Immersed and Unashamed: How BookTok is Protecting the Right to Escapism

What is BookTok?

BookTok is a virtual book club on steroids. In the format of short videos, sometimes only a few minutes long, readers share their thoughts on recent reads, recommended books, reactions, recent purchases and more. Videos reach those with complementary interests through TikTok’s algorithm and can be searched via the #BookTok hashtag, which has amassed billions of views. Unlike the traditional book club format, BookTok unites readers from across the globe and uses popular trends to make chatting about books quick and accessible for all. 

Immersive reading: A rising trend

A trend gaining traction in the BookTok world is immersive reading: the act of listening to text read aloud while following the written word at the same time. This isn’t a new concept – in fact, big companies like Microsoft already incorporate principles of immersive reading into their software, suggesting that it helps improve reading comprehension and can be effective for young children. It can be a useful way of supporting education, but have BookTok found a way to make it fashionable, and more desirable to a younger audience? In a quick search on TikTok, thousands of videos appear talking about immersive reading. In most circumstances, readers are using eReaders alongside eAudio, altering the speed to match their preference and even making changes to their environment to complement their chosen book. For example, one reader talks about her immersive reading experience; making snacks that are inspired by the plot, lighting a candle to match the mood, and sipping on themed drinks. By engaging as many senses as possible in the experience, BookTok creators are making a strong commitment to the immersive element of reading. Their preparation and process suggests that they are not only willing, but hell bent, on getting lost in their fictional world. 

A love for the unconventional

If there’s one thing you should know about BookTok, it’s that nothing is taboo. Subjects that are often overlooked in mainstream publishing thrive here, and in fact make up a large portion of the creators’ recommendations. In its love for dark academia, morally grey characters, and smut-heavy romances, BookTok is pushing boundaries and proving that all books are worthy of recognition. In fact, those criticising or branding the reading habits of BookTok regulars as cringey and shameful are often met with fierce defence. In a world where particularly women’s reading habits are traditionally belittled, the BookTok community is sending a message loud and clear: we’re here, and we’re not ashamed.

A measurable impact

The power of BookTok is evident in your local library, book shop, or over on your Amazon homepage. Many of the top-rated books in recent years owe their popularity to the BookTok community, delivering thrilling or heartfelt narratives that become darlings of the BookTok world. Extremely popular authors like Sarah J. Maas, Elsie Silver, and Colleen Hoover have experienced a massive peak in readership through the sharing of recommendations online. These writers, once under the radar, have become household names in the BookTok community, with their emotionally charged romances and ‘swoon-worthy’ characters a major attraction for readers.

There has also been an introduction of new subgenres like Romantasy (that’s romantic fantasy) and Sports Romance that provide readers with not only more options than ever before when it comes to choosing their next read, but a way to express their literary preferences that they may not have had. Additionally, more and more titles are entering the space that deal with hard-hitting and important issues. Titles like Out on a Limb, a love story about two characters with limb differences, the hugely popular It Ends With Us, showing one character’s experience with domestic abuse, and Six of Crows which features a diverse range of sexuality, gender and neurodiversity in its characters. 

Tried and tested: BookTok recommendations that we love

The range of titles that reach fame on BookTok is as wide as those you’ll find on our library shelves, with things like TV and film adaptations making a big impact on the latest trends. Here are just some of the books you’ll find being hyped on BookTok, that we loved too. Try them out and let us know what you think!