Sam_Coolpants t1_j1u3wym wrote on December 27, 2022 at 12:06 PM

I do think that booktok and booktube contribute to many people being unable to form their own and original opinions on the books they read. People are prone to mirroring the content creators they watch—what the creator thinks, they think. But everything is like that, from literature to politics. People have never been very good at thinking for themselves.

These content creators also dictate what is read, what becomes popular.

Brain_Spawn t1_j1vl19c wrote on December 27, 2022 at 6:55 PM

I agree with this. You form a parasocial bond with the content creator, and then you want to have the same conclusion as they had, to be part of an in-group. I struggle with BookTok and BookTube personally because I straight up have found that I don't like about 50% of what's been recommended. And my experience with personal recommendations is similar, even from people that share similar interests. Two examples: I didn't like "A Darker Shade of Magic" by VE Schwab, I thought the writing was poor, the worldbuilding was vague at best, and the plot was messy. I am also struggling to not DNF "The Lies of Locke Lamora" by Scott Lynch, it's a well written book, the world building seems solid, the various plotlines seem intriguing... I can't get through it, it's a slog for me.