#i do agree that generally tiktok favourites tend to be mediocre to bad but there's some really awesome stuff on there too

[amphiptere]

my issue with booktok is not that it is unpretentious and often promotes bad books but that it is an echo chamber of generically enjoyable stuff made for mass-market appeal when I think what makes books so special is that since they are (slightly) easier to get into the world than movies or TV, they are, after fanfiction, likely the most accessible ways to enjoy niche and weird stories that are specific to you and your particular interests. Everyone has something they love that completely lacks popular appeal and if not then they just haven’t found it yet. Non-fiction books are perfect for distributing verified information on incredibly specific topics to the wider public. Fiction is perfect for exploring ideas like what would happen if two worms invented calculus and also let’s throw in some themes on the deeper idea of connection between beings and the universe. Or whatever. There’s weird and awesome stuff out there, and learning about only the things that everyone ever loves will not help you find it.

#mine #i do agree that generally tiktok favourites tend to be mediocre to bad but there's some really awesome stuff on there too #i'm not going to judge anyone for being unpretentious or enjoying bad stuff either whatever floats your boat #and i think that as book lovers we should be embracing anything that helps other people get into reading #if that's acotar then so be it #i mean i don't endorse the series or anything but i'm not going to be mad at people for enjoying it #also the point of this post is not to say only read weird stuff hell no enjoy your mass market shit all day long #that shit slaps #but so does the weird stuff we need variety #is one of my favourite books ever a biography on the romanovs? yes. do i also love everything maggie stiefvater ever writes also including #the werewolf stuff that upon further consideration will probably not hold up too well now i am an adult but still holds an important place #in my heart and always will? god yeah. #i was in sixth grade i'd never read a book that had sex in it before i was walking around like omg i am so naughty 🤭 #objectively that is hilarious #i recommend booktube to y'all that's where it's AT #also talk to librarians! they are Wise.