Booktube is Consumerist. Here's Why I'm Still Watching

On December 6, Russian Youtube creator Tatyana (known for the channel “Bookish Topics”) released a video discussing books released in 2021. Since I’m very interested in her content, I quickly clicked on the video and listened to her list the not-quite-published novels. One of them, Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro, piqued my interest and I added it to my virtual TBR on the StoryGraph, a website for organizing books. When the book comes out in March, I plan to purchase and read it.

Tatyana is not an instagram influencer or a celebrity sponsor. She’s a passionate fan.

And there are thousands of creators like her.

A large subsection of Youtube, called “Booktube” for its focus on literary content, has shaped my reading habits more than any other. In 2018, the New York Times praised Booktubers for inspiring viewers to read and creating a space for literary discussion outside of academic settings, which are often exclusive and dispassionate.

But Booktube isn’t just a forum for discussion: It’s a hub for advertising. According to Huffpost, publishing companies often partner with Booktubers to promote their products. Since Booktubers tend to specialize in a particular genre, viewers can trust that the books a creator enjoys match their personal tastes. They’re less like pen-and-paper critics and more like specialized influencers.

Fans like myself see them as a trusted source. When I started watching Booktube, I was overwhelmed and excited by the world of literature newly available to me—not to mention the engaging personalities, inspiring challenges and thoughtful discourse provided by the Booktube community. Dutch Booktuber The Artisan Geek, as well as Bookish Topics and Sant Reads, an Indian Booktuber with almost 1,000 subscribers, exposed me to books from other countries and cultures that I would not have known about otherwise.

But along with the opportunity to read great books comes the danger of overspending. Watching Booktube has encouraged me to purchase more books, most of which I encountered via Booktube videos. For an example of its influence on my TBR, one needn’t look further the books my parents gave me (Thanks!) for Christmas of 2020:

• An Underground Life by Gad Beck

• Shadow and Act by Ralph Ellison

• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

• Tyll by Daniel Kehlmann

• Our Daily Bread by Predrag Matvejević

• Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels

• The Street by Ann Petry

• The Shadow of the Wind by Caros Ruis Zafón

    Except for Shadow and Act, which I wanted because I enjoyed Ellison’s nonfiction articles, all of these books first appeared to me on Booktube. For example, I first encountered An Underground Life in a recommendation video by The Artisan Geek.

So my purchasing habits have been hijacked by a small group of influencers. But that’s OK. I’ve learned how to take recommendations wisely.

When they first encounter Booktube, some people are drawn in by the hype that surrounds very popular books. They might spend their money on books they don’t really want to read just because a popular Booktuber talks about them.

I used to do this too. When I first started taking recommendations from Booktube, I followed a channel called Problems of a Book Nerd. Because I liked her video-making style, I took several recommendations from her and added her favorite books to my Summer TBR. After reading them, I decided her taste in books didn’t align with mine.

I also prefer to keep my TBR mostly online, only purchasing books if I receive money or a gift card. If I decide I don’t want to read a book on my digital TBR, there’s much less pressure to remove it than if I already have a physical copy. Popular books might also be available at my local library, which means I don’t have to make a monetary commitment.

Because despite its consumerist sheen, Booktube is selling something intangible: the love of reading.

When I watch channels like Bookish Topics, The Artisan Geek and Sant Reads, I feel excited to pick up a book and discover new things. The number of books I’ve read—and the number of new favorites I’ve found—has quadrupled. I’m glad that I encountered those books via Booktube. So long as I stick to my rules and only buy books I’m genuinely excited about.

If you want to find exciting new books and expand your horizons, Booktube might be the place for you. Just know what you’re getting yourself into.