Before the development of social media, most people relied on their friends to recommend books, while others sought recommendations from libraries or bookstores. However, a new sort of book club has grown in popularity: BookTok. 

BookTok, a huge book club online discussing different genres and stories, rose in popularity during the COVID-19 lockdown as many people searched for new hobbies. 

During this time of quarantine, many people scrolled through social media to find the book genres they might have found interest in, instead of going to libraries. 

“I think BookTok is interesting. I think it can definitely help people who don’t love to read because it makes finding books more accessible and TikTok reaches a wide range of audiences. I also think it’s helpful when people can see or hear reactions to a book as opposed to reading reviews online,” says Sanhita Panse.

Not only is it fun discovering new book series, but being able to connect with fellow readers in the comment section of videos, especially during isolation a few years back, brought joy to many.

For some, the fixation with BookTok prompted people who hate reading to pick up a book, but for others it’s an outlet to find books similar to the ones they love.

Many of these video creators begin their videos with a seemingly true story, building up to a huge plot, then later surprising the audience that the story is straight out of a book, keeping viewers wanting to know what happens next. 

“I find myself on BookTok occasionally searching for a good read. I have found some of the top 10 favorite books on BookTok, all thanks to people’s recommendations,” says Maddy Zeitlen.  

This part of TikTok media helps people connect and pick up books they wouldn’t think to grab. BookTok has influenced bookstores as well. Barnes and Noble has a table labeled “BookTok” so readers know exactly where to get the book that they’ve been hearing about on TikTok.