TikTok
Why #BookTok is The Best Place to Start Reading If You’ve Been on a Hiatus
There’s no shame in reading fluff
Do you spend a lot of time on TikTok? I know some people do. It’s their favorite pass time when the day has ended. At first, I avoided TikTok at all costs. The app has been very controversial lately. But my main pet peeve with TikTok is the endless short video streaming that hooks you in for hours and its effect on mental health and “TikTok-ification.”
A few weeks ago, on a rainy Saturday afternoon, as it so happened, it was a slow new release Netflix day. I thought about which movies I wanted to watch again. My mind kept going back to The School for Good and Evil and how that movie had always stayed at the top of my mind these last few months. Normally, I would start watching the movie on Netflix. But that day, something inside me said, “If the movie is that good, just imagine how good the book is!” Good point, I thought to myself.
It then made me think of all the great series that were book adaptations such as Steel Magnolias, Bridgerton, and A Discovery of Witches. It’s been a while since I read a book for fun. So I went to my local bookstore to pick up a copy of the book The School for Good and Evil.
When I arrived, I saw that in the featured section of the bookstore, another book caught my eye called The Rise of the School for Good and Evil. I picked it up and eagerly read the back cover. This book was the prequel to The School for Good and Evil. I was hesitant at first and thought why would I want to read the prequel? How good could it be? In my mind, prequels and origin stories are something authors write when they’re out of ideas and just want to latch on to the fame of their previously published work.
But in this case, I was proven wrong. I read the first three pages, and I was hooked! The origin story of The School for Good and Evil started with none other than the fairy tale character I love most in life, Aladdin. That was it, it was love at first read, and that book came home with me.
While I was there, next to it was a book about another Disney character that I had loved, Princess Merida. Disney has been publishing so many books in recent years that are not just geared towards only children but also for young adults through their Disney Books publications.
The book I had my eye on was called Bravely. It’s the continuation of the hit movie Brave and tells the story of how Princess Merida had to save her family from the impending destruction of her entire village. She has only one year to change the fate of her people and save her family in the process.
I had always wondered what happened after the scene is set, the credits rolled and all our favorite fairy tale characters ended up with their happily ever after. Well now, thanks to a new genre of alternate realities such as the Twisted Tales series from Disney and peeking to what happens next, we get to see what our favorite characters become and how they grow.
I was curious as to what the consensus on these books was, so I searched for the reviews for The Rise of the School for Good and Evil and also Bravely. That’s when I came across book reviewers who were talking about #BookTok and the books they were reading.
This was a whole new world for me. I never realized there were entire communities and subcultures or subcommunities out there in the digital world dedicated to books!
Growing up in the 80s and 90s, in Southeast Asia, it wasn’t “cool” to be a reader. It was cool to play the latest video games on Sega or Nintendo (yes, Sega was da bomb!) but hardly anyone I knew read as much as I did. I remember distinctly my favorite books were the Young Indiana Jones series and the books written by Enid Blyton.
As time progressed, in the early 2000s, the best seller books were the books that were “popular”, and most of the time, these books are heavy reads. Such as the works of Kazuo Ishiguro. Let’s not forget that in order to be considered “well read” we would have to venture into the works of Salman Rushdie, Naguib Mahfouz, and Khalil Gibran. And for me, these books are very mentally exhausting with all the feels.
“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”
― Jane Austen (Northanger Abbey)
I took a break from reading for nearly 20 years because I just couldn’t find a book that I was willing to invest my time in. I wanted a light read but not cheesy, books that had familiar characters but with new adventures, new tales, and new lessons. And for decades, these books were not available, until recently.
A few years ago, I picked up one book in an attempt to read something after many years of vacuum. I picked up “A Gentleman in Moscow”. The book was on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list for 59 weeks. The writer, Amor Towles, is a very well-known author, educated at Stanford and Yale. I thought, here’s a good place to start, reading something from such an accomplished and distinguished writer. But as I previously mentioned, it was too heavy for me. I’m ashamed to admit it, but until today, that book still sits on my shelf half-read and is one of the books on my DNF list (see DNF meaning below).
This was why discovering #BookTok has been the best thing to happen to my literary life! It is so refreshing to see so many good reads on so many genres that don’t suck the energy and life out of us as we read them.
Unlike mainstream bestseller books that are thought provoking narrations, commenting on societies and cultural norms, #BookTok is comprised of mostly popular reads that is popular among GenZ.
When I sit with a cup of tea, curled up on my couch, I want to be whisked away to an alternate universe, I want to rediscover my childlike innocence and not be reminded of how broken, corrupted, and cruel our world has become. Simply put, I want to fall in love with reading while I read.
I don’t want the words to strain my mind and weigh down my heart. Reading should energize, inspire, and renew us. Giving us strength to face the world, and make the world a better place, if not for ourselves, at least for one other person we come across on that day. And that’s why #BookTook has been life-changing.
“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”
― Neil Gaiman (Coraline)
If you’re looking for some #BookTok books to start, below are some popular books that have been getting raves on TikTok:
It’s worth noting that while you’re going through the reviews on TikTok, these are some terms that are commonly used in #BookTok:
Dark Academia : Refers to books that tend to, but not always, have an academic background. Such as a well known university or popular boarding school where a strange or mysterious event happens for example murder or magic.
Trope : In literary terms is a plot device or character attribute which is used in a genre that is well known. For example, a trope in a superhero story would be the superhero saves the world from impending doom caused by the supervillain. Another trope example would be the enemies to lovers scenario.
Spice : The general agreement for readers is that spice refers to the contents of a book containing sexually explicit content.
TBR : To Be Read. Books that you are planning to read. Most BookTubers have a standing portable rack that they fill with books they are planning to read. I’m not so ambitious. My TBR is one or two books a month because you know….life…..
DNF : Did Not Finish. Books that are read halfway through, part way through, or to any length but the reader never made it to the end page. Yes, it happens to all of us. I still plan on getting back to reading A Gentleman in Moscow. Not anytime soon though. I’ll probably put it on my bucket list and call it a day.
ARC : Not to be confused with arc as in plot development, all capital ARC stands for Advance Reader Copy. Books that are not yet published and are provided to readers for review, promotional, and awards consideration purposes.
HEA : Happily Ever After. Yes, this is the classic fairytale ending that we all love. The hero rides off into the sunset, the girl gets the boy, well, you get the point. And yes, this is my favorite ending as well.
If you haven’t checked out #BookTok, I highly recommend you check it out. It will change your life!
#BookTok is the perfect place to start if you haven’t read for a while and want to dip your toes into the water before immersing yourself. And here’s a tip I wish someone had told me, it’s ok to read young adult books even though we’re not teens or tweens anymore.
The Percy Jackson and Harry Potter series are some of the most beloved and popular series. They have expansive universes and amazing world building. Most of all, they are intended for young adults.
And in case you’re wondering, you don’t have to be on Tik Tok to see #BookTok recommendations. There is plenty of #BookTok content on YouTube Shorts, Instagram, or even by web searching.
On my TBR list for next month is Enola Holmes The Case of The Bizarre Bouquets and Loki Where Mischief Lies. These two characters are very near and dear to my heart.
Similar to many people, I discovered these characters through Netflix and Disney. But now that I’ve found them, I am interested to learn more about them through the books and not on screen. As the saying goes “The book is always better”.
What’s on your TBR list?
