How BookTok Is Keeping the Written Word Alive on TikTok

The rise of smartphones and social networks worries parents and educators, who fear that the printed page will not survive the fast pace and endless abundance available on our small screens. But surprisingly, TikTok and Instagram have created a new world of engagement with books that is encouraging the younger generation to read. It is called “BookTok” a virtual community, mostly female, devoted to recommendations, reviews and conversations about books, mainly in the romance, fantasy and YA, young adult, genres, and also a subgenre called “romantasy,” a blend of romance and fantasy. On BookTok pages you can find videos on topics such as “books I regret already reading and envy anyone who still hasn’t,” “the ten best books I read this year,” unboxings of book packages, “the cute bookmarks I bought,” “how do you choose a book?”, “how do you prevent mold in a library?” and, of course, how to arrange one. A breath of fresh air

May Anlen Eini, 31, from Rishon Lezion, mother of a four-and-a-half-year-old son. Meibooktok, 1,073 followers on TikTok

“I was one of those nerdy kids who read under the blanket with a flashlight. After the army, with life and routine, it disappeared, but דווקא after I became a mother I felt I had to go back to reading to give myself some breathing room. I connected mainly with fantasy literature, and fairly quickly I decided I wanted to post content online. My goal is specifically to introduce books to beginners, especially in English. I think people are not only returning to reading like I did, because of TikTok, but also starting to read because of it. That is wonderful. You do not have to read Les Misérables in French. Romance and fantasy literature is a great way to improve English and expand vocabulary. I work in marketing at a technology company, and 80% of my job is in English, so reading is a hobby, but it contributes a lot to me. I do not have much time, but even ten minutes of reading a day does a lot for the mind and soul.”

What makes you post content on TikTok?

“I take inspiration from accounts abroad, ideas like ‘10 books you must read by the end of the year,’ but there are also books that stick in my head and I just want to talk about them.”

When do you usually read?

“If I am without my child, I will usually be on the couch with a book, while the TV is on music or a fireplace screen for atmosphere. I also listen to books while driving in traffic jams.”

A kiss after the argument

Liel Ngoula, 14, from Tirat Carmel. books_are_my_love, 7,500 followers on TikTok

“I have been reading forever. My mother and most of my family read. When I was 11, my aunt gave me a romance novel. I loved it very much and kept reading books in the genre. Today it is my main hobby. I usually read on Saturdays. My family is traditional and I also started observing Shabbat. It is very convenient for me because I can read without interruptions. I can finish four or five books over a weekend. About four years ago I started posting videos and I have many followers.”

What do you like about these books?

“I like gentle romance, the story of the characters and their development, and it feels as if I am watching them from the side and seeing how the couple met and what made them fall in love. It makes me happy that even if the plot is sad, there is usually a happy ending. I enjoy reading how the couple overcomes difficulties and comes out stronger. I like the kiss after the argument.”

Do your friends read too?

“Not many people around me read. Only through TikTok did I start meeting other readers.”

What do you find in a book that you do not find in a series or film?

“A book is deeper. It allows me to develop my imagination wherever I want to take it.”

Do you get criticism for this hobby? These are romance books, sometimes with graphic descriptions, and you are young.

“Sometimes people raise an eyebrow, but this exists everywhere, on social media, on television. I think it is better that this is my hobby and not other things some people my age do, like drinking or smoking.”

What do you post on your TikTok?

“My page is authentic, I upload, without overthinking, anything that interests me about the books I read.”

Your parents probably know what you read and what you post on TikTok.

“Of course. My mother is my best friend and I tell her everything. She knows I am mature for my age. She prefers horror books. Sometimes she appears in my videos, and once people recognized her on the street.”

Escaping the war

Sivan Kakov, 21, from Sderot. stavreads, 6,200 followers on TikTok, 2,400 on Instagram

“When I was a child, my parents wanted me to read, but at some point I abandoned it. In 11th grade I saw a video on TikTok about books and it brought me back to the library. I started reading and later also talking about reading on TikTok, and I have been doing it for four years. I read in English too, and I recommend on my TikTok that people read in English, no matter what. Reading improves English tremendously. TikTok led me to places I never imagined: today I also work with romance authors Dana Levi Elgarod and Lilian Salma Nahum. They got to know me from TikTok and offered me work with them in social media, and later, when Lilian founded Emerald publishing house with author Galit Rotenberg, I started working there. All of it came from TikTok. It is crazy. I wake up in the morning and do what I love.”

What do you like about the romance genre?

“I think we all want love, romance, a relationship and excitement. It is the most basic thing. I also read psychology and fantasy books, but romance has something that fulfills me and I do not feel the need for anything else. These books have characters who are more vulnerable and easier to identify with. Vulnerable, but definitely not weak. Both the men and the women in romance literature are not perfect. Sometimes they have scars, just like us. I connect with the characters and they become part of my family, they are like real characters to me. Sometimes I miss them, and I end up reading a book several times. In the past there may have been some shame in reading romance literature. Today it is a source of pride. It is a genre that fills the shelves and also makes it onto the bestseller lists.”

You live in Sderot. Did books and TikTok help you during the war?

“Very much. On October 7 I was on vacation with my family in the north. I was then a welfare officer, and we were evacuated to Eilat. We lived there for four months, and like everyone else, we were in shock. We woke up to a crazy reality that no book had foreseen. For four months, in a city that was not mine, I read a lot and TikTok created a small, supportive, embracing and warm community for me. If books are a kind of escape, after October 7 it was the perfect escape, and it helped me cope during that period. The responses and the connection with people were very strengthening. Many young women read romance, and דווקא in Israel, because of the army, there is fertile ground for movie-like love stories. The hero of romance literature can be any Israeli fighter. The truth is that romance literature creates a high standard for the Israeli man.”

A sense of community

Orpaz Miran, 36, from Harish, married and mother of two boys, ages seven and five. Orpazbooks, 1,226 followers on TikTok, 460 on Instagram

“I started reading romance literature at 14, took a six-year break and recently returned. It arouses emotions such as sadness, joy and rage. My husband asks me, ‘What is in there?’ and watches my videos, but he does not really connect with them. I think every home with a library should have a corner for romance books that may contribute to the relationship. There are many jokes on TikTok about erotic scenes in books, the girls try to figure out the position, because it requires a lot of imagination. To couples looking for workshops to improve their relationship and intimacy, I say, what is the problem? Read a book.”

Has women’s place changed in romance literature?

“Absolutely. Once the heroines waited for the knight on the white horse, today they are active. If the world needs saving, they save it with the hero or on their own.”

You took a long break from reading. When you came back, did you feel anything had changed?

“The truth is yes. I was shocked by the language. The style that existed before is not the style of today. In the past the writing was more elevated and polished. Today the writing is very accessible and graphic. That is probably what the younger generation, which lives on social networks, wants. In addition, the authors in the romance genre are very accessible. You can meet them at conferences, get books signed and take photos with them. That creates a sense of community. I think that in general, young women want to feel they belong, part of something, and TikTok helps with that mutual fertilization.”

How much do you read each week?

“I read a lot because today I work at Luna Publishing and also read manuscripts. My job is a dream come true.”

Are most TikTok videos about romance and fantasy books?

“Like in any community, there are camps here. There is a camp that reads only Israeli authors. There are those who read only translated books. There are those who read only dark literature, with what we call ‘dubious consent’ or the normalization of rape. There are ‘lovey-dovey’ books and mafia books. There are endless possibilities, but broadly speaking, most of the established communities on TikTok are divided into romance and fantasy. In my opinion, the emphasis is on romance. We are still with the book, with the romance book.”

The article was published in Laisha magazine.