TikTok Unravels Official Book Club For Its Flourishing ‘BookTok’ Community
By Mikelle Leow, 26 Jul 2022
TikTok isn’t just about strange recipes and questionable trends; it’s also a cozy, welcoming space for book lovers. The community represented by the hashtag #BookTok has amassed 65.5 billion views as of the time of writing, proving that reading is a hobby that’s still very much alive.
It comes as no surprise that the social network is profoundly aware of this growing community, so it’s now created a more official space for them called the TikTok Book Club. This special hub, located within the app, is open to everyone. Since TikTok is the moderator, though, the hangout stands out from the hashtag channel with its monthly routines, functioning closer to a real book club. Notably, authors may resonate with this space and promote their books here too.
Each month, the TikTok Book Club will recommend a new book. This sets the theme for the month, sparking a new wave of reviews and memes among literary enthusiasts. In TikTok’s own words, the hub will be a “cozy corner where communities can experience the joy [of] reading together.”
The first title goes back to the classics: it’s Jane Austen’s 1817 Persuasion. With that being said, the novel’s legacy has also been entwined with the future, with Netflix recently releasing an adaptation of the story. Incidentally, #AustenTok has raked in almost 19 million views on TikTok.
@jackbenedwards taking you to my favourite bookstore in Paris to buy Persuasion for #BookClub !!! I’ll be doing a live BYOB readalong on Tuesday 26th at 7pm BST so tune in for that :) #booktok
⬠original sound - Jack Edwards
[via Mashable and Publishing Perspectives, images via TikTok]