Photo by Toa Heftiba via Uplash.

BookTok is a dynamic and rapidly growing community on TikTok dedicated to all things literature. This vibrant platform allows users to create and share short videos that showcase book recommendations, reviews, reading challenges, and discussions about literary themes. With its engaging format, BookTok has become a powerful influencer in the publishing world, driving significant sales and sparking renewed interest in various genres. 

BookTok and Tropes

One of the defining features of BookTok is its emphasis on popular literary tropes. Users frequently highlight recurring themes, such as enemies-to-lovers, love triangles and found family, often reducing complex narratives to their most basic components. Business Insider has talked about how the format of TikTok has led to this result. “The focus on tropes has to do with the short nature of videos on TikTok… With one-to-three-minute videos, creators have mere seconds to capture the attention of a viewer and condense the plot of a book. Tropes make the task easier.” 

The problem is that this focus on tropes can lead to an oversimplification of literature, boiling a book down to its most basic points. As Isabella Madruga said in her article “How can reading make you dumber? BookTok makes that possible.” “…it’s like if someone took The Great Gatsby and marketed it with the tropes ‘pining,’ ‘exes to lovers’ and ‘love triangle,’ and ignored the themes of social class, cynicism toward the American Dream and glamorization of certain problematic/abusive themes.” 

While familiar tropes can enhance the reading experience by providing comfort and predictability, this reductionist approach can also detract from the richness of a story. It risks overshadowing nuanced character development, intricate plots and the deeper themes that make literature so compelling.

But that’s not the only problem found in the land of BookTok. Additionally, the focus on easily digestible content can create unrealistic expectations for readers. Many books that deviate from popular formulas may be overlooked. This could result in a  lack of diversity in reading choices. This narrow focus can stifle exposure to different voices and genres, ultimately limiting readers’ literary horizons.

The Positive Impact on Reading Culture

Personally, I have read a fairshare of books I found from TikTok. Whether it be a nonfiction book about the Donner Party or a “trope-centric” romance novel, BookTok has reinvigorated my love of reading. In this way, BookTok has played a crucial role in making reading more approachable and accessible. By creating a vibrant community where users share recommendations and discuss their favorite books, it has fostered a culture of enthusiasm around literature. 

When I was younger a book was always in my hand and to be able to return to even half the enthusiasm I used to have for books is so refreshing. In a lot of ways, reengaging with books and bookish culture has felt like coming home and I don’t know that it would have had happened without BookTok. 

BookTok and the Publishing Industry 

It has become obvious that people are buying books more than ever in no small part due to BookTok (though it is perhaps another question to ask if they are reading more than ever). According to The Week, BookTok contributed to the sale of 20 million print books by adult fiction writers in 2021. By mid-2022, sales in the genre had risen by another 50 percent. This phenomenon illustrates how social media can impact cultural consumption. As more readers discover titles through trending hashtags and relatable content, authors and publishers are keenly aware of the potential for viral success. This not only benefits established authors but also provides a platform for new voices, diversifying the literary landscape. In addition, authors and publishers are increasingly using tropes as a marketing tool to sell books by making new releases feel familiar to readers. 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, I can neither fully endorse nor fully scorn the BookTok community. BookTok represents a transformative force in the literary world, bridging the gap between readers and books in innovative ways. While its emphasis on popular tropes can lead to oversimplification and limit exposure to diverse narratives, it undeniably fosters a vibrant community that reignites passion for reading.

It’s springtime. What can be better than holding a book while laying under the sun? I vote nothing. If you’re ready to get some sunshine and some knowledge at the same time, follow me to these spots on campus. 

1. Behind Jewell Hall
You can catch some sun before noon and a little after noon at this place. The view from this spot is spectacular if you like the countryside and trees. The coolest time of the year is definitely fall because all the leaves on the trees change colors. You can also see the sports teams practice from this spot, though by this time the sun is blocked by Jewell Hall. 

2. The Phone Booth
You can find a variety of books inside the phone booth. Sitting next to it gives me a London vibe. The smell of earth and trees together is super relaxing. This spot, however, is not super ideal because people walk by it a lot. You can still sit here during class periods to avoid people if you want some privacy. 

3. The Quad
If you have a hammock, you can hang it up between the trees on the quad. Depending on the time of the day, you might get some shade under the trees. Once their leaves are back, the trees will provide better shade and a better view. If you don’t have a hammock, you can just bring a blanket to lay on the grass. 

There will be a lot of people, but it’s the Quad so I don’t think anyone will care. The Quad is also big so they cannot really see you from that far away. You can certainly sit on the other side (no picture provided), but there are more people on that side. I also prefer the view of trees and Jewell Hall to the view of the chapel. 

4. Between Pillsbury and Brown Hall
I think this is a famous spot because I rarely see it unoccupied. I love the trees above the chair. This spot is pretty tucked away so you can get some privacy from people. In my opinion, this spot is the second most romantic spot on campus. I will list the most romantic spot below. 

5. Between Jewell Hall and Marston
I believe this is the most romantic spot on campus. I used to sit here in the fall to read novels. The trees are really ugly right now because they are still naked. However, in the summer and fall, they have green and white flowers. This spot gives me the vibe of a villa in Italy or England’s countryside. The only thing I don’t like about this place is sitting here the day after it rains. The ground is wet for two days after it rains because the trees block most of the sun. 

6. In front of Jewell Hall
This is my number one go-to spot on campus. Some people prefer to sit on the red chair. I think it’s super uncomfortable. I’m short so my legs get super tired because I can’t reach the ground. I like putting down a blanket and lying right under the sun. Usually, the wind helps a lot during the summer heat. However, sometimes it can get too windy. Besides the wind, I have nothing to complain about. If you like some privacy, this is a good one because not a lot of people choose to walk on the front side of Jewell. You also have a good view of KC before the trees get their leaves back in the summer. 

There is a story of woe that is common among college campuses. It goes something like this: 

“When I was younger, I loved reading. I used to devour entire books in one day. My appetite for words was near insatiable. But as I got older, and especially when I got to college, I found that I began to read less and less. By dint of not cracking open books, I seem to have lost the ability to read for pleasure altogether. I miss the days when I could read for pleasure.” 

The most common reasons that people give when asked why they do not read for pleasure involve such things as a lack of time in their schedules, an inability to concentrate when they read and a lack of interest in the books which they chose to read. 

Concerning the lack of time, most people have this idea that reading should be the kind of activity for which they must set aside several hours. But in fact, the cool thing about reading is that – especially when you have gotten the hang of it – it can be squeezed in during your downtime. 

Certainly when you first begin to read, it is important to set aside time specifically for the purposes of reading. This is because when you are attempting to start a new habit, such as reading for pleasure, you must first prime your brain for it by creating an expectation which you then hold yourself accountable for. By scheduling time specifically for the purpose of doing an activity – in this case reading – you are making a commitment to do that activity and only that activity. 

It is important to make sure that in scheduling your time slot for reading that you also pick an area that is most conducive to your focusing and being able to quietly read. 

This time slot does not need to be the sort of thing that is hours long. Instead, choose a small, fifteen-minute time slot before bed for you to relax and read a book. Having this time slot at the end of the day means that you will not have to worry about potential conflicts with other responsibilities, and you can just indulge yourself in a few pages of an old favorite novel. You need not read something that is complicated, especially if you’re already crunched for time. 

Once you have read consistently for 15 minutes at a time you will likely, especially if you get into a good book, want to read as much as possible. This wanting to read will make it so that you look for opportunities to read. In this case, it is important that you keep a book with you at all times, so that when the urge and the opportunity strike you, you can scuttle away from society and re-engage with your beloved novel and its literary world. 

Of course, when I mention that you should carry a book with you at all times, and that you will likely find yourself opening this book out of an almost psychological necessity, I am indicating to you that this is a later stage of your recuperation of literary zeal. When first reading I would suggest to you, dear reader, that you not only set aside a specific time slot for reading but that you spend this time slot in a quiet, isolated space that is conducive to your reading. This is important because it is common for people to say that they are frequently quite unable to concentrate when they are trying to read. 

But then is this surprising that people complain about this after trying to read in the Pryor Learning Commons, where people are coming and going and having all sorts of loud conversations. Or still more absurd when someone tries to read while the TV is going on, or when someone chooses to read while in bed, knowing full well the extent of their exhaustion as a college student? Especially when you are first revitalizing your ability to read for pleasure, make sure to choose a location that is stimulating – something not associated with rest, as your bed is – and quiet (peace and quiet are the friends of a good reader). 

Only through consistent practice, and honing of your capacity to ignore the world, can you be able to read even through the worst clamor. But, if you try to take on the challenge of reading in utter tumult while you still are trying to acclimate yourself to reading, then you are only making your life more difficult. 

But what if you find that you cannot focus on what you are reading because it is dull? I will tell you something, and in telling you, give you permission to do what I tell you: if you are not enjoying a book, you are under no obligation to finish it. I tried reading “Dracula” by Bram Stoker about five separate times, each during different stages of my life. I never once got into it. I would get halfway through and would have to stop reading – the book was so dreadfully dull. 

There is nothing wrong with this at all. Of course, you should try to give every book a good chance by at least trying to get through the exposition, but if the narrative does not click, then it does not click. 

What might help with your predicament is to read something completely unrelated to what you are studying  –  but if you find yourself enamored by your studies, to read something related to what you are studying. If you find that you have grown sickly in your capacity to read for pleasure because your English classes have come to assign you cartloads of fiction, such that your primary source of recreational reading is no longer fun, then pick up something non-fiction. If, on the other hand, you love your philosophy classes, you would be wise to read works related to philosophy. 

However, that is not to say that you should limit yourself to one kind of book, or to reading just one book at a time. When we read, we are sometimes in different moods, and these different moods affect the ways in which we consume what we read. It may be the case that you should read multiple books at one time so that you have something for all your major moods. However, I would not recommend more than three books at a time, and I would not recommend that you read books with too similar plotlines – you will undoubtedly confuse yourself. 

I hope that you find your love of reading returned to you. Not only is reading for pleasure good for increasing your scholastic aptitude as a whole, it is also the sort of thing that is good for the soul.