Has TikTok Made Reading Trendy?

By: Annabelle King 

For years, reading has slowly drifted out of the foreground of Gen Z thanks to social media. However, a full circle moment has come into play with social media bringing reading back. #BookTok has over 80 billion views on TikTok, where everyone from first time readers to BookTok creators post book reviews, book news, and really anything related to books and reading. 

TikTok has been a powerhouse of trends and new lifestyles in the past few years. It’s no secret that people across the globe have been pulled in by TikTok’s hook. However, It has also been incredibly scrutinized, even with rumors of a possible ban in the US almost becoming a reality two years ago.

. A Barnes and Nobles employee said that the BookTok table, which is specially curated to host the most currently popular books on the internet, is the most purchased from table in the store. Colleen Hoover, author of popular BookTok favorites such as It Ends With Us, sold more books than the bible this past year, making Colleen comfortable on every bestseller list. 

Book to screen adaptations have been an unstoppable train in the last year, with all the big streaming platforms hopping on the bandwagon, pumping out young adult movies and shows. 2020 was the first time that most screen adaptations were TV shows, catering to Gen Z’s love for something bingeable. 

Self published authors have grown increasingly popular in the last few years, with the number of self-published books up 246% in the last 5 years, many of the authors being BookTok creators, using their platform to turn social media followers into customers. 

An LREI student said, “Booktok made me truly feel a part of the book community and helped me learn new book titles and series to read as well as have a place to talk to people about books.” The LREI library is also a great source for popular BookTok books, as I have borrowed different books that I’ve seen on the internet. If this article inspires you to pick up some popular reads like The Cruel Prince, The Inheritance Games, A Court of Thrones and Roses, and A Good Girls Guide to Murder, too name a few currently at the Library. 

While reading is making a comeback with young adults, it will still never have the same weight that books did before screens, however, full circle moments like the ones happening on social media with reading have made a drastic impact on not only YA readers such as myself, but bookstores and booksellers across the globe. I highly recommend doing a little search for #BookTok when you have the chance, as there is always a book for everyone. 

“I declare there is no enjoyment like reading” 

-Jane Austin