Social Media has become a daily part of our lives, while this may not be entirely healthy, it has its benefits.
TikTok has, specifically when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, gained its fame and success. During the pandemic, BookTok was created.
BookTok has become a community on TikTok and its main goal is recommending books to others. It can go from fantasy and romance to thriller, which are my personal favorites. In just four years, authors such as Freida McFadden, Colleen Hoover, and Sarah J. Maas have made an impact in the BookTok community.
During my sophomore year in high school, a year after the pandemic, I discovered BookTok. I first discovered it by one day deciding to look for books that were in the process of becoming movies. Seeing the popularity Colleen Hoover has been receiving with her book It Ends With Us. There had been rumors of this book becoming a movie. This is how my interest grew.
Regardless if they were new or old to the community, BookTok’s goal has been to reach out to people and get them to read. It goes in-depth with all types of genres. I wasn’t the type of person who would sit down and read a book because I could never find time or perhaps the right excuse.
I wanted to become a more productive person and find my passion. By being a person that doesn’t do sports it can seem hard to find the correct hobby for you. Instead of wasting my time scrolling on TikTok, I have been able to embrace a hobby that helps me grow as a person, as well as increase my knowledge.
In the beginning, the genre I was interested in was romance and fantasy. These specific genres were the most seen on my for you page. I do believe that these became my favorite type of books to read due to BookTok becoming a bigger part of my life. I have slowly gotten into thrillers with Freida McFadden’s help.
I had a feeling that I would always like thriller books since I love scary movies. As I have grown into the BookTok Community, I do think that reading books is better than watching movies because most movies created from books always miss points made in the book. Overall, the biggest reason is that when you read the books first you are given the opportunity to use your imagination.
The first book I officially read from the community was Reminders of Him. It follows Kenna Rowan, the protagonist of the story, who decides to return to the town where her whole life changed. The city she lost everything in after she was released from prison for the tragic accident Kenna and her boyfriend were in. Kenna’s main goal was to get her daughter back, but this goal had many barriers due to Kenna’s daughter being with their boyfriend’s parents. The lesson learned from this book is to be able to forgive people, and that giving second chances to people isn’t always so bad.
Despite the joy BookTok has given me, the news of a permanent TikTok ban possibly happening in the USA shook many members of the community. In the days leading up to the January 19th TikTok ban, members started brainstorming ways to stay connected outside of the platform. Which showed the strength of the community.
Though it was a temporary ban, it was later confirmed to just be back for 90 days, so BookTok members must find an alternative to remain a community and maintain the love they all share for literature.
To maintain the community, members have proposed suggestions for platforms such as Red Note (booknote), Facebook, and Goodreads. Some community members even suggested creating a BookTok app. This app would be dedicated to just being about books, just like the platform TikTok has provided us, but individually. This has demonstrated the community’s imagination to expand and stay together.
Despite what the future may hold for the BookTok community. It has shown its ability to be more than just a trend that happens and then loses its fame. With the help of this community, I have been able to find new authors, new people, and mainly a love for literature. If the TikTok ban were to happen, the people I have met, the book recommendations, and my love for literature would always remain in me. As a member of this community, it has shaped me as a reader to look deeper into the meaning of literature. I want to continue the passion and pass it on to others. Perhaps impact their life just like how mine was impacted by a loving community.
