By: Ally Abruscato
Welcome to the summer of 2023. The world is burning, and your Instagram feed is full of peoples’ painted fingernails lying gracefully across a book they’ll never finish. The cartoon cover mimics every other book found in the “#BookTok” section at Barnes and Noble. Swiping through these aesthetically pleasing photos, you start to feel bad about yourself. Your inner dialogue says, “I haven’t read a book since 2016. Look at these cool people enriching their minds and gaining insightful knowledge of the world around them. Reading is so cool, and I’m so lame.” Don’t fret! You, too, can be as cool as those people that read the SparkNotes for every book in your high school English class. Here is how to become a real-life book influencer!
1. Choose a book
If you haven’t picked up a book since “The Hunger Games,” you may be wondering where to begin. This is the sole reason TikTok was created. Scroll on your favorite mind-numbing app for 10-12 hours to find the same three books recommended by countless creators.
2. Head to Amazon
Book influencers only visit local bookstores for pictures of them from behind, staring at a collection of classic books that they will never buy. It is more important to support our boy Jeff Bezos and buy a cheaper version of the book that should arrive in the next two to three business days.
3. Beach
Once you have your beautiful book in hand, it is time for the Instagram photoshoot to begin. Since it is summer, head to your nearest beach to complete the vibe. Some possible shots include the corner of a book lying in the sand, the inside cover of the book against the blue sky, and the book covering your face but not your gorgeous new bathing suit.
4. Actually read the book
This step is optional and not often required to be a book influencer. If you do choose to read the book, make sure it is nothing too mentally taxing. Let your mind escape to a world of small towns and hot men that are obsessed with women who think they will never find love.
5. Recommend the book you didn’t read to everyone you know
This is how the cycle of book influencers stays alive. If you post a TikTok or Instagram story about your love of reading, you will make others feel the same shame you once endured. It is crucial to make people feel bad about themselves in order for the process to succeed.
Congratulations, you are now a book influencer and the envy of all your closest friends! List reading as a hobby on your Hinge profile and watch as your popularity grows. You’ll be surprised by the hidden benefits reading can provide.
In all seriousness, reading books is actually very cool! Even if you are not reading non-fiction books that teach you something new, fiction books increase your emotional intelligence and empathy. There is something beautiful to learn from any book, even if it is mostly just people making out.
I do appreciate book influencers for making reading trendy again. I genuinely believe social media has encouraged people to get back into reading, which is never a bad thing. In theory, reading being a trend can only be positive. However, I do think it sets unrealistic expectations for people, like social media often does. Some have told me that seeing people read two books a week when it takes them a year to read one novel hurts their ego. It actually discourages them from reading because they think that they will never attain these unrealistic goals of 100 books a year. In reality, any amount of reading is acceptable. Your pace does not matter as long as you are doing something you enjoy.
The other problem I have with book influencers is their repeated recommendations of the same genres and authors. Romance and fantasy books seem to be very popular online, yet are niche categories that are not for everyone (myself included). If a non-reader picks up a book they don’t like, they will be less likely to finish it or pick up another one afterwards. It is important to understand that everyone has different tastes and that is perfectly normal. If you are going to get into reading, do it for yourself and not for your followers. Reading is such a personal experience that can truly enrich your life and make you see the world from a new perspective. Ignore all book influencers (besides me) and have fun!
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