Reading Gets a New Reputation

The introduction of TikTok brought about different sides of the social media, such as dance, comedy, tutorials, and even… book reviews! Many book review platforms already exist, like “bookstagram” (Instagram), “booktube” (Youtube), and “booktwit” (Twitter). Likewise, GoodReads and Litsy are apps made specifically for book reviews. 

In 2020, “booktok” (TikTok) started to gain recognition. Many book lovers began to post about the books they had read during their extended free time due to lockdown. They would post about books with specific tropes, such as enemies-to-lovers, or books that evoke certain emotions in the reader. Specific accounts started gaining a notable following that in turn urged them to keep posting. 

With all these new videos about books, people were bound to stumble upon them. The format of an ambient song combined with a short one minute video captures many viewers’ attention. 

A very popular book that benefited from this surge on “booktok” is The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Released ten years ago, the day after user @moongirlreads posted about it, it reached the New York Times Bestsellers list. 

Booktok has made certain books so popular that bookstores now have tables and shelves dedicated to “booktok” where you can find what reads are trending on the app. 

According to Book and Reading Statistics 2021, readership in the young adult genre (typically targeted towards 13-17 year olds) went up 21.4% in 2021. 

This has also helped the publishing industry and authors become more successful. At one point, there was even a shortage in paper for books causing it to be difficult to find highly demanded books. 

With booktok’s exponential growth and more people finding new and fun novels they enjoy, reading and social media are no longer at odds. 

Here is a list of highly popular “booktok” books: 

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart 

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo 

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black 

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera