Social Reading Cultures on BookTube, Bookstagram, and BookTok

This interdisciplinary study offers a compelling analysis of how digital platforms like BookTok, BookTube, and Bookstagram have fundamentally reshaped contemporary literary culture. The authors meticulously explore how the specific affordances of each social media site invite readers to participate in vibrant social reading communities, transforming solitary consumption into a public, creative, and deeply social practice. The book argues that these online spaces have created new ecosystems for book discovery and literary discussion, moving influence from traditional gatekeepers to a distributed network of passionate readers. It provides a crucial framework for understanding the mechanics of modern bookish communities and their growing power within the publishing industry.

What makes this work particularly distinctive is its focus on the creative and curatorial practices readers develop to express their identities as book lovers, from creating aesthetic book flat lays to producing elaborate video reviews. It will resonate most with media studies scholars, publishing professionals, and any avid reader curious about the forces shaping their own online reading life. By dissecting the unique cultures of each platform, the book provides an essential map of a rapidly evolving literary landscape, ultimately demonstrating how social reading is redefining what it means to be a reader in the digital age.