Rediscovering Reading’s Charm with BookTok
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Once seen as the “anti-reading”, social media apps like Instagram and TikTok are making reading cool again.
By Jayne Turner – Staff Writer
A Brief History of Book Clubs:
In 1926, the Book-of-the-Month Club launched, which allowed consumers to more easily find and read modern content (sorry, Shakespeare!). In the 1980s, there was a renewed interest in book clubs thanks to widespread services offering personalized book recommendations. The late 1990s popularized the modern day book club, thanks to Oprah Winfrey’s Book Club that sparked a wave of community-based book clubs around the country.
However, in 2025, we now have BookTok. Thanks to millions of creators and consumers of book content, it is easier than ever for readers to find a book that appeals to them.
The Rise of BookTok
It’s clear that readers crave community. After all, what better feeling is there than finishing a book and having someone to discuss it with? Enter BookTok, where experienced readers categorize books into genres, which other readers can search using keywords such as “murder mystery” or “cozy read.” They can then create their own videos, rating the book and suggesting others, adding to a rich community of readers on TikTok. BookTok is a book club that is accessible from anywhere you have internet access.
New to social media? These helpful articles will teach you the basics.
Current BookTok Genre Favorites
- Murder mystery
- Romance
- Seasonal (i.e. beach read, cozy read, winter reads)
- “Books to get you out of a reading slump”
Murder Mystery books have been popular since the days of Nancy Drew because they are engaging, suspenseful, and serve as a puzzle for the reader to solve as they go. Reading stories about dark topics is a safe way to engage with the topics, since if you get too scared, you can just close the book! Many readers are also drawn to the strong resolution that these books provide.
Romance is always in style; humans crave connection! But if modern dating is getting you down, get off of Tinder and crack open a novel to get your romance fix. Modern dating is bleak, but book romances are not.
Seasonal books are the best way to make the most of your holiday. There is something special about reading a book that takes place at the beach while laying on the sand. Books on snow days and hockey boyfriends help romanticize your gloomy winter without leaving the house.
Finally, “Books to get you out of a reading slump,” because there is nothing more frustrating than wanting to curl up and read a good book, but being stumped on what to read. Readers are looking to be entertained and they aren’t willing to search hard for it. Luckily, BookTok is there to help suggest a book based on your interests.
If you’re looking to get back into reading, you need only look as far as your phone.
Need a recommendation? Check out this website for books that will change your life.
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Author: Jayne Turner is a freelance writer from Los Angeles, California. She has a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience with an emphasis on language and cognition. She has ten years of musical theatre experience and a lifelong love of reading. Utterly excited by the brain, she brings a fresh Gen Z perspective to the topics that intrigue us most.
