. I don’t really engage with any book UA-camrs with any frequency, and books haven’t changed for me at all.
What a strange group of takes. It seems like influencers ruining stuff for themselves. I will read what I like regardless of what UA-camrs read. In fact, the vast majority of what I read doesn't get discussed on channels like this because I read old man books. I still like hearing what others like though.
It's just the social psychology of the internet. It tends to suck the joy out of everything. I suspect it's related to the psychological underpinnings of road rage. It has something to do with the semi anonymous nature of online communication. It's a factor even when people aren't anonymous and appear on camera or tack their real name on to their social media posts. It's like people communicating with the idea of another person, rather than the actual person. Something about it lends itself to petty cruelty, opportunism, dishonesty, and a general lack of empathy. I really wonder if the internet isn't just an interactive public bathroom wall that we're all vandalizing.
I am a One Piece fan that only recently got (back) into reading thanks to this channel, so I definitely don't feel the pressure or competition. In fact, I wouldn't have even known about these things if you hadn't made this video, to be honest. So, great video! The only thing I have to disagree with is the "human nature" bit. Maybe it's the nature of a human living in an alienating, capitalist society.
This feels very reminiscent of the "Girls don't actually play video games, they just do it to get guys attention" argument, which is gross BTW. I'm not super involved in the reading community and to be honest have only recently started really getting into reading to the point where I would consider it a hobby. I just think that it's not worth all the energy to get mad at someone reading they way you don't like if it doesn't affect you. Like it doesn't hurt me if someone poses witha book or films themselves reading, even if they are faking reading or reading for attention who cares, It doesn't change they way you as an individual reads. It's a little annoying when it starts affecting other things which does happen i.e publishers more likely to go for certain books that are popular with social media, or recommendations on digital storefronts being skewed more to what's popular rather than what I'm actually interested in, but these are minor costs of more people being able to enjoy reading in their own way. Just let people live their lives and enjoy things as long as they're not hurting anyone. Sorry for the novel of a comment.
It's only different if you spend all your time in "booktube" and "book communities" instead of reading for yourself (not as a social thing). That's a personal choice
I don't understand the idea of people "ruining" a hobby if it doesn't impact me how they engage with said hobby. Anyone can read however they like. Just because it isn't my thing doesn't mean it is somehow invalid.
Reading is just as asocial for me as it ever was, but I still struggle to do it. Because every internet-based entertainment is an attention vampire designed to slurp up your free time with the power of ten thousand Draculas. I like the convenience of the modern age, but for reading I liked the before times. Back before Google colonized my frontal lobe.
What I dont get is the idea that reading books isn't a social activity, we had book clubs since forever, even authors coming together to write together. So I dont think any of this is new. Intellectual superiority has always existed, since reading books has always been a social activity.
If I'm gonna do stuff for aesthetic I better LIKE the thing I'm stealing the aesthetic from. Cause if not what's the point. So if I get into reading for the aesthetic and shit, at least I'm reading and trying new shit and finding stuff to enjoy. Thats my take anyway
I think that what you talked about with competition and “fakeness” is more of an issue with content creation than with reading. I see this type of thing a lot with creators who focus on a thing that is highly subjective and creative where they get trapped in the cycle of trying to increase numbers instead of doing the things they want to do and talking about the things they want to talk about. As for reading becoming more social, I don’t see how that’s a problem. When I love something, I want to share that love with other people and find people who feel the same way. Complaining about reading being “too social now” implies that books were meant to be enjoyed in a vacuum.
I love reading and am so happy I don't have to read bullshit for school anymore :D and the best thing about books is.....that they make toilet time ten times better :DDDDDD and what more do you want from life :DD
I've been a bookworm since I was a kid and my love of reading continues to stay strong even as an adult and is my main hobby. I think that reading is a unique experience for all and that so long as you're enjoying what you read, the format and amount of books read doesn't really matter. I do love seeing how many books people can read in a year though weather it's one book read or three hundred both are valuable. There is often a lot of pressure to read a certain amount of books in a short amount of time particularly ARCs or to get out content, all of which are valid. Overall, reading is my comfort and while it would be nice to have the matching bookshelves and a certain aesthetic, I'm not bothered by my mismatched shelves, I just need to get more bookshelves because I've run out of space on my current shelves.
There are always fake "content creators". And they can be identified in their first 30 seconds of their videos. You, Merphy, are the real deal. Authentic and insightful. Thank you for this video, excellent as always.
Frist of all, gate-keeping fandom/hobbies is obnoxious. Secondly, we live in a peak content creation economy. There is too much of everything and everyone is competing for your attention. So writing provocative articles about the latest made up "controversy" is how you break through. It's the path of least resistance right now to look at something in the pop culture zeitgeist and go "Oh, actually, that sucks." and get lots of eye balls. And then those contrarian opinions compete for attention. Then we get backlash backlash, etc. And the cycle continues and nothing matters.
I think a lot of the superiority people act like they have compared to the “reading aesthetic” or whatever comes from them feeling like their little niche bubble of hobby is being encroached on. Which is silly of course. It’s the same energy as that guy who asks if you’ve read the comics when you discuss a superhero movie
You and Daniel are predominantly the only BookTubers I watch. I feel like you're genuine, I like your sense of humor, you cover books that I find interesting, and I like the style of your videos. I have read WAY more books based on y'all's videos than I ever would have on my own. There are so many books out there and it's often hard to know where to start or even go next without some sort of system and you all are my system.
When I was looking at finding a career, someone told me, "Find something you would love to do for free, and think of a way to earn a living off of it." Well, I'm still trying myself to figure that out, but I say thank goodness for things like Booktok, UA-cam, Goodreads, and others. People are able to monetize their passion for reading and talking about books. Maybe not much, but perhaps enough to pay for the hobby they love so much.
I really liked hearing your thoughts on this. Maybe social media has changed the state of reading but if it helps more people to pick up a book and read it then that’s a good thing. I think there will always be people reminiscing about the good ol days for any kind of hobby whether it’s books, video games, movies, tv, etc. I think you provided a great perspective on this. ☺️📚
reading isnt the same anymore ... I *used* to look at symbols on a page with my eyes and associate those symbols with particular letters of a language ... *now* i use a system of dots on paper!! i am blind
The one issue I have with readers these days is the bemoaning of slow books. What's wrong with a slow book? Why do we have to lament about books where you stop and smell the roses? It's really grating nowadays that a "slow book" is a flawed book.
12:19 Yes, people should oftentimes just learn to scroll ahead if they don’t like it. Think something is stupid? You’re not the target audience for that specific thing? Just move along, there’s no need to insult the content creator. I’m sure there’s a lot of content that is great for you out there.
From the thumbnail (of you on your back) I thought you meant that as you get older the back pains are making your reading habits less comfortable. I know mine have :(
I love how you casually reach over and pull a bunch of books off of the shelf. I laughed too hard at that. Do audio books really count as reading, though? They use two different sensory organs, after all.
Nope. And yep. That drives me insane. Yes, you are intaking the information. Absolutely. But READING is one activity and LISTENING is another. Words have meanings, people! You'd think readers, of all people, would know that! I recently figured out why FICTION audiobooks don't generally work for me. Nonfiction is another matter. I listen to nonfiction podcasts, lectures, sermons, interviews, etc. all the time while doing other things and have no problem concentrating. With fiction, it just didn't work. My mind would wander. I finally realized it's because when you are reading a book, that's all you can do at that moment. Even if you have headphones, your main focus is the words on the page. It's not physically possible to read words on a page and sing along with a song, at that same moment. The words on the page are creating images in your mind. Some people have that more than others. But it's still there to some extent. You can "hear" the dialogue and "feel" whatever is going on. That's what makes it enjoyable. If you're doing something else while listening to fiction, you can't have those images because you are seeing the other things you are doing at the moment! Even if you are great at concentrating, your attention is, by necessity, divided. It took me forever to finally figure that out.
@@Yesica1993 You hit the nail on the head! I feel the same way about fiction vs nonfiction audiobooks. There are some subjects which I would never be able to read about but listening to audio helped a lot. That's how I learned basic economics. Fiction, particularly if it is well crafted, requires a lot ,ore focus to get the most out of it.
"The bookshelves are here. They're real" *dumps books on the floor.* This is why I adore your channel, Merphy. XD What a great video though, in all honesty. It's been fascinating to watch the way Booktube/Tok/Stagram has changed reading perceptions and rehashed old "concerns". Fantasy as a genre has its own subset of naysayers, which is also an interesting discussion. I think you're right though, people are able to gravitate towards the style of channel or account that they enjoy watching and relate to, make decisions about what they do or don't want to watch and participate in... it's an individual experience just like reading. 😍ALSO thank you for the shoutout!
There is certainly a performative aspect to any content creation in any field, but I seriously doubt that people who talk about books or video games do it because it's popular... It would be really hard to dedicate your days to something like that if it isn't a passion for you. All of these discussions seem very shallow and unnecessarily argumentative for the sake of being argumentative IMO...
I think there's a lot of reading, but it's not deep. Most are just like watching a tv show. Some authors write novels with a message, with something to think about. Others don't.
I read the living-shit out of comic books back in the day, and my late-mother, a die hard reader, when confronted by her friends about my habits her response was "I don't care what he's reading, so long as he's reading."
Clearly this is only a tempest in a social media teacup. I consume only a limited diet of UA-cam as my sole exposure to social media and I had NO IDEA that some people were treating reading as a spectator sport or a team effort. I've been reading for decades, today exactly as I ever have in the past. It remains an intimate relationship between me and an absent (sometimes dead) author, and occasionally I swap recommendations with the small subset of my readerly friends. Perhaps people should get their nose out of other people's @$$es and keep it pointed in the general direction of their own goals. Read a book on your own terms, and only if you want to.
I find your opinions interesting, as I have been hard at work on what will hopefully be a new Booktube channel and book blog, albeit done in a way that'd be different from how I see Booktube and UK children's book blogging typically done. For one thing, my target audience is more like people who don't seem to read books but would go wild when a film gets announced that they don't realise was based on a bestselling book series (\*cough\* 'The Bad Guys' \*cough\*) and lots of indie artists I follow on Twitter and Instagram would dish out fan art up, down, left, and right for some time and some would even say it was a "furry bait movie" when it started out as a book series! Another type of audience I plan to target would be those who only really read the bestsellers, or only really buy bestselling books for their children. (looking at you, Singaporeans who had only ever bought books from Popular!) As such, I plan to focus on books that not many people may know about or are really only known within the book's country of first publication, but I do plan to make exceptions for some bestsellers, especially those I discovered before they earned bestseller status in their respective countries of first publication! (\*cough\* InvestiGators \*cough\*) I plan to aim for (and maybe even accidentally revolutionise) book blogging and Booktube first. If I were to get at the Booktok community, I'd probably aim for UA-cam Shorts first. A lot of the ideas I have in mind for on-screen graphics and motion graphics in videos were imagined in an aspect ratio of 16:9, though. ----- (1:33) I plan not to force myself to produce content for my blog, mostly due to my autism*. I don't want to end up in the gushing river of people (like those indie artists I mentioned earlier) working fast to get content out in order to cash in on a trend or perhaps even imaginary demand fueled by social media recommendation algorithms. *I tend to work faster when doing things my mind wants me to do, rather than what I or someone else wants me to do. Out of all the article and video ideas I had accumulated across my Evernote and Milanote accounts, I had noticed that some posts depend on others to be posted first, so I'm trying to draw those lines to help me find the direction to go into when it comes to what I should post first. However, I do still want to schedule posts, just not precisely unless I had completed a post and want to schedule its release. For posts and videos I have yet to complete, I schedule them down to the month at most. ----- (2:30) I like how you aren't one of those popular UA-camrs who'd accept sponsorships from any company but would instead accept those from companies I had never heard of! I already have a feeling that Babbel would be less annoying than Duolingo. The sponsor integration in one of your other videos introduced me to Campfire Write, which I've been meaning to try but haven't had the time to. ----- (4:57) I was reminded of how I won't be able to fit a bookshelf positioned in my bedroom in a way that could serve as a backdrop for my videos due to the layout and unusual shape of my bedroom, but that wouldn't be much of a problem for me as a result of my approach that would likely involve chroma keying. ----- (5:53) I agree. Another category that is often looked down onto by adults as a lesser way of reading is children's fiction. Well, it could even be both children's fiction AND non-fiction, but I plan to focus more on the former for my book blog. Authors and illustrators of children's fiction and non-fiction books that I follow on Twitter and UA-cam often mention that those genres don't get as much respect as those aimed at adults. I can tell, when people say "children's book" when referring to what I refer to as picture books. I also had heard stories of people who would make and self-publish picture books just for the money and not for the passion. I shun such people, and as such, plan to focus more on books I believe to have had real passion, thought, and/or imagination poured into them. In fact, I often follow Booktubers like you and some Reddit and Facebook groups just to see what the reading interests of other people are! (most of the book blogs I currently follow are based in the UK and cover children's fiction, hence why I specifically mention UA-cam and Reddit) ----- (6:28) Ugh, I especially feel it when it comes to e-books. I'm stuck living in a small flat where I don't have a lot of space for physical books, but then some publishers don't do good jobs when formatting e-books, including mapping 2 print pages to one digital page *(looking at you, graphic novel imprints owned by Penguin Random House!)* or illustrated novels with heavy formatting that then were marred by publishing them in reflowable text formats instead of print-replica formats! *(looking at you, David Fickling Books and Epigram Books!)* While I only listen to audiobooks alongside the print or digital editions, I still respect people who can't or just prefer to only listen to those. As a result of influences I picked up during my childhood, I prefer hardcover editions over paperback editions where possible. I like the feel of physical books when I'm reading at home, but when I'm out, and unless I'm reading a physical book that I borrowed from a public library, I stick to e-books as I don't have much space in my backpack for physical books without the risk of them getting damaged. To be honest, I feel neutral about wear and tear on books for reasons that are too complex for me to explain here. ----- (7:09) (8:57) One of the things I'm planning for my blog would allow me to leverage the fact that I haven't been reading as much books as other Booktubers. ----- (7:21) (8:57) I think I know what you mean, as I was reminded of the Goodreads Reading Challenge, which I don't pay much attention to. (7:50) Yeah! While I don't have a lot of space at home for bookshelves, I was reminded of when I was playing Happy Home Paradise and was playing the Eloise challenge which was about reading and I had my player character build a small home with a library and reading nook. ----- (9:35) I'm reminded of how I recently decided to drop live streaming from my plans to rebrand my online presence, rebrand my existing UA-cam channels, and launch new publications (blogs and video channels), mostly because I keep catching colds, That would just mean I won't design graphics for live streams, as I do plan to live stream, but only in emergency or important situations, just not part of my regular schedule. It'd allow me more time to work on regular content to schedule and post. ----- (15:44) I agree, and was indirectly reminded of how I plan to just focus on having a blog and UA-cam channel as primary outlets, then Twitter and Instagram as secondary outlets, and maybe eventually TikTok as a secondary outlet too but not at launch. I don't think I'd even do Instagram at launch, but might still create an account in order to reserve the username as I do plan to join the Bookstagram community. One major hurdle I have to the launch of my book blog is the creation of social media accounts before formally revealing the name and setting up a pre-launch preview website hopefully at the same time. (15:50) I would like to provide the name, except I haven't even created the UA-cam account for it yet! ----- (18:37) For me, it's that I keep getting ideas for videos about children's fiction books that I decided to spin them off from my main channel (the one I'm posting this comment from) which will eventually become my off-topic channel after I launch the book blog).
I am not the biggest reader. Im the kind of reader that reads because I tell myself that I should. I do enjoy it when I manage to get lost in it. Your channel is amazing and keeps me on track. Keep doing what you do, you are so naturally talented at it and its captivating.
I like this channel a lot. I had abandoned reading outside of a handful of books a year. I think this channel is the reason I realized that on my daily bus commute, or if I feel burnt out on video games, or am waiting on the oven timer, I can always just pull out a book and read a couple chapters. I can be a slow or a fast reader,depending. I read Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn in like 2 days, which was insane. Right now, I’m about to be at 3 weeks of reading Eye of the World and I’m only now approaching the halfway point. I don’t really like how reading is becoming more about appearances than actually enjoying the story. I just like to read a chapter or two a day and then call it good, since I have a visual marker for my progress through the story. I’m glad booktube exists, though, or I’d still be only playing video games and wondering why I wasn’t enjoying them anymore.
As someone who reads maybe a dozen books a year and doesn't create content...I haven't noticed. Lol. Seriously though the 'competitive' aspect to goodreads never shone through. I set my personal reading number to what I think is achievable to me. It never bothers me to see friends reading 80 books a year when I can only get down 10-12. But reading was always a more relaxing hobby to me. I associate it with coffee and naps as opposed to this bingeworthy source of entertainment.
Love this discussion, Merphy! My takeaway from this video is that you may have more than one house . . . no wait, that wasn't the point of it. Funny that people think your shelves are green-screened, have they watched more than one of your videos? They change all the time! I love it when people film in front of their shelves, I spend half the video reading the titles of the books behind them.
This seems to come down to two things: 1. Content creation. 2. Social media (Bookstagram, GoodReads, etc) For the first, if you're making reading your job (you could be doing it for fun, but I feel like it falls under category two then) the risk of loosing the passion will be high (that is true for any hobby/interest) and you'll be lucky if it feels the same. This is a risk you'll have to decide if your willing to take, or if you want to stick with this career choice even though it's ruining reading for you. For the second, if social media makes you feel bad: quit! By not quiting you're harming yourself. Unless what you gain from social media outweighs whatever cons they come with, you shouldn't do it and stick to what makes you feel better. Same for socializing with people that makes you feel bad about what you are reading: stop hanging out/listening to them. It can be hard to change you social media habits, but just complaining won't help you. In short, social media is ruining reading, as with everything else. Quit if the cons outweigh the pros. If it's your job, realize that: it's you job! You made that choice (you can't be naive and say that you thought it would stay the same).
I feel like this isn’t a reading issue. It’s a social media is awful problem. If you get sucked in, it WILL ruin the reading experience. But it also creates opportunities to connect with readers we never would have. I mean, just look at the comment section here ❤
Agreed
Well said, bodine219.
Amen.
@@colin1818 No place for BIBLE (KJV)? Among the other books? Practising reading but keeping far from BIBLE?
BIBLE is the only book which is filled with the
basic instructions before leaving earth = BIBLE.
Never had the interest of knowing how to live on earth?
exactly, none of this changes my ability to turn my wifi off and sit down with a book. fuck anything that affects anyones ability to do that.
"Talking about the same books over and over and over and over again...", says Merphy while Lies of Locke Lamora sloooowly rises up from behind her 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 (sorry Merph! 😂)
Talking about the same books over and over and over again.... ". says Merphy while Lies of Locke Lamora Slowly undulates from behind her.
@@arjana3862 daaamn. Shoulda thought of that 😂
And don't get me started on One Piece!! Lol
@@arjana3862 - Good point. Not enough undulating
You know, i just read those Books because of her (three), and i liked, at least the first two, but no so much the third, hated the romantic part of it all, skipped all that part basically hahaha
As someone whose main hobby is reading and who sets aside a good chunk of the day for it, I've gotten so many snotty replies when talking about in real life - the classics "you must not be doing anything else with your life" and "that's so cute, I could never find the time for that" and my favourite, proudly stating "I haven't touched a book since middle school".
I've found pretty much the same replies in the comments of book-related content. No matter how much or how little you read, whether you like physical or audio or ebooks, or you subscribe to a hundred other preferences, someone's gonna pop up to tell you you're doing it wrong.
It's heartening to find someone talking about it in such a chill way as in this video. You're one of the very few people I've come across online with the "you can read how you want, i'm gonna read how I want and we're all good" vibe and it's the reason I love your channel ♥
I've heard similar things regarding not "having the time" to read from people who probably spend 2-3 hours a day on social media lol. A few weeks ago I actually read an article that said just cutting out 30 minutes a day of the endless scroll can equate to something like 13 average (and I think what was considered "average"was between 200-400 pages fwiw) sized books a year.
@@jgamez215 That's probably very true. I know for sure I complain about not having time for things, but I also sit here, like right now, watching UA-cam for hours every week. XD I think the internet steals a lot of time from people, and many don't even realize just how much time that is. I used to read like 4-5 books at once, and I sped through them despite not being a fast reader. Now I'm happy if I finish a book/year. XD But I also currently write books myself, make UA-cam videos, care for my flowers and bonsai trees, (watch youtube a lot), watch movies, paint and draw, and work full-time as a teacher. So I have less time for books, while I also spend less of the time I have on reading. But in the end, it comes down to choices. You choose what to do. And if you choose not to read, that's your own fault. :P But people needn't be so upset about what other people do or don't do, right? Or how they do it. XD I love this channel because it's friendly and chill. :)
@@SysterYster oh I'm definitely not immune to the algorithm based modern internet. Hell, on average I probably spend two hours a day just on UA-cam. We kind of are living in a paradox- we are living in a golden age or content. But we all are (or at least seem) busier than ever. Lol
@@jgamez215 So very true. XD It's both great and terrible at the same time. So nowadays, people need to manage their time way better or it just slips through their fingers. ^^;
We are all given the same 24 hrs in a day. "Not having time" is a personal problem and just means that they dont value reading (even with its myriad of advantages). I have this problem too with some people that are close to me. Live your life how you choose, but saying we have the luxury of time is condescending because I MAKE time to read because it's good for my health.
I actually find the ‘competition’ and goal setting on goodreads changed my habits for the better. It allows me to justify setting aside time each day and prioritizing it in my otherwise busy life. If it weren’t for booktubers like Merph I probably wouldn’t have got back into reading in such a substantial way, thank you!
For those who struggle with the time commitment like myself, that's the key. You have to be intentional and specifically set time aside for it.
Yeah it's almost like game-ifying reading which is fun. In my case the reading challenge is more of a motivator. I don't fuss about it too much but it's just that this year I feel like reading as many books as possible.
I'm so glad reading is trendy - the more people picking up books, the better. Content creation is a job like any other; if it's making someone unhappy and stressed out, it's time to change. That said, I believe the consumerism in the bookish space is absurd. I've seen content creators buy entire series when they haven't even read the first book to know if they enjoy it. I believe books are meant to be cracked, written in, loved, read, and given away, but not everyone agrees. But at the end of the day, reading snobs are nothing new, and I just want people reading.
When it comes to buying full book series. I just don't really understand. If I want to start a new series I get first book from library to see if I really like it. But my favourite series I collect.
Isn't that the problem with everything now? We go overboard, reading, learning languages, bullet journaling, study and so on. We fall into the rabbit hole of consumerism to feel like we belong and it's hard specially if you're an overachiever that wants to do all.
I will say I tend to buy secondhand so if I see like all five of a series I think I’ll like or is on my list for like $3 total I’ll probably get it
I agree with you, but we also have to understand that this is the way authors make money. Without them buying these books, the authors wouldn't be supported.
@@emmawagner8915 I'm a slow reader so I stick with a book for awhile so it's worth it to me to get the best used hardcover I can from Amazon.
As someone who fell out of reading books a bit, I always assumed that people were falling out of reading too cause of so much other visual media out there.
I am just happy that its still trendy and thriving
For me it's not that I fell out of reading, I just have a hard time finding something I'm interested in, (that and I was kinda exhausted after reading Marx)
@@jashinsdisciple8512 weird flex but okay
I can't speak on this too much as someone who didn't fall out of reading, but from what I understand I believe it's just a representation of the direction art has been trending in for the past decade or so. Nowadays, people don't like to invest too much into their entertainment/art. That's why most art forms have evolved to short-bursts of entertainment rather than longer ones. Long-form entertainment is accepted to be more rewarding but also takes a lot more dedication, both in terms of time and in terms of mental effort. This is why in the last decade, movies have steadily become more and more unpopular, and TV shows have become dominant in the visual medium. Likewise, social media is all about short bursts of entertainment, literal seconds of content before you move on to something else. Even the length of popular pieces of music has shortened from 4-5 minutes to about 2-3 minutes, though this is a bit more subtle and inconsistent.
So basically, books as a medium now apply mostly to a niche audience rather than the general public, who usually prefer to consume shorter-form art. That said, I think people are starting to get tired of the unending and repetitive nature of short-form media and are starting to dip their toes back into longer works, so I believe reading will start to become less niche as this change happens.
I kinda feel like the way many of us (at least in the U.S.) are taught literature in school definitely has an impact on the enjoyment of reading. I know the copious amounts of structured and assigned reading in high school and college, and the insistence on being quizzed on the least interesting aspects (looking at literally every English instructor who's ever assigned John Steinbeck) of the book definitely impacted me. I had a solid six year period where I didn't read for fun because of how I was "supposed" to do assignment reading.
@@jashinsdisciple8512 Same. For me, finding a book I like is so exhausting and just puts me off reading.
The voice switch when Merph said "you haven't read this book? Ha I've read it twice" killed me 🤣
Also, without Booktube (specifically Merph and Daniel Greene) I probably never would have gotten back into reading, found some of my new favorite stories, or started writing my own book.
This was a fantastic video! I do find it kind of funny that the place I feel free with my reading is at university studying literature, where I anticipated to be judged for reading genre fiction etc, and the place I feel judged and measured the most is online lol
Also, I completely agree about the idea that almost all of this has existed forever. My dad is 60 years old, never talks to anyone outside of the house about reading, but the man loves setting aside the day to reorganise the bookshelves throughout their house just for himself to sit back and appreciate. But if bookstagram existed back when he was young, I'm sure he would have been all over it.
Since starting booktube, bookstagram etc, I found myself trying to conform to what is expected, and instead have now abandoned this romanticised vision of reading, and try to embrace the complete averageness of sitting down and reading lol.
The thing about feeling judged on the internet more than at university studying literature is a little too relatable. I'm in my first year of uni and i was so nervous about that, but i was plesantly suprised.
I'm so glad booktube exists, I got such great reccomendations from you and other booktubers. And sure, some of the content is "clickbaity", but it is easy to find the one which suits you. I don't watch bookhauls (and any other hauls), specificly to not promote the more consumerism side of things, but it doesn't mean I think people are wrong making them.
Let's all chill and enjoy whatever we want to enjoy.
Also, nobody is forced to watch anything. I have the feeling the drama queens are drown to drama content, and then they complain it exist...
I agree. Reading is, to me, a solitary activity, and the challenge is always to find enough uninterrupted alone time to get absorbed in what I’m reading. The only social activity related to reading that I enjoy is discussing books with friends.
The online book community seems a little … frenzied. How many books do you read? Have you read this book? This series? Are you following this author on Twitter? Are you a patron; did you read the ARC of their forthcoming book? How do you rate your books? How can you tell if you’re rating them fairly? Are you part of this this online book reading group? Or this one?
Reading should be less accountable.
I mean... I see reading like you. I am not a competitive person and I never EVER needed motivation to pick up a text - be it on paper or an e-reader or a short story magazine. I - therefore - avoid the frantic group like the plague. However ... I need a little accountability concerning exercise. Telling my boyfriend or collegues, "I've been hiking/to the cardio center/whatever" x times this months, and having a hiking buddy sometimes helps me to go once more. I know it's good for me, and I feel great afterwards - yet no intrinsic motivation exists. I gather it's similar for the social reading group. They actually like it, and it's good for their brains and they know it, but they need the outside oumpf to actually do it. Idk, maybe I am completly off, but this train of thought is why I don't want to dump on other peoples systems, even though I have nooo idea why booktok exists...
It’s really confusing to me that “aesthetic” reading bothers people so much. I kind of just view it as a parallel hobby. For example, I keep a book journal. I put a lot of time into it to make it look very aesthetically pleasing. But it doesn’t have anything to do with trying to become “a reader”. It’s because I like making and looking at beautiful things. I like to read but I also like to be creative, and because I spend so much time reading, books often become the source of inspiration for creative projects. That’s always what I assume when I see those beautifully curated Instagram photos or someone who spends so much time annotating or painting their books’ edges. Reading has inspired them to be creative in other ways and they’re just sharing that experience. Why can’t we just let people enjoy things!!!
I don’t do any of that artistic stuff and I completely agree with this comment. Same goes for bullet journals and planners. I don’t decorate mine but many people love to. It’s just a separate hobby. It doesn’t mean they don’t plan/journal/read as well.
Agreed!!
The aesthetic thing is funny because it's not new. I remember a joke about how Umberto Eco's Name of the Rose was the best seller that no one had read because people had bought it to look smart/cultured back in the nineties.
It's because people have been reading for pleasure for like at least 3000 years and that makes people snobby.
All the social media performance aside, I love the way books and stories change and adapt with the culture and new technology, it evolves right alongside us and reflects the events, ideas and problems of the time the stories were told
I totally get this. I'll read Caves of Steel or The Naked Sun by Isaac Asimov and though it's set in the distant future, the '50s cultural norms still come out as an author is a product of his times. The language is even more formal. When you read Dragonflight by Anne McCafrey it has a strong female co-protagonist, but it is very standard sci-fi fantasy for the '70's, but you see her evolution and feminist thought creeping in by later books in the '90's.
@@rogerhuggettjr.7675 yeah, that's the kind of thing I'm talking about, books/stories are steeped in history even if they're fantasy or scifi, it's so cool 😀
oh, reading the short books and feeling guilty - that hit home. you are so right that people should just focus on their own business, but that would require (gasp) introspection :)
I'm sixty-four and read more than ever (I can't wait to retire). Unfortunately, in my neck of the woods, I don't come across many readers (they're mainly Netflix and Prime junkies). Therefore, Book Tube is a breath of fresh air. A very pertinent video. Thank you.
omg!!! i retired 4 years ago and my most favorite thing is to read!
i don't "do" book clubs bc by the time they meet --usually once a month i've already read quite a few books since...
i get a lot of good book recs on yt. and i enjoy hearing what the young readers think of the classics!!!
Any time a group or activity becomes "us vs them," it spoils it. Preserve the joy of reading as a social activity by being compassionate and inclusive. 💙
I think there's nothing wrong with romantizicing a hobby (I.e. redecorating your bookshelves to make them look pretty, taking pictures of your favourite passages in books) ☺
Merphy, you are completely right that this is not only concerning the book community but many others. :)
I am not only a reader but also a vivid a knitter and very involved in the knitting community (knitstagram), and as much as I love it there, I must say: the pressure is REAL to finish a certain amount of garments in a certain time frame, to follow some Trends etc... I guess I have found a way for me to not give in to the peer pressure and (mostly) just enjoy my craft. But still, it's not always easy. 😅
Thank you so much for the insightful video, loved it! ☺️
That’s so interesting how every little niche community has their own pressures that you would never realize as an outsider 😅
@@ediev930 A friend who collects dolls told me there is a lot of drama and cliques there as well lol
When your hobby becomes your job, it is no longer a hobby. And when your hobby is your personality, it becomes a challenge to your personality when people do that hobby differently.
I partly think that’s also just part of making any hobby into a career.
Take any hobby and add a monetary reward to it and it’s going to make it less enjoyable over time.
I feel like an outsider in this conversation, first on Daniel's video on this and now yours. I literally can't remember the last time I actually had a conversation about reading with someone, even online.
None of my friends read really and most of my interaction with readers online is just looking for recommendations and occasional bits of sleuthing like with Cosmere connections etc.
Its sad because one of my fav parts about reading its the conversations about what you read, even when its just with yourself in your head. but finding people to go and have a coffee and talk about what you read, that's pure joy
Same, I’m still kind of normie, and read in ebbs and flows so I’m not super deep into the booksphere. I just look at all the booksphere content as fun and light hearted.
I feel like some of that is...if you're going from an online perspective, some things are more popular than ever. If you look at online, EVERYONE reads, the 'geeks won', and the culture accepts things like fantasy and sci fi,etc..more than ever. But when you step outside, the crickets are chirping, and saying the equivalent of "huh...looks like we got ourselves a reader." You really have to go out of your way to get a book club , or have that circle of friends where everyone is reading. I'm 41 now, and it honestly doesn't feel like things have changed all that much in regards to how reading is regarded. You still get looked at as if you're a unicorn, a lot of the time. What's more, people aren't really branching out and reading widely. They're reading YA and picking up a beach reads. Before I left the industy, the most rapidly growing sector was kids books and YA and manga. Pretty much anything else was stagnant. There's nothing inherently wrong with that..but it does leave the people who don't find much in those genres left out in the cold unless you find a good forum online..and that's just not the same sort of connection most of the time these days.
@@mattwhite4302 from what You are sharing I'm noticing a generational thing, and if You feel alianated I'm gonna tell You that I'm 23, and I'm not into YA as most young people are, but neither am into heavy old books or books about normal things. All I want, it's to read something special. But how to find that? Booktubers are recommending only the most popular YA books. And the "classics" are actually few. So I'm just trying to find this great stories and, instead of looking for reader Friends, I look up for Friends that can hold a conversation. I share a lot with My girlfriend and we don't read the same things. So for a conclusion, I hope You find these people that are smart, kind and Open mind enough to talk about anything and everything. I try my best to be that person
I'm 100% the same, everyone around me has other side hobbies, online chat is always recommendations rather than conversation. I just dont talk about them.
It only really sucks when you want everyone to experience a story you really love, but know they just never will.
Being part of the OnePiece community, I know people often feel pressured to "catch up" or intimidated to even start the series because of it's length. What I always tell them is: This is not a competition. And this is true for all long series, like "The Wheel of Time" or Terry Pratchett 's books.
People should take their time and enjoy their hobby whatever that may be.
How does one start OnePiece? I was looking and I can't find a way to access the begining. The online story seems to start at chapter 1000.
Trying to "fit in" with your peers is an age old human trait that's crept it's way into the book community. Everyone wants to be like the cool kid, so they start imitating what they see. Next thing you know, everyone has fairy lights, holding up the same book, creating the exact same video(s)....but they never stop to ask themselves "why am I doing this?" For some, I don't think it was ever truly about reading books. It was about trying to fit in and make friends. None of which is a bad thing by any means. But you have to be true to yourself. Reading is a very personal hobby, and you're never going to find joy in it if you're just imitating how others do it. You have to find what works for you. And if that's reading 1 book a month, great! There's nothing wrong with that. Read for you, not for others.
[Toph voice] Reading is popular! Oh no... [/Toph voice]
I honestly can't see why "reading is trendy" is a bad thing, TBH. So what if some people "are faking it"? So what if some people read genre fiction or posting about it?
So what? At least they're reading or encouraging others to read, which is always a win in my book.
Your assessment of other communities being the same is so on point. I'm a knitter and the knitting online community also have a "competitive knitting" feel sometimes. Everyone talks about the "slow living" in association to crafting but sometimes it feels like you have to crank project after project to keep up. I'm all about the "ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it" so even if I end up knitting half a sock between 2 podcasts, i'll still have valuable info to share with people in the end.
I never really had a problem with reading as an "aesthetic". It's simply a way for content creators to showcase their creativity and skills in photography/videography. I don't see anything wrong with that.
However, the issue of reading as a "competition" truly affected my personal enjoyment. I once felt pressured to read as many books as I can, only to end up reading books that didn't really leave a mark on me. I also felt the urge to read more novels when I'm reading a lot of mangas. Because of this, I made it my goal this year to read books that I'm actually interested in (regardless of popularity and format).
I think the problem lies on this mindset that people have where they consider readers who posts pretty pictures, or who read more than 100 books a year, or who scribble beautiful annotations, or who read classics as the "standard". Having this standard of what reading should look like and pressuring yourself to meet that standard is detrimental.
Read the books you enjoy. Read at your own pace. Read in any format you prefer. Read a book, or 7 books, or 153 books a year. Every reader is different, and reading- in any form or speed or amount- is still reading.
I think the whole drama is that we have too much to consume and we want everything all at once. Just recently stumbled on a youtube channels where pretty much every big classic is an audiobook. I was stunned 😭 Where do I start, what book should I read?? So then you kinda fall into the trap of buying everything so that to upon a random whim, you can decide to read anything at anytime because it's right in your shelf!
The thing is... I genuinely don't think it's possible to "fake" being a reader. People can do the aesthetics and the content, whatever makes them happy, but the book sphere is not exactly the place I would go if I was looking for an easy avenue to an audience. I'm happy reading is able to be such a social thing -- it does change it a little, but for me personally I've gone the loop of "Reading what I want", "reading what's trendy", and now looping back to "reading what I want" again.
And on the note of whether creators are actually reading or not -- I notice that some people will have the camera on them for a bit and then turn it off. I don't think I've ever questioned if they were actually reading, I know they are because they are giving updates in their vlog. I think this is such a weird thing for people to get upset about honestly.
this is sooooo true. I say this all the time lol, if you want to make content for views or attention or clout or whatever, the book space just isn't the place for it. This space is made up of people that are truly passionate because, it's such a small corner of the internet and if you want to fake something for an audience, there's MUCH better choices lol
@@merphynapier42 please read the promised neverland and my hero academia...
I see a lot of people in my book groups on FB showing how they read more than 400 novels a year. That’s more than a book a day! At that point is it even enjoyable? Or are they skimming these books to have a certain image on social media.
I’ve tried going for my record number of completed books and I found that once I was done with a book, I couldn’t remember anything about it. I might as well of never read it and said I did. Now I’ve gone back to reading for enjoyment and relaxation. How it should be. Bonding with a book and ending with a lasting impression of the story instead of blaze through it like it’s home work.
The whole yearly goal really got to me. I felt like I had to speed through books to reach my goal. And I’m not even a content creator. I had to take a step back and realize that it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that I enjoy what I’m reading and however many books I read is enough. It’s been a competition with myself and now I feel like I need to stop and slow down.
Reading is personal for me I could care less about how I look online. It just makes no sense 😑🤦🏽♀️
I'm so confused... how can another person possibly ruin a hobby, that takes place predominantly inside the hobbyist's head, by existing prettily in front of their bookshelf or reading in a nook? If a person isn't reading but is making book content... how is that ruining it for you (general 'you' not specific)? Spoilers are literally the only thing that can ruin a book before you read it! It's a completely internal, subjective agreement between author and reader that NO ONE ELSE CAN EXPERIENCE! EVER! If the internet is ruining reading for you... isn't it you that's trying to base your enjoyment of the reading experience on validation from others?
Yessss!!!! Social media has been "ruining" quite a few things for me, so what did I do as a responsible adult? I CURATED MY FEED! I limited my time!! Personal responsibility, people!
As a watcher only of booktube (not on booktok at all and gave up on bookstagram) for the last 5 or so years, I've found that I actually have distanced myself a lot from the aesthetic/over consumption content that used to draw me in and make me feel insecure. I don't like TBRs, hauls, or even wrap up videos anymore - I seem to only like vlogs bc I like to see people read and review books in a more casual way that's not scripted or rehearsed. The people i follow don't do the "filming myself reading" thing very often and instead it's more lifestyle abd casual discussions. That makes reading and getting book recs seem more appealing to me.
On a personal note, i actually sold probably 70% of my owned books bc I realized I had bought things simply bc of hype or bc a cover was pretty and none of the books around me reflected my actual taste. Now if I buy a book, I really think about it and take my time, or I go for an ebook - I'm just tired of having so much stuff! I also rarely pick up new releases in the same month or even year they come out bc I use my library and 1. There's a long wait time and 2. I don't care to be "in the know" of what everyone is reading at the time. I'm loving finding older books that I never got around to or even revisiting ones I read when I was younger. I think a younger generation is going through what all of us seasoned readers did a few years ago - it'll even itself out eventually. 😋
I am solely a manga reader, and can definitely think of a few anecdotes related to condescending readers. I enjoy stories, but it's difficult for me to get into reading a block of text. I thoroughly enjoy literary analysis, but I scratch that itch with video games, manga, anime, and other mediums for stories.
I love Merphy because she has this passion for the stories she reads that is infectious. And if people get that from other influencers, more power to them. I'll be here though, waiting for her next SpyxFamily skit.
I'm manga reader too. I watch merphy because she has the same taste of manga that i like so maybe i could get some fantasy novel recommendations. I always getting bored because fantasy novels usually have some mainstream plot whereas manga (that i read) have out of the box story and very long series. Although i don't read merphy recommendations but i still watch her because she is so passionate about her hobby
I think another point is how fragile author (especially indie) reputations are. If an author makes one misstep or says one thing that another person finds offensive, it can quite literally ruin their careers. And god forbid if you're a reader and have one of those authors' books on your shelves.
Idk the whole “reading is trendy” thing has happened multiple times in my lifetime and I’m not that old. Plus, people buying books to show off but not read, is DEFINITELY not new either. I mean capitalism makes everything worse, I just try to focus on me and am just happy more people are reading.
Totally agree!
and libraries are always an option, until this year, I haven't been able to afford to buy books while supporting my family and medical bills.
I don't mind that people who are avid readers and making content around it is fine no matter how shallow people make it out to be. People will just follow good content that makes them happy.
I mean, more people buying books (even if they don’t read them) means more money for authors which is good. I do understand that it can also increase prices and lower supply at times though.
people have been buying books to show off since there have been books. Plenty of nobles, rich merchants and kings bought books to show off how wealthy they are
I like to point a fact that the discussion is not taking in account:
I live in a small city in Mexico so small that in fact i cant go and buy a copy of almost any book classic or a modern one sure maybe some store can help to get but it will be expensive and this make even harder find people to share reading and the experiences of it and despite all the problems have the book content it give me a window to share and enjoy the hobby even more so its really weird to me that people says that book content is killing reading when in fact was book content what make me start being a reader at the age of 26 .
So no book content is not killing nothing sure is not perfect but internet is a tool to connect whit others and book content is just other form of people connecting
This is not a book problem. This is a social media problem.
"pressure to meet reading goals sometimes means you feel like you can't naturally ebb and flow out of your hobby" THAT HITS OMG. Feeling guilty for being behind on a goal because I've had an intense few weeks at work or because I've gotten into a video game or show... my goodness! That captures it so well!
6:08 I also would like to add fanfiction to this list. So many people, even in the book community, still see it as just “guilty pleasures”, or “something childish”, but it can be SO much more.
I get that there’s some fanfics that are not super great, but there are books that are not super great as well! Like sheesh, reading is still reading, and I got valuable lessons from the many fics I read.
I just wish it wasn’t so looked down upon outside of online fandom spaces
I honestly can’t think of why someone would dog on reading fanfics, other than ‘it’s not an officially published work, so therefor it doesn’t count.’ It’s never been my jam, but if it’s something that people enjoy and they’re *actually reading* and not mindlessly scrolling through social media, then that is a win. I would only encourage fanfic readers to try more published works, not to invalidate what they enjoy, but to possibly broaden their horizons and find more communities to be apart of. That will turn into more available fanfics to read, and it’ll create a positive feedback loop that keeps people from doom scrolling.
I used to feel bad that I didnt read as much nowadays but then I realized I probably read more than I used to. I started paying attention to the word counts on some fics I read and they're often 50k-200k. Fanfic gives busy ppl a way to find EXACTLY the kind of story they currently want to read without having to pick up a book they may only get half way through before they lose interest. I love that you pointed it out.
This is such a good point, sure lots of fanfics on Wattpad sound like they were written by a twelve year old who just discovered the wonders of whatever they stumbled upon, but some fanfics (especially on AO3 for some reason) are genuinely the most eloquently written pieces of literature I’ve ever read.
@@nadial8531 in AO3’s case, I’m pretty sure it’s the age of the users. Most writers on AO3 are older, which (usually) means more experienced writers and such
@@erincorcoran5936 also YEAH!! Fanfiction is so convenient! It’s free, it caters to your interest far more than books do, you don’t have to follow characters you don’t know yet, and it’s easier to find shorter stories if you enjoy those more.
Since I began reading fics, I have read SO much more. I chugged them down, one shot after one shot lol.
And the quality!!!! There are so many stories that are incredibly well written, characters that are well put together even when they’re outside their usual realities… there’s so much I could talk about fanfiction. It’s pretty neat, and I wish it wasn’t written off as “less than” simply bc it’s “not original”
Reading isn't different, but people are the same.
Three thousand years ago, Socrates argued that writing things down in books would destroy oral commutation.
Now, technology is changing the beloved format of the book.
History is cyclical.
I have nothing against audiobooks. But reading has a clear definition that listening to a story simply doesn't meet. It's listening to someone else read.
read verb (UNDERSTAND)
to look at words or symbols and understand what they mean
“Ebb and Flow in and out of your hobbies” is a wonderful way to think of juggling different interests. I often feel like a bad reader bc i read books so slowly. Sometimes spanning a month and a half. Being an ADHD individual, I struggle with consistency in any area so I’m def going to think of it more like that!
It's definitely fun to have some social aspects to reading, participating in The Discourse about certain books/series, etc., but the feeling of being behind the times if you're not reading the books everyone is talking about can make a hobby feel like more of an obligation, and that's no good. Great vid!
Reading has always been romanticized
I just think, as a non creator of content, that maybe there's a problem with the industry producing clones of the same material along the years.
For ex. I follow a group of booktubers who like or at least gave 4 or 3,5 stars to every YA fantasy they read during all the year. I've read some of them and thought they seemed to be too similar, as if they were made following a strict pattern. So, do they really like them or it's just a publicity things, let's say, a reputation thing what makes them say only good stuff about what they read?
I rarely see a booktuber suggesting or analyzing a, let's say, less popular book like Mitago Woods, Seveneves, The three body problem or Perdido Street Station.
Men I'd love to watch a video of my favorite booktubers talking about their opinion about China Mieville, but it seems like they're only interested in talk about Sarah J Maas, Shadowhunters and, at most, another Brandon Sanderson's book
For me, the social aspect of reading has made reading so much more enjoyable! I grew up before the time of thriving online communities and reading being cool, and rarely had friends who loved to read, so reading was always a very solitary thing for me. Finally being able to share that love and talk about books with others who love them has been nothing short of miraculous for me. Being in the book community, both as a consumer and a creator, has also led me to read literal hundreds of books I wouldn't have otherwise, because I'm discovering so many more books than I ever had before and I'm driven to read more-and not because of comparative or competitive feelings, but because reading is just more fun when I can share the experience with others and explore my own thoughts about a book through reviews. And as someone very structure- and goal-focused, I LOVE putting together TBRs, most-anticipated lists, end-of-year stats, and so on. The book community has turned reading into so much more than just reading for me, and I love every minute of it.
I feel like listening to audiobooks isn't real reading, I didn't think I was being gatekeepy or judgmental about it; I don't even read really anymore, even though I want to pick it up again, but like... watching television isn't reading either and saying that isn't an insult, I just feel like it's a different medium and a different brain process.
I read because I like to read. I have more than 5000 books in my library... several of favorites are 40K/Warhammer (so tie-in) and they are good. If someone don't like it or don't think well... I don't care :) It's my collection, my books... Be yourself, read whatever you want no matter what it is... but read. That's the important. Elitism is awful. Why is Saramago better Dan Abnett? Why? because "you" say so? It really doesn't matter does it? What matters is that you read :) Good video :) one thing I changed was the pages per day. I was a bit obssessed and I've started my excel file in 2006 until last year. But it was not doing the right for me. sometimes I thought, yeah I didn't read 100 pages per day due to game X or anime Y... so I ended this year. I have a goal of books (real goal) but I am not that stressful... I tried a couple of years ago a youtube channel but it's not for me. I like to read, I like to put some info on goodreads or my blog BUT I am not a reviewer like you guys.. But there are people that are indeed doing good (like you or Mike Books OR Petrik)
well, yeah, anything "X" + social media will change the nature of thing. Because now you're not just "reading". You're "reading" to get views, to find people like you, to get monetized, to go viral. You've watered down what reading is. The same happens to authors on authortube. They start off focused only on writing, get an account and now being a writer (as an aesthetic) is their job, and they complain about spending more time making vlogs about writing than writing. And you can look at things like just existing. You used to just exist as a private person, now people who want to be influencers online, for example, live their life constantly thinking about how to make content out of their everyday moments. Take picture of food, clip this cute moment, share this, don't share that. Anytime you add social media and you add an expectation/goal (money, followers, likes, popularity, etc) you water down whatever you're attaching to it. it can be your own life, a hobby like reading, a profession like writing. NONE of this means people shouldnt do it. But if your main concern is reading, think twice about being an online reader; if your main priority is writing, think twice about being a writer online; if your main concern is living a genuine unbothered life, think twice about being an online influencer/persona. This is not rocket science people.
Interestingly enough, the social elements of reading are not in any way required to be an actual reader. If you don't like the social aspects then skip them. If you don't like SOME of the social aspects then skip those things.
Don't like Goodreads? Don't use it.
Don't like Booktube? Don't watch it.
Just go read books. People have been doing it for centuries without the interwebs.
Confession time: I'm not into Manga. I've tried it, and I felt it didn't really gel with me. So, when you put up a video on One Piece or Vinland Saga, I don't watch those. Because the topic doesn't interest me. And then when you put a video up about a prose novel, I'll generally watch that (unless it's a spoiler review of a book I plan to read). That said, I don't feel compelled to write a missive to you complaining that you are doing videos on Manga, and telling you to focus on prose and not Manga. I don't think Manga is lesser, it's just not for me.
So, I don't get this "oh, you're not a real reader" gatekeeping. I really don't. Read what you like. Read what enriches you. There's just no need to try and make everyone match my tastes. One of the reasons I watch Booktube videos is to see what other's felt. If I just want something that matches my opinion, then what have I learned?
I remember all the criticism about e-readers. People saying "you're not really reading." I flip back and forth with my books and e-reader. I have always been a reader, I'm 63. Funny story, my mom got mad at me when I was younger, because I brought my book "Jaws" into church!
I know I'm a little late to this, but my two cents:
Most of the conversation is dumb and gatekeeping for no real reason other than people wanting to feel superior.
Don't get me wrong, I understand the importance of having some of these conversations. I agree with you on that.
But a lot of it is pointless. Like "people pictures of their books! They spend time setting up a bookshelf so when do they actually read?!"
When they're not taking the picture. Tada. That's it. They decorate their house and try to make it look nice. They like the idea of the look of their bookshelf. That's fine. That doesn't mean they're not readers. They just also enjoy Instagram.
Even some little things bother me. Like the idea of booktubers recording themselves so they're not reading. Like yeah, I would probably feel distracted. I just assumed most people might record a quick 30 second clip when they sit down and then start reading. Mayne if they're taking a quick break. Or maybe it just doesn't bother them and they do record for like 10 minutes and then find a little clip out of it. I've seen plenty of people who both read the books and then discuss them, which makes me think they are actually reading them. But they still have those clips. If their YT channel is their job, then they might just think it does well in the videos, and so they get them because it's part of their job.
"But it's making reading less fun for me!"
Then stop paying attention. I don't use Instagram. I never see that stuff. It hasn't ruined anything for me because I just don't go out of my way to find it. I don't go out of my way to get content I don't like. And if I did see that, I wouldn't care. It doesn't stop me from reading.
I feel like most of the problems can be solved by understanding not everyone who reads is physically attached to a book and can do other things throughout the day. People have other interests. People who make a living off of it might do things to continue to make that living. If all of this is a problem, just go read. Mind your business.
Gatekeeping reading is a ridiculous notion and I won't even comment on it. The thing that fries my nerves though, is the new trend of random people INTRODUCING reading as this new shiny thing they found out about. The lack of awareness when someone pulls out LOTR or sth as popular as it, and present it like: so anyway i found out about this book i don't know if you heard of it. Obviously I am exaggerating, but whenever I first enter a space/hobby I behave as a beginner, not the authority. Obviously this is only a problem if you're an internet personality, but it is infuriating to see people who you know picked up two books in their lives (you do you) talk about it as if they need to hype it up and reading isn't a thing billions of people do😒
Don't even get me started on people treating it like any other trend and faking it but that is always to be expected in the online era✨️
i didn't even realise this was a thing, i mean hasn't reading always been a social thing, maybe there are also people that only read privately, or keep some of the stuff private but i think as long as reading for entertainment has been a thing so has the social aspect of it.
Fun fact: the, “this new form of reading is ruining reading,” argument is obnoxiously old. I don’t remember if it was Socrates or Plato who said that the written word would cause forgetfulness and laziness in the soul (because they should be memorizing stories not writing them down). When the printing press was invented there was backlash from that, etc. this isn’t new. It was stupid when Socrates said it, it’s stupid now.
It’s a load of nonsense in my opinion. The only issues from this are affecting those who care about any of that too much. Like how instagram fake photos aren’t a body image problem, they’re a content consumption problem. I don’t really engage with any book UA-camrs with any frequency, and books haven’t changed for me at all.
What a strange group of takes. It seems like influencers ruining stuff for themselves. I will read what I like regardless of what UA-camrs read. In fact, the vast majority of what I read doesn't get discussed on channels like this because I read old man books. I still like hearing what others like though.
It's just the social psychology of the internet. It tends to suck the joy out of everything. I suspect it's related to the psychological underpinnings of road rage. It has something to do with the semi anonymous nature of online communication. It's a factor even when people aren't anonymous and appear on camera or tack their real name on to their social media posts. It's like people communicating with the idea of another person, rather than the actual person. Something about it lends itself to petty cruelty, opportunism, dishonesty, and a general lack of empathy. I really wonder if the internet isn't just an interactive public bathroom wall that we're all vandalizing.
I am a One Piece fan that only recently got (back) into reading thanks to this channel, so I definitely don't feel the pressure or competition. In fact, I wouldn't have even known about these things if you hadn't made this video, to be honest.
So, great video! The only thing I have to disagree with is the "human nature" bit. Maybe it's the nature of a human living in an alienating, capitalist society.
This feels very reminiscent of the "Girls don't actually play video games, they just do it to get guys attention" argument, which is gross BTW.
I'm not super involved in the reading community and to be honest have only recently started really getting into reading to the point where I would consider it a hobby. I just think that it's not worth all the energy to get mad at someone reading they way you don't like if it doesn't affect you. Like it doesn't hurt me if someone poses witha book or films themselves reading, even if they are faking reading or reading for attention who cares, It doesn't change they way you as an individual reads. It's a little annoying when it starts affecting other things which does happen i.e publishers more likely to go for certain books that are popular with social media, or recommendations on digital storefronts being skewed more to what's popular rather than what I'm actually interested in, but these are minor costs of more people being able to enjoy reading in their own way.
Just let people live their lives and enjoy things as long as they're not hurting anyone. Sorry for the novel of a comment.
It's only different if you spend all your time in "booktube" and "book communities" instead of reading for yourself (not as a social thing). That's a personal choice
I don't understand the idea of people "ruining" a hobby if it doesn't impact me how they engage with said hobby. Anyone can read however they like. Just because it isn't my thing doesn't mean it is somehow invalid.
Reading is just as asocial for me as it ever was, but I still struggle to do it. Because every internet-based entertainment is an attention vampire designed to slurp up your free time with the power of ten thousand Draculas. I like the convenience of the modern age, but for reading I liked the before times. Back before Google colonized my frontal lobe.
What I dont get is the idea that reading books isn't a social activity, we had book clubs since forever, even authors coming together to write together. So I dont think any of this is new. Intellectual superiority has always existed, since reading books has always been a social activity.
If I'm gonna do stuff for aesthetic I better LIKE the thing I'm stealing the aesthetic from. Cause if not what's the point. So if I get into reading for the aesthetic and shit, at least I'm reading and trying new shit and finding stuff to enjoy. Thats my take anyway
I think that what you talked about with competition and “fakeness” is more of an issue with content creation than with reading. I see this type of thing a lot with creators who focus on a thing that is highly subjective and creative where they get trapped in the cycle of trying to increase numbers instead of doing the things they want to do and talking about the things they want to talk about. As for reading becoming more social, I don’t see how that’s a problem. When I love something, I want to share that love with other people and find people who feel the same way. Complaining about reading being “too social now” implies that books were meant to be enjoyed in a vacuum.
I love reading and am so happy I don't have to read bullshit for school anymore :D and the best thing about books is.....that they make toilet time ten times better :DDDDDD and what more do you want from life :DD
I don't know I just read book and enjoy watching people on UA-cam that also read the same books I do 🤣
I've been a bookworm since I was a kid and my love of reading continues to stay strong even as an adult and is my main hobby. I think that reading is a unique experience for all and that so long as you're enjoying what you read, the format and amount of books read doesn't really matter. I do love seeing how many books people can read in a year though weather it's one book read or three hundred both are valuable. There is often a lot of pressure to read a certain amount of books in a short amount of time particularly ARCs or to get out content, all of which are valid. Overall, reading is my comfort and while it would be nice to have the matching bookshelves and a certain aesthetic, I'm not bothered by my mismatched shelves, I just need to get more bookshelves because I've run out of space on my current shelves.
There are always fake "content creators". And they can be identified in their first 30 seconds of their videos. You, Merphy, are the real deal. Authentic and insightful. Thank you for this video, excellent as always.
Like Superfans of that shitty show Rings of Power. Nobody there really readed LotR
The requirements to successfully accomplish understanding of a text is not changing. What else matters?
This isn't a reading problem. Get off social media, and chill out.
Frist of all, gate-keeping fandom/hobbies is obnoxious. Secondly, we live in a peak content creation economy. There is too much of everything and everyone is competing for your attention. So writing provocative articles about the latest made up "controversy" is how you break through. It's the path of least resistance right now to look at something in the pop culture zeitgeist and go "Oh, actually, that sucks." and get lots of eye balls. And then those contrarian opinions compete for attention. Then we get backlash backlash, etc. And the cycle continues and nothing matters.
I think a lot of the superiority people act like they have compared to the “reading aesthetic” or whatever comes from them feeling like their little niche bubble of hobby is being encroached on. Which is silly of course. It’s the same energy as that guy who asks if you’ve read the comics when you discuss a superhero movie
This conversation reminds me of when the anime and gaming community were talking about this whole thing. You're right, nothing is new!
You and Daniel are predominantly the only BookTubers I watch. I feel like you're genuine, I like your sense of humor, you cover books that I find interesting, and I like the style of your videos. I have read WAY more books based on y'all's videos than I ever would have on my own. There are so many books out there and it's often hard to know where to start or even go next without some sort of system and you all are my system.
When I was looking at finding a career, someone told me, "Find something you would love to do for free, and think of a way to earn a living off of it." Well, I'm still trying myself to figure that out, but I say thank goodness for things like Booktok, UA-cam, Goodreads, and others. People are able to monetize their passion for reading and talking about books. Maybe not much, but perhaps enough to pay for the hobby they love so much.
5:06 Merphy drops a book to the ground and my soul shatters thinking of the potential damage to the book. Yes I'm weird. Brilliant video btw.
I really liked hearing your thoughts on this. Maybe social media has changed the state of reading but if it helps more people to pick up a book and read it then that’s a good thing. I think there will always be people reminiscing about the good ol days for any kind of hobby whether it’s books, video games, movies, tv, etc. I think you provided a great perspective on this. ☺️📚
reading isnt the same anymore ... I *used* to look at symbols on a page with my eyes and associate those symbols with particular letters of a language ... *now* i use a system of dots on paper!! i am blind
The one issue I have with readers these days is the bemoaning of slow books. What's wrong with a slow book? Why do we have to lament about books where you stop and smell the roses? It's really grating nowadays that a "slow book" is a flawed book.
So what I understand is that “you’re not a real gamer” is now happening with books.
Other people can't force you to get sucked into social media in a way that ruins your hobby.
12:19 Yes, people should oftentimes just learn to scroll ahead if they don’t like it.
Think something is stupid? You’re not the target audience for that specific thing? Just move along, there’s no need to insult the content creator. I’m sure there’s a lot of content that is great for you out there.
From the thumbnail (of you on your back) I thought you meant that as you get older the back pains are making your reading habits less comfortable. I know mine have :(
I love how you casually reach over and pull a bunch of books off of the shelf. I laughed too hard at that.
Do audio books really count as reading, though? They use two different sensory organs, after all.
Nope. And yep. That drives me insane. Yes, you are intaking the information. Absolutely. But READING is one activity and LISTENING is another. Words have meanings, people! You'd think readers, of all people, would know that!
I recently figured out why FICTION audiobooks don't generally work for me. Nonfiction is another matter. I listen to nonfiction podcasts, lectures, sermons, interviews, etc. all the time while doing other things and have no problem concentrating. With fiction, it just didn't work. My mind would wander. I finally realized it's because when you are reading a book, that's all you can do at that moment. Even if you have headphones, your main focus is the words on the page. It's not physically possible to read words on a page and sing along with a song, at that same moment.
The words on the page are creating images in your mind. Some people have that more than others. But it's still there to some extent. You can "hear" the dialogue and "feel" whatever is going on. That's what makes it enjoyable. If you're doing something else while listening to fiction, you can't have those images because you are seeing the other things you are doing at the moment! Even if you are great at concentrating, your attention is, by necessity, divided. It took me forever to finally figure that out.
@@Yesica1993 You hit the nail on the head! I feel the same way about fiction vs nonfiction audiobooks. There are some subjects which I would never be able to read about but listening to audio helped a lot. That's how I learned basic economics. Fiction, particularly if it is well crafted, requires a lot ,ore focus to get the most out of it.
"The bookshelves are here. They're real" *dumps books on the floor.*
This is why I adore your channel, Merphy. XD
What a great video though, in all honesty. It's been fascinating to watch the way Booktube/Tok/Stagram has changed reading perceptions and rehashed old "concerns". Fantasy as a genre has its own subset of naysayers, which is also an interesting discussion. I think you're right though, people are able to gravitate towards the style of channel or account that they enjoy watching and relate to, make decisions about what they do or don't want to watch and participate in... it's an individual experience just like reading.
😍ALSO thank you for the shoutout!
There is certainly a performative aspect to any content creation in any field, but I seriously doubt that people who talk about books or video games do it because it's popular... It would be really hard to dedicate your days to something like that if it isn't a passion for you. All of these discussions seem very shallow and unnecessarily argumentative for the sake of being argumentative IMO...
I think there's a lot of reading, but it's not deep. Most are just like watching a tv show. Some authors write novels with a message, with something to think about. Others don't.
I read the living-shit out of comic books back in the day, and my late-mother, a die hard reader, when confronted by her friends about my habits her response was "I don't care what he's reading, so long as he's reading."
Clearly this is only a tempest in a social media teacup. I consume only a limited diet of UA-cam as my sole exposure to social media and I had NO IDEA that some people were treating reading as a spectator sport or a team effort. I've been reading for decades, today exactly as I ever have in the past. It remains an intimate relationship between me and an absent (sometimes dead) author, and occasionally I swap recommendations with the small subset of my readerly friends. Perhaps people should get their nose out of other people's @$$es and keep it pointed in the general direction of their own goals. Read a book on your own terms, and only if you want to.
I find your opinions interesting, as I have been hard at work on what will hopefully be a new Booktube channel and book blog, albeit done in a way that'd be different from how I see Booktube and UK children's book blogging typically done.
For one thing, my target audience is more like people who don't seem to read books but would go wild when a film gets announced that they don't realise was based on a bestselling book series (\*cough\* 'The Bad Guys' \*cough\*) and lots of indie artists I follow on Twitter and Instagram would dish out fan art up, down, left, and right for some time and some would even say it was a "furry bait movie" when it started out as a book series!
Another type of audience I plan to target would be those who only really read the bestsellers, or only really buy bestselling books for their children. (looking at you, Singaporeans who had only ever bought books from Popular!)
As such, I plan to focus on books that not many people may know about or are really only known within the book's country of first publication, but I do plan to make exceptions for some bestsellers, especially those I discovered before they earned bestseller status in their respective countries of first publication! (\*cough\* InvestiGators \*cough\*)
I plan to aim for (and maybe even accidentally revolutionise) book blogging and Booktube first. If I were to get at the Booktok community, I'd probably aim for UA-cam Shorts first. A lot of the ideas I have in mind for on-screen graphics and motion graphics in videos were imagined in an aspect ratio of 16:9, though.
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(1:33) I plan not to force myself to produce content for my blog, mostly due to my autism*. I don't want to end up in the gushing river of people (like those indie artists I mentioned earlier) working fast to get content out in order to cash in on a trend or perhaps even imaginary demand fueled by social media recommendation algorithms.
*I tend to work faster when doing things my mind wants me to do, rather than what I or someone else wants me to do.
Out of all the article and video ideas I had accumulated across my Evernote and Milanote accounts, I had noticed that some posts depend on others to be posted first, so I'm trying to draw those lines to help me find the direction to go into when it comes to what I should post first.
However, I do still want to schedule posts, just not precisely unless I had completed a post and want to schedule its release. For posts and videos I have yet to complete, I schedule them down to the month at most.
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(2:30) I like how you aren't one of those popular UA-camrs who'd accept sponsorships from any company but would instead accept those from companies I had never heard of! I already have a feeling that Babbel would be less annoying than Duolingo. The sponsor integration in one of your other videos introduced me to Campfire Write, which I've been meaning to try but haven't had the time to.
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(4:57) I was reminded of how I won't be able to fit a bookshelf positioned in my bedroom in a way that could serve as a backdrop for my videos due to the layout and unusual shape of my bedroom, but that wouldn't be much of a problem for me as a result of my approach that would likely involve chroma keying.
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(5:53) I agree. Another category that is often looked down onto by adults as a lesser way of reading is children's fiction. Well, it could even be both children's fiction AND non-fiction, but I plan to focus more on the former for my book blog.
Authors and illustrators of children's fiction and non-fiction books that I follow on Twitter and UA-cam often mention that those genres don't get as much respect as those aimed at adults.
I can tell, when people say "children's book" when referring to what I refer to as picture books.
I also had heard stories of people who would make and self-publish picture books just for the money and not for the passion. I shun such people, and as such, plan to focus more on books I believe to have had real passion, thought, and/or imagination poured into them.
In fact, I often follow Booktubers like you and some Reddit and Facebook groups just to see what the reading interests of other people are! (most of the book blogs I currently follow are based in the UK and cover children's fiction, hence why I specifically mention UA-cam and Reddit)
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(6:28) Ugh, I especially feel it when it comes to e-books. I'm stuck living in a small flat where I don't have a lot of space for physical books, but then some publishers don't do good jobs when formatting e-books, including mapping 2 print pages to one digital page *(looking at you, graphic novel imprints owned by Penguin Random House!)* or illustrated novels with heavy formatting that then were marred by publishing them in reflowable text formats instead of print-replica formats! *(looking at you, David Fickling Books and Epigram Books!)*
While I only listen to audiobooks alongside the print or digital editions, I still respect people who can't or just prefer to only listen to those.
As a result of influences I picked up during my childhood, I prefer hardcover editions over paperback editions where possible.
I like the feel of physical books when I'm reading at home, but when I'm out, and unless I'm reading a physical book that I borrowed from a public library, I stick to e-books as I don't have much space in my backpack for physical books without the risk of them getting damaged.
To be honest, I feel neutral about wear and tear on books for reasons that are too complex for me to explain here.
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(7:09) (8:57) One of the things I'm planning for my blog would allow me to leverage the fact that I haven't been reading as much books as other Booktubers.
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(7:21) (8:57) I think I know what you mean, as I was reminded of the Goodreads Reading Challenge, which I don't pay much attention to.
(7:50) Yeah! While I don't have a lot of space at home for bookshelves, I was reminded of when I was playing Happy Home Paradise and was playing the Eloise challenge which was about reading and I had my player character build a small home with a library and reading nook.
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(9:35) I'm reminded of how I recently decided to drop live streaming from my plans to rebrand my online presence, rebrand my existing UA-cam channels, and launch new publications (blogs and video channels), mostly because I keep catching colds, That would just mean I won't design graphics for live streams, as I do plan to live stream, but only in emergency or important situations, just not part of my regular schedule. It'd allow me more time to work on regular content to schedule and post.
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(15:44) I agree, and was indirectly reminded of how I plan to just focus on having a blog and UA-cam channel as primary outlets, then Twitter and Instagram as secondary outlets, and maybe eventually TikTok as a secondary outlet too but not at launch.
I don't think I'd even do Instagram at launch, but might still create an account in order to reserve the username as I do plan to join the Bookstagram community.
One major hurdle I have to the launch of my book blog is the creation of social media accounts before formally revealing the name and setting up a pre-launch preview website hopefully at the same time.
(15:50) I would like to provide the name, except I haven't even created the UA-cam account for it yet!
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(18:37) For me, it's that I keep getting ideas for videos about children's fiction books that I decided to spin them off from my main channel (the one I'm posting this comment from) which will eventually become my off-topic channel after I launch the book blog).
One more aspect of life, wherein admitting the problem exists - may serve as a first step towards positive change.
*jazz hands*
I am not the biggest reader. Im the kind of reader that reads because I tell myself that I should. I do enjoy it when I manage to get lost in it. Your channel is amazing and keeps me on track. Keep doing what you do, you are so naturally talented at it and its captivating.
I like this channel a lot. I had abandoned reading outside of a handful of books a year. I think this channel is the reason I realized that on my daily bus commute, or if I feel burnt out on video games, or am waiting on the oven timer, I can always just pull out a book and read a couple chapters. I can be a slow or a fast reader,depending.
I read Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn in like 2 days, which was insane. Right now, I’m about to be at 3 weeks of reading Eye of the World and I’m only now approaching the halfway point.
I don’t really like how reading is becoming more about appearances than actually enjoying the story. I just like to read a chapter or two a day and then call it good, since I have a visual marker for my progress through the story. I’m glad booktube exists, though, or I’d still be only playing video games and wondering why I wasn’t enjoying them anymore.
As someone who reads maybe a dozen books a year and doesn't create content...I haven't noticed. Lol. Seriously though the 'competitive' aspect to goodreads never shone through. I set my personal reading number to what I think is achievable to me. It never bothers me to see friends reading 80 books a year when I can only get down 10-12. But reading was always a more relaxing hobby to me. I associate it with coffee and naps as opposed to this bingeworthy source of entertainment.
I tend to undulate between the different pronunciations of aesthetic
Love this discussion, Merphy! My takeaway from this video is that you may have more than one house . . . no wait, that wasn't the point of it. Funny that people think your shelves are green-screened, have they watched more than one of your videos? They change all the time! I love it when people film in front of their shelves, I spend half the video reading the titles of the books behind them.
This seems to come down to two things:
1. Content creation.
2. Social media (Bookstagram, GoodReads, etc)
For the first, if you're making reading your job (you could be doing it for fun, but I feel like it falls under category two then) the risk of loosing the passion will be high (that is true for any hobby/interest) and you'll be lucky if it feels the same. This is a risk you'll have to decide if your willing to take, or if you want to stick with this career choice even though it's ruining reading for you.
For the second, if social media makes you feel bad: quit! By not quiting you're harming yourself. Unless what you gain from social media outweighs whatever cons they come with, you shouldn't do it and stick to what makes you feel better. Same for socializing with people that makes you feel bad about what you are reading: stop hanging out/listening to them. It can be hard to change you social media habits, but just complaining won't help you.
In short, social media is ruining reading, as with everything else. Quit if the cons outweigh the pros. If it's your job, realize that: it's you job! You made that choice (you can't be naive and say that you thought it would stay the same).