Booktok has attracted a lot of new readers, including many friends of mine who otherwise would’ve never picked up a book, but it attracted a lot of habitual readers as well. I think the format is compact and highly digestible and a lot of videos present the books in a manner that is aesthetically pleasing, concise and attractive to the casual TikTok scroller. I’ve read a couple of CoHo books at my friends’ recommendation. Our opinions differed greatly; a discussion ensued and we exchanged our reflections; it was fun. It’s not much deeper than it seems honestly. It attracts all types of readers, and it fosters a sense of community among those people.

I’m not on Booktok, but I’m on Booktube, and I love finding booktubers who have a similar taste to mine and I often discover books I wouldn’t have found otherwise. Also, when I read a book that someone else has also read, it’s interesting to hear their thoughts and review of it. Booktok is quite similar, though with shorter length videos. People like whatever books for whatever reason: who cares? What you’re observing here is literally what happens on any popular social platform: people like things and tell other people they might like those things as well, then it becomes a trend and goes full circle. Whether they’re actually good or not is entirely subjective. I’ve liked some books that have trended, and I’ve disliked some others. There’s such a wide range of books trending on the internet that it’s genuinely absurd to lump them under any one category and pigeonhole them as insipid or fatuous. There’s no real correlation between how enjoyable a book is and how popular it is. I also get the feeling you’re being slightly, even if unwittingly, condescending.

There’s a slight dissonance between what you’re expressing and what you claim to believe. Your wording suggests you view “booktok famous books” as inferior, and that more experienced readers would never “obsess” over such second-rate, simplistic writing. Accessibility in literature is only deemed mediocre if you’re being a snob. I get that you’re not trying to be critical or offensive, but you might wanna word things more sensibly when you’re asking for someone else’s opinion.